U.K. to ban trade with illegal West Bank settlements to support ‘two State solution’

For one of its first foreign policy moves, the administration of U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham is banning goods from illegal settlements in the West Bank. The U.K. government has said the move is to keep alive the possibility of a ‘two State solution’. However, only a small proportion of the $8.12 billion in bilateral trade originates in the West Bank.

Israel had issued tenders for 1,200 settlements in the so-called E1 area, east of Jerusalem. Such a settlement would split the west bank into two parts, making a contiguous Palestinian state virtually impossible. East Jerusalam and the West Bank are considered occupied territory under international law. The idea of ‘E1’ was mooted in 1990 but has been held in abeyance due to pressure from other countries.