Comment: Why I back trade restrictions on West Bank settlements, by Warwick and Leamington MP Matt Western

Earlier this year, I visited Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. I saw death and destruction all around me. The experience will stay with me forever.

But when I spoke with both Israelis and Palestinians, I heard hope for the future. Hope that future generations could live in peace. However, that future is in danger.

The possibility of a two-state solution, which I believe is the only viable path forward for peace in the region, is being actively dismantled and undermined by the Israeli Government, with continued illegal settlement expansion and Israeli settler violence increasing to levels we’ve not seen for years. The UN reports that there have been more than 1,500 incidents of settler violence this year alone.

Netanyahu’s Government is the most extreme Israeli Government seen for generations. Israeli Minister Ben-Gvir has said that “While we are in the government, no Palestinian state will be established,” and Smotrich has denied the existence of Palestinian people, saying, “Is there a Palestinian history or culture? There is none”.

Let’s be clear: This is an extremist Government committed to destroying any prospect of a Palestinian state, or a two-state solution. We, the international community, still have time to help deliver a lasting peace, but that window is closing. That is why I wholeheartedly welcome the Government’s package of measures to put pressure on the Israeli Government last week.

Ed Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, announced that all imports from illegal settlements will be banned, and there will be new designation powers to sanction individuals and companies that support, facilitate, or profit from illegal settlement activity.

And we’ve made clear that there has been a formal change in the position of the British Government that recognises that the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory is unlawful, and that settler terrorists are perpetrating ethnic cleansing.

These measures will ensure the UK plays no role in facilitating the continued expansion of illegal settlements and settler violence. Crucially, it will make businesses think twice about working with illegal settlers.

Take the proposed E1 Settlement zone, which would cut the West Bank in two and would undermine a viable Palestinian state. Banks that insure companies operating there will face tough sanctions from the UK and our allies if they facilitate the illegal settlement.

A bank will now be faced with a decision – Do we lose more money from not operating in the UK, Canada, France, to name a few, than supporting this construction project? Ultimately, without money, materials and corporate backing, these settlements are nearly impossible. That is why the announcement is so important.

And this is why co-ordinated international action with Canada and France, and other countries, is so vital.

As a middle power, the UK alone cannot change international politics. Still, as we have seen in our role with the coalition of the willing, the UK Government, under Labour, has taken on a distinct role, leading the middle powers, and standing up for our freedoms and our values.

Announcing this unilaterally would be largely performative. I am proud we did not take the easy route and announce this earlier on our own. Instead, this is substantial international collective action.

I have seen several newspapers and politicians claim the decision is antisemitic. This is completely wrong. Criticism of Israel and targeted sanctions are not anti-Jewish, nor anti-Israel; they are anti-this Israeli Government, an extremist government.

Indeed, Ed Miliband spoke about his own Jewish heritage, and his fond memories of visiting Israel as a child.

To conclude, the UK cannot stand by as the Israeli Government continues to flagrantly trample international law, while dismantling any prospect of a lasting peace. We can, and should, play a role in delivering a two-state solution. Because if we believe in basic human dignity, freedom, and human rights, watching from afar is not a neutral act but a dereliction of duty.

That is why we must act, and I am proud we’ve done so.