Australia is preparing another round of sanctions against Israel, but has stopped short of joining the UK in banning trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Overnight, the UK government offered its strongest condemnation yet of Israel’s occupation, with the foreign secretary, Ed Miliband, calling efforts to control the West Bank unlawful. He said his government agreed there was “ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in areas of the West Bank, perpetrated by settler terrorists.” The UK will ban goods from illegal settlements in the occupied territories, and introduce a new ban on arms licenses and other exports.
Sanctions against individuals are also planned. In a joint statement, the UK prime minister, Andy Burnham; the French president, Emmanuel Macron; and Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, said they were taking further action to push for progress on a two-state solution. Nine European countries have also said they were considering similar measures.
While Australia has previously acted in concert with partners overseas, the foreign minister, Penny Wong, said Australia was not currently pushing for a broad ban on goods produced in Israeli settlements. Wong called on Israeli government to stop violence between settlers and Palestinians, including the destruction of property, displacement of families, torture, sexual assault and killings. The foreign ministers of 12 countries have also released a statement regarding possible sanctions over the settlements.
It comes amid tense relations between Australia and the Netanyahu government in the wake of the 7 October terror attacks by Hamas; the subsequent Israel-Gaza war; and the Bondi Beach terror attack in December. Australia has instituted financial sanctions and tough travel bans on some Israelis in response to violence in the West Bank. Sanctions are also in place against two members of Netanyahu’s government, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.
Wong has been working with the family of the killed Australian aid worker, Zomi Frankcom, on a response to the Israel Defense Forces decision not to open a criminal investigation into Gaza strikes that killed her and six of her colleagues. Ed Husic, the Labor backbencher who has pushed the government to take further action, said the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, believed his government could “ride out” statements from countries that criticise it. We need to take action.” Asked about Britain’s moves, Coalition frontbencher Julian Leeser said he was critical of the Albanese government’s foreign policy towards Israel.
He stopped short of joining the UK in placing a ban on trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank, saying New Zealand has not traditionally pursued trade measures to address foreign policy issues.
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