The UK pushes back on Israeli settlements; a far-right win in Germany

  • NPR
  • 09/09/2026 05.01 GMT+7

An Israeli flag is left in a field near the Palestinian village of Jit, in the West Bank on September 8, 2026 in Jit, West Bank.

Amir Levy/Getty

The United Kingdom announced a major reset of its relations with Israel. And the country’s foreign minister used surprisingly strong language in explaining the move. The UK was joined by France, Canada and nine other countries who say they’re all banning trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which are considered illegal under international law. Israel and its closest ally, the United States, condemned the move and Israel says it’s retaliating. Our reporter in London explains what prompted this move.

And in Germany, there was an election over the weekend in a small eastern region of the country, but it sent shockwaves across Germany and into Europe more broadly. The far-right AfD party won big and the party of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the conservative Christian Democrats, received a record low number of votes. We here why the result is raising some tough questions about German democracy.

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