UK to ban products from Israeli settlements

The UK is set to ban products from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Finally a decision that goes beyond the eternal diplomatic condemnations. A state that colonizes, confiscates Palestinian land and permanently tramples international law cannot continue to benefit from trade as if nothing had happened. For decades, Israel has been expanding its settlements while Western capitals “condemn,” “regret” and “worry.” Meanwhile, on the ground, Palestinians are seeing their land nibbled away, their movements hampered and their territory increasingly fragmented.

This complacency must end. The anger of Israeli officials at the British decision speaks volumes: Israel has become accustomed to being able to colonize without paying any serious political or economic price. As soon as a Western government begins to transform its protests into concrete sanctions, threats of reprisals fly.

London must therefore not stop there. And above all, she must not be left alone. We must now hope that this decision will cause a domino effect: global boycott of settlement products, coordinated economic sanctions and growing international pressure as long as occupation and colonization continue. Because after decades of impunity, the obvious should finally become clear: colonizing a people cannot remain profitable. Colonizing must cost Israel dearly.