The Foreign Office has moved. A co-ordinated statement with the US, EU, and other key allies condemns settler violence in the West Bank. The message is clear: this cannot continue.
Leaks suggest the language was toughened after a late-night call between the Foreign Secretary and his American counterpart. The quiet fury in Whitehall is palpable. They see a tinderbox.
A single spark could ignite a wider conflict. The settlers, emboldened, are seen as a direct threat to the two-state solution. The Palestinian Authority is losing control.
The Israeli government, distracted, looks the other way. The allies’ statement is not just words. There are whispers of targeted sanctions.
Visa bans on known agitators. A freeze on assets. But will it work?
The political game is delicate. Too soft, and the violence escalates. Too hard, and Tel Aviv cries foul.
Backbench MPs are restless. The Labour left demands action. The Tory right warns against alienating Israel.
The PM is caught in the middle. The Foreign Office briefers are tight-lipped. But the mood in the Lobby is one of grim resignation.
They know the game is up. The violence is a cancer. The allies have finally put a scalpel to it.
The question is whether it will cut deep enough.
