Trump to consult Israel after UK settlement trade ban

The United Kingdom has announced a trade sanctions package targeting Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including an import ban on settlement goods, financial sanctions on developers and restrictions on arms export licences. The measures, presented to Parliament by Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband on Tuesday, were joined by Canada, France, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. The move follows Israel's decision to proceed with settlement construction in the sensitive E1 area, where bidding opened in August for 1,234 housing units in a project that would link East Jerusalem settlements to the Maale Adumim bloc. Palestinians have warned the plan would confine them to disconnected enclaves in the West Bank. US President Donald Trump said he had just seen the sanctions and would consult Israel before forming a position. Speaking to reporters, he said he wanted to find out what Israel's thinking was and questioned why the move happened all of a sudden.