Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said Britain must regain the confidence to lead internationally and “stand for something”, as his Labour Government moves to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements and impose tougher measures on those supporting settlement expansion in the occupied Palestinian territories.
In a detailed intervention setting out the Government’s approach to Israel and Palestine, Burnham said years of support for a two-state solution had to be backed by concrete action.
“We have called for years for a two-state solution in the Middle East, but we must recognise that those words are meaningless unless we back them up with action.”
The Prime Minister said the measures were aimed at the policies of the current Israeli Government rather than the Israeli people, while stressing that the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza had become “a scar on the conscience of the world”.
The Government’s package follows growing concern over settlement expansion and the E1 project in the West Bank. Britain, France and Canada have confirmed plans to introduce national measures restricting trade in goods from settlements considered illegal under international law.
Burnham: I’m not prepared to let that happen
Burnham framed the announcement as part of a wider argument about Britain’s role in an increasingly unstable world.
He said:
“In a difficult and dangerous world, a decade on from Brexit, there is a risk that Britain loses the confidence to lead and stand up for its values.
“I’m not prepared to let that happen. It is more important than ever that Britain stands for something.”
He said that before becoming Prime Minister he had argued Britain’s response to the crisis had been “too slow” and “simply not good enough”, and that his Government was now changing course.
Burnham also made clear that Labour continues to condemn Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack, while arguing that this does not justify the subsequent actions of the Israeli Government in Gaza or the West Bank.
Trade ban and tougher sanctions
The Government has announced three central measures.
Britain will move to ban trade in goods with illegal Israeli settlements; formally adopt the view that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory is unlawful; and sanction individuals and companies that support, facilitate or profit from illegal settlement activity.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband confirmed in Parliament that the Government now regards the occupation as unlawful, aligning its position with the International Court of Justice’s 2024 conclusion. He also announced plans to prohibit the advertising in Britain of property in illegal settlements and to extend sanctions powers to act more quickly against settlement expansion.
The Government has said the legislation underpinning parts of the package will be brought forward within six to nine months, while some sanctions measures will take effect sooner.
E1 settlement at centre of concern
Burnham singled out plans for the E1 settlement as posing a particular threat to the viability of a future Palestinian state.
The UK and more than 20 international partners warned last month that development of E1 would “drive a wedge through the West Bank” and undermine the territorial contiguity needed for a viable two-state solution.
The Government has also pointed to a wider acceleration of settlement expansion. British officials told the United Nations in August that 104 settlements had been approved over the preceding four years and warned that settler violence had reached unprecedented levels.
Burnham said companies or investors involved in construction of E1 could face sanctions under the new approach.
Not aimed at the Israeli people
The Prime Minister repeatedly stressed that the measures do not amount to sanctions against Israel as a whole.
“The Israeli people are not responsible for the actions of their government. And nor is the Jewish community in the UK.”
He described attempts to hold British Jews responsible for the actions of Benjamin Netanyahu’s Government as antisemitism and pledged that his Government would continue to protect Jewish communities in Britain.
That distinction is also reflected in the Government’s formal position. Miliband told MPs that Britain would continue valued trade with Israel within the Green Line and said the sanctions regime was specifically intended to target illegal settlements and settlement expansion.
Humanitarian aid for Gaza
Burnham also announced additional humanitarian assistance for Gaza, describing the scale of civilian suffering and destruction as “hard to comprehend”.
He said the Government would continue pressing for greater humanitarian access while working internationally to preserve the possibility of a negotiated peace.
The UK’s broader international statement says the objective remains a sovereign and viable Palestinian state living alongside Israel in peace, security and mutual recognition.
Labour seeks to turn two-state commitment into action
For Burnham, the argument is that Britain can no longer simply repeat support for a two-state solution while allowing developments on the ground to make that outcome increasingly unattainable.
His Government is now trying to combine pressure on the Israeli Government over settlement activity with continued support for Israel’s security, condemnation of Hamas and a strong stance against antisemitism.
The Prime Minister’s message is that Labour wants Britain to play a more confident international role: defending Palestinian rights, protecting Israel’s long-term security and using British diplomatic and economic influence to keep the prospect of two states alive.
