On Tuesday, a coalition of 12 Western nations—including the United Kingdom, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden—issued a joint statement calling for restrictions on trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The statement cited what the countries described as “unprecedented levels of settler violence and settlement expansion” and urged Israel to immediately halt further settlement construction, hold settlers accountable for violence, and investigate allegations against Israeli forces.
Britain, France and Canada announced that they would introduce national trade bans on goods produced in settlements, while the other signatories pledged to support or consider similar measures.
London has accused Israeli settlers of carrying out “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians in parts of the West Bank, a claim that has intensified diplomatic tensions between Israel and its key Western partners.
In response, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben‑Gvir had earlier called on the Israeli government to recognize Argentine sovereignty over the Falkland Islands and to impose sanctions on the United Kingdom. Following the joint statement, Israel announced a series of retaliatory measures against London.
These developments mark a further deterioration in Israel’s relations with several Western governments, with the most acute strain occurring with Britain.
For more information, readers can consult the original report from RT.com dated 8 September 2026.
Article and image source: argentinastar.com
