Rubio refuses to condemn UK settlement sanctions, says US ‘shares goal of stability’ in West Bank

Rubio made clear that Britain’s policy towards the West Bank was different to the US’, adding: “Obviously, we’re not going to do what the UK did. We saw their announcement today, but I don’t have any comment on it right now.”

However, he also appeared to distance himself from the remarks of US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who accused Andy Burnham’s government of “Jew hate” and told the BBC: “If the Brits go and put some kind of boycott and sanctions on [Israel], the repercussions are going to be significant.”

Rubio told reporters: “I would say that the President has not commented on this. As I said, neither have I at this point. We were made aware that they were going to make this decision. We heard their arguments as to why. But look, we share the goal of stability.

“We don’t want to see some uptick in violence or an uptick in conflict or tensions in the West Bank at a very tenuous time in the region. There are always tenuous times. But beyond that, I don’t think – as of this moment, we don’t have any further comment on the UK decision that I think was announced just a few hours ago.”

Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden also announced their intentions to support European restrictions on trade in goods with settlements in a joint statement with the UK.

“Together, we are resolute: the two-state solution must be protected, and we will take action in pursuit of a just and lasting peace, based on the principles enshrined in the New York Declaration adopted one year ago. We firmly oppose actions tantamount to the annexation of Palestinian land and forcible displacement of the Palestinian population,” read the statement.

“The government of Israel must immediately halt the expansion of settlements and civilian administrative powers, ensure accountability for settler violence, and investigate allegations against Israeli forces."

In a lengthy post on social media, Burnham defended the measures his government introduced, saying: “For too long, we have been hesitant to act, fearful of being accused of being anti-Israel. 

“We are taking these steps because it is the right thing to do. I have condemned the monstrous terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 in the strongest possible terms - and continue to condemn Hamas. However, it does not justify the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza or the West Bank.”

Burnham and Trump had spoken on Monday, but the widely reported sanctions were not specifically mentioned in the official readout of the meeting released by Downing Street, which said: “The Prime Minister set out the UK's commitment to working towards peace and security in the region, stressing the importance of the Two-State Solution, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and ensuring that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon.”

The announcement of sanctions on West Bank settlements was also welcomed by Qatar, which said it hoped “more countries will take similar steps, and that the international community will assume its legal and moral responsibilities to compel Israel to halt its settlement policy in the occupied Palestinian territories and respect the rules of international law and international legitimacy resolutions”.

Likewise, it was celebrated by Turkey and by the Palestinian Ambassador to the UK.

“The next step should be a comprehensive set of measures to ensure that all sectors of the British state and economy are free from complicity in the illegal occupation”, said Dr Husam Zomlot in a social media post