UK sanctions targeting Israeli settlements would automatically apply in Guernsey if they are introduced, the States has confirmed.
The UK’s Foreign Minister, Ed Miliband, has announced plans to ban imports of goods from “illegal Israeli settlements” in the occupied West Bank, alongside new powers to target individuals and companies that support, facilitate or profit from settlement activity.
The UK also plans to ban the advertising or promotion of land and property in the settlements.
Asked whether the measures would apply in Guernsey, the States said the Bailiwick’s legislation is structured so that sanctions introduced by the UK, “including any new sanctions regimes”, automatically apply here.
UK sanctions are made under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 (SAMLA) and given effect in Guernsey through the island’s own sanctions laws.
Jersey debate
The position is broadly similar in Jersey, where Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham has said the island “usually aligns” with UK foreign policy.
Asked whether Jersey would swiftly follow the UK over the proposed settlement sanctions, Mr Farnham said the Government would “engage with the relevant UK departments concerning the practical effects of any confirmed policy implications”.
Jersey also has an automatic mechanism for implementing relevant UK sanctions measures, although its Government is considering the practical implications of the proposed new regime.
The UK measures are not yet in force, with legislation expected to follow the Labour Government’s announcement.
What are settlements?
Israeli settlements are communities built by Israel in territory captured during the 1967 ‘Six Day War‘, including the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
After World War Two, the UN had proposed dividing British-controlled Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states in 1947, but that plan was never implemented.
After the 1967 war, Israel took control of the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Israel disputes the view that its settlements are illegal, arguing that the territory’s final status should be decided through negotiations.
The UN takes a different position, with a 2016 resolution saying the settlements have “no legal validity” under international law and calling for them to stop.
What has the UK now announced?
Until now, successive British governments have largely stopped short of imposing sanctions on Israeli settlement activity, instead calling for the issue to be resolved through negotiations.
However, the Labour Government has now signalled a change in approach, announcing plans for sanctions targeting economic activity linked to Israeli settlements.
Speaking to the House of Commons, Mr Miliband told MPs the Government now formally regarded Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories as unlawful and said that view should be reflected in Britain’s economic relationship with the occupied territories.
Opening his statement by describing himself as a “proud British Jew”, Mr Miliband said Israel had provided sanctuary to his grandmother after she lost her husband and 60 other family members to the Nazis.
He said he remained “unwavering” in his support for the State of Israel, but argued that there was “absolutely no contradiction” between that position and supporting a Palestinian state.
He added that the British government “agrees that there is ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in areas of the West Bank” and suggested that “all too often the Israeli government has turned a blind eye to this” or taken actions to support the displacement of Palestinians.
The measures will also target specific companies and individuals providing construction, infrastructure, financing or real-estate services which facilitate settlement expansion.
“Earlier this year, shamefully, just a few miles from here, we saw an expo advertising illegal settlement land,” he said.
“We must and we will ensure this never happens again, so we will ban the advertising in the UK of illegal settlements.”
Mr Miliband stressed that the measures were aimed at the settlements and their expansion rather than Israel itself, saying the UK would continue to support trade with Israel within the Green Line and that he opposed the wider Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign.
The legislation is expected to be “in place within six to nine months”.
Mr Miliband also announced that Britain would refuse arms and other export licences where the goods would “materially contribute to the occupation”.
France and Canada are also announcing bans on goods from settlements alongside the UK, according to the Foreign Secretary.
