Omar Barghouti, co-founder of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, has called for Britain to sever complete economic ties with Israel, going further than the government’s currently proposed measures. Barghouti characterized targeted sanctions against specific settler groups or ministers as insufficient and ineffective, describing them as distracting from what he views as the UK’s legal obligation under international law to withdraw all forms of support, including arms sales, commercial agreements, and institutional relationships that could facilitate Israel’s occupation.
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced plans to implement a “comprehensive reset” of UK-Israel policy in coming weeks. The government is reportedly preparing restrictions on trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank and examining how to prevent British companies from financing, constructing, or promoting new settlement projects. Miliband has declared the proposed E1 settlement expansion, which would involve constructing 3,400 homes across the West Bank, to be unacceptable and counterproductive to peace efforts.
Barghouti cited recent International Court of Justice rulings in support of his position. He referenced a July 2024 ICJ determination that Israel’s occupation is illegal and constitutes violations of racial segregation and apartheid prohibitions, along with a January 2024 ICJ assessment finding a plausible case of genocide risk. He argued these rulings obligate third states to cease all complicity.
The proposals have drawn opposition from multiple Jewish organizations. The Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council have warned that settlement trade restrictions could increase antisemitism, while Yachad expressed concerns about the entrenchment of occupation. Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar responded with a warning that Israel would take countermeasures against any British action directed at the state.
Barghouti maintained that effective accountability requires targeting entities and individuals involved in international crimes rather than symbolic measures. He contended that current UK sanctions lack concrete impact and that achieving accountability requires combining international legal frameworks with grassroots pressure for change.
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