September 9, 2026 • 6 mins
The UK has moved to the imports of goods from Israeli settlements in the illegally occupied West Bank.
France, Canada and Spain are among the 12 countries imposing similar sanctions - but Australia and New Zealand haven't followed suit as of yet.
UK correspondent Gavin Grey says the Government is being quite tough on this situation, with Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband using 'extraordinary' languages about the matter.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Right now, we welcome to the program Gavin Gray from
the UK. Hello, Gavin.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Hi there, Andrew.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
So it's a bit shocking, really, this morning to wake
up to the news that the UK Parliament was criticising
Israel for ethnic cleansing. And we haven't heard that out
of a UK Parliament ever, I think. And also launching
sanctions on the West Bank and real estate deals. So
pretty strong stuff.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Yes, I don't think relations between the UK and Israel
have been slow for many, many decades. So it all
started off with a series of sanctions that the UK
launched under its new foreign secretary, Ed Miliband. That's an
import ban on goods from illegal settlements like dates and
grapes and things like that. A comprehensive sanctions regime against
(00:49):
specific companies and individuals who provide services like construction and
infrastructure for the settlement expansion. An advertising ban on promoting
illegal Israeli settlements and a ban on arms sales and
other exports that contribute to the occupation. Israel hit back
and said, right, well, we've announced four other measures now
(01:10):
against the UK, including the closure of the local embassy
or the office there. in Jerusalem and some other measures
as well. And the UK Foreign Secretary now this morning
doing the rounds of our media just on TV, now live,
(01:30):
and saying that, look, the two-state solution, the prospect of
any two-state solution is being destroyed by Israel. And the
particular intention to build on a new settlement, E1 as
it's called, would completely divide the area that the Palestinians
say is theirs. and under international law is theirs. And
(01:54):
this intention to build right in the middle is going
to cut them off from East Jerusalem, which is where,
of course, they want their capital to be. So he's
on TV. He said he's a proud British Jew himself.
He's very aware of the scourge of anti-Semitism, that the
language he's used to describe Israel, turning a blind eye
to the violence against the settlers and the Palestinians, rather,
in the settlement, is quite extraordinary.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
I heard someone say that would never have happened under
Sir Keir Starmer. but it is now happening under Andy Burnham.
And the question is, do the UK people, do they
support this? Is there support for taking such a strong stand?
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Well, I think a lot of people are. It's particularly
an age-related thing. A lot of younger people under the
age of about 35, very, very supportive of the UK
being much, much tougher with Israel and demanding that the
US do the same. However, others looking at trade, looking
at the economy, looking at the bigger picture, one might argue,
saying that perhaps he's gone too far here. You're right.
(02:52):
You would never get this language under our former prime minister,
who is, of course, a solicitor, a barrister sort of effort.
And that would never have come out. But they are
being much tougher about this. And it's interesting politically. And,
of course, we're talking lives being lost in the settlement here.
But politically here in the UK, I think this may
draw some people, disaffected Labour voters who were starting to
(03:16):
vote green. The Green Party seems to be less about
the environment at the moment and much more about banging
the drum for the people of Gaza and for others. So, yeah,
I'm going to be interested in that. Snap.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Our greens are just the same. Don't you worry about that. Now,
let's talk about President Donald Trump, whose ambition seems to
know no ends, and now he's upset Iceland.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Yes. So we've had, of course, the Gulf of Mexico
relabeled as the Gulf of America. Then we had Lake
Ontario relabeled as the Lake America. And then he posted
an image on Truth Social showing the U.S., Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Mexico,
Central America, and the Caribbean as covered in stars and stripes. Well,
(04:01):
of course, in amongst those are other independent countries, Canada, Greenland,
he's talked about, of course, about, I would need to
take it over, the Caribbean. But new to this is Iceland,
which hasn't really been mentioned. And so Iceland, an independent
country with very, very many wealthy minerals and really an
(04:22):
amazing country born of volcanic eruption, has summoned the U.S.
ambassador to saying that the post was completely inappropriate. Trump's
territorial ambitions of really constantly strained relationships lately with neighboring countries,
including that push to acquire Greenland and calls to make
Canada the America's 51st state. Interestingly, the map did not
(04:46):
include a caption and preceded a flurry of posts of
maps renaming the U.S. state of New Mexico as New America.
And so it goes. Iceland, very proud nation. And I
can see them taking great umbrage at this latest post.
No kidding.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Does Donald Trump realise that New York is actually named
after a city in the UK? Is he going to
want to change that as well? You know?
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Probably. Probably.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Now, big talk this morning amongst our breakfast show host
who has a child who lives in the UK and
the child was stuck in a plane for four hours.
You've had thousands, hundreds of thousands of airline passengers disrupted
by problems with the air traffic control system. Where's that at? Yes.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Well, I'm afraid it's fixed. But the problem, the disruption,
will carry on through today. And the reason is the skies,
particularly around Heathrow Airport, the biggest airport here in the UK,
just to the west of London, are very, very congested.
So when a slight glitch happens, the knock-on effect is massive.
And that's what happened yesterday. There was a problem with
(05:50):
the air traffic control service. There was a computer problem.
