UK must reject attempts to derail an Israeli settlement trade ban

There are mounting rumours that the UK government is planning to introduce a ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements. Such a ban has been a core demand of the Palestine solidarity movement for many years, as a key basic step towards ending UK complicity with Israel’s violations of international law . That it is now close to achievement is a product of two factors. The first is the increasing untenability of the position adopted by successive UK governments, which have treated Israel as a democratic ally to be shielded from accountability, while sustaining rhetorical support for Palestinian self-determination.