Ottawa, Sept. 9 -- Canada, France and the United Kingdom announced a coordinated crackdown on Israeli settlement activity on Tuesday, moving to ban the importation of goods produced in West Bank settlements and impose targeted measures against those who facilitate or profit from them.

"The time has come"

The three leaders framed the move as a natural next step after recognising the State of Palestine a year earlier. Reiterating that settlements are illegal under international law, they said further action was necessary to protect the two-state vision, their national interests, and their values, adding that the moment had arrived to act "before it is too late."

The E1 area, a roughly 4.5-square-mile tract of land east of Jerusalem, has ...