Israeli president: British sanctions are a mistake and election interference

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Israeli President Isaac Herzog accused Britain of intervening in his country’s elections through sanctions he called “unfair and politically motivated,” urging his European allies to talk with Israel before blaming the country.

“I was very disturbed and offended on behalf of my nation regarding the sanctions that were laid against us by the U.K. government,” Herzog said Thursday in an interview with Axel Springer Global Reporter Network’s Jan Philipp Burgard. “I think it was a grave mistake.”

Earlier this month, British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced that Britain, along with France and Canada, would ban the trade of goods and some services originating from Israeli settlements. Miliband also said the U.K. would take action against companies and individuals providing services for settlement expansion.

Miliband then said that the British government agreed that Palestinians were facing “ethnic cleansing” in parts of the West Bank, adding that “all too often the Israeli government has turned a blind eye to this.”

Herzog rejected the approach, arguing it would worsen the situation rather than help Palestinians.

“It’s directly intervening in Israeli politics, which shouldn’t have happened,” he said. “You want to move things, have a dialogue with Israel and don’t blame Israel.”

The dispute comes ahead of Israel’s October elections, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeking another term as Israel faces growing international isolation.

“And I ask all my friends in Europe and all the other nations, please do not intervene in our elections,” Herzog added.

Israel previously responded to the announcement by saying it will retaliate by closing the British consulate in Jerusalem and warning of possible “countermeasures” against other countries.

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