US attorneys general accuse Andy Burnham of aligning the UK with 'the objectives of terrorist organisations' with Israel sanctions
The attorneys general of 13 US states have accused Andy Burnham of aligning the UK with the objectives of terrorist organisations, threatening reprisals over British sanctions targeting Israeli settlers.
The attorneys general of 13 US states have accused Andy Burnham of aligning the UK with the objectives of terrorist organisations, threatening reprisals over British sanctions targeting Israeli settlers.
In a letter led by Iowa attorney general Brenna Bird, the group of Republican chief legal officers demanded Downing Street scrap the measures aimed at illegal settler activity on the West Bank or risk facing a trade war.
The letter, co-signed by other top lawyers from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma and South Carolina, warned that the sanctions could force American firms to cut ties with the UK.
It also threatened to ban British firms from lucrative US contracts and withdraw investment to UK companies, a move that could cripple businesses.
The Dutch government was also threatened with sanctions after taking similar actions to Britain.
UK sanctions and Israeli response
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced the sanctions package in September, as he accused Israel's government of turning a blind eye to the 'ethnic cleansing' of Palestinians by settler 'terrorists'.
The restrictions banned goods but also targeted firms and individuals providing services to help expand settlements.
The measures have provoked fury, with Israel's foreign minister Gideon Saar accusing Mr Miliband of spreading an 'outrageous lie', while US ambassador to the Middle East Mike Huckabee branded it 'Jew hate'.
The British government agrees that there is ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in areas of the West Bank, perpetrated by settler terrorists. And all too often the Israeli government has turned a blind eye to this and worse, members of it have made statements and taken actions to support the forced displacement of Palestinians.
The letter warned that the sanctions risked damaging US companies and undermining Israel's sovereignty.
It stated that the actions could be seen to provide a veneer of legitimacy to the policy aims of terrorist organisations like Hamas and Hezbollah.
US-UK relations under strain
The letter could further sour ties between Washington and London, with tensions having been inflamed by Donald Trump's recent trade tariffs and war against Iran.
A recent poll revealed Americans were also losing faith in its 'special relationship' with Britain, with most no longer considering the UK a vital strategic partner.
Five years ago, more than half (52 per cent) of Americans saw Britain as the US's most valuable ally. But a poll carried out in September revealed this has shrunk to just 30 per cent.
Mr Burnham is under pressure to mend the strained relations between the US and UK.
Settlements and violence
Settlements on the West Bank are illegal under international law. However, some hardline Israeli ministers continue to support expansion plans into the territory.
Violence, led by extremist Israeli settlers, has flared up in recent weeks with armed attacks carried out on a number of Palestinians.
On one occasion, the military had to be called in to remove a group occupying the home of a Palestinian family.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously condemned the 'criminal act of violence' carried by some settlers, saying a 'handful of rioters' were 'causing a huge injustice to the law-abiding settler public'.
But some back the illegal expansion, with Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich declaring it a 'revolution in settlement'.
Next steps
The Daily Mail understands the UK government has not yet received a copy of the letter from the ambassador.
A spokesman added: 'The UK government’s new sanctions regime will target illegal settlements and settlement expansion. We wholeheartedly oppose boycotts of green line Israel.'
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