The United States prepared a statement condemning Britain, France and Canada over their plans to ban trade in goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, but the document was never approved or released, Reuters reported on Wednesday.
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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks with reporters on September 8, 2026. Photo: Freddie Everett / U.S. Department of State / Public Domain |
The previously unreported draft, dated September 8, was written as a statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Two sources told Reuters that the effort was driven by David Milstein, an influential aide to U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.
According to the document reviewed by Reuters, the proposed statement would have described the three countries’ actions as hostile measures against Israel that contribute to antisemitism.
It also compared their approach to tactics associated with the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, or BDS.
The statement ultimately went no further. Three people familiar with the matter told Reuters that it did not have the support of the White House or senior State Department leadership. A senior U.S. official also said the draft had not been prepared in consultation with either.
Rubio adopted a more restrained tone in public that same day. Speaking to reporters in Florida on September 8, he said Washington would not follow Britain’s move but stopped short of criticizing the UK or the other countries directly.
Britain, France and Canada move on settlement trade
Earlier on September 8, Britain, France and Canada joined a broader group of countries announcing plans to introduce national measures or support European restrictions on trade involving Israeli settlements.
In their joint statement, Britain, France and Canada specifically said they would bring forward national measures to ban trade in settlement goods, arguing that continued settlement expansion and rising settler violence were undermining the prospects for a two-state solution.
The episode points to differences within the Trump administration over how Washington should respond to Israeli settlement expansion. Reuters reported that while Huckabee has been a strong supporter of Israeli settlements, President Donald Trump has previously expressed opposition to further settlement expansion in the West Bank.
Israel has occupied the West Bank since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. The United Nations and most governments consider Israeli settlements there illegal under international law, while Israel disputes that interpretation.
Sources: Reuters; UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office; Global Affairs Canada