The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations on Wednesday strongly condemned new trade restrictions announced by the United Kingdom, France and Canada targeting Israelis and Israeli businesses in Judea and Samaria.

In a joint statement, Conference of Presidents Chair Betsy Berns Korn and CEO William C. Daroff described the measures as “discriminatory trade restrictions" and warned that they would contribute to efforts to isolate Israel rather than advance peace.

“Economic discrimination against Israelis will not bring Israelis and Palestinians closer to peace," they said. “Instead, it strengthens the campaign to isolate Israel and turns a political dispute into a basis for excluding Israelis from ordinary economic activity."

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced Tuesday that Britain would ban trade in goods produced in Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria. The announcement was made jointly with France and Canada, which said they would also introduce national measures banning trade in such goods.

Korn and Daroff warned companies considering complying with the measures that doing so could have consequences in the United States.

They noted that 38 US states have taken action through legislation or executive measures opposing boycotts of Israel, and said companies participating in the newly announced measures could place state contracts, investments or other business at risk.

“Businesses should not allow foreign governments to enlist them in economic discrimination against Israelis," they stated.

The Conference of Presidents leaders also addressed Miliband’s announcement that he will next month host representatives of the J7 Large Communities’ Task Force Against Antisemitism, which brings together the seven largest Jewish diaspora communities. The Conference of Presidents is expected to participate in the gathering.

“We welcome serious efforts to confront antisemitism, but the United Kingdom cannot credibly seek the partnership of Jewish communities in that fight while pursuing policies that single out Israelis for boycott," Korn and Daroff said.

They pointed to threats and violence facing Jewish communities worldwide, noting that anti-Jewish hate crimes accounted for nearly two-thirds of reported religion-based hate crimes in the United States in 2025.

“At a time when hostility toward Israel too often spills over into hostility toward Jews, governments should be particularly wary of legitimizing the exclusion of Israelis," they said.

Korn and Daroff stressed that they condemn violence against civilians and support holding those responsible accountable, but rejected collective economic measures against Israelis as a means of achieving that goal.

“Collective economic measures targeting Israelis, however, are neither a substitute for accountability nor a path toward peace," they said. “They ignore Palestinian terrorism and incitement, deepen division, and undermine the economic and security cooperation necessary for any durable resolution."

Miliband said Tuesday that the British measures target Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria rather than Israel as a whole. He also said he opposes the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign.

The UK, France and Canada said their measures are intended to preserve the possibility of a two-state solution. Their joint statement also condemned the October 7 Hamas massacre and acknowledged Israel’s legitimate security interests.

Korn and Daroff called on all three governments to reverse their decisions and urged private companies to consider the implications of participating in the restrictions.

“We urge the United Kingdom, France, and Canada to reverse course and reject economic measures that single out Israelis," they concluded. “We also urge private companies to consider carefully the legal and moral consequences of implementing these boycotts. Peace requires engagement, cooperation, and accountability, not the economic exclusion of Israelis."