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British envoy to the Middle East Bill Rammell (center right) touring the West Bank on Monday. (Mati Milstein / British Embassy)
Last update - 10:23 23/12/2008
Fight against settlements not about boycotting Israel, says U.K. envoy
By Reuters
Tags: Israel News, U.K. 

Britain's envoy to the Middle East on Monday said the United Kingdom would continue its fight against West Bank settlements, but would not mount a broader divestment campaign.

"This isn't about boycotting Israel. The settlements are not Israel," said Bill Rammell. He made the comments in Jerusalem after meeting Israeli and Palestinian leaders and touring parts of the West Bank.

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hile Britain has stepped up inspections of Israeli imports to make sure products from West Bank settlements not enter duty-free, Rammell said pressuring British companies to pull out of the settlements would be a step too far.

In addition to random inspections of Israeli goods by the British tax authority, Britain has taken the lead in trying to get the European Union to set labeling standards to make clear to consumers which products come from Israel and which come from settlements in the West Bank.

Starting in early January, Britain also plans to start warning its citizens about the risks of buying property in settlements, saying they could be affected should a peace agreement be reached.

The initiatives, some of which were outlined by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in a Dec. 9 letter to Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, are meant to discourage Israel from expanding settlements.

Palestinians say the settlements are a land grab and an obstacle to a peace agreement, and they have urged Britain and other European states to step up pressure on Israel to halt their expansion.

Outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has called for withdrawing from nearly all West Bank territory in return for peace with the Palestinians, but, under this proposal, major settlement blocs would stay with Israel.

Israeli exports to Britain total nearly $2 billion a year, and British officials said it is not yet clear what percentage of those products come from the settlements.

Under a 2005 agreement, products from Israel enter EU states like Britain duty-free. But Palestinians complain that many of those goods, labeled as made in Israel, actually come from West Bank settlements.

Rammell said the inspections were helping British authorities identify producers from the settlements, who are then denied the benefits.

"One, you would make sure that it wasn't given a tax-exemption. Two, you would tell that to the producer. And three, you would be alerted to that source for the future," he said.

But Rammell made clear Britain has no plans to join a campaign in some European countries to pressure companies to divest from the settlements.

"I'm not sure it's effective. It would be extremely complicated. And I think it's about a proportionate response," he said.



