US Rejects Sanctions as Turkey Backs Trade Ban on Settlements

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Tuesday that Washington will not join western allies in imposing new punitive measures against Israel. He made these remarks during a trip to Colombia after learning of the decision by several nations to sanction Israeli entities.

Rubio told reporters that the United States was aware of the impending announcement by its partners. He noted that while he heard their arguments, the US prioritizes regional stability and wishes to avoid any uptick in violence or tensions in the West Bank.

The secretary emphasized that the region always faces tenuous times. His restrained response contrasts with the unprecedented moves by European and North American allies who have decided to impose sanctions aimed at curbing Israeli settlement activities.

Turkey welcomed the measures taken by twelve countries to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on Tuesday supporting the coordinated effort led by the United Kingdom, France, and Canada.

Ankara described illegal settlements as a systematic policy of occupation that threatens the existence of the State of Palestine. The ministry added that settler terrorism has reached the level of ethnic cleansing and urged the international community to respond firmly.

Reports indicate that UK diplomats privately told US counterparts that the new sanctions are largely symbolic. The coordinating nations recognized ethnic cleansing in the West Bank but not in Gaza, where more than seventy-three thousand Palestinians have been killed since October.