More Than a Third of Labour MPs Urge UK to End Trade With Israeli Settlements

More than a third of lawmakers from Britain’s governing Labour Party have signed a letter urging the government to halt all trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank a significant show of internal pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer as he navigates one of the most divisive foreign‑policy issues in his party.

The letter, signed by 137 Labour MPs, warns that Israeli actions in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are “spiralling by the day” and argues that ending trade with settlements is now “a vital next step” toward accountability. Labour holds 402 seats in the House of Commons, meaning more than a third of its parliamentary party has backed the call.

Starmer has been attempting to balance Britain’s longstanding alliance with Israel and the United States with growing demands from within Labour to take a firmer stance on settlement expansion and settler violence. Israel’s governing coalition has accelerated settlement growth, with some ministers openly advocating annexation of the West Bank territory captured in 1967 and central to Palestinian statehood aspirations. Most countries consider the settlements illegal under international law.

Violence by settlers against Palestinians has surged since the Gaza war began in October 2023, intensifying calls across Europe for tougher measures. Spain became the first EU country to ban imports from Israeli settlements last year, and Ireland and the Netherlands are weighing similar steps.

Asked about the Labour MPs’ letter, Britain’s Foreign Ministry did not comment directly on a trade ban but reiterated that the UK has “strongly and repeatedly condemned settler violence and the expansion of illegal settlements,” urging Israeli authorities to act against those inflaming tensions.

Under Starmer, the UK has paused free‑trade talks with Israel, suspended several arms export licences, and imposed sanctions on far‑right Israeli ministers Itamar Ben‑Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. Britain also joined France, Canada and others last year in recognising a Palestinian state. London continues to oppose the proposed E1 settlement, which would effectively split the West Bank in two, and has advised businesses not to participate in tenders linked to the project.