British diplomats have privately reassured the US that planned sanctions targeting Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria are largely symbolic, amid concerns that the move could create tensions between the British government and US President Donald Trump, according to people familiar with the matter cited by Bloomberg.
The government of UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham is expected to announce a ban on trade with Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria on Tuesday. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband is expected to unveil a new sanctions regime focused on those communities.
Bloomberg reported that British officials have privately sought to reassure the Trump administration that the measures will not materially affect Britain's broader trade or security relationship with Israel.
The diplomatic effort comes amid concern among UK officials that the sanctions could create an early challenge in Burnham's relationship with President Trump.
Burnham spoke with Trump by telephone on Monday. According to a readout from 10 Downing Street, the two discussed a two-state solution for Israel and the so-called "Palestinian territories." The report said Burnham informed Trump during the conversation of the forthcoming measures.
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, meanwhile, criticized the planned sanctions, accusing Britain of discriminating against Israel and the Jewish people and warning that the measures could have repercussions.
“I feel like it’s discrimination against the Israeli government. It is discrimination against the Jewish people, and I don’t understand the rationale of it," Huckabee told BBC Radio 4’s Today program.
“It’s like throwing a stone and not having an idea of where it’s going to land," he added. “The UK is a sovereign country; they can do what they want, but so is the US."
Previously, the Times reported that Labour MPs have cautioned that Washington could respond to British sanctions with tariffs, potentially harming economic and diplomatic relations between Britain and the United States.
Those concerns have been fueled by previous US reactions to European measures targeting Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. Washington criticized Irish legislation targeting such trade and warned of possible consequences for American companies and jobs, while Trump has previously threatened trade measures against Spain after Madrid took steps to prohibit imports from Israeli communities.
A former Labour minister also warned of a significant risk of retaliatory action from both the Trump administration and Israel and urged the British government to consider the potential consequences before proceeding.