The UK government's decision to sanction Israeli settlements in the West Bank has sparked debate in Northern Ireland, with a unionist commentator warning the move could undermine security cooperation and rewards those hostile to Israel.

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced the sanctions last week, banning trade with settlements and targeting businesses and individuals that support their expansion. The measures are linked to the controversial E1 settlement, which critics say cuts the West Bank off from East Jerusalem and makes a two-state solution impossible.

Owen Polley, writing in the News Letter, said the sanctions were "counter-productive and ineffective." He noted that British diplomats reportedly reassured US and Israeli officials that the economic effects would be limited, suggesting the move was "more of a performance than something which was intended to be effective."

Polley argued the decision alienates the Israeli government, which has provided intelligence that thwarted terrorist attacks in Britain. "The decision makes us less safe," he wrote.

He also claimed the sanctions "reward Hamas and pander to anti-Jewish sentiment in the UK," citing Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis's comment that it was a "dark day for British Jews."

The article stated that Palestinian leaders repeatedly rejected peace deals based on two states, most recently in 2020, and that the model is now rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Polley said this does not mean the UK should support aggressive Israeli expansion, but the sanctions are the wrong approach.

Polley warned against leaving engagement on the issue to "progressives" and nationalists, arguing that unionists and conservatives should not abandon the debate despite rhetoric from some Israeli politicians. He concluded that opponents should not be allowed to "poison our relationship with important allies" or "make common cause with Islamists."