Egypt Daily News – The Israeli Foreign Ministry has responded to a sharp British attack, including London’s suspension of free trade agreement negotiations with Israel, sanctions on settlers in the occupied West Bank, and the summoning of the Israeli ambassador with a counterattack, accusing the British government of being “obsessed with anti-Israel sentiment.”
According to media reports, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday: “Even before today’s announcement, negotiations on the free trade agreement had made no progress under the current British government. Moreover, the agreement would have served the mutual interest of both countries.” The statement continued: “If the British government, due to its anti-Israel obsession and domestic political considerations, is willing to harm the British economy, that is its own decision.”
Regarding the sanctions imposed on West Bank settlers, the statement described them as “unjustified and regrettable, especially at a time when Israel is mourning yet another victim of Palestinian terrorism—Tsila Gaz—who was killed on her way to the delivery room. Doctors are still fighting to save her baby’s life in the hospital,” the statement added.
The Israeli statement concluded: “The British Mandate ended exactly 77 years ago, and external pressure will not divert Israel from its path of defending its existence and security against enemies seeking its destruction.”
The British government had announced the suspension of free trade talks with Israel and imposed new sanctions on settlers in the occupied West Bank in protest of Israel’s actions in Gaza.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy stated that his ministry had summoned Israeli Ambassador Tzipi Hotovely in response to Israel’s intensified airstrikes and expanded military operations in the besieged Palestinian enclave, as well as its continued blockade of humanitarian aid amid the ongoing war since October 2023.
