Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said Britain can no longer simply voice support for a two-state solution without taking action to defend it, as the Labour Government announced a major package targeting illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Burnham said the situation in Palestine had become a “moral emergency” and argued that settlement expansion was rapidly undermining the prospect of a viable Palestinian state.
The Government has announced plans to ban imports of goods from illegal settlements, target companies and individuals involved in settlement expansion and prevent the advertising in Britain of land and property located in illegal settlements.
Burnham said:
“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.”
He added that Britain needed to recover the confidence to lead internationally and stand up for its values.
“It is more important than ever that Britain stands for something.”
Labour targets illegal settlement activity
The Government has formally adopted the position that Israel’s continuing occupation of Palestinian territory is unlawful, independently but in line with the conclusion reached by the International Court of Justice.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband told MPs that this position should now be reflected in Britain’s economic relationships with the occupied territories. Burnham has also set out the Government’s case that Britain must stand for something in the face of illegal settlement expansion.
Under the new package, Labour will:
- ban imports of goods originating from illegal settlements;
- create powers to sanction companies and individuals providing construction, finance, infrastructure or other services facilitating settlement expansion;
- ban the advertising in Britain of property in illegal settlements;
- impose further sanctions on extremist settlers involved in or encouraging violence against Palestinian communities;
- and strengthen the Global Human Rights Sanctions regime to enable faster action.
Miliband said the measures would target settlements and settlement expansion rather than Israel itself, with normal trade with Israel within the Green Line continuing. The announcement was also reported by Reuters and The Independent.
Burnham warns over E1 settlement
The Prime Minister identified the proposed E1 settlement in the West Bank as a particular threat.
Britain and more than 20 international partners have warned that development at E1 would divide the West Bank and damage the territorial continuity required for a future Palestinian state.
Burnham said companies or investors involved in the project could be caught by the Government’s new sanctions regime.
The UK, France and Canada have also confirmed plans to introduce national measures restricting trade with illegal settlements, while a wider group of European and international partners has backed similar action or is considering it.
‘A scar on the conscience of the world’
Burnham also spoke in stark terms about the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
He said:
“The suffering of the Palestinian people is a scar on the conscience of the world.”
The Prime Minister said innocent Palestinians, including children, continued to be killed and argued that far too little humanitarian assistance was reaching people in Gaza.
The Government has announced further humanitarian support alongside the settlement measures.
Burnham stressed, however, that Labour continued to condemn Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack and recognised Israel’s legitimate security concerns.
Clear distinction between Israeli Government and Israeli people
Burnham repeatedly emphasised that the action was aimed at the policies of the Israeli Government rather than Israeli citizens or Jewish communities.
He said:
“The Israeli people are not responsible for the actions of their government. And nor is the Jewish community in the UK.”
He also said blaming British Jews for the policies of Benjamin Netanyahu’s Government was antisemitic and pledged that Labour would continue to confront antisemitism at home.
The Government’s international statement similarly reaffirmed its condemnation of Hamas, recognition of Israel’s legitimate security interests and commitment to a future in which Israel and a sovereign Palestinian state live alongside one another in peace and security.
Labour seeks to turn principle into policy
For Burnham, the announcement represents a broader attempt to give substance to Britain’s longstanding support for two states.
His argument is that simply repeating support for Palestinian statehood is no longer sufficient if developments on the ground are making that outcome progressively harder to achieve.
Labour’s message is that Britain should use its diplomatic and economic influence to defend international law, challenge illegal settlement expansion and preserve the possibility of a secure Israel existing alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state.
