Draft statement by Marco Rubio regarding settlement import bans remains unreleased

In early September 2026, U.S. officials in Jerusalem and Washington drafted a statement attributed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio that condemned plans by the United Kingdom, France, and Canada to block imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The document, dated September 8, characterized the actions of these three nations as hostile measures contributing to antisemitism and explicitly compared them to the tactics of the boycotts, divestments, and sanctions (BDS) movement.

However, the statement was never officially released. According to three anonymous sources, the draft was primarily driven by David Milstein, an aide to U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, and lacked the support of the White House and senior State Department leadership. Instead of issuing the harsh condemnation, Rubio provided a neutral response to reporters in Florida on the same day, stating that while the U.S. would not follow the UK's approach, he had no further comment at that time.

The incident highlights internal divisions within U.S. diplomatic circles regarding how to address international moves to restrict trade with Israeli settlements. There are no reports of further planned actions or official investigations following the suppression of the draft document.