Over 100 former UK and French diplomats urge arms embargo and trade sanctions on Israel

Joint appeal for sanctions

More than 100 former British and French diplomats have called on their governments to halt arms sales, enact trade bans, and suspend existing trade treaties with Israel to compel the acceptance of an independent Palestinian state. In a joint letter sent to French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, the 102 signatories argued that diplomatic pressure alone has failed to prevent the systematic erasure of Palestinian territory. The document specifically urges the suspension of the European Union-Israel Association Agreement as well as the bilateral trade agreement between the United Kingdom and Israel. It marks an effort by former senior envoys to prompt direct economic and legal measures from London and Paris.

Allegations of ethnic cleansing

The text abandons traditional diplomatic phrasing, asserting that Israel's military and settlement actions have compromised its democratic standing. The signatories detail conditions across both Palestinian territories, highlighting severe displacement and ongoing military casualties following nominal truce arrangements.

In Gaza, two million Palestinians are confined to 30% of their devastated territory, starving, lacking medicine and shelter. Over 1,200 Palestinians have been killed since the so-called ceasefire.

The signatories further pointed to coordinated actions across East Jerusalem and the wider West Bank. They stated that the destruction of Palestinian properties and unchecked settler activity, conducted with the complicity of Israeli military and police forces, constitute ethnic cleansing. The letter adds that this policy of territorial occupation and destruction is extending into Lebanon and Syria.

Diplomatic background and regional policy

The initiative was organized by 52 former French diplomats and 50 former British ambassadors, many of whom previously held senior postings in Egypt, Iran, Bahrain, Israel, Syria, Turkey, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. Prominent British signatories include former United Nations envoys Jeremy Greenstock and Emyr Jones Parry, alongside former Foreign Office Middle East director Edward Chaplin. The French signatories include Patrice Paoli, former director for the Middle East at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Stanislas de Laboulaye, former consul general in Jerusalem.

Recalling that both Paris and London formally recognized Palestinian statehood in 2025, the signatories argued that both nations bear a historical duty dating back to their roles in shaping the modern Middle East. They stated that both governments must establish common cause around equal rights for Israelis and Palestinians.

Settlement tenders and military operations

The letter, delivered to Le Monde and The Guardian, followed an official joint statement released two days prior by the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and eight other nations. That joint statement condemned the Israeli government's announcement of construction tenders for the E1 settlement corridor, warning domestic companies that participating in illegal settlement building brings legal and reputational risks. In response to the E1 development, the British government under Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has weighed restrictions on trade in goods and services linked to West Bank settlements.

Meanwhile, violence has continued on multiple fronts. The Israel Defense Forces reported the killing of a Hamas commander inside Gaza, while Israeli aircraft conducted strikes in southern Lebanon between the villages of Sarbin and Rashaf in the Nabatieh Governorate.