Tel Aviv (Monitoring Desk) — Following the United Kingdom, 12 countries, including Canada, France, Spain and Norway, have supported a ban on imports of goods originating from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said that for a long time, practical steps had been avoided due to concerns that they might lead to accusations of being anti-Israel.
He said that talk of a two-state solution is meaningless without practical action.
It may be recalled that the United Kingdom has announced a ban on products imported from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
According to British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, further sanctions will also be imposed on individuals and organizations involved in the expansion of settlements and violence against Palestinians.
Amnesty International welcomed the British decision and called for further measures, including ending military cooperation with Israel and supporting the international justice system.
Meanwhile, in response to the British measures, Israel closed the British Consulate in occupied Jerusalem.
Israel further said that Britain would also no longer participate in the US-led coordination mission for Gaza.