Gideon Saar warns Israel will retaliate if the UK imposes sanctions over West Bank settlement expansion.
Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar warned that Israel will retaliate if the United Kingdom imposes sanctions regarding the potential expansion of settlements in the West Bank. This warning follows the announcement that Israel opened tenders for 1,200 settlement homes in the E1 area, a strategically important region east of Jerusalem.
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Ed Miliband, speaking for the first time as foreign secretary, stated that the government would introduce a comprehensive policy reset on Israel in the coming weeks. Miliband said the government would examine ways to stop UK companies from financing, constructing, or advertising new settlements. He described the plans as illegal under international law and noted that the development would divide the West Bank in two and risk making a Palestinian state unviable. Gideon Saar stated that if Britain acts against Israel, Israel will act against Britain, and suggested that Britain would be making a big mistake if they did. Prime Minister Andy Burnham also warned that the statement regarding the E1 area could imperil or end the two-state solution.