Canada promises trade ban on goods from ‘illegal’ Israeli settlements in new joint statement

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OTTAWA — Canada says it intends to ban all trade with goods tied to Israeli settlements in the West Bank, joining several European countries in a joint statement promising harsher measures against Israelis the governments say are undermining a two-state solution.

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In the statement, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and her counterparts in the U.K., France, and nine other countries called on Israel’s government to crack down on settler violence in the West Bank. The 12 foreign ministers also specifically criticized an apartment development, called E1, they said would essentially cut the West Bank territory in half.

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“We firmly oppose actions tantamount to the annexation of Palestinian land and forcible displacement of the Palestinian people,” they said in Tuesday’s statement.

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The territory, seen as a potential part of a future Palestinian state, is controlled by Israel, which refers to it as Judea and Samaria. It is inhabited by hundreds of thousands of Jews and millions of Arabs.

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Anand’s statement said Canada intended to join the European countries in introducing a national trade ban on goods tied to “illegal” settlements in the West Bank, though it did not detail when or how that would happen. The United States ambassador to Israel has also recently criticized Israeli violence in the territory after meeting with Palestinian Americans living there.

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“The Government of Israel must immediately halt the expansion of settlements and civilian administrative powers, ensure accountability for settler violence, and investigate allegations against Israeli forces,” Anand said.

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In a separate statement, Carney noted that “in taking this coordinated action, we reiterate our desire for a close and productive partnership with Israel, our enduring support for the Israeli people and our unwavering commitment to Israel’s security. We support a safe and secure Israel, living alongside a safe and secure Palestine.”

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The promised trade ban is likely to be largely symbolic, though, with very little trade occurring between Israeli settlements and Canada. Now, Global Affairs Canada must figure out how to implement such a trade ban.

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The joint announcement was fiercely rebuked by the Israel’s ambassador to Canada Iddo Moed, who accused signatories of singling out his country and attempting to meddle in upcoming legislative elections.

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“Every move of this nature only serves to push intervening nations out of any meaningful regional influence,” Moed said in a statement.

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“Furthermore, these unilateral steps actively undermine prospects for peace, directly contribute to a surge in global antisemitism, and ignore the fundamental fact that the Jewish people have a documented historical connection and right to live across the Land of Israel.”

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The announcement marks a worsening tone from Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government amid deteriorating diplomatic relations between longtime allies.

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The British government went a step further than Canada on Tuesday, accusing Israel of carrying out “ethnic cleansing” in the Palestinian territories.