British MPs write to financial institutions urging them not to invest in Israel’s planned E1 settlement project in the occupied West Bank, which is due to move forward amid upcoming UK trade restrictions. The warnings arrive even though the UK’s new rules banning trade with illegal Israeli settlements are not expected to take effect for several months.
According to the reports, the letter is sent by MPs affiliated with the all-party Britain-Palestine group. It tells banks that they should review their legal and ethical obligations to avoid cooperating with settlement activity, including where new legislation may not yet be fully operational. The E1 project is described as a large settlement plan, with the Israeli government seeking bids for construction.
The outlets frame the issue as a test of how existing duties and scrutiny apply in advance of the UK’s anticipated trade-ban start date. They highlight the role of parliamentary pressure on banks, alongside uncertainty about when the stricter UK measures will formally begin.
