British MPs citing ICJ opinion urge ban on Israeli settlement goods
A letter signed by 61 MPs from several political parties has urged the British government to impose a ban on Israeli settlement goods.
The letter, sent to the business and trade secretary by Labour MP Abtisam Mohamed on Monday, alleges that the UK's trade and investment relationship with Israel "falls short of the standards required" under international law.
It cites the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to support its view.
The letter notes the ICJ's advisory opinion last July that states must not "render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation" caused by Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory - an occupation the ICJ said was illegal.
By declaring that states must "abstain from entering into economic or trade dealings with Israel" concerning the occupied territories "which may entrench its unlawful presence", the ICJ asserted that boycotting Israeli settlement goods is an obligation for states.
Britain, however, continues to permit the import of settlement goods into the UK.
"These economic relations help to sustain Israel's settlement economy and entrench the forcible transfer of Palestinians from their homes and land," the letter says.
It urges the Labour government to "fulfil its legal obligations as set out by the ICJ" and "ban the import of all goods into the UK made in whole or in part in Israel's illegal settlements."
Failure to support ICJ advisory opinion
In September, the UK abstained on a UN General Assembly resolution supporting the ICJ's advisory opinion.
The government said it had done so "not because we do not support the central findings of the ICJ’s Advisory Opinion but rather because the resolution does not provide sufficient clarity to effectively advance our shared aim of a peace premised on a negotiated two-state solution: a safe and secure Israel alongside a safe and secure Palestinian state."
It added: "Expansion of settlements, in clear violation of international law, must cease immediately."
In October, Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced fresh sanctions against three Israeli settler outposts and four organisations he said were responsible for "heinous abuses of human rights" against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
But many experts question whether existing sanctions have gone far enough.
Alon Liel, formerly director general of Israel's foreign ministry, told Middle East Eye in January that the Labour government's existing moves were unlikely to place pressure on Israel.
"I was for 31 years an official in the Israeli government," Liel said. "I understand the thinking.
"If Britain does minor things, like banning specific arms that we're not dependent on, or putting sanctions on settlers that were already convicted in Israeli courts, Israel can tolerate it."
This week's letter to the government increases the pressure Labour is under to take a stronger stance against Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory.
It also indicates how far British political discourse has shifted since 2023, when the Conservative government introduced a bill cracking down on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
The bill, opposed by the Labour Party, aimed to block public bodies from supporting sanctions and boycott campaigns.
It was contentious because it singled out not just Israel but also the West Bank and the Golan Heights - territories Israel has occupied by military force - for special protection.
By conflating Israel with the occupied territories, the bill flatly contradicted existing British foreign policy commitments.
Britain is a signatory to the United Nations Security Council resolution 2334, which "calls upon all states to distinguish, in their relevant dealings, between the territory of the State of Israel and the territories occupied since 1967".
The bill was shelved once Labour entered government last July.
Now, in distinction from the previous government, Labour is keen to signal its respect for the ICJ, the International Criminal Court and international law - albeit not to the extent that it will significantly damage Britain's relationship with Israel.
But this week's letter suggests that pressure may increase on Starmer, including from within his own party, to take a harder line.