Leading US lawyers have accused Andy Burnham of bringing Britain closer to “the objectives of terrorist organisations” through UK sanctions targeting Israeli settlers.
The attorneys general of 13 US states have threatened retaliation over what they called Britain’s “harmful anti-Israel” trade restrictions, warning that American companies could be forced to sever ties with the UK.
In a letter to Sir Christian Turner, the British ambassador to the United States, the Republican officials urged Downing Street to abandon measures targeting illegal settlement activity in the West Bank—or risk provoking a trade dispute.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband unveiled the sanctions in September, accusing the Israeli government of ignoring the “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians by settler “terrorists”.
The package prohibits certain goods and imposes restrictions on businesses and individuals providing services that support settlement expansion.
The move sparked an angry response. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused Mr Miliband of spreading an “outrageous lie”, while Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, described the policy as “Jew hate”.
In a letter led by Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, the 13 officials said the sanctions threatened US businesses and challenged Israel’s sovereignty.
They also threatened to block British companies from lucrative state contracts and withdraw investment from UK firms—steps that could place significant pressure on businesses.
“Beyond the economic harms that your anti-Israel sanctions have created, your nations have also aligned themselves with the policy objectives of terrorist organisations like Hamas and Hezbollah,” the attorneys general wrote.
Top American lawyers have accused Andy Burnham of aligning the UK with “the objectives of terrorist organisations” over British sanctions targeting Israeli settlers
Israeli security forces stand guard during an attack by West Bank settlers yesterday
“Your anti-Israel sanctions may thus disqualify companies from your nations from contracting with our states, or require our states to divest from your companies. That would deny your citizens potentially valuable economic opportunities while depriving our states of important goods and services.
“These unnecessary economic harms derive entirely from your unilateral decision to impose unlawful sanctions on Israel.”
The letter was also signed by attorneys general from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma and South Carolina.
The Netherlands has faced similar threats after introducing comparable measures against Israeli settlement activity.
Mr Burnham is under pressure to repair the increasingly strained relationship between Britain and the United States.
The warning risks deepening tensions between Washington and London, which have already been aggravated by Donald Trump’s recent trade tariffs and conflict with Iran.
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A recent poll also suggested that Americans are losing confidence in the “special relationship”, with a majority no longer viewing the UK as a crucial strategic partner.
Five years ago, 52 per cent of Americans identified Britain as the United States’ most valuable ally. By September, that figure had fallen to just 30 per cent.
The letter was sent to Sir Christian Turner, the British ambassador to the US
The attorneys general said Britain’s latest “misguided” sanctions could expose American companies to “severe economic harm”.
They wrote: “The sanctions directly advance the policies that these terrorist organisations have sought to achieve through brutal violence against civilians, women and children.
“Moreover, your sanctions could be seen to provide a veneer of legitimacy to the policy aims of these terrorist organisations, suggesting that prominent European nations share them.”
Israeli settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal under international law. Despite this, several hardline Israeli ministers continue to support expanding them across the territory.
Violence involving extremist Israeli settlers has intensified in recent weeks, with armed attacks reported against Palestinians. In one incident, soldiers were called in to remove a group that had occupied a Palestinian family’s home.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously condemned what he called the “criminal act of violence” by some settlers, saying a “handful of rioters” were causing “a huge injustice to the law-abiding settler public”.
Israeli settlers walk near the Ibrahimi Mosque on the West Bank on November 7
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced the sanctions in September, accusing Israel’s government of ignoring the “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians by settler “terrorists”.
Other Israeli officials support settlement expansion. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has described the policy as a “revolution in settlement”.
Announcing the UK measures in Parliament in September, Mr Miliband said: “The British government agrees that there is ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in areas of the West Bank, perpetrated by settler terrorists.
“All too often, the Israeli government has turned a blind eye to this and, worse still, members of the government have made statements and taken actions supporting the forced displacement of Palestinians.”
The Daily Mail understands that the UK government has not yet received a copy of the letter through the ambassador.
A spokesman said: “The UK government’s new sanctions regime will target illegal settlements and settlement expansion. We wholeheartedly oppose boycotts of green line Israel.”