• The UK summoned Israel’s ambassador and suspended free trade talks, condemning Israel’s military actions in Gaza as a violation of shared values.
• Britain sanctioned three extremist West Bank settlers, including Daniella Weiss, a key figure in illegal settlements.
• Israel accused the UK of an “anti-Israeli obsession,” deflecting from Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, where famine looms and thousands of children face starvation.
• Foreign Secretary David Lammy, a longtime Israel ally, criticized Netanyahu’s government for isolating Israel globally and blocking aid to Gaza.
• The EU and US are also increasing pressure on Israel, signaling a shift in international tolerance for its actions.

The United Kingdom has summoned Israel’s ambassador and suspended free trade agreement talks in response to Israel’s brutal military operations and humanitarian blockade in Gaza. Foreign Secretary David Lammy condemned Israel’s actions as “incompatible with the principles that underpin our bilateral relationship” and an “affront to the values of the British people.” The UK also sanctioned three extremist West Bank settlers, including Daniella Weiss, the so-called “godmother” of Israel’s illegal settlement movement.

Predictably, Israel’s Foreign Ministry lashed out, accusing the UK of an “anti-Israeli obsession” and claiming the decision would harm Britain’s economy in a laughable deflection from the genocide unfolding in Gaza.

A long-overdue reckoning

For months, Israel has waged a relentless campaign of starvation and bombardment in Gaza, blocking aid trucks while children die of malnutrition and entire neighborhoods are reduced to rubble. The UK’s decision comes after an 11-week blockade left Gaza on the brink of famine, with the UN warning that 14,000 babies could perish within 48 hours without immediate intervention. Lammy, a self-described “lifelong friend of Israel,” admitted the painful but necessary truth: “Netanyahu’s government is isolating Israel from its friends and partners around the world.”

The suspension of trade talks marks a significant escalation in international pressure. Negotiations began in 2022 under the Conservative government, which had shamefully pledged to oppose labeling Israel an “apartheid” state. Now, with Labour in power, the UK is finally aligning its policies with morality rather than political expediency. As Lammy declared, “Blocking aid, expanding the war, dismissing the concerns of your friends and partners—this is indefensible and it must stop.”

Israel’s delusional defiance

Israel’s response was as predictable as it was detached from reality. The Foreign Ministry claimed the UK’s actions were driven by “anti-Israeli obsession,” ignoring the fact that even Israel’s own human rights group, B’Tselem, has labeled its regime as apartheid. The ministry’s statement that “external pressures will not divert Israel from its path” only underscores the regime’s arrogance. This is the same government that has normalized racial profiling, enforced military censorship, and sold surveillance technology to authoritarian regimes worldwide.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains defiant, vowing to “take control of the entire Gaza Strip” while his military expands its offensive. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, no dove himself, warned that Israel’s actions are “very close to a war crime.” Yet Netanyahu’s coalition, the most right-wing in Israel’s history, continues to operate with impunity, emboldened by decades of Western complicity.

A turning point in global opinion

The UK’s sanctions and trade suspension follow similar moves by the European Union, which announced a review of its association agreement with Israel. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated bluntly: “Saving lives must be our top priority.” Even the U.S., Israel’s staunchest ally, has begun applying pressure, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledging the need for aid to flow into Gaza, although he did stop short of condemning Israel’s atrocities.

The UK’s actions are a rare example of a Western government prioritizing human rights over geopolitical alliances. By suspending trade talks and sanctioning settlers, Britain has sent a clear message: complicity in Israel’s crimes will no longer be tolerated. As the death toll in Gaza climbs and famine spreads, the world must follow suit.

Sources for this article include:

MiddleEastEye.net

Reuters.com

CNN.com

BBC.com