Chris Mason: Burnham looks to show he will go further than Starmer with West Bank sanctions

Key Points:

• The UK government, led by Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband and Prime Minister Andy Burnham, has announced a ban on imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, marking a significant shift in Britain's Middle East policy following its recognition of a Palestinian state a year ago.
• This move is part of a coordinated international effort involving 11 other countries, including France and Canada, aimed at increasing pressure on Israel while minimizing diplomatic backlash against individual nations.
• The UK anticipates Israeli retaliation, such as the closure of the British consulate in Jerusalem, which has already occurred, and notes a relatively muted initial response from the US Secretary of State.
• Labour leader Andy Burnham has criticized previous Labour approaches to the Middle East and is using this diplomatic stance to regain support among left-wing and Muslim communities, though Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch warns it risks increasing antisemitism in the UK.
• Labour officials emphasize that blaming British Jews for Israeli government actions is antisemitism, acknowledging the party's fragile relationship with the Jewish community, especially following recent antisemitic attacks in Manchester and London.