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Miliband to acknowledge Labour's former stance on Palestine fell short

Foreign secretary to tell party conference that settlement sanctions heed calls of millions

By LineZotpaper
Published
Read Time1 min
Ed Miliband will tell Labour's conference that campaigners who raised the plight of Palestinians were right that the party's approach had not been enough, as the government prepares sanctions on Israeli settlements.

Ed Miliband will acknowledge that Labour's former approach to Palestine fell short, telling campaigners and party members who raised the plight of Palestinians that they were right, according to The Guardian.

The foreign secretary will tell the Labour party conference that he is heeding the calls of millions of people by imposing sanctions on Israeli settlements. He is expected to say: "We are not here to accept the status quo but to change it."

Miliband will also tell the conference that the government will take more explicitly progressive foreign policy positions under Andy Burnham and that the UK will be a leader among like-minded countries in a new age of diplomacy.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • The speech marks a formal acknowledgement from the government that Labour's previous approach to the Israel-Palestine conflict was insufficient.
  • Imposing sanctions on Israeli settlements signals a significant shift in UK foreign policy and directly responds to sustained domestic campaigning.
  • The conference address will signal how far Labour under Andy Burnham intends to take a more progressive foreign policy agenda.

Background

Ed Miliband led the Labour party between 2010 and 2015 and has since held senior roles in government. The party has long faced internal tension over the Israel-Palestine conflict, including repeated disputes between leadership and members over responses to the humanitarian situation in Gaza. The move to sanction Israeli settlements represents a notable departure from the party's previous positions on the issue.

Key Perspectives

Miliband and the government: Argue that sanctions respond to public concern, with millions backing stronger action, and that the UK should lead among like-minded nations in diplomacy. Pro-Palestinian campaigners: Have long demanded tougher measures, including sanctions, and will see the acknowledgment that their warnings were right as vindication of their campaign. Critics and sceptics: May question whether a more explicitly progressive foreign policy risks straining relationships with Israel and traditional allies, and whether settlement sanctions will prove effective.

What to Watch

  • The full content of Miliband's conference speech and any further policy announcements.
  • Reactions from Israel and the UK's allies to the settlement sanctions.
  • Whether additional measures follow, such as expanded sanctions or changes to diplomatic positions.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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