Related articles:
  • Britain steps up fight against West Bank settlements
  • Britain to EU: Clamp down on imports from settlements
  • Israel worried that U.K. pressure will harm exports to Europe
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      1.   Settler bashing, just like KADIMA does 00:44  |  Avi 23/12/08
      2.   mr ambassador the settlers are our brothers 01:55  |  amir drori 23/12/08
      3.   The U.K. Position: Bad Faith 01:55  |  Brad 23/12/08
      4.   does the ambassador think hundreds of thousands 01:59  |  erez gerstein 23/12/08
      5.   British moral arrogance never ceases to amaze 02:01  |  Raymond in DC 23/12/08
      6.   It is Israel`s land 02:04  |  Brod 23/12/08
      7.   England and settlements - at least adolf was honest 02:06  |  jon 23/12/08
      8.   European view 02:10  |  jorge 23/12/08
      9.   More needs to be done. 02:17  |  Steve J 23/12/08
      10.   The British 02:21  |  Scharker Yid 23/12/08
      11.   It`s not about boycott, it`s about justice and ending apartheid. 02:46  |  Craig 23/12/08
      12.   British settlement policy in Northern Ireland 03:27  |  spud murphy 23/12/08
      13.   Blind Can Not Lead The Blind 03:34  |  Shimon Cleopas 23/12/08
      14.   Jewish Settlements are legal 04:30  |  Eli E. Hertz 23/12/08
      15.   Jewish settlements in the West Bank are legal 04:42  |  Eli E. Hertz 23/12/08
      16.   jorge 05:13  |  Brad 23/12/08
      17.   Craig: I assumed You Were Talking About ... 05:20  |  Brad 23/12/08
      18.   Jorge: European Hypocrisy and Blindness 05:25  |  Brad 23/12/08
      19.   Britain`s New "White Paper" Forbids Jewish Settlement 05:48  |  Steve 23/12/08
      20.   Consequences of a West Bank State 05:58  |  Steve 23/12/08
      21.   #15 You seem to forget something, Eli 06:37  |  Johnboy 23/12/08
      22.   the settlements are not Israel? 06:42  |  rm 23/12/08
      23.   Colonial Brits still haven`t gotten over 1947. 07:10  |  Avi 23/12/08
      24.   So I guess the settlements are for Pals?!!!!!! 07:17  |  An Arab Neighbor 23/12/08
      25.   Boycott settlements not Israel 07:29  |  American 23/12/08
      26.   Johnboy 07:41  |  Magpie 23/12/08
      27.   Dear Arab Neighbour With Amnesia 08:22  |  Brad 23/12/08
      28.   F&^* the Brithish! They will soon be under Sharia law and just... 08:27  |  Akiva 23/12/08
      29.   Johnboy 08:30  |  Brad 23/12/08
      30.   American 08:36  |  Brad 23/12/08
      31.   send the brits the memo 08:47  |  JANE 23/12/08
      32.   British colonialism still alive. 08:50  |  Jean Van Daem 23/12/08
      33.   #25, "MAGPIE", aka peter sm 09:08  |  VIPER 23/12/08
      34.   Brad from Canada #26 09:11  |  An Arab Neighbor 23/12/08
      35.   He is absolutely right! 09:34  |  Goy 23/12/08
      36.   Let Peace Reign in Israel 09:55  |  Lord Aikins 23/12/08
      37.   Free Scotland, Ireland, Canada First 09:56  |  Baruch Gold 23/12/08
      38.   AFTER OBAMA WON THE ELECTION 10:01  |  Indrajaya 23/12/08
      39.   On Britain`s "colonial covetousness" # 32 10:08  |  Clickfool 23/12/08
      40.   Divestments are not complicated ...This is a cop out . 10:16  |  Dutch 23/12/08
      41.   I for one will now boycott all British products and urge 10:20  |  Zev 23/12/08
      42.   # 21 Johnboy - Master of inapplicable documents 10:20  |  17 23/12/08
      43.   VIPER 33 - TALKING OF BINDING AND NON-BINDING 10:21  |  ChanahS 23/12/08
      44.   reply to 15 10:22  |  rebecca 23/12/08
      45.   Boycotting a few crummy settlements is not enough... 10:23  |  Chanalau, Tova 23/12/08
      46.   to brad 10:24  |  rebecca 23/12/08
      47.   Sounds Right to Me 10:35  |  ERSB 23/12/08
      48.   clickfool yearns to be told 10:35  |  brighton rock 23/12/08
      49.   Illegal Colonies 10:39  |  Calabashe 23/12/08
      50.   For Zev # 41 10:49  |  Clickfool 23/12/08
      51.   For Clickfool # 50 11:32  |  Sheikh Rattle & Roll 23/12/08
      52.   Qassam 11:33  |  Serge 23/12/08
      53.   A voice from the past 11:42  |  zeev 23/12/08
      54.   to Clickfool 12:06  |  Harry 23/12/08
