US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to the media during a meeting with President of the Conference of Italian Bishops, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, at the US Embassy to the Holy See in Rome, May 17, 2025. Photo: Gregorio Borgia/Pool via REUTERS

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stopped short on Tuesday of forcefully condemning Britain’s sweeping new sanctions targeting Israeli settlements, instead offering a notably restrained response as Israel faces mounting diplomatic pressure from some of its traditional Western allies.

Britain announced a ban on trade involving Israeli settlements in the West Bank and sanctions against entities connected to settlement activity. Canada, France, and several other European governments backed the measures, marking a significant escalation in Western pressure on Israel.

The secretary of state said the United States would “obviously not” follow Britain in sanctioning Israeli settlements. But rather than directly rebuking London for targeting Israeli communities, Rubio cautioned that the British measures could be destabilizing to the West Bank.

“We were made aware that they were going to make this decision,” Rubio said on Tuesday. “We heard their argument as to why, but look, we share the goal of stability. We don’t want to see some uptick in violence or an uptick in conflict or tensions in the West Bank at a very tenuous time. In the region, there’s always tenuous times.”

Rubio made clear that the United States would not impose similar sanctions, but his response was strikingly measured given Washington’s longstanding alliance with Israel. Further, commentators noted that Rubio’s tepid response was notable given the US official’s longstanding strident support for the Jewish state.

“This statement by Rubio is a significant moment. He does not condemn Britain’s decision to impose sanctions on the settlements and implicitly expresses understanding toward it,” Axios reporter Barak Ravid wrote on X/Twitter.

Supporters of Israel have argued that the British action represents another step toward international efforts to isolate the Jewish state over its presence in the West Bank. Israeli officials have condemned the sanctions as an unacceptable attempt by foreign governments to interfere with Israeli policy and sovereignty.

Israel disputes claims that the settlements are illegal under international law, pointing to historical and legal ties to the land as well as arguing they provide strategic depth and security considerations.

In response to London’s actions, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced that Israel would close Britain’s consulate in East Jerusalem and impose additional restrictions on British officials and organizations. Israel also announced measures affecting British participation in security cooperation with the Palestinian Authority.

Sa’ar accused London of interfering in Israel’s internal affairs and warned that Britain was attempting to dictate Israeli policy from abroad.

US President Donald Trump was reportedly briefed on Britain’s plans before they were announced but did not ask London to delay the sanctions. Rubio likewise declined to launch a public diplomatic attack on Britain, while the administration emphasized that the United States would simply refrain from adopting the same measures.

Conversely, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee condemned the British sanctions as harmful and criticized the effort to pressure Israel over its settlements. The Trump administration subsequently stated that Huckabee’s statements were not made in coordination with the White House.

From Jerusalem’s perspective, the growing campaign against Israeli settlements risks obscuring the larger strategic reality that Israel remains surrounded by terrorist organizations and hostile actors. Further, Israel has argued that the international community has overemphasized the severity of violence committed by Israeli settlers in the West Bank.

Of the approximately 530,000 Jews living beyond the Green Line in the West Bank, a mere 70 are accused of engaging in violent organizing against Palestinian residents and around 300 others are considered to be involved. However, the increasing frequency of violent attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank, coupled with what critics describe as a lackadaisical response by the Israeli government, have resulted in increasing scrutiny and international outrage against the Jewish state.

Though the US has declined to join in sanctions against Israel, Washington has not threatened consequences against Britain for imposing them, nor has Rubio publicly characterized London’s policy as an attack on Israel’s legitimacy.