ACLJ Urges Trump Administration To Impose Swift and Decisive Tariffs and Sanctions on France, UK, and Ireland for Rewarding Terrorism

The ACLJ has sent formal letters to top U.S. officials, including in the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the Executive Branch, urging immediate action in response to France, the UK, Ireland, and other countries’ reckless and dangerous move to unilaterally recognize Palestinian statehood. These actions come in the wake of Hamas’ October 7, 2023, massacre – a day that should have forever silenced any illusions about the nature of Palestinian terrorist organizations.

Instead, our allies are choosing to reward terror with statehood.

As a result, we are urging the Trump Administration to impose swift and decisive tariffs on these nations and economic sanctions to show that America will not support those who reward terror.

Recognition Without Peace Is a Reward for Terror

By recognizing Palestinian statehood while Hamas still holds hostages and continues to wage war against Israeli civilians, France, the UK, Ireland, and other countries are abandoning their commitments to peace, diplomacy, and international law. Their declarations reward a terror regime backed by Iran and responsible for decades of suicide bombings, rocket attacks, and the brutal killing and kidnapping of innocent civilians – including Americans.

This is not a path to peace – it is a disgraceful capitulation to extremist demands. Recognition at this moment does nothing to promote peace. It only emboldens those who reject it.

These nations’ actions directly violate the established international legal framework governing Middle East peace negotiations. Our letters explain that the Oslo Accords and key U.N. Security Council Resolutions make it clear: Statehood must be achieved through direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

France, the UK, and countries that are following them are now choosing to ignore that legal consensus and upend decades of U.S.-led peace efforts. Their conduct is a betrayal not only of Israel, but of the very norms and agreements they once endorsed. And, as we point out in these letters, their betrayal implicates American national security interests, as well.

A Palestinian “State” That Doesn’t Meet the Legal Test

Under international law – specifically the Montevideo Convention – a state must meet four basic requirements: a permanent population, defined territory, effective government, and the capacity for foreign relations. The Palestinian territories fail at least three of those.

• No unified government: Hamas rules Gaza; the Palestinian Authority (PA) controls parts of the West Bank. They are rival factions with no unified leadership.
• No defined territory: The territories claimed remain in legal and political dispute, and parts are under Israeli administration.
• No independent diplomacy: The PA is heavily dependent on foreign aid and lacks the capacity to independently manage foreign relations.

The recognition of a Palestinian state that does not meet these standards is not a diplomatic gesture – it’s a politically motivated abandonment of international law.

Threatening U.S. Strategic Interests

The ACLJ is deeply concerned that these moves undermine U.S. interests in the region. The U.S. has invested billions of dollars and decades of diplomacy into facilitating direct Israeli-Palestinian talks. Unilateral recognition torpedoes those efforts and signals that terrorism and international pressure can achieve what negotiation cannot.

It also threatens to isolate Israel diplomatically and encourage other nations to follow suit, further destabilizing the region and weakening America’s influence in future peace negotiations.

ACLJ’s Call for Action

The ACLJ is calling on the U.S. President and Congress to act decisively. In our letters, we outlined a robust tariffs and sanctions framework targeting France, the UK, Ireland, and any other country that follows their lead:

• Economic sanctions: Suspend preferential trade agreements and impose tariffs.
• Diplomatic downgrades: Reduce diplomatic engagement and block these countries’ efforts in international organizations.
• Military and security restrictions: End joint military operations, suspend arms cooperation, and review NATO engagement.
• International isolation: Oppose these countries’ leadership roles and isolate their resolutions at the U.N.

The U.S. must respond, or it will signal to other allies that they can freely disregard American policy and undermine our national interests without consequence.

The Stakes Couldn’t Be Higher

This isn’t just about Israel – though defending our greatest democratic ally in the region is nonnegotiable. This is about America’s credibility, the rule of law, and the moral imperative to oppose terrorism and those who excuse it.

France, the UK, and Ireland have aligned themselves with the international campaign to pressure Israel into concessions while terrorists continue their campaign of genocide and brutality. They are rewarding a Palestinian leadership that refuses to reject Hamas or even acknowledge Israel’s right to exist. That is not diplomacy. It is complicity.

The Time To Act Is Now

The United States has a duty to respond – not with weak statements or toothless rebukes, but with real consequences. The ACLJ is demanding that the U.S. impose immediate and sweeping sanctions to defend our interests, support our allies, and reaffirm that terrorism must never be rewarded.

The world is watching.