UK to sanction Israeli West Bank settlements in support for two-state solution

Britain will announce a trade ban on goods made in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank later on ‌Tuesday, a senior minister said, framed as a step up in UK support for a two-state solution.
The U.S. is likely to strongly oppose Britain's intervention, and some in Israel have already reacted angrily with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich calling for the UK ambassador to be expelled.
The impact on the £6 billion ($8.12 billion) of annual bilateral trade is likely to be ⁠minimal, with details unclear of how the UK will differentiate between goods originating in West Bank settlements from products made in ​Israel.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, in office since July, discussed the Middle East in a call with U.S. President Donald Trump on ​Monday, when he stressed "the importance of the two-state solution", according to his office.
UK OPPOSES E1 SETTLEMENT PLANS
At issue is Israel's E1 settlement project in the West Bank, which Miliband and other western politicians have said would cut across land the Palestinians seek for their own state.
U.N. bodies and most ​governments, including Britain, consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal and regard the West Bank as territory under military occupation.
Israel says ​the territory is disputed rather than occupied, and asserts that Jews have a historical claim to the land.
Britain and other European nations criticised Israel's E1 ‌settlement ⁠plans in August, and work and pensions minister Pat McFadden said these developments were behind the sanctions.
"The reason that danger has become more urgent is because of expanded settlement activity in recent weeks and months," he said on Times Radio on Tuesday.
The Israeli prime minister's office and foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing an election on ​October 27, with polls showing his ​ruling coalition is likely ⁠to lose several seats and fall short of a majority.
Israel-UK relations have become increasingly strained in recent years with London criticising Israel's conduct in Gaza, the expansion of settlements in the West Bank ​and rising settler attacks on Palestinians.

Spain, Ireland and the Netherlands have each moved to ban ​imports of goods originating ⁠in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, though not all the bans have come into effect.
McFadden said on Sky News that Israel would remain an important trading partner for the UK and there would not be a boycott of all Israeli goods.
Goods originating from settlements ⁠are mainly ​agricultural, including fresh produce and wine, and make up only a tiny fraction ​of Israel's total trade flows.
Foreign diplomats say an import ban could be difficult to enforce as some goods from Israel may use products from settlements without identifying ​their origin.