UK Labour under Starmer supports Israel while Gaza fighting continues

How Andy Burnham could set Britain on a new course on Israel and Palestine

How Andy Burnham could set Britain on a new course on Israel and Palestine Submitted by Imran Mulla on Mon, 06/22/2026 - 16:01 Gaza was a major reason behind Labour haemorrhaging votes to the Greens and independents but will a new leader turn the tide? The new Labour Party MP for Makerfield, Andy Burnham, being sworn in after his win in the recent by-election, in the House of Commons in London on 22 June (AFP) Off Andy Burnham has been notably reticent to speak about foreign policy in the past few weeks. He and his team believed doing so would not help him win his by-election in Makerfield, a largely white working-class seat, according to Labour sources. On a rare occasion that he was asked about the topic, he declined to say Israel has committed genocide, explaining: "I can’t judge things of that enormity from where I am as mayor of Greater Manchester." He said that "I do have concerns about the disproportionate nature of what has happened in terms of the destruction, and there has to be a full process of investigation and accountability." Israeli forces have killed more than 73,000 Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank since the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023 which killed 1,200 people, with a further 170,000 wounded. But now Burnham is in parliament and poised to become prime minister as early as next month. He will soon be forced to turn seriously to the topic of foreign policy if he wants to appeal to the Labour membership, who overwhelmingly support stronger policies on Israel.  Pressure to appeal to the membership will be less strong if, as it now seems, Burnham will have a coronation and become prime minister unopposed, rather than having to fight a contest. However, he will certainly be keen to win back the many left-wing voters who have abandoned the party.  'Foreign policy isn’t a side issue. It’s about values, credibility and whose side you are on when it matters' - Labour MP Kim Johnson And Burnham has previously shown a serious interest in British foreign policy on the Middle East, and a willingness to take a more critical stance on Israel. As a foreign policy issue, Israel has been significant in Britain over the past two-plus years because of its genocide in Gaza.  Labour lost more votes to the left-wing Green Party than to Reform at the local elections last month, polling has shown. A study then revealed that over half of former Labour voters who intend to vote for a centre or left-wing party in the next general election cited Israel's genocide in Gaza as a factor in their decision. Labour MP Kim Johnson told Middle East Eye: "If Andy wants to win back traditional Labour voters, especially those who feel abandoned on foreign policy, he has to show the moral clarity [Starmer] has too often lacked on Gaza." How Keir Starmer supported Israel throughout its genocide in Gaza Read More » Johnson explained: "He needs to be prepared to say clearly what Starmer would not: that a genocide is ongoing and that Labour’s refusal to speak honestly and act decisively on about it has come at a huge political cost." She argued that "people wanted Labour to call it what it is, to stand up for international law and to listen to the Palestine solidarity movement. "Instead," she said, "that silence has alienated core voters and driven support away from the party. "Take the May local elections for example – Palestine was on the ballot for millions of progressive voters. We lost 58 percent of the seats we were defending in England and lost almost four times as many voters to the Greens than to Reform UK. "We cannot deny that Gaza is a major reason many have walked." Johnson emphasised that "foreign policy isn’t a side issue. It’s about values, credibility and whose side you are on when it matters." Burnham's record on foreign policy Burnham joined Labour Friends of Israel (LFI), a pro-Israel group within the party, in 2015. This established him as a non-radical figure in contrast to colleagues who were strongly pro-Palestinian, such as Jeremy Corbyn. "Given Andy's previous ties to Labour Friends of Israel," Johnson said, "there will inevitably be questions about whether he’s prepared to take a different line when it counts." 'Respect for international law is measured by actions, not rhetoric. The next prime minister must not be an ally to atrocities'  - Rohan Talbot, Medical Aid for Palestinians Running unsuccessfully to be Labour leader in 2015, Burnham said his first overseas visit would be to Israel. But Burnham also marked himself out as a critic of the Israeli government. In March 2015, he reacted to Benjamin Netanyahu's reelection as Israeli prime minister by calling the news "depressing" in a post on X.  "Netanyahu elected on pledge to build more settlements," he said. "Palestine will need more international support." Burnham told the Palestine Solidarity Campaign in July that year that he backed recognising Palestinian statehood, saying it was "not a gift to be given but a right to be recognised". He said "Labour recognises that the settlements and their continued expansion remain key obstacles to resolving the conflict." Chris Doyle, the director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding (Caabu), told MEE that the next prime minister "will need to make a really significant course correction on Middle East foreign policy". Burnham is a longtime supporter of Caabu and visited the occupied West Bank in 2012 with the group. "I've always been grateful to Caabu for facilitating a visit I made in 2012 with Labour Friends of Palestine to the West Bank," Burnham said in March this year. At long last, Starmer is out. Can Burnham bring new hope to Britain? Read More » "Caabu is a partner in parliament that many people look towards.... in these times that we live now, Caabu is needed more than ever." Doyle told MEE that a real course correction would entail "ending the climate of impunity that Israel currently enjoys, ensuring that when the government states it does support international law, it has meaning, and it is prepared to impose consequences on those parties, including Israel, who violate it. "This means, for example, backing the International Criminal Court arrest warrants [for Israeli ministers]". It also means, Doyle said, "ensuring aid agencies get proper and full access to Gaza, including UN agencies". Doyle added: "We need to accept that we are a middle-ranking power, that we don't have the ability to go and determine conflicts abroad. "But where we can make a difference is through creative, imaginative, determined diplomacy rooted in international law, rooted in basic core principles of how to resolve conflicts." Policy pledges on Palestine Burnham took a bold stance after the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023, amid Israel's ensuing siege and bombardment of Gaza. As Greater Manchester mayor, he broke ranks with the Labour leadership by calling for a ceasefire, in tandem with London mayor Sadiq Khan and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar. Explaining his decision in a column in The Independent, Burnham warned Starmer not to "brand" MPs who disagreed with the leadership on the issue "as disloyal or as if they don’t care about innocent lives". Caabu and the British Palestine Project have unveiled five "policy pledges on Palestine" that they call on the next Labour leader to adopt. NEW: Labour party delegates have voted that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and should be sanctioned, in a shock development at the annual party conference. MEE’s Imran Mulla (@Imran_posts) reports from the Labour conference in Liverpool pic.twitter.com/aTHSLPOEos — Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) September 29, 2025 The pledges include "ban all UK trade with illegal Israeli settlement good and services", "enforce international law", enforce "unrestricted access for UN agencies and humanitarian organisations", open occupied Palestine "to journalists, politicians and investigators" and "act with allies to end unlawful regional occupations".  Doyle told MEE the next prime minister will need to resist "pressure, not least from the Trump administration, and "not just cave in" to American demands. In the parliamentary Labour Party, calls have been mounting fr0m backbenchers for a full ban on the import of goods from illegal Israeli settlements. And recent polling of Labour members showed that a staggering 87 percent support a ban on trade with Israeli settlements, with only 6 percent opposing it.  Privately, MEE understands, Foreign Office ministers have accepted that a ban on settlement goods would be consistent with the British position on the occupied territories. Rohan Talbot, director of advocacy and campaigns at Medical Aid for Palestinians, said on Monday: "Whoever walks into Downing Street next must do what Starmer would not to end these horrors: stop providing arms to Israel, stop trading with illegal settlements in the West Bank, guarantee unrestricted humanitarian access, and ensure that those responsible for crimes against humanity are held fully accountable. "Respect for international law is measured by actions, not rhetoric. The next prime minister must not be an ally to atrocities.”  UK Politics News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

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How Keir Starmer supported Israel throughout its genocide in Gaza

How Keir Starmer supported Israel throughout its genocide in Gaza Submitted by Imran Mulla on Mon, 06/22/2026 - 15:01 MEE looks back at the prime minister's record on foreign policy UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer (L) greets Israel's President Isaac Herzog (R) on the steps of 10 Downing Street, London, 10 September 2025, ahead of their meeting (Toby Shepheard/AFP) Off Keir Starmer has resigned as British prime minister less than two years after winning a landslide general election. Since then, his Labour Party has lost enormous support, with Reform rising in the polls and voters on the left deciding that enough was enough. Labour lost more votes to the left-wing Green Party than to Reform at the local elections last month, polling has shown. A new study then revealed that over half of former Labour voters who intend to vote for a centre or left-wing party in the next general election cited Israel's genocide in Gaza as a factor in their decision. The findings indicate the enormous significance the genocide and the UK's cooperation with Israel throughout it have had on Starmer's legacy. Jeremy Corbyn, Starmer's predecessor as Labour leader, told Middle East Eye that the prime minister "swapped political principles for corporate donors - and leaves behind a legacy of broken pledges, grotesque inequality and complicity in genocide. "If that isn’t moral bankruptcy, then what is?" Zack Polanski, the leader of the Green Party, said: "Shit in our rivers. Pensioners jailed for protesting. Migrants thrown under the bus. Supporting a genocide. That's Starmer's legacy." In this piece, MEE looks back on Starmer's record on Israel and Gaza.  