UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Faces Widespread Public Backing Over Expected Israeli Settlement Goods Ban

London, United Kingdom – UK Prime Minister and Labour leader Andy Burnham is expected to soon approve a ban on goods linked to Israeli settlements following the Israeli government's issuance of tenders for more than 1,200 units in the occupied West Bank settlement of E1.

“Sanctions on Israel’s illegal settlements would be a very welcome first step in helping to bring an end to Israel’s unlawful occupation,” Labour lawmaker Richard Burgon told Al Jazeera on Thursday. “The International Court of Justice has been clear that all states have obligations to bring that unlawful situation to an end. These sanctions would be an important move towards meeting our moral as well as our legal obligations.”

The E1 settlement project aims to establish a continuous Israeli settlement corridor between occupied East Jerusalem and the major settlement of Ma’ale Adumim, located 7km (4.5 miles) east of Jerusalem. Under international law, settlements and outposts situated on occupied land are illegal.

“The UK government has long-declared E1 to be a red line, and Israel’s total disregard for that red line appears to be what’s motivating these possible actions,” Sarah Sanbar, acting Israel-Palestine researcher at Human Rights Watch, told Al Jazeera.

On August 19, British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband released a statement on behalf of the UK government condemning the expansion. “This Israeli Government’s publication of a tender for the E1 settlement project is an unacceptable and destructive act,” the release stated, noting that Miliband had summoned the Israeli charge d’affaires to register opposition. “In the coming weeks we will set out a comprehensive set of measures to respond to Israeli government policies, protect the viability of the Palestinian state, target sanctions at those who participate in illegal settlement expansion and support a just and lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians.”

Bloomberg News reported last week that Burnham’s administration is actively drafting fresh sanctions. A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office told Al Jazeera that the department does not comment on speculation, while reiterating that illegal settlements threaten the viability of a Palestinian state and undermine security for both Israelis and Palestinians.

Human Rights Watch welcomes any initiative by the UK to ban trade with illegal settlements, with Sanbar emphasizing that concrete actions with real consequences are necessary to elicit behavioral change.

Conversely, critics such as the Labour Friends of Israel (LFI) argue that sanctions could cause economic backlash or prove impossible to implement. However, experts like Sanbar dispute these claims, noting that businesses operating outside of occupied territories can lawfully continue their operations.

Public opinion polls by YouGov indicate strong support among Britons, with one in two favoring a trade ban against illegal settlements and only 16 percent opposed. Over 140 Labour MPs, including Richard Burgon and Sarah Champion, have voiced their backing for the trade restrictions, highlighting growing political and public momentum.