Trump did not oppose UK sanctions on ‘Israeli’ settlements, says report

The Trump administration did not oppose a UK-led initiative imposing new sanctions on ‘Israeli’ settlements in the occupied West Bank, according to US officials and Western diplomats cited by Axios.

The United Kingdom announced the measures on Tuesday, targeting individuals and entities involved in settlement construction and banning imports of goods produced in the settlements.

The move responded to the Netanyahu government’s decision to advance a new settlement in the sensitive E1 area east of Jerusalem, which critics say would divide the West Bank and undermine territorial contiguity for any future Palestinian state.

Eleven other Western countries—Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden—joined the UK in signaling restrictions on trade with the settlements.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham briefed President Donald Trump ahead of the announcement.

Two sources familiar with the call said Trump did not push back or ask Burnham to change course.

US officials privately told their British counterparts that they shared concerns about the Netanyahu government’s West Bank policy, even while disagreeing with the specific sanctions.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio declined to condemn the UK’s action when asked by reporters. “The President hasn’t commented on this and neither have I. We were made aware that they are gonna make this decision. We heard their arguments as to why,” Rubio said.
“We share the goal of stability. We don’t want to see an uptick in violence or tensions in the West Bank in a tenuous time in the region.”

He also made clear the United States would not join the sanctions.

The White House distanced itself from sharper criticism by US Ambassador to ‘Israel’ Mike Huckabee, who told the BBC the measures amounted to “discrimination against the Jewish people” and warned of potential US repercussions, including economic impacts on British businesses under state anti-boycott laws.

An unnamed White House official said Huckabee’s remarks “were not coordinated with the White House” or the State Department.

‘Israel’ reacted swiftly, announcing the closure of the UK consulate in East Jerusalem, which handles relations with the Palestinian Authority, along with the expulsion of British diplomats and military officers and the termination of a British military training mission in the West Bank.

Analysts and diplomats view Washington’s restraint as a signal of frustration with ‘Israeli’ settlement expansion and settler-related violence, even as the Trump administration has generally supported ‘Israel’ and previously lifted certain Biden-era sanctions on settlers.

Consecutive US administrations of both parties have long opposed construction in the E1 area.