When it comes to antisemitism, Keir Starmer is clearly a big improvement on Jeremy Corbyn.
He’ll be judged by actions not words, but he promised on day one to tear anti-Jewish racism out by its roots and engaged with the community’s leadership and Labour Friends of Israel in a way his predecessor never would.
These are good steps in the right direction but it is not enough just to say you are dealing with members responsible for the worst examples of antisemitism. As my organisation Mainstream pointed out when setting tests for the new Labour leader earlier this year, Labour will only be ready for government when the attention given to individual foreign policy issues is proportionate and the party is an honest broker on Israel-Palestine.
Judging by speeches by shadow ministers Stephen Kinnock and Naz Shah in a House of Commons debate last week, Labour still has a long way to go. Stephen Kinnock, a Shadow Foreign Office Minister, secured yet another debate on the “settlement and annexation of the Occupied Palestinian territories” — even though annexation plans were dropped as part of the historic peace agreements between Israel, the UAE and Bahrain.
He called for the UK to “ban trade out of illegal settlements” and demanded action against UK firms involved in it, even though the party’s official policy does not support boycotting settlement goods unless Israel presses ahead with annexation, which it clearly isn’t. Even then, the party’s policy specifies trade with settlements that are annexed, rather than trade with all settlements, so his position clearly contradicts the official policy of the front bench team of which he is a member.
Last week three Labour MPs lost their positions supporting the party’s frontbench teams for failing to adhere to the party line, so how is it possible that two days later a shadow foreign office minister argued for measures which clearly contradict party policy?
He downplayed the significance of the historic agreements between Israel and the Arab nations and even advanced the extraordinary theory that Israel had “cooperated” in “coups in many of the Arab League states”.
Another Labour’s frontbencher who spoke was Naz Shah, Shadow Minister for Community Cohesion who was suspended for having appeared to endorse a suggestion that Israelis be deported to the United States. She shared a graphic of Israel’s outline superimposed on a map of the US under the headline “Solution for Israel-Palestine Conflict — Relocate Israel into United States”, with the comment: “Problem solved.”
She used her speech to deny the Jewish people’s historic connection to the land of Israel, criticised the Balfour Declaration and the establishment of Israel in 1948.
Deprived by the historic peace deal of the opportunity to concentrate on annexation, Mr Kinnock devoted most of his speech to settlements as if they are the biggest problem in the Middle East or the biggest barrier to a peace deal. Settlements are obviously not making things easier but the truth is that 85% of settlers live on the Israeli side of the security barrier, in 8% of the West Bank or areas largely adjacent to Israeli urban areas and can be dealt with by land swaps, moving settlers or allowing others to live under Palestinian sovereignty, just as there are, always have been and always will be Arabs living in Israel.
Britain’s role must be working towards peace, promoting coexistence and helping the Israelis and Palestinians solve much bigger barriers to a two-state solution, such as the status of Jerusalem, refugees and Israel’s security in the face of terrorism.
And instead of promoting sanctions and boycotts, the UK should do everything it can to get people on both sides who believe in peace working together with increased economic ties, economic development, trade and investment.
Trade between Israel and the UK was worth £8 billion before the pandemic.
500 Israeli companies are investing in Britain, creating thousands of jobs especially in areas like science and technology. Israel also makes a huge contribution to our NHS. One in seven of all NHS drugs come from Israel and UK and Israeli scientists are working together on health research and innovation programme are developing new treatments to help people in the UK and cross the world.
A party that is serious about government would be celebrating and strengthening this partnership instead of constantly attacking Israel and pretending that all the fault lies with one side.
Lord Ian Austin is chair of Mainstream, the campaign against extremism
