Miliband to admit Labour's past Palestine stance 'was not enough'
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband will tell the Labour conference the party's previous approach to Israel and Palestine fell short, pointing to newly imposed sanctions on Israeli settlements as a turning point.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband is set to tell the Labour party conference that campaigners who long criticized the government's stance on Palestine were right, and that ministers have finally responded to the demands of millions by imposing sanctions on Israeli settlements.
In his address, Miliband will say that under Prime Minister Andy Burnham, the government is adopting a more explicitly progressive foreign policy, positioning the UK as a leader among like-minded nations in a new diplomatic era. He plans to describe a "fundamental lesson" the party has learned from the Israel-Palestine situation, arguing Labour will succeed because of its progressive values, not despite them.
The Labour conference hall has previously been a flashpoint for criticism of Keir Starmer's handling of the issue. Since taking office, Miliband has announced sweeping sanctions on trade tied to Israeli settlements, responding to escalating settler violence in the West Bank. Twelve other countries, including France and Canada, have since followed with similar measures.
A turning point
Miliband is expected to describe the sanctions as marking a definitive shift in Labour's approach to the Middle East. He will pledge to ban imports from illegal settlements and disrupt British financial, construction and service links to them, while vowing not to let efforts to destroy the two-state solution succeed.
He will also pay tribute to those who have campaigned against Israel's actions in Gaza — remarks likely to raise questions about whether the government might reconsider the ban on Palestine Action, after police arrested several demonstrators outside the conference venue on Sunday.
Miliband is also expected to emphasize cooperation with "like-minded countries" such as France and Canada, a stance that may be read as a greater willingness to act independently of the United States. A source close to Miliband said this would be a defining theme of his tenure, noting that Britain's ability to build coalitions on major global issues depends on its capacity to bring other countries along.
