UK PM Burnham defends sanctions on Israel, says government hesitated over fears of anti-Israel accusations
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham defended his government’s new sanctions targeting Israeli settlements, saying the UK had delayed taking stronger action because of concerns that it would be perceived as hostility toward Israel.
“For far too long, we hesitated to act for fear of being accused of anti-Israelism,” Burnham wrote on X. He said the measures were not aimed at Israeli citizens but at “the unacceptable policies of the current Israeli government.”
Burnham described Palestinian suffering as “a stain on the world’s conscience” and said his government would not stand by as suffering in Gaza continued and prospects for a two-state solution diminished.
At the same time, Burnham reiterated his condemnation of Hamas and the Oct. 7 massacre and rejected attempts to blame British Jews for Israeli government policy. “Holding British Jews accountable for the actions of Netanyahu’s government is antisemitism, plain and simple,” he said.
