Miliband defends sanctions on Israeli settlements and pushes back against chief rabbi’s criticism – UK politics live

UK foreign secretary ‘regrets’ Israel’s response to ban on trade with illegal settlements but ‘proud’ of his actionsUK accuses Israeli ‘terrorists’ of ethnic cleansing in West Bank with government backingA spokesperson for the Israeli embassy in London has accused the UK of deploying a diplomatic “nuclear option” against his country.In an interview with the Today programme this morning, Alex Gandler said:A response and a conversation between friends is something that is wanted.Operating a nuclear option of sanction between democratic countries, especially towards a country that is at war for the past few years and is fighting a shared enemy in Iran, is something that is unheard of.The timing couldn’t be worse than it is regarding Israel, as we are less than 50 days away from elections in t