It was fixed. However, up to 1,000 flights were cancelled,
and Ryanair reported a massive problem with cancellations. And some
of its passengers facing delays of up to eight hours,
some stuck on the tarmac, some stuck in the airports. Yeah,
(06:13):
it's been really, really bad. And I'm afraid it's going
to carry on into today, Andrew. And so consequently, anyone
flying into or out of the UK, particularly this morning
about now, could face a few issues.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Gavin, thank you so much for your time this evening
and joining us. And that is Gavin Gray out of
the UK.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
For more from Heather Duplessy-Allen Drive, listen live to News
Talk ZB from 4 p.m. weekdays or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
Right now, we welcome to the program Gavin Gray from
the UK. Hello, Gavin.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Hi there, Andrew.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
So it's a bit shocking, really, this morning to wake
up to the news that the UK Parliament was criticising
Israel for ethnic cleansing. And we haven't heard that out
of a UK Parliament ever, I think. And also launching
sanctions on the West Bank and real estate deals. So
pretty strong stuff.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Yes, I don't think relations between the UK and Israel
have been slow for many, many decades. So it all
started off with a series of sanctions that the UK
launched under its new foreign secretary, Ed Miliband. That's an
import ban on goods from illegal settlements like dates and
grapes and things like that. A comprehensive sanctions regime against
(00:49):
specific companies and individuals who provide services like construction and
infrastructure for the settlement expansion. An advertising ban on promoting
illegal Israeli settlements and a ban on arms sales and
other exports that contribute to the occupation. Israel hit back
and said, right, well, we've announced four other measures now
(01:10):
against the UK, including the closure of the local embassy
or the office there. in Jerusalem and some other measures
as well. And the UK Foreign Secretary now this morning
doing the rounds of our media just on TV, now live,
(01:30):
and saying that, look, the two-state solution, the prospect of
any two-state solution is being destroyed by Israel. And the
particular intention to build on a new settlement, E1 as
it's called, would completely divide the area that the Palestinians
say is theirs. and under international law is theirs. And
(01:54):
this intention to build right in the middle is going
to cut them off from East Jerusalem, which is where,
of course, they want their capital to be. So he's
on TV. He said he's a proud British Jew himself.
He's very aware of the scourge of anti-Semitism, that the
language he's used to describe Israel, turning a blind eye
to the violence against the settlers and the Palestinians, rather,
in the settlement, is quite extraordinary.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
I heard someone say that would never have happened under
Sir Keir Starmer. but it is now happening under Andy Burnham.
And the question is, do the UK people, do they
support this? Is there support for taking such a strong stand?
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Well, I think a lot of people are. It's particularly
an age-related thing. A lot of younger people under the
age of about 35, very, very supportive of the UK
being much, much tougher with Israel and demanding that the
US do the same. However, others looking at trade, looking
at the economy, looking at the bigger picture, one might argue,
saying that perhaps he's gone too far here. You're right.
(02:52):
You would never get this language under our former prime minister,
who is, of course, a solicitor, a barrister sort of effort.
And that would never have come out. But they are
being much tougher about this. And it's interesting politically. And,
of course, we're talking lives being lost in the settlement here.
But politically here in the UK, I think this may
draw some people, disaffected Labour voters who were starting to
(03:16):
vote green. The Green Party seems to be less about
the environment at the moment and much more about banging
the drum for the people of Gaza and for others. So, yeah,
I'm going to be interested in that. Snap.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Our greens are just the same. Don't you worry about that. Now,
let's talk about President Donald Trump, whose ambition seems to
know no ends, and now he's upset Iceland.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Yes. So we've had, of course, the Gulf of Mexico
relabeled as the Gulf of America. Then we had Lake
Ontario relabeled as the Lake America. And then he posted
an image on Truth Social showing the U.S., Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Mexico,
Central America, and the Caribbean as covered in stars and stripes. Well,
(04:01):
of course, in amongst those are other independent countries, Canada, Greenland,
he's talked about, of course, about, I would need to
take it over, the Caribbean. But new to this is Iceland,
which hasn't really been mentioned. And so Iceland, an independent
country with very, very many wealthy minerals and really an
(04:22):
amazing country born of volcanic eruption, has summoned the U.S.
ambassador to saying that the post was completely inappropriate. Trump's
territorial ambitions of really constantly strained relationships lately with neighboring countries,
including that push to acquire Greenland and calls to make
Canada the America's 51st state. Interestingly, the map did not
(04:46):
include a caption and preceded a flurry of posts of
maps renaming the U.S. state of New Mexico as New America.
And so it goes. Iceland, very proud nation. And I
can see them taking great umbrage at this latest post.
No kidding.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Does Donald Trump realise that New York is actually named
after a city in the UK? Is he going to
want to change that as well? You know?
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Probably. Probably.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Now, big talk this morning amongst our breakfast show host
who has a child who lives in the UK and
the child was stuck in a plane for four hours.
You've had thousands, hundreds of thousands of airline passengers disrupted
by problems with the air traffic control system. Where's that at? Yes.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Well, I'm afraid it's fixed. But the problem, the disruption,
will carry on through today. And the reason is the skies,
particularly around Heathrow Airport, the biggest airport here in the UK,
just to the west of London, are very, very congested.
So when a slight glitch happens, the knock-on effect is massive.
And that's what happened yesterday. There was a problem with
(05:50):
the air traffic control service. There was a computer problem.
It was fixed. However, up to 1,000 flights were cancelled,
and Ryanair reported a massive problem with cancellations. And some
of its passengers facing delays of up to eight hours,
some stuck on the tarmac, some stuck in the airports. Yeah,
(06:13):
it's been really, really bad. And I'm afraid it's going
to carry on into today, Andrew. And so consequently, anyone
flying into or out of the UK, particularly this morning
about now, could face a few issues.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Gavin, thank you so much for your time this evening
and joining us. And that is Gavin Gray out of
the UK.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
For more from Heather Duplessy-Allen Drive, listen live to News
Talk ZB from 4 p.m. weekdays or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
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