Labour should be securing our borders & restoring law and order on our streets – instead they’re obsessing about Israel

A PRIME Minister’s first responsibility is the safety of the British people. That should be the simplest principle in politics. An arson attack on four Jewish community ambulances in Golders Green, North London, earlier this year As Prime Minister, Andy Burnham should put the country first Credit: Crown Copyright Yet Labour’s decision to impose new trade sanctions on Israel shows a government putting its own party-political ­interests ahead of our national interest. These sanctions are performative politics, designed to appease Labour MPs and activists regardless of the consequences for Britain. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! And those consequences could be ­serious. Israel is an important security and intelligence partner for the United Kingdom. We face common enemies. Iran and its proxies do not only threaten Israel. MI5 has warned that the Iranian regime has plotted violence on British soil and targeted people living in this country. At a time when we face a serious terrorist threat, deliberately damaging relations with a country whose intelligence helps save lives here is madness. We can all see what is happening. The Labour Party is putting Britain’s national interests second in an attempt to win back support from Islamist and far-Left activists. Most read in The Sun With Keir Starmer quitting Parliament, Labour is terrified of losing his old ­London constituency to the Green Party, as it did in the Gorton and Denton by-election Credit: PA We cannot have a government whose first inclination is to surrender to pressure from activists Credit: Alamy With Keir Starmer quitting Parliament, Labour is terrified of losing his old ­London constituency to the Green Party, as it did in the Gorton and Denton by-election earlier this year. So now the Government is choosing to appease ideological fringe groups whose priorities are far removed from those of the majority of people in this country. Britain faces serious and immediate challenges: Securing our borders, restoring law and order on our streets, strengthening the economy, easing the cost-of-living pressures facing ordinary families. Instead, Labour is obsessed with Israel. But it doesn’t stop there. Labour is also risking Britain’s relationship with our ­closest ally, the United States. The US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has reportedly raised the ­possibility of trade retaliation against us over these sanctions. Florida and other US states may do just that under their own laws, threatening jobs here in Britain. Why would any British government ­voluntarily create a new dispute with Washington while simultaneously weakening relations with a vital Middle Eastern security partner? Our relationship with Israel is not just some abstract diplomatic exercise. It touches the everyday lives of British ­people. Labour is also risking Britain’s relationship with our ­closest ally, the United States Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has already said the country will retaliate Credit: EPA Israeli-linked pharmaceutical companies are major suppliers of medicines used by the NHS. Around one in every eight pills taken by British patients is produced by these companies. People suffering from serious illnesses such as cancer and multiple sclerosis rely on these medicines. Andy Burnham should explain to the British people why he is making it harder for NHS patients to access the medicines they need, to satisfy a left-wing, anti-Israel fringe of the Labour Party. Criticism of the Israeli government is not antisemitic. Israel is a democracy and its governments, like our own, can and should be challenged when they do the wrong things. But the Labour Party’s obsession with Israel is entirely rooted in domestic ­politics. And let’s not forget who else is being thrown under the bus in Labour’s attempt to win back Islamist votes: British Jews. Britain has witnessed a horrifying rise in antisemitic hatred since the October 7 attacks. British Jews have watched hatred of Israel repeatedly spill over into hatred directed at them. Jewish schools and synagogues require round-the-clock security. Jewish families worry about the safety of their children. The Government cannot claim to care about the poisonous atmosphere surrounding British Jews while it drives a relentless campaign to demonise Israel. This has nothing to do with peace in the Middle East and a two-state solution. Peace requires leverage and relationships with both sides. Britain diminishes that influence when it substitutes gestures for diplomacy and alienates the countries whose cooperation we need. If the Government was serious in its diplomacy, it would know that there is an upcoming election in Israel and there are limits on the Israeli government’s ability to change its policy on settlements until that election takes place. This Labour Government has become far too comfortable sacrificing British interests for political gestures. We cannot have a government whose first inclination is to surrender to pressure from activists. Foreign policy should not be an ­instrument for managing Labour’s internal divisions. It should defend our security, strengthen our alliances and advance the interests of the British people. The Government should spend less time pandering to its activist base and more time fixing our broken economy and ­getting this country back on track. Andy Burnham needs to decide which comes first — his party or his country. For a Prime Minister, there should only ever be one answer. 1 comment1