Letter in the Guardian calling for EU to get tough with Israel over annexation plans

Letter in the Guardian calling for EU to get tough with Israel over annexation plans - 14 September 2019

Back in 2014, Russian forces entered Crimea and the peninsula was annexed. The reaction of Britain and other EU states was clear and immediate. Sanctions were imposed on Russia in a decision that most saw as reasonable and appropriate, upholding the longstanding sacred principle of the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory through war.

The Israeli prime minister has now promised to annex huge swathes of the occupied West Bank, including the Jordan Valley and settlements (Report, 11 September). Israel should receive precisely the same response as Russia got, if it goes down this reckless path. It cannot expect to have a business-as-usual relationship while stealing land belonging to another people. It is time for EU leaders, including Britain, to make this abundantly clear.

Chris Doyle
Director, Caabu (Council for Arab-British Understanding)