Gideon Sa'ar: "If Britain imposes sanctions — we will respond. We have tools"
The Foreign Minister addressed London's threats regarding construction plans in the E1 area: "If they make a mistake — there will be a response. It will work the opposite of how they dream." The full episode of the ynet political podcast "120 and One" will be released on Thursday.
"If Britain acts against the State of Israel, the State of Israel will act against Britain," declared Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, in response to a question about the possibility of the government in London imposing sanctions on Israel due to the advancement of construction plans in the E1 area beyond the Green Line. This move is seen by many as a step that would thwart the future possibility of establishing a Palestinian state. Sa'ar made these comments in an interview with "120 and One", the political podcast of ynet, in an episode to be released in full on Thursday.
Under the Netanyahu government, records for construction and the establishment of settlements in the territories have been broken, but the E1 area — approximately 12 sq. km located east of Jerusalem — represents a "red line" for the European Union and Britain. Construction in this area would sever Palestinian territorial contiguity and block passage from the Ramallah area south toward Bethlehem and Hebron, dealing a blow to the feasibility of the two-state solution.
When asked how concerned he is about the possibility of British sanctions, Sa'ar replied:
"There is a government there that systematically acts against Israel. It has already harmed defense exports to us and imposed sanctions on ministers. What guides it is its internal politics, and at the end of the month, the Labour conference convenes. So if Britain acts against the State of Israel, the State of Israel will act against Britain."
Regarding the nature of the response, Sa'ar added:
"There are tools. I say this clearly and sharply. If they act, I think they will make a big mistake. It will work the opposite of how they might dream it will work. But if they act against us, we will act. Why hint? What I said is enough. We are preparing. If they make a mistake, there will be a response."
Earlier on Tuesday, Reuters reported that British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband addressed Israeli policy in Judea and Samaria, stating that Britain would present a "comprehensive package of measures" regarding Israeli settlements in the coming weeks. Miliband recently described the tender for 1,200 housing units in E1 as an "unacceptable and destructive act," emphasizing that settlements constitute a violation of international law.
