UK Shifts Palestine Policy
Ed Miliband says Labour Palestine critics were right and defends new settlement measures.
Anonymous
At the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said people outraged by Palestinian suffering were right and that the party had reset its approach to Israel and Palestine. He condemned the suffering in Gaza and the West Bank, cited evidence of war crimes and illegal occupation, and said Britain’s dispute was with the Israeli government, not its people. Miliband defended measures targeting Israeli settlements, including a ban on settlement goods and restrictions on British finance and services linked to settlement expansion, and said the steps had helped mobilize other countries. He reaffirmed opposition to antisemitism and support for Israel’s security, while arguing that a two-state solution is the only path to peace.
Key Points
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Alongside settlement sanctions, the UK announced a ban on arms licences and other exports that materially contribute to the occupation.
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Miliband said Labour would pursue a more assertive foreign policy, declaring: “We are not here to accept the status quo but to change it at home and abroad.”
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He also argued that Britain’s future lay in a “stronger, deeper partnership with Europe,” presenting closer European cooperation as part of the government’s foreign-policy direction.
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Israel responded to the UK’s measures by closing its consulate in Jerusalem, restricting some British activity related to Gaza coordination and barring a group of British officials.
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A report ahead of the speech said 12 countries, including France and Canada, had announced sanctions on trade with Israeli settlements after Britain acted.
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