UK-US trade could suffer as a result of sanctions for illegal Israeli settlements, American ambassador warns – UK politics live

UK to reassert support for Palestinian rights and a two-state solution in move drawing criticism from US and Israel

• UK to adopt tougher stance on Israel with illegal settlements trade ban

A Labour MP has warned that the proposed ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements on the West Bank could increase the risk to British Jews.

In an interview with the Today programme, Peter Prinsley, vice chair of Labour Friends of Israel, said:

My fear is that opponents of Israel won’t distinguish between Israeli government policy, Zionistic political philosophy, and British Jews.

As far as they’re concerned, the whole thing’s the same, and I think it carries a real risk of increased chances of attacks on the British Jewish community. Which is exactly what I said to Ed Miliband when I was asked to see him two or three nights ago.

I think the timing is terrible. I think we need to wait for the result of the Israeli election, and then we need to have another think.

We must do whatever we can to preserve the two-state solution, and I think the behaviour of the presently-elected Israeli government is really outrageous in this respect. I have a horrible feeling that what we’re doing will not only embolden the present government of Netanyahu, but has the capacity to influence the election itself, which is on a knife edge.

We think it’s performative posturing.

It’s very difficult to distinguish goods that come from the West Bank area versus the rest of Israel. So practically, it’s very difficult to implement.