Staunch backing for Israel in opposition Israeli forces have killed nearly 73,000 Palestinians since the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023, which killed 1,200 people. At least 170,000 Palestinians have been wounded. Thousands more in Gaza remain missing and are presumed dead beneath the rubble. In opposition, Starmer followed the Conservative government's line after 7 October 2023, and backed Israel’s bombardment of Gaza. 'I don't want to step away from the core principles that Israel has the right to defend herself' - Keir Starmer On 11 October, the Labour leader was asked in an interview on LBC: “A siege is appropriate? Cutting off power, cutting off water, Sir Keir?” He replied: "I think that Israel does have that right, it is an ongoing situation, obviously everything should be done within international law but I don't want to step away from the core principles that Israel has the right to defend herself." In the following days Starmer again refused to denounce Israel cutting off power and water to Gaza, before eventually rowing back on his comments on 20 October.  In November 2023, Starmer ordered Labour MPs not to back a Scottish National Party motion demanding an "end to the collective punishment of the Palestinian people". Once Keir Starmer had beaten the left, he had no plan for government Read More » That same month, after Israel killed more than 50 civilians in a strike on a refugee camp that also killed a Hamas commander, Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy said "it’s clear to me that it’s wrong to bomb a refugee camp but clearly if there is a military objective it can be legally justifiable". In early 2024, Starmer reportedly lobbied the speaker of the House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle, to break with precedent and let a watered-down Labour motion be debated before a stronger SNP one calling for a ceasefire, effectively killing it. Labour's amendment passed, but not before the Commons descended into chaos, with SNP and Tory MPs walking out in protest. Later that year, Labour began to distinguish itself from the Tory government on Gaza. Lammy called on the government to publish the legal advice it had received on selling arms to Israel, accusing the foreign secretary of "hiding from scrutiny". Labour then broke with the Tories in May by backing the International Criminal Court after its chief prosecutor sought arrest warrants for Israeli ministers. Sharing intelligence with Israel In government, Starmer continued Britain's significant military cooperation with Israel. Under his premiership, the UK sent at least 518 spy flights over Gaza - throughout Israel’s genocide. The government insisted these were "solely to locate hostages", but they have been shrouded in secrecy. Britain shared intelligence with Israel and captured footage of Gaza on days that Israeli attacks killed British citizens. Starmer talks to soldiers at the RAF base in Akrotiri on the southern coast of Cyprus on 10 December 2024 (Kirsty Wigglesworth/AFP) James Henderson, a former royal marine, was riding in a World Central Kitchen convoy in Gaza when it was hit by an Israeli strike on 1 April 2024. The UK Ministry of Defence holds footage of Gaza from the day Henderson was killed - along with six other international aid workers - taken by an RAF plane. But it refused to publish the tape, citing national security exemptions.  In August 2025, Middle East Eye asked the MoD under the Freedom of Information Act whether it held video footage taken by RAF planes of two Israeli attacks in Gaza on British citizens or volunteers working for British charities. The MoD refused to disclose the information, again citing national security and defence exemptions. Around 2,000 British-Israeli dual nationals have also served in the Israeli military during Israel's genocide in Gaza. Starmer's government recognised “the right of British dual nationals” to serve in the Israeli army and in Gaza. Deteriorating relations with Israel Labour did depart from Tory policy in important ways.  The Starmer government angered the Israeli government by dropping Britain's objection to the ICC’s jurisdiction over Israel and the sanctioning of far-right Israeli ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. As part of its toughening stance on the occupied West Bank, Labour announced for the first time in June 2026 "that there should be no economic involvement in illegal settlements". The UK said it would impose fresh sanctions against "networks financing and enabling settler attacks against Palestinians" in coordination with France, Norway, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.  But the Starmer government resisted calls from many Labour backbenchers to outright ban the import of settlement goods.  Another contentious aspect of Starmer's foreign policy has been his approach to arms sales to Israel. Exclusive: Illegal settlements promoted in London at Great Israeli Real Estate Event Read More » In September 2024, the newly elected Labour government suspended around 30 export licences for UK-made arms after assessing there was a "clear risk" the items could be used in Gaza in serious violations of international humanitarian law. The licensing of UK-made F-35 components exported directly to Israel were suspended. Significantly, however, parts sent to a global F-35 programme spare parts pool that could end up in Israel were exempted.  UK-made F-35 components make up 15 percent of every F-35, one of the world's most sophisticated fighter jets, which Israel used extensively in its campaign in Gaza, as well as in Lebanon and Iran.  