A senior Trump administration official has warned that countries participating in boycotts against Israel could face retaliatory American sanctions, escalating the dispute over restrictions on products from Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.

Harmeet Dhillon, who heads the U.S. Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, cited Britain, France and Norway among countries pursuing measures restricting trade in settlement products.

Dhillon characterized those restrictions as part of the broader boycott movement against Israel and described them as a form of antisemitism.

“Any country participating in the boycott movement against Israel risks retaliatory sanctions or reciprocal sanctions as long as President Trump is in office,” she said.

Despite the warning, no formal sanctions policy has been announced, and the White House has not published a decision to impose economic penalties on those countries.

The remarks follow measures announced last month by Britain, France, Canada and additional European countries to restrict trade in products originating from Israeli settlements.

Britain also banned imports of settlement products, sharply worsening relations with Israel and prompting an Israeli decision to close the British consulate in eastern Yerushalayim.

Dhillon’s comments signal a tougher position toward countries advancing such restrictions, but previous reporting indicates disagreement within the administration over how to respond.

In September, administration officials reportedly drafted a strongly worded statement condemning Britain, France and Canada over the boycott measures.

That statement was ultimately shelved after failing to secure support from the White House and senior State Department officials.

Dhillon’s latest warning therefore raises the prospect of American retaliation, while leaving unresolved whether the administration will adopt concrete sanctions.

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