Indonesia and 7 Islamic Nations Welcome UK Ban on Imports from Israeli Settlements
Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono, along with foreign ministers from seven other Islamic nations, has welcomed the UK government’s policy to ban imports of goods from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. They expressed hope that the UK’s decision will mobilise the international community.
The joint statement was released through the official account of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday (10/09/2026). The eight nations welcoming the UK’s decision are Indonesia, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and the United Arab Emirates.
“We welcome the decision of the UK Government to prohibit the import of goods from illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and to impose restrictions on services related to these settlements,” the Foreign Ministers stated in their joint communique.
They also expressed hope that this decision would assist in moving the international community to take similar actions in accordance with international law. The ministers also called for accountability for settlement organisations and individuals involved in illegal settlement activities.
Furthermore, the ministers from these Islamic nations welcomed a joint statement regarding the Two-State Solution issued by the Foreign Ministers of Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. In that joint statement, these nations planned to limit trade with Israeli settlements.
“The statement affirms their intention to impose national restrictions and/or support European restrictions on trade in goods with settlements that are illegal under international law, or to actively consider such measures or other steps in accordance with their respective national procedures,” said the foreign ministers of the eight Islamic nations.
“They encourage the international community to follow up on these steps and take concrete action to end activities that support or perpetuate illegal Israeli settlements in the Occuplamed Palestinian Territories,” the statement added.
The ministers from the Islamic nations assessed that the announced intentions align with international law and relevant United Nations (UN) resolutions, including UN Security Council Resolution 2334 (2016) and the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) dated 19 July 2024.
This includes the obligation of all states not to recognise the legality of the situation arising from the illegal Israeli occupation, and not to provide aid or support in maintaining the situation created by said occupation.
The Foreign Ministers reaffirmed their call for Israel to revoke all measures taken regarding settlement activities and other steps aimed at altering the geographical and demographic characteristics of the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
They emphasised that Gaza is an inseparable part of the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Consequently, the Foreign Ministers called for the immediate and full implementation of President Trump’s Comprehensive Plan to end the Gaza conflict, to ensure security and stability, address the humanitarian situation, facilitate reconstruction and recovery, and lay the foundation for lasting peace.
“The Ministers reaffirmed that the only path to achieving a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace is through the implementation of a two-state solution, namely by realising an independent, sovereign, contiguous, and viable Palestinian state, based on the 4 June 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international law and relevant United Nations resolutions,” the joint statement read.
UK Imposes Trade Sanctions
Previously, the UK government announced a series of sanctions against illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, accusing the Israeli government of turning a blind eye to the “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians by Israeli settlers.
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband stated that the move marks the ‘beginning of a new approach’ to the Israel-Palinity conflict, which ‘not only condemns injustice and suffering but also acts’.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused Miliband of spreading ‘extreme lies’ and announced retaliatory measures, including the closure of the UK Consulate in East Jerusalem.
The UK’s sanctions include a ban on goods from illegal settlements in the West Bank and taking action against companies and individuals providing services for settlement expansion.
12 Nations to Impose Trade Sanctions
A total of 12 nations, including the UK, Canada, and France, have stated they will impose sanctions on trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank. These sanctions follow increased attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian villages in the occupied territory.
According to AFP on Tuesday (08/09/2026), Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden also plan to limit trade with these Israeli settlements, according to a joint statement by their foreign ministers.
Ireland and Spain have already taken steps regarding trade with Israeli settlements, while France has for weeks been urging the European Union—Israel’s primary trading partner—to make a similar decision, though efforts have been hindered by opposition from some member states.
“The actions of the Israeli government in the West Bank undermine the possibility of a two-state solution,” said the 12 ministers, referring to the plan for two states—one Israel and one Palestine—to live side by side in peace.
The ministers stated that the 12 nations ‘affirm their intention to implement national restrictions and/or support European-level restrictions on trade in goods with [settlements]…’