Britain’s Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband speaks at the House of Commons in London, Britain, Sept. 8, 2026. Photo: HOUSE OF COMMONS/Handout via REUTERS

US Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY) has called on the Trump administration to more forcefully stand against new British restrictions targeting Israeli businesses and products connected to Jewish communities in the West Bank, arguing that the measures unfairly single out Israel and could have broader implications for US-Israel relations.

Tenney, a New York Republican and prominent supporter of Israel in Congress, called on Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to examine whether the United Kingdom’s new trade restrictions could trigger consequences under US anti-boycott laws.

“Under this law, the Treasury Department is required to maintain a list of countries that condition commercial participation on compliance with an unsanctioned international boycott,” Tenney stated in her letter dated Sept. 9. “Inclusion on this list imposes specific tax reporting requirements and potential penalties for US individuals and businesses engaged in certain activities in those countries.”

The appeal came after Britain led a group of Western governments in imposing sweeping new measures against Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The British government says the restrictions are intended to pressure Israel over settlement expansion and settler violence and to preserve the possibility of a future two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Tenney labeled the actions set forth by Britain as “part of a broader effort aligned with the global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement” and repudiated London’s actions as “discrimination” against the Jewish state.

BDS seeks to isolate Israel from the international community as a step toward its eventual elimination. Leaders of the movement have repeatedly stated their goal is to destroy the world’s only Jewish state.

Israel has strongly rejected the UK’s measures, portraying them as discriminatory and as unwarranted foreign interference in Israeli affairs. The Israeli government has responded with diplomatic measures against Britain, including plans to close the British consulate in East Jerusalem.

The Trump administration’s response to London’s move has so far been notably restrained, with US officials affirming they won’t join in the sanctions but not strongly condemning the move.

Tenney’s intervention places the dispute squarely in the broader US debate over efforts to isolate Israel economically. Her letter to Bessent asks the Treasury Department to review whether countries participating in such restrictions should face scrutiny under American anti-boycott provisions.

“The United States must send a clear signal that efforts to economically isolate Israel will carry consequences, and that US law designed to combat such discrimination will be enforced,” she wrote.

The congresswoman’s latest move reflects growing concern among pro-Israel lawmakers that European governments are moving beyond criticism of individual Israeli officials or violent actors and toward policies affecting Israeli companies and communities more broadly.

The economic impact of the British restrictions is expected to be relatively limited because settlement exports represent only a small portion of Israel’s overall trade. But Israeli officials and supporters of the country argue that the significance of the measures extends beyond their immediate financial effect.

The United Kingdom’s action has also deepened an already serious diplomatic dispute with Israel. Britain has defended its policy as consistent with its support for Israel’s security and a two-state solution, while Israeli officials have accused London of adopting a one-sided approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.