UK Ban Sparks Israeli Opposition Attacks on Netanyahu Government
Following the UK’s ban on imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, Israeli opposition figures have sharply criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Opposition leader Yair Lapid called the British decision “wrong and dangerous” but placed the blame on the Netanyahu government, saying it’s the government’s job to prevent such decisions, not threaten…
Following the UK’s ban on imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, Israeli opposition figures have sharply criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Opposition leader Yair Lapid called the British decision “wrong and dangerous” but placed the blame on the Netanyahu government, saying it’s the government’s job to prevent such decisions, not threaten the international community after the fact. He warned the move could strengthen extremist voices inside Israel and heighten tensions ahead of the October 27 Knesset elections, and alleged — without independent verification — that Britain’s decision was driven by domestic politics and could benefit Hamas.
Democrats party MP Gilad Kariv called Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar’s retaliatory measures “childish and populist,” accusing Sa’ar of caving to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s nationalist agenda and courting a spot on the Likud list ahead of elections. Kariv also cited the months-long absence of an Israeli ambassador in London as evidence of governmental neglect at a critical diplomatic moment.
The UK also announced sanctions on companies facilitating settlement construction and rejected new arms export licenses that could directly support the occupation. Israel retaliated by closing the British consulate in East Jerusalem, removing British representatives from a Gaza liaison center, and banning 12 British lawmakers and citizens from entry. Israeli rights organizations and former PM Ehud Olmert welcomed the UK’s move. According to Palestinian data, 104 new settlements have been approved since the Netanyahu government took office in late 2022, while 3,488 settler attacks were recorded in the first half of 2026, killing 17 Palestinians.
