Miliband to say Labour’s Palestine policy fell short as sanctions mark reset
The foreign secretary is expected to defend measures targeting trade linked to Israeli settlements and call for closer cooperation with like-minded countries.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband is expected to tell Labour’s conference that the party’s former approach to Palestine was not enough and that it has reset its policy. The Guardian reports he will describe sanctions on trade with Israeli settlements as evidence of a change in approach.
Miliband is expected to say campaigners were right to demand more action and that the government will match its words with measures targeting goods and services linked to settlements. The source does not detail the scope or implementation of those measures.
His planned remarks also call for a more assertive foreign policy, with the UK working alongside like-minded countries including France and Canada. He is expected to present cooperation on sanctions as the start of a wider diplomatic approach.
The policy shift follows years of opposition at Labour conferences to Keir Starmer’s stance on Israel and Palestine, according to the report. It comes amid increasing settler violence in the West Bank and announcements by 12 countries, including France and Canada, that they would also impose sanctions.
The speech is prospective; Miliband’s remarks had not yet been delivered in the source report. The Guardian says the shift may be interpreted as a greater willingness to sideline the US, but that is an interpretation rather than a stated policy commitment.
