It was a pleasure to have so many folks join us for a substantive discussion of how precisely the new policy announced by UK Foreign Secretary Ed Milliband this week could prove to be a game changer for Israel-Palestine.
As always on The Debrief, I bring you the best, smartest experts I know for in-depth conversations you won’t hear elsewhere. Today was no exception. I was delighted to be joined by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man, Director of Research for Israel-Palestine at DAWN. For several years, Mike has been involved for years in developing and supporting sanctions programs. He has engaged with the UK and other governments about expanding sanctions to financial institutions and treating the Occupation and Israeli settlements as a criminal enterprise.
The topics we covered included:
UK’s acceptance of the 2024 International Court of Justice decision that the “occupation as a whole” is illegal — and why that is so significant
How the UK’s promise of “action against specific companies and individuals who provide services such as construction, infrastructure, financing, or real estate for settlement expansion” could prove highly consequential
How an import ban on settlement goods would work and what products it could impact
Implications of the ban on arms sales that would “materially contribute to the occupation”
“As a proud British Jew”: the significance of this introduction to Foreign Secretary Ed Milliband’s announcement
Reactions to the new UK policy from: Palestine’s Ambassador Husam Zomlot, the Israeli government, the Trump Administration, and British Jews — in addition, I’ll flag opinion polling showing that Britons across the political spectrum favor banning trade with illegal Israeli settlements by a margin of more than 2:1
Looking ahead: Factors that will determine whether this policy reset by PM Andy Burnham’s government will impose meaningful, and even game-changing, consequences
If you’d like to check out Foreign Secretary Ed Milliband’s speech, this is the transcript and you can watch his full address to the House of Commons.
As always, I look forward to hearing what you think and look forward to reading your comments!
Note: Captions don’t appear to be working on this video due to a Substack tech glitch. Apologies! Relatedly, I’m still raising funds for tech upgrades! You can support through Stripe, which has lower fees, or Buy Me a Coffee. Thanks!
✨ ROSH HASHANAH SALE ✨
Last Chance to save! Sale ends as the New Year begins.
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is about to begin! It’s a beautiful, introspective holiday that starts ten Days of Awe that continue until Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown this Friday and starts the year 5787 on the Hebrew calendar. In honor of the holiday, this is the perfect time to treat yourself — or a friend — to a year of great programming.
Thank you for sustaining this work!
Chag Sameach (happy holiday) to all who are celebrating!
TOMORROW (Fri, Sept 11) at 11am Eastern:
Lara Friedman on HR 4795 & Efforts to Quash Dissent on US Campuses and Beyond
Last week in Office Hours, I spoke about HR 4795: “Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act” — an Orwellian name for a bill that violates the First Amendment while promoting Israel/settlements at US universities.
Lara Friedman knows more about it — the substance, the politics, and the broader context of the battle by “Israel’s Lobby” (to borrow Clifton & Lustick’s term) to quash Americans’ rights to engage in economic boycotts of Israel and/or its illegal settlements — than anyone else I know.
Following my podcast with Mike Omer-Man today: I’ll also ask Lara about the potential for UK sanctions to have a “huge economic impact on British businesses,” as US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee warned. This impact would come as a result of anti-BDS/pro-settlement laws on the books in a majority of US states.
Lara is the President of the Foundation for Middle East Peace. She is one of the sharpest analysts on Israel-Palestine and US foreign policy. Her Weekly Legislative Round-Ups are indispensable reading for congressional staff, advocates, and analysts alike — anyone who wants to understand what Members of Congress are doing vis-a-vis the Middle East.
When Lara last appeared on The Debrief, she delivered the podcast was only available to paid subscribers. This time, there’s no paywall. Don’t miss it!
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That’s all for now, folks. Looking forward to seeing some of you tomorrow.
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Many thanks!
Debra
