Miliband Defends West Bank Sanctions, Rebuking Chief Rabbi’s Warning to UK Jews

Ed Miliband has dismissed warnings from the United Kingdom’s chief rabbi that government sanctions against illegal Israeli settlements will diminish the safety of British Jews, insisting that ministers can challenge the Netanyahu administration’s policies while simultaneously tackling antisemitism.

The sanctions were coordinated with France, Canada and nine other nations also imposing measures on Israel, responding to the escalating settlement expansion that the UK contends jeopardises the viability of a future Palestinian state.

In a joint statement, leaders including Andy Burnham, Emmanuel Macron and Mark Carney declared: “The time has come to take further action to uphold our commitment to protect the two‑state solution, our interests and to stand up for our values, before it is too late.”

Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis labelled the sanctions a “dark day for British Jews” and cautioned that they could embolden individuals who employ hatred as a weapon against Jewish people.

Miliband, who identifies as a “proud British Jew,” stated that he disagrees with Mirvis.

Asked on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme if he was calling the chief rabbi wrong, Miliband responded: “Yes, I am saying I don’t agree with the chief rabbi, someone over whom I have great respect.”

He continued: “I just want to be very, very clear. As I said in my statement yesterday, anyone who holds British Jews, or indeed Jews worldwide, responsible for the actions of the Israeli government is engaging in antisemitism, pure and simple.”

The Foreign Secretary was pressed on the chief rabbi’s warning that British Jews might feel less secure because of the sanctions, and was challenged by BBC presenter Justin Webb, who suggested that Mirvis’s claim might “mean less” to Miliband because he does not attend synagogue.

Miliband replied: “No, I don’t agree with that,” and added, “Antisemitism is a scourge and an evil … I want Jews, I want people of all faiths and none to feel safe in our country.”

The announcement of sanctions on Tuesday triggered an immediate backlash from Israel, which ordered the closure of the British consulate in Jerusalem and barred 12 British MPs and activists from entering the country.

The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, warned that Washington could take retaliatory trade measures, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States would “obviously” not follow the UK’s lead but expressed a desire not to see the West Bank destabilized.

Miliband told Sky News he would “let our American friends speak for themselves,” but emphasized that the international community had been “quite frustrated to put it mildly” by certain actions of the Israeli government.

The Foreign Secretary expressed regret over the Israeli government’s response but affirmed he was “proud of what we did yesterday and it was the right thing to do.”

Miliband acknowledged that the closure of the British consulate in Jerusalem would be “damaging,” but said the government had “weighed up the costs and benefits in advance” of such a move.

The government is set to implement the following measures:

• An import ban on goods from illegal settlements in the occupied territories, along with new restrictions on arms licences and other exports that “materially contribute to the occupation.”

• Comprehensive sanctions will bar the provision of services such as construction or financing for Israeli settlements, and prohibit their advertising in the United Kingdom.

• Targeted personal sanctions will be imposed on individuals identified for promoting settler violence.

• Additional export controls will deny arms licences and other exports that “materially contribute to the occupation.”

In an impassioned Commons speech on Tuesday, Miliband recounted harrowing accounts from Palestinians in the West Bank whose homes had been destroyed, and from Gaza doctors who witnessed children dying while awaiting treatment.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham described the sanctions as “the right thing to do” and emphasized that they were directed “not at the Israeli people.” He is scheduled to address Parliament on the matter during Prime Minister’s Questions.

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