Good morning. It is hard to understand Labour/leftwing politics in the UK at the moment without reference to Israel and Gaza. Keir Starmer’s popularity with some progressive voters slumped in part because he was seen as unwilling to do enough to channel the anger they feel about how Israel is treating Palestinians – even though last year he took the historic step of formally recognising the state of Palestine. Quite a lot of what Andy Burnham has done in his early days as PM has had a “continuity Starmer”, but today the new government will take a bold step that will recast the UK/Israel relationship, acting where the Starmer administration just dragged its feet.
In a statement to MPs, Ed Miliband, the new foreign secretary, will announce that Britain is banning trade with illegal Israeli settlements on the West Bank. Patrick Wintour has the story here.
Read moreFor years, successive governments – Labour and Conservative – have condemned the decades-long expansion of Israeli settlements on Palestinian land on the West Bank – while doing precious little about it. But with Benjamin Netanyahu’s government escalating the process, Miliband will tell MPs that action is necessary now to stop the prospect of a two-state solution (Israel living alongside a viable Palestinian state) being killed off for good.
As Patrick reports in his story, Miliband is not giving pro-Palestinian supporters everything they are asking for. Quite what impact the measures will have on Israel remains to be seen. But it is still a big shift in policy. And, conveniently for Labour, it is coming just a day after the party moved the writ for the Holborn and St Pancras byelection, where what was a safe Labour seat is under threat from the pro-Palestinian Green party.
But the move isn’t without risks. The Conservatives argue that anything that jeopardises Israeli security cooperation with the UK could increase the terrorism risk to Britons. There are concerns that any government policy that stigmatises Israel is likely to heighten antisemitism. And there have been warnings that Israel and its allies – particularly the US – could retaliate.
This morning Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, has said exactly that. In an interview, he told the Today programme:
double quotation markI don’t know if [the British government is] really aware of the implications and how it’s going to affect Brits.
For example, 25% of pharmaceuticals that are used in the UK are made in Israel. Are they willing to give those up? It looks like they are.
Are they willing also to do great damage to any Brits who are doing business in a number of states in the US?
I don’t know what all of the national sanctions or repercussions or retaliations will be from the US. [That] hasn’t been announced yet. But I do know that there are a number of states – let me mention one, one of the largest US states, Florida – it has a law that if this action is taken, then Brits will not be able to do business with any company or business in Florida.
Huckabee – a very rightwing Republican and former governor, who like most US ambassadors was appointed because he was close to the president – went even further at the weekend, accusing the UK government of “Jew hate”.
11.30am: John Healey, the chancellor, takes questions in the Commons.
Noon: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.
After 12.30pm: Ed Miliband, the foreign secretary, makes a statement to MPs about his plan to impose a ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements.
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