Britain proud to be ‘showing leadership’ on Palestine, says Burnham

Healthcare / 9 September 2026 More than 1.7 million patients waited for over 12 hours in A&E last year 9 September 2026 Britain / 9 September 2026 Tens of thousands missing from official Neets statistics, warns Children’s Commissioner 9 September 2026 Britain / 8 September 2026 Farage’s call for face covering ban risks ‘emboldening racists’ 8 September 2026 Education / 8 September 2026 Pupils in England pull further ahead of those in Scotland and Wales, unions react 8 September 2026 Ukraine War / 8 September 2026 Streeting branded ‘delusional’ after telling Russia Britain ‘won't flinch’ in support of Ukraine 8 September 2026 Employment / 8 September 2026 Up to 100,000 job placements for Neets under DWP retailers’ scheme 8 September 2026 BRITAIN is proud to be leading the way in challenging the Israeli occupation of Palestine, Prime Minister Andy Burnham told MPs today.

Speaking in the Commons a day after Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband had announced sweeping sanctions against Israeli settlements and denounced terrorist “ethnic cleansing” in Palestine, Mr Burnham said: “Britain is showing leadership. 

“Words from any politician about a two-state solution will be only words if it’s not backed with action. And leadership is about taking action.

“Britain has to stand for something. Britain has to show leadership. Britain has to stand for fairness against injustice.

“Where people are being bullied out of their homes, intimidated, we will always stand with the underdog and take what action we can to support them. 

“That is leadership on the world stage, Britain being true to what it’s always been about.”

Mr Miliband himself, basking in broad approval for his measures from Labour MPs for both his commitment to the new policy and for assembling support from France, Canada and elsewhere for it, brushed aside overwrought criticism of the sanctions from chief rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, who had claimed they were “a dark day for British Jews.”

The Foreign Secretary said: “I’m a proud British Jew, and I don’t agree with the chief rabbi.

“I believe that it must be possible to do what we did, which is to stand up for British values of the rule of law, of dignity for people, of the prevention of injustice, and do so in a way, as I did yesterday, to say to anyone in our country who holds British Jews responsible for the actions of the Israeli government, that is antisemitism, pure and simple.”

He made it clear that British firms and potentially Israeli banks involved in the construction or financing of illegal West Bank settlements would be hit by the sanctions.

“We are seeking to cut off the supply of the supply lines of British finance, British construction, for settlement expansion,” Mr Miliband said. 

“This is about a clear purpose, which is to draw a line in the sand and to stop this infinite, ever-expanding settlement expansion.”

He also shrugged off as “regrettable” counter-measures announced by the Netanyahu government, including the closing of the British consulate in Jerusalem and the banning of 11 MPs from visiting Israel.

“I would prefer that Israel hadn’t announced what it did, but overall, I strongly believe that what we did, along with other international allies, was absolutely the right thing to do,” the Foreign Secretary said.

The MPs sanctioned stressed it would change nothing in their attitudes and actions.

Your Party parliamentary leader Jeremy Corbyn said in a statement: “I have visited all parts of Palestine on several occasions, where I have witnessed the horrors of occupation, as well as the resilience and humanity of the Palestinian people. 

“They are the ones who suffer from Israel’s apartheid. 

“Israel doesn’t want the world to see what it is doing — but we can never give up in our attempts to expose the truth. 

“That is the real scandal. Israel’s genocide cannot go unpunished — and I will keep speaking up for peace, freedom and justice for the Palestinian people.”

Fellow Your Party MP Zarah Sultana said: “Israel has just banned me from entering. 

“Given that this is a fascist government presiding over genocide, apartheid and an illegal occupation, I’ll wear it as a badge of honour. 

“I will not be intimidated into silence. I will continue to speak out against Israel’s genocide and against the UK’s complicity. If anything, this ban only strengthens my resolve to keep speaking out.”

She added: “One day, I look forward to visiting Jerusalem not as an occupied city, but as part of a free and liberated Palestine.” 

Bradford West MP Naz Shah called the list “rather random and, frankly, bizarre” and said she was “proud of the UK government’s actions today, taken in line with our international legal obligations.” 

She pledged to continue to campaign for a two-state solution in Palestine. 

Labour MPs John McDonnell, Diane Abbott and Richard Burgon were also on the list and all five Green MPs were sanctioned by Israel.

The Green Party said: “We will not be bullied into silence by the Israeli government. 

“We are proud of our MPs for standing up for Palestinian rights and demanding an end to British complicity in genocide and illegal occupation.

“Banning our representatives only strengthens our resolve. The British government must stand firm and follow these overdue restrictions with a full arms embargo and wide-ranging sanctions.”

Middle East / 8 September 2026 Labour acts at last on Israeli crimes 8 September 2026 Britain / 6 September 2026 Labour moves to sanction Israel 6 September 2026 But campaigners say more must be done 

West Bank / 21 August 2026 Burnham urged to act on Israel as a 17-year-old Palestinian boy shot dead by illegal settlers in occupied West Bank 21 August 2026 Labour's Emily Thornberry calls on PM to ban goods from Israel-held Palestinian territory