US drafted memo condemning UK over West Bank sanctions, never released
Outlets agree US officials drafted a memo condemning UK sanctions over West Bank settlements, but accounts differ on who else was targeted, who drove the draft, and why it was shelved.
What happened
In early September, US officials in Jerusalem and Washington prepared a draft statement, attributed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, condemning UK sanctions over Israeli settlement imports from the occupied West Bank.12456
The Straits Times reported the draft also condemned similar plans by France and Canada.4
The memo, dated Sept. 8, reportedly proposed describing the countries' actions as hostile measures contributing to antisemitism, according to The Japan Times and The Times of Israel.12
The memo was never released after failing to gain support from senior US officials, according to reports citing people familiar with the matter.25
What's agreed
Reported consistently by outlets in more than one region.
Where accounts differ
Each account is attributed to who makes it. We do not judge between them.
Which countries the draft memo condemned
The Straits Times
The draft condemned plans by the UK, France and Canada to block imports from Israeli settlements.4
Who was behind or influenced the draft memo
How it's framed
What each perspective puts first, based on headlines and summaries.
| Perspective | How it reads | What it puts first |
|---|---|---|
| Israeli outletsMiddle East & Turkey | The Times of Israel and The Jerusalem Post report additional detail on internal US political dynamics, including a named aide reportedly behind the memo and the White House's decision not to support it.25 | internal US politics, named aides, White House rejection |
| Middle East wire coverageMiddle East & Turkey | Arab News reports that the memo's drafting was influenced by David Milstein.6 | influence of David Milstein, syndicated report |
| East Asian outletEast Asia | The Japan Times reports the memo's proposed language framing the allies' sanctions as linked to antisemitism.1 | antisemitism framing, hostile measures language |
| Southeast Asian coverageSoutheast Asia | The Straits Times is the only outlet reviewed to name France and Canada alongside the UK as targets of the draft memo.4 | multiple countries named, occupied West Bank terminology |
| South Asian coverageSouth Asia | The Economic Times offers minimal detail, framing the story simply as a US draft statement that was never released.3 | brief summary, no elaboration |
What the coverage leaves out
- None of the outlets reviewed reported an official UK, French or Canadian government response to the drafted memo.
- None of the outlets reviewed reported an official White House or State Department statement confirming or denying the memo's existence.
- None of the outlets reviewed detailed the specific content of the UK, France or Canada sanctions themselves beyond that they targeted West Bank settlement imports.
- It is unclear from the sources reviewed whether the 'close Huckabee aide' cited by The Times of Israel and 'David Milstein' cited by Arab News refer to the same individual.
Why it matters
Sources (6)
Every outlet we drew on, grouped by where it is based. Read the originals for the full reporting.
Middle East & Turkey
- 2The Times of IsraelILPrivate
US officials drafted memo condemning UK’s West Bank trade ban, but never released it
- 5The Jerusalem PostILPrivate
US drafted memo condemning UK over West Bank sanctions, but it was never released - report
- 6Arab NewsSAPrivate
US drafted a memo condemning UK over West Bank sanctions. It was never released
South Asia
- 3The Economic TimesINPrivate
East Asia
- 1The Japan TimesJPPrivate
U.S. drafted unreleased memo condemning U.K. over West Bank sanctions
Southeast Asia
- 4The Straits TimesSGPrivate
US drafted memo condemning UK over West Bank sanctions. It was never released