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UK Risks Trade War with U.S. over Israel Sanctions
(The Times-UK) Aubrey Allegretti - British Prime Minister Andy Burnham was told by Labour MPs that Britain could face retaliation from the White House for imposing a trade ban on Israeli communities in the West Bank over plans for 1,200 new homes. The U.S. last month criticized Ireland for passing similar legislation, warning of "unintended consequences" for hundreds of businesses. There are also concerns about the implication of U.S. federal and state laws that ban American firms from cooperating with foreign government-led boycotts against its allies. One Labour MP told The Times: "We shouldn't be naive enough to believe we could sanction Israel and not face any economic and political consequences from the White House, Congress or states with anti-BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions) laws." A former Labour minister added: "Our ministers need to weigh these risks very carefully before going ahead with gestures that might make their backbenchers and some voters feel better, but would not improve the plight of the Palestinians anyway."