      55.   # 47 ERSB - I agree with you. 12:07  |  17 23/12/08
      56.   to spud murphy 12# 12:08  |  Northern 23/12/08
      57.   #8 Jorge 12:25  |  Makevet 23/12/08
      58.   #51 Sheikh Rattle and Roll 12:33  |  Chris Linthwaite 23/12/08
      59.   For Baruch Gold # 37 12:37  |  Clickfool 23/12/08
      60.   For Harry # 54 12:38  |  Clickfool 23/12/08
      61.   Chris Linthwaite and the glory days 12:51  |  x-ray 23/12/08
      62.   to Harry #54 13:07  |  zeev 23/12/08
      63.   # 49 Calabashe - 4th Geneva Convention 13:27  |  Have you read it? 23/12/08
      64.   Either give the Pals Israeli citizenship or freedom. 13:42  |  Michael 23/12/08
      65.   real boycott needed 13:43  |  peter 23/12/08
      66.   Michael the Pals don`t want `freedom` they want it all 13:48  |  x-ray 23/12/08
      67.   MIchael 13:55  |  lady from USA 23/12/08
      68.   Shame on you Americans who support the occupation. 13:57  |  Michael 23/12/08
      69.   The right approach 14:10  |  Jonathan 23/12/08
      70.   viper 14:12  |  magpie 23/12/08
      71.   well said Michael # 68 14:18  |  peter 23/12/08
      72.   An important distinction(?) 14:30  |  Mark Lincoln 23/12/08
      73.   the ambassador has delusions of grandeur 14:30  |  yirmi 23/12/08
      74.   Boycott of settlements is the best idea 14:38  |  Northern 23/12/08
      75.   to Clickfool 14:48  |  Harry 23/12/08
      76.   X-Ray 66. Israel is holding the Pals hostage. 14:56  |  Michael 23/12/08
      77.   to lady from USA #67 14:58  |  zeev 23/12/08
      78.   nortthern 74 15:07  |  Pamela 23/12/08
      79.   to rm #22 - not strange at all - 3rd try 15:17  |  zeev 23/12/08
      80.   #74 the ignorant myth in continium 15:17  |  victor hardman 23/12/08
      81.   why haaretz is dishonest 15:18  |  lucy 23/12/08
      82.   Michael bear in mind Israelis only mention the past 15:21  |  Labhras 23/12/08
      83.   A sincere word of advice to the people of Israel 15:35  |  Clickfool 23/12/08
      84.   Why USA and Britain support occupation? 15:46  |  Israeli cititzen 23/12/08
      85.   Michael the gun is held to the heads of the Israelis 15:56  |  x-ray 23/12/08
      86.   58 Linwaithe. Mon ami, not so fast. It was a Frenchman. 16:29  |  Henri 23/12/08
      87.   When Jews will begin their boycott? 16:53  |  Gene 23/12/08
      88.   To Brad: Going back in time 16:58  |  Jorge 23/12/08
      89.   West Bank settlements are ALL illegal 17:20  |  dan 23/12/08
      90.   X-Ray 78 In many ways I agree with you. 17:33  |  Michael 23/12/08
      91.   rebecca 17:37  |  Brad 23/12/08
      92.   So Jorge, how far back to we go? 17:45  |  Brad 23/12/08
      93.   UK boycott 17:46  |  Don W 23/12/08
      94.   It`s exactly the same as using the euphemism `anti-zionist` for 17:52  |  Jerusalem Jew 23/12/08
      95.   Settlements in Falklands, Gibraltar, Northern Ireland 17:59  |  SystemF 23/12/08
      96.   80 Gene. Boycott already started in our community. 17:59  |  Jason 23/12/08
      97.   dan # 81 Not So Fast 18:27  |  Jeff Northridge 23/12/08
      98.   "the settlements are not Israel" 18:47  |  Silvienne 23/12/08
      99.   michael in UK: A bit hypocritical of you 18:47  |  Arie 23/12/08
      100.   #68, Michael, don`t judge all Americans by our government.... 18:49  |  Silvienne 23/12/08
      101.   # 80 gene 18:53  |  Axel 23/12/08
      102.   X-Ray 78. In many ways I agree with you. 18:58  |  Michael 23/12/08
      103.   For Arie, on the poor, suffering English people # 87 19:09  |  Clickfool 23/12/08
      104.   #87, Arie, off-topic, aren`t you? 19:14  |  Silvienne 23/12/08
      105.   "The settlements are not Israel" 19:15  |  Jeff Northridge 23/12/08
      106.   Silvienne most Israelis believe Pals have a right to their state 19:20  |  x-ray 23/12/08
      107.   to Brad #83 - no doubt about it 19:28  |  zeev 23/12/08
      108.   #15 Eli E. Hertz 19:33  |  Boycott 23/12/08
      109.   The only fair solution for the West Bank 19:35  |  Yamin Salahi 23/12/08
      110.   Look ye to Zimbabwe & tell us Brits 19:39  |  Dina 23/12/08
