A US lawmaker issued a warning Monday to the UK, threatening to retaliate against British businesses under Florida’s anti-boycott laws, state statutes designed to penalize firms refusing to work with Israel, if London bans trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Florida Republican Congressman Randy Fine lashed out at the UK’s planned trade measures, dismissively labeling them as a “vanity project in support of Muslim terror” that “could cost them billions of dollars” due to Florida’s trade relationship with Britain. He asserted that any forced compliance with a British boycott would trigger severe state-level penalties.
“Any company — or nation — that boycotts Israel is boycotted by Florida,” he added.
To underscore the concrete economic risks for British enterprises, Fine highlighted a 2019 precedent involving the lodging platform Airbnb. The congressman claimed the company reversed its policy on restricting listings in occupied territories after realizing that Florida’s anti-boycott regulations “would have bankrupted their company,” suggesting that multinational corporations are highly vulnerable to localized US state penalties.
The aggressive rhetoric came as British media reported that the UK is preparing to implement a formal ban on trade with illegal settlements established in the occupied West Bank.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham condemned the “unacceptable” expansion of illegal Israeli settlements, reiterating that the UK would respond with “comprehensive measures” soon.
This shift has triggered sharp diplomatic responses in Tel Av, where Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir retaliated by urging Israel to recognize the British-administered Falkland Islands as occupied Argentine territory, while Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich demanded the immediate expulsion of the British ambassador.
US lawmaker lashes out at UK over reported plans to ban trade with Israeli settlements in West Bank
