Labour foreign secretary pledges sanctions on Israeli settlements and calls for continued activist pressure
At the Labour Party conference, foreign secretary Ed Miliband said the UK will impose comprehensive sanctions on Israeli settlement activity and ban imports and services that support it, echoing steps taken by France and Canada. He urged activists to keep pressuring the Labour Party to develop a broader approach to the issue, noting the symbolic importance of his speech and the embrace of the Palestinian ambassador. Miliband also affirmed support for the International Court of Justice’s pending case and highlighted the opening of doors to NGOs delivering aid in Gaza. Diplomats described the announced measures as largely symbolic, and Miliband warned that the government will not reverse course under pressure.
How this was covered
- Right-leaning outlets covered this 12h later
- The two sides describe this in almost entirely different words
Why it matters
The proposed sanctions could affect trade ties with Israel and signal a shift in UK policy toward the Israeli‑Palestinian conflict.
How the sides frame it
LOW AGREEMENTLeft-leaning coverage praises Miliband’s settlement ban as a moral stand and urges tougher action, while right-leaning coverage mocks him as a radical ‘Red Ed’ and warns of security and diplomatic fallout; Centrist coverage reports both the Israeli president’s condemnation of the sanctions and Miliband’s defensive applause-filled speech.
LEFT
Frames Miliband’s speech as a justified, moral response to Israeli settlement expansion and British public outrage, calling for stronger sanctions and praising his stance.
CENTER
Presents the diplomatic clash, noting the Israeli president’s claim the sanctions are a ‘grave mistake’ and Miliband’s forceful defence of the ban at the conference.
RIGHT
Depicts Miliband’s stance as radical left-wing pandering that provokes security rows and diplomatic risk, mocking his rhetoric and portraying him as self-absorbed.
The left emphasises
- ban on settlement-related goods
- Brits outraged were ‘right’
- ‘a stain on the conscience of the world’
The right emphasises
- ‘far-left and Islamist’ group hails Red Ed
- Labour sparks major ‘security intelligence’ row
- Chuckling at his own brilliance, patronising the PM
How this story developed
- Sep 1 EU debates ban on settlement products as Israeli forces raze West Bank homes
- Sep 13 US activists created a whistle‑blower hotline and warned firms could be targeted under anti‑BDS laws.
- Sep 14 British foreign secretary expected to announce a trade ban on settlement‑linked goods.
- Sep 18 The UN rights office issued a warning that the displacement of over 33,000 refugees from West Bank camps may amount to crimes against humanity.
- Sep 23 A man in his forties was seriously wounded when a vehicle rammed a police car at a checkpoint near Modi'in on the road to the West Bank.
- Sep 23 Israel's Central Elections Committee barred the Joint List from the upcoming Knesset election, prompting the alliance to label the move racist and vow a Supreme Court appeal.
- Sep 23 The checkpoint’s security personnel have been reinforced and an investigation launched.
- Sep 24 The electoral commission has acted on two Arab party lists.
- Sep 27 Netanyahu publicly urged right‑wing parties to merge ahead of the election.
- Sep 28 Ed Miliband told the Labour conference that the UK will act on Palestine, backing sanctions on Israeli settlements and supporting a two-state solution.
- Sep 29 Three teenagers were arrested in connection with the raid.
- Oct 2 The Central Elections Committee voted 18-5 to bar the United Arab List and the Joint List from the ballot.
- Oct 2 Balad leader Sami Abu Shehadeh withdrew his candidacy following the court's indication it may approve a disqualification petition.
- Oct 3 Miliband pledged comprehensive sanctions and a ban on imports and services that support Israeli settlements.
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