Hundreds of British Members of Parliament have publicly demanded a comprehensive prohibition on trade and financial transactions with illegal Israeli settlements. A total of 238 MPs, representing more than one-third of the UK Parliament, have endorsed this call. The group includes 141 Labour members, 63 Liberal Democrats, two Conservatives, seven independents, seven from Sinn Fein, four from the Scottish National Party, four Greens, four from Plaid Cymru, two from the Social Democratic and Labour Party, and one from the Alliance Party.
This coalition comprises 140 Labour MPs who had previously signed a letter advocating for the same ban, along with those who endorsed a letter by the Council for Arab-British Understanding (CAABU) in March 2026. CAABU has long campaigned for such a measure, citing the UK's longstanding recognition that Israeli settlements are illegal under international law.
Cross-Party Support for Ethical Trade
Chris Doyle, director of CAABU, stated: "That 238 British MPs are prepared publicly to state their call for a complete ban on all trade and financial dealings with Israel's illegal settlements shows that, increasingly, this is supported across the British political establishment." He emphasized that a significant number of these MPs are from the Labour Party, and the prime minister should take note of the widespread support among backbench Labour MPs and the party as a whole.
Doyle added: "Those who are considering running for leadership of the Labour Party must also look at this with a clear intent to do what's ethically and legally the right thing." MPs who are on the payroll vote, such as ministers and whips, are unable to sign such letters and motions. Nonetheless, the growing number of MPs attaching their names to this appeal underscores rising demand for such a move, particularly within the Labour government.
Urgency Amid Settlement Expansion
CAABU highlighted in a press release that a trade ban "is even more important given the record pace of Israeli settlement expansion in recent years, and the massive levels of settler violence against Palestinian communities assisted by the Israeli army." Doyle further noted: "For too long, Britain and other countries have traded with illegal settlements, which has undermined any claim that we genuinely back the legal position, or even that we back a two-state solution, which settlements clearly undermine."
The call for a ban reflects a growing consensus within British politics to align trade practices with international law and ethical considerations.
