More than 130 legal experts, among them 18 King's Counsel, have written to the prime minister warning that recent UK measures on Israeli settlements "fall far short" of Britain’s obligations under international law.
The letter, signed by senior lawyers including Michael Mansfield KC, Imran Khan KC and the former lord justice of appeal Alan Moses, criticises the government's response following a ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that described the occupation as unlawful. The signatories say the decision requires the UK to take further steps to prevent and remedy the harms arising from illegal settlement activity.
Last week the foreign secretary, Ed Miliband, announced an import ban on goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories alongside other measures. The legal experts say those steps are insufficient and have urged the prime minister to adopt additional measures consistent with the ICJ’s findings and with the UK’s obligations under international law.
The intervention from a large group of senior lawyers adds to public scrutiny of the government's policy on settlements and its legal duties stemming from the recent international court pronouncement. The letter frames the issue as one of compliance with binding international legal obligations rather than solely a matter of political policy.