      111.   Not the time or place for pride or arrogance? 19:50  |  Manny Goldstein 23/12/08
      112.   Silvienne 19:58  |  Brad 23/12/08
      113.   Brad #29 - Note distinction Jew vs Israeli 19:59  |  Mark 23/12/08
      114.   Calabash 20:03  |  Brad 23/12/08
      115.   #80 Gene that might not be a good idea 20:08  |  Labhras 23/12/08
      116.   Biohazard alert!! 20:11  |  Concerned 23/12/08
      117.   Jason you are way outnumbered 20:12  |  Labhras 23/12/08
      118.   Judge Jeff Bilko just negated any need for recognition of Israel 20:23  |  Labhras 23/12/08
      119.   Ridiculous 20:24  |  David 23/12/08
      120.   to x-ray #66 - 2nd try 20:28  |  zeev 23/12/08
      121.   #89 Jeff - Your argument also fits the Pals then 20:48  |  Mark 23/12/08
      122.   #96 Silvienne 20:52  |  SystemF 23/12/08
      123.   #97 Jeff - When did Israel annex the West Bank? 20:54  |  Mark 23/12/08
      124.   To Marc Lincoln 20:57  |  oetis 23/12/08
      125.   Israel response to boycott of territories 21:01  |  JoJo 23/12/08
      126.   17 (#55), I agree 100% 21:16  |  Mark B. 23/12/08
      127.   some initative at last 21:25  |  anony 23/12/08
      128.   Sure, Dina # 102 21:48  |  Clickfool 23/12/08
      129.   # 109 jojo 21:53  |  Axel 23/12/08
      130.   # 114 jojo 21:55  |  Axel 23/12/08
      131.   UK settlements can have freedom any time. What about WB? 22:13  |  Michael 23/12/08
      132.   I thought West Bank was under Israeli control 22:15  |  xyz 23/12/08
      133.   in ulster it is the protestants who love israel 22:29  |  papalbull 23/12/08
      134.   polls in europe show the biggest hatred for jews 22:30  |  papalbull 23/12/08
      135.   clickfool 22:59  |  harry 23/12/08
      136.   Anti-Semites wet dream 23:01  |  Gilad 23/12/08
      137.   silvienne:off topic? NO-try reading 23:02  |  Arie 23/12/08
      138.   x-ray:we do believe palis should have a state 23:03  |  Arie 23/12/08
      139.   those from londonstan 23:06  |  Arie 23/12/08
      140.   Manny Goldstein 103 23:15  |  ChanahS 23/12/08
      141.   labhras and "40% heritage" 23:18  |  Arie 23/12/08
      142.   Johnboy -- utterly clueless 23:58  |  SDHD 23/12/08
      143.   Labhras # 110 That Does Not Follow 00:41  |  Jeff Northridge 24/12/08
      144.   What is so funny 01:15  |  Chris Linthwaite 24/12/08
      145.   #68 Michael....YES, all true about America 01:18  |  Lynn 24/12/08
      146.   axel and his sanctions obsession 01:21  |  erwin honigstein 24/12/08
      147.   Mark # 113 Not Quite 01:22  |  Jeff Northridge 24/12/08
      148.   axel taunts israel about her friends. 01:23  |  erwin honigstein 24/12/08
      149.   Hey Arie 131 in Israelistan 01:36  |  Michael 24/12/08
      150.   Legalisms 02:43  |  W 24/12/08
      151.   The settlements are illegal 03:13  |  Geoff 24/12/08
      152.   #21 Johnboy 05:00  |  Moshe 24/12/08
      153.   No Dan, they are not unless 07:11  |  Mark Lincoln 24/12/08
      154.   Britain could not fight it`s way out of a wet paper bag. 07:19  |  Mark Lincoln 24/12/08
      155.   The sticky goal 07:35  |  Mark Lincoln 24/12/08
      156.   # 136 to gilad re: the breeding of anti-semites 09:53  |  eric 24/12/08
      157.   1: Avi`s response is just as ignorantly right wing (2nd try) 10:14  |  David Teich 24/12/08
      158.   21: JB, you seem to lie about something 10:24  |  David Teich 24/12/08
      159.   to Arie #139 12:38  |  zeev 24/12/08
      160.   to x-ray #85 12:44  |  zeev 24/12/08
      161.   102 Michael - you are becoming convinced by the screamers here 13:05  |  x-ray 24/12/08
      162.   to x-ray #161 - lied to 16:15  |  zeev 24/12/08
      163.   #161, x-ray...on the contrary.... 21:15  |  Silvienne 24/12/08
      164.   on v. hardman #80 - thank God - 2nd try 22:58  |  zeev 24/12/08
      165.   Logic 01:16  |  Wog 25/12/08
      166.   Silvienne, another one the censors like to protect 11:05  |  David Teich 31/12/08
      167.   Israeli peaceniks need help 16:09  |  Peter Belmont 31/12/08
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