Marco Rubio visiting the Western Wall in Jerusalem with Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday. Photograph: Ariel Schalit/AP
US refuses to replicate British trade sanctions on 'Israel'
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- Rubio warns against measures that could further destabilize the West Bank.
- Washington and London diverge over trade restrictions targeting ‘Israeli’ settlements.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed on Tuesday that the United States will not join Britain in imposing sanctions on trade with 'Israeli' settlements, emphasizing Washington’s desire to maintain stability in the occupied West Bank.
Speaking to journalists shortly before departing on an official visit to Latin America, Rubio made clear that Washington will not emulate the economic policy shifts implemented by London.
"Obviously, we're not going to do what the UK did," Rubio said regarding the sanctions. "We don't want to see anything destabilizing going on right now in the West Bank with so much going on in the region."
Divergent approaches between US, UK
The US refusal to align with London underscores a growing divergence in transatlantic policy regarding 'Israeli' settlements in the West Bank.
While British officials have advanced trade restrictions targeting goods produced in settlements—citing international law and escalating violence—the US administration maintains that applying punitive economic measures could worsen fragile conditions on the ground.
Rubio’s remarks reinforce Washington's position against imposing trade bans or broader economic penalties on 'Israeli' settlement infrastructure, prioritizing regional de-escalation over unilateral trade restrictions.
