Prime Minister Andy Burnham has personally defended the Government's new sanctions against Israeli settlements, telling MPs that Britain “has to stand for something” and must back its support for a two-state solution with action.
Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, Burnham said Britain had to show leadership and “stand for fairness against injustice” as he defended the Government's decision to ban imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
His intervention came a day after Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced a major change in UK policy towards the Israeli occupation and following an angry response from the Israeli Government, which has ordered the closure of the British Consulate in East Jerusalem and imposed entry bans on British nationals.
‘Britain has to stand for something’
Burnham told the House of Commons that politicians from both Labour and the Conservatives had spoken for years about the importance of a two-state solution but argued that those words had to be backed by action.
He said leadership meant acting where there was injustice and unfairness and where people were being driven from or intimidated in their homes.
“In this difficult and dangerous world, Britain has to stand for something,” the Prime Minister told MPs.
He added that Britain had to show leadership and stand for fairness against injustice, saying the country would “always stand with the underdog” and take whatever action it could to support them.
Government launches new approach to Israeli settlements
The Prime Minister's defence follows a package of measures announced by Miliband in the Commons on Tuesday.
The Foreign Secretary said the Government would introduce an import ban on goods from illegal settlements in the occupied territories and establish a comprehensive sanctions regime.
The planned regime will also allow action against companies and individuals providing services such as construction, infrastructure, financing and real estate connected to settlement expansion.
The Government intends to ban the advertising in Britain of property in illegal settlements and has announced further sanctions against extremist settlers accused of supporting or inciting violence against Palestinian communities.
Miliband also announced that Britain would refuse licence applications for arms and other exports that materially contribute to the occupation.
The Foreign Secretary stressed that the measures target settlements and settlement expansion rather than Israel itself, saying Britain would continue to support trade with Israel within the Green Line.
Israel retaliates against Britain
The measures have triggered a major diplomatic dispute with Israel.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar announced that the British Consulate in East Jerusalem would be closed, while Israel has also imposed entry bans on British nationals including former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Further details reported on Wednesday indicate that Britain has been given 30 days to close the consulate, while some other British officials have been given seven days to leave.
Israel says the measures are retaliation for Britain's actions against Israeli settlements.
Badenoch attacks Government policy
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has criticised the Government's approach, accusing Labour of putting party-political interests ahead of Britain's national interest.
Sa'ar said he had thanked Badenoch for her opposition to the British measures.
However, Badenoch did not use her questions to Burnham at Wednesday's Prime Minister's Questions to challenge him directly over Israel, instead focusing her exchanges with the Prime Minister on defence spending.
Burnham puts his authority behind policy
Burnham's Commons remarks put the Prime Minister's personal authority firmly behind one of the Government's most significant changes in policy towards Israel in recent years.
The Government argues that settlement expansion threatens the viability of a future Palestinian state and that continuing simply to express support for a two-state solution without taking action is no longer sufficient.
Burnham told MPs that Britain's actions represented “leadership on the world stage” and were consistent with the values the country had traditionally sought to uphold.
With Israel already retaliating against Britain, the Prime Minister's intervention makes clear that the Government does not currently intend to retreat from the measures in response to the growing diplomatic dispute.