US envoy warns UK settlement trade ban could hurt economy

“The United Kingdom’s ban on importing products from Jewish settlements in the West Bank could deal a blow to the British economy.”

Operative Information Center-OMM reports that US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee made the remarks.

Huckabee said the decision adopted by the British government could affect businesses in the country.

“I do not know whether they realize how this will affect the British people. I do not know what sanctions or other retaliatory measures may be taken at the national level by the United States, because no such measures have yet been announced. But I do know that laws in several US states, including Florida, one of the largest states, provide that if such steps are taken, British people would be unable to trade with any companies in Florida,” the ambassador said.

Huckabee described the British authorities’ decision as an irrational step.

“I do not understand what they hope to achieve by doing this,” the US ambassador added.

Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on Sept. 8 that Paris intended to suspend trade ties with Israeli settlements in the West Bank. He said Denmark, Ireland, Iceland, Spain, Canada, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Finland and Sweden were also expected to join the initiative.

The West Bank remains at the center of international debate over Israeli settlement policy and trade-related measures. Governments that adopt such restrictions generally cite concerns about the status of the territory and the legal and political implications of settlement activity.