The government argued that there was no way the UK could unilaterally halt the export of UK-made parts without impacting the worldwide fleet of F-35s and threatening global peace and security.  The Starmer government also green-lit $169m in military goods to Israel - more in three months than the total of what was approved under the Tories between 2020 and 2023. David Lammy, then the foreign secretary, told parliament that “much of what we send is defensive in nature”, such as helmets or goggles, and “not what we describe routinely as arms”. Yet the shipments included 8,630 separate munitions exports in the category of “bombs, grenades, torpedoes, mines, missiles and other similar munitions”. Ignoring evidence Starmer has also come under heavy criticism after a former cabinet minister and close ally of his accused him of ignoring evidence of Israeli war crimes. In March 2025, Starmer rowed back on remarks made by his foreign secretary that Israel was committing a "breach of international law". He has consistently refused to accuse Israel of committing war crimes. But in a recent interview with the News Agents podcast, former health secretary Wes Streeting said that Starmer had accused him of sharing a dossier of evidence of Israeli war crimes provided by British doctors who had been to Gaza for “political purposes”, so that it could be leaked.  “When I sent that dossier around, the prime minister accused me of sending around a document that was designed to be leaked,” said Streeting. “I had met British doctors, I had been distressed by what they told me, I had seen serious and substantial allegations of war crimes being committed and I felt this country had a moral and legal responsibility to respond.” 'I had seen serious and substantial allegations of war crimes being committed'  - Wes Streeting, former cabinet minister Throughout his premiership Starmer pursued increasingly contradictory policies. Labour announced in July 2025 that Britain would recognise a Palestinian state, but drew anger from left-wing backbenchers by making recognition conditional on Israel not implementing various policies. The Starmer government then recognised Palestinian statehood in September, prompting a furious response from the Israeli government. Starmer also moved from support for US foreign policy - an approach he adopted in opposition - to angering US President Donald Trump while still cooperating with the US during the war on Iran this year. Starmer said Britain would not take part in strikes on Iran in February, and told the US it could not use British bases. But he soon U-turned, allowing the US to use British bases to launch strikes on Iranian missile sites, facilitating what legal experts described as an illegal war. Starmer insisted the strikes were purely “defensive” and then campaigned in the local elections on not having entered the Iran war.  Domestic measures Meanwhile, at home, his government has been accused of authoritarianism in suppressing criticism of Israel. In July 2025 Starmer's home secretary, Yvette Cooper, banned direct action group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. Inviting support for Palestine Action is now an offence punishable by a prison sentence of up to 14 years under British law. In February, the High Court found that the government's decision to proscribe the group was "unlawful" and "discriminatory", following a challenge brought by the group's co-founder Huda Ammori. But following a government appeal, the Court of Appeal overturned the High Court's decision last week. Since the ban was introduced, thousands of people have been arrested for terrorism offences for holding signs in support for the group in silent vigils across the UK. Last month American political commentators Cenk Uygur and Hasan Piker were barred from entering Britain, in a move reportedly owing to their criticism of Israel. But Israeli officials and military figures have continued to be welcome under the Starmer government. ‘A fantasy’: How the Palestine Action ruling whitewashed the history of civil disobedience Read More » On 25 November 2024, Israeli military chief Herzi Halevi flew to Britain on a secret trip and met Lord Richard Hermer, the attorney general. The government gave Halevi special mission immunity for the trip. Both Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and Israeli President Isaac Herzog have visited. Saar met the foreign secretary in April 2025 and Herzog met the prime minister that September. Rohan Talbot, director of advocacy and campaigns at Medical Aid for Palestinians, said on Monday that Starmer's "international record will forever be marred by half measures and inaction in the face of Israel’s atrocities. "Under Starmer’s leadership, the UK continued to provide arms to Israel while its forces bombed Gaza's hospitals into rubble and deliberately starved an entire population of the food and medicines they needed to survive." On the Gaza genocide, ultimately, Starmer has made himself exceedingly unpopular with all sides. He imposed an arms embargo but not a full one. He allowed the RAF to share intelligence gathered from surveillance flights over Gaza with Israel - while simultaneously criticising Israel and calling for an end to the war.  At the end of his premiership, Starmer stands accused by a former member of his cabinet of nothing less than ignoring evidence of Israeli war crimes. The next leader of Britain may, or may not, change course.  UK Politics News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

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