102 former French and British diplomats call for joint sanctions on Israel
A group of 102 ex-diplomats from France and the UK urged their governments to impose coordinated sanctions on Israel, citing threats to a future Palestinian state.
A coalition of 102 retired French and British diplomats has publicly pressed their respective governments to coordinate sanctions against Israel, warning that current policies could permanently block the creation of a Palestinian state. The signatories, including former ambassadors to the UN and senior Middle-East officials, describe Israeli settlement growth, house demolitions and settler violence as ethnic cleansing and a breach of international law.
Their proposal calls for halting EU-Israel and UK-Israel trade deals, ending arms sales, banning commerce with settlements, and guaranteeing humanitarian aid to Gaza through UN agencies. The letter also critiques Palestinian leadership as unrepresentative, urging democratic reforms ahead of upcoming elections. The initiative comes as the conflict that started in October 2023 continues to claim over 72,000 Palestinian lives, with further casualties reported after a ceasefire in October 2025.
Why it matters
It signals a rare push by former diplomats for Western governments to take concrete action against Israel’s settlement policy.
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