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The United Kingdom has strengthened its guidance to businesses and citizens, explicitly warning against engaging in financial activities within Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. These settlements are considered illegal under international law.

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I have strengthened our business risk guidance to make it clear and unambiguous: if you are a British citizen or business, you should not conduct any economic and financial activities in illegal Israeli settlements.

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper announced the updated business risk guidance in parliament, stating, "if you are a British citizen or business, you should not conduct any economic and financial activities in illegal Israeli settlements." She further articulated the government's stance, saying, "We believe that violent settler groups should not be profiting from the land that they have seized from Palestinians." Cooper also noted that while the Israeli government has condemned some settler violence, such condemnations "ring hollow when there is scant accountability."

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We believe that violent settler groups should not be profiting from the land that they have seized from Palestinians.

In response, Israel's foreign ministry strongly condemned the measures taken by the UK and five other Western countries against settler entities. Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein described the actions as "disgraceful measures adopted by foreign governments against Israeli citizens, entities, and a government minister."

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The Israeli government has condemned some settler violence, but that rings hollow when there is scant accountability.

Marmorstein asserted that the core intent behind these sanctions is "the attempt to impose a political stance regarding the right of Jews to settle in the Land of Israel and concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict -- camouflaged as measures against violence." The Israeli ministry's statement frames the sanctions not as a response to violence or illegal activity, but as a politically motivated attempt to dictate terms of the conflict.

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Israel firmly rejects the disgraceful measures adopted by foreign governments against Israeli citizens, entities, and a government minister.