US officials threaten retaliation against UK over Israeli settlements sanctions
US officials have attacked the UK over its new trade sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements, amid speculation that Washington could publicly rebuke the British government.
On Tuesday morning, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee suggested the Trump administration could retaliate against Britain over its new trade sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements.
Meanwhile, Florida Republican Congressman Randy Fine warned that British companies could be stopped from doing business in Florida, accusing the UK of a "vanity project in support of Muslim terror".
Huckabee told the BBC that the UK's planned ban on Israeli settlement goods would be a "discrimination against the Jewish people". He suggested US states, specifically Florida, could take trade action against Britain.
Over the weekend the ambassador had accused the British government of "Jew hate" in response to criticisms of Israel's actions in Gaza by British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, who is himself Jewish.
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Congressman Randy Fine warned on Monday night: "As the British government considers forcing British companies to boycott portions of Israel, it should be aware that a Florida law that I passed as a member of the Legislature would ban any British company forced to comply from doing business with any state or local government in Florida."
Fine added: "It would also end any British business participating in that boycott from doing any business in Florida if it needed any official interaction with state or local government to operate (permits, tax collection).
"Florida is one of Britain’s largest trading partners. They should understand that their vanity project in support of Muslim terror could cost them billions of dollars."
Fine further said: "Any company – or nation – that boycotts Israel is boycotted by Florida."
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband is expected to outline a raft of new measures on Israel in parliament in the early afternoon.
The United States privately urged the British government not to go ahead with the ban on Israeli settlement goods, MEE understands.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham reportedly briefed US President Donald Trump on his plans to introduce sanctions on Israel on Monday afternoon.
On Monday night, Israeli ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich called for Israel to sanction Britain and expel the UK ambassador over the issue of the Falkland Islands. Argentina and the UK both assert sovereignty over the South Atlantic archipelago, but the vast majority of the territory's 3,600 residents back British rule.
Last week, Trump suggested he would not back the UK if Argentina invaded the territory. The US president has not yet commented publicly on the UK's planned sanctions.
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