Australia declines to ban trade with Israeli settlements unlike UK

Australia has decided not to ban trade with Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories. The UK made that ban official this week, but Australia chose a different path. The Australian Greens party said the government's decision was not enough. They argued that Australia should take stronger action. Several other countries, including Spain, Ireland, and South Africa, have already taken tougher positions against Israeli government policies. Australia's government had previously said it would work together with like-minded countries on this issue. Critics say that promise now looks hollow, because Australia has not followed the UK's lead. The decision shows that Western countries are divided on how to respond to Israeli settlement expansion.