Andy Burnham is set to announce a trade ban on illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
In his first major step on the global stage the new Prime Minister will say the United Kingdom will not stand back and accept the ‘destruction of the two-state solution’.
The decision, which is expected to drive a wedge in relations with United States and Israel, comes after plans to open tenders for the construction of 1,200 settler homes in the West Bank.
The sanctions come as Israeli extremists have been attacking Palestinians, and taking over homes with little intervention by Israeli forces.
Burnham is said to have told Donald Trump about the plan in a phone call earlier today, stressing the importance of a ‘two-state solution’ which would see Palestine and Israel co-exist side by side.
The Times reports foreign secretary Ed Miliband will announce the ban in the Commons, adding that the development plans would split the West Bank in two.
The White House is set to step up a campaign slamming Burnham’s decision.
After the phone call between Trump and Burnham, a Downing Street spokesperson said: ‘On the Middle East, the Prime Minister set out the UK’s commitment to working towards peace and security in the region, stressing the importance of the Two-State Solution, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and ensuring that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon.’
Mr Burnham began the call by wishing Mr Trump a happy Labour Day and congratulated him on recent US employment statistics.
‘(Mr Burnham) noted the positive signs of growth within the UK’s own economy,’ the Downing Street spokesperson added.
‘The Prime Minister said the Government was building more positivity about the UK and that he was making progress, but with more still to do.’