Opinion: UK settlement trade ban offers a lifeline to Palestine, and to an Israel on the brink

The British government’s decision to ban trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories should not be controversial. It is an acceptance of facts, including the illegality of the Israeli occupation , as ruled by the International Court of Justice . Britain must act in accordance with international law and UN resolutions, which require countries to “distinguish, in their relevant dealings, between the territory of the State of Israel and the territories occupied since 1967”.