Canada, UK, France issue joint statement boycotting certain Israel goods in response to ‘ethnic cleansing’ of Palestinians perpetrated by ‘settler terrorists’
Move will be mostly symbolic in practice with exports from these areas nothing more than dates, wine, some vegetables
September 8, 2026
Canada joined France, the UK and other nations Monday in announcing restrictions on trade in goods from illegal settlement projects in Israel due to what many describe, including even former Israel political and military leaders, as “ethnic cleansing.”
The nations announced unity on the topic amid the ongoing annexation of Palestinian land and forcible displacement of the Palestinian population, stating that the Government of Israel must ensure accountability for settler violence and investigate allegations against Israel forces.
“A two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is critical for peace, stability and security in the Middle East and beyond. It is a fundamental national interest for Canada, France, and the UK to protect and secure this outcome,” Prime Minister Marc Carney, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, and French President Emmanuel Macron said in a joint statement issued Monday (Sept. 8, 2026).
Canada, France and the UK joined Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden in confirming intentions to introduce national and/or support European restrictions on trade in goods with settlements which are illegal under international law.
“In this regard, the UK, France and Canada welcome the important action already taken by Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway and Belgium and will bring forward national measures to ban trade in settlement goods,” according to a statement by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
In a speech to parliament, UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, who noted he is Jewish, called Israeli settlers “terrorists” and agreed as others have they are committing “ethnic cleansing” in the territory.
“The British government agrees that there is ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in areas of the West Bank - perpetrated by settler terrorists.”
The UK, Canada and other nations have for a long time agreed the settlements in the West Bank are clearly illegal, but have said little about the illegality of the occupation as a whole, as the International Court of Justice concluded in 2024.
“Today I announce that the official view of the British Government is that the occupation is unlawful,” Miliband said. In using the strong language of “ethnic cleansing,” he quoted both an ex-prime minister as well as a former head of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has described what is happening “a violent and criminal effort to ethnically cleanse territories in the West Bank.”
Former Minister of Health and retired Brigadier General from the IDF, Ephraim Sneh has said “this is ethnic cleansing to put it simply.
The joint statement as shared by the Government of Canada on Monday focused on the two-state solution.
“Systematic settlement expansion in the West Bank, including the Government of Israel’s latest decision to progress the E1 settlement, as well as the dramatic increase in settler violence, pose a direct and urgent threat to that vision for peace.
“One year ago, we recognized the State of Palestine. The time has come to take further action to uphold our commitment to protect the two-state solution, our interests and to stand up for our values, before it is too late.
“Settlements are illegal under international law. Canada, France, and the UK will therefore take steps to ban the importation of goods from settlements and enforce targeted measures against settlements and those who facilitate them or profit from them.”
The move from a direct economic perspective is largely symbolic with products made in the settlements including fruits such as dates, vegetables and wine.
Check your computer, your medicine cabinet, your sparkling water
Broader boycott campaigns have been in place regarding Israeli products for decades.
Beyond buying dates from countries other than Israel, those looking to boycott products from Israel because of the government both overt and tacit policies of displacement and ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people, there are a few large corporations that are the top focus of the so-called BDS Movement, which started in 2005. BDS stands for “boycott, divestment and sanction” as a tool to push for human rights and serve as an economic pressure, modelled after the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa.
Two of the top 10 products as priority targets according the BDS Movement are probably in millions of Canadian homes that both they didn’t know about and will be hard to avoid. Intel makes the central processing units in enormous number of PC computers, and Teva Pharmaceuticals is one of the largest generic-drug companies in the world.
Others include: Disney, RE/MAX, Dell, Reebok, Zara, and SodaStream.
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Paul J. Henderson
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