Rabbi Leo Dee accuses Labour of double standards over settlement boycott and PA pay-for-slay scheme
Rabbi Leo Dee, whose wife and daughters were killed in a West Bank attack, slammed Labour leaders Andy Burnham and Ed Miliband for boycotting Israeli settlement products while ignoring the Palestinian Authority's pay-for-slay payments to terrorists' families.
Rabbi Leo Dee, whose wife Lucy and daughters Maia and Rina were killed by Palestinian gunmen in the Jordan Valley in April 2023, has publicly denounced Labour leaders Andy Burnham and Ed Miliband for what he calls a hypocritical stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Dee argues that the party's decision to boycott products from Israeli settlements unfairly targets Jewish Israelis while ignoring the Palestinian Authority's "pay-for-slay" programme that grants families of convicted terrorists substantial annual sums.
He notes that the families of the attackers responsible for his own loss now receive payments from the PA, a policy he says is funded in part by British aid. Dee also referenced criticism from Sir Ephraim Mirvis and the chief rabbi, and reiterated his willingness to debate Burnham on the issue. He emphasized that Palestinian terrorism has killed thousands of Israelis, yet British policy appears to punish Israeli civilians rather than address the financial incentives for Palestinian militants. The rabbi's remarks come amid ongoing debate in the UK over trade restrictions on settlement products and broader support for the PA and UNRWA.
How this story developed
- Sep 1 EU debates ban on settlement products as Israeli forces raze West Bank homes
- Sep 7 Lebanese President Joseph Aoun urged the US and the international community to help stop Israeli attacks after the strikes killed at least four people.
- Sep 7 Ed Miliband said Britain would ban goods from West Bank settlements and sanction firms supporting settlement expansion, citing evidence of war crimes and the need for a two-state solution. Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis warned the policy could increase anti-Semitic attacks on the UK Jewish community. Conservative minister Kemi Badenoch and other Tory leaders accused Labour of political posturing that could strain relations with Israel and the United States.
- Sep 7 Latest reports put the civilian death toll at up to twelve.
- Sep 7 Ed Miliband indicated the UK will announce the settlement trade ban this week.
- Sep 7 Britain plans to introduce extensive economic restrictions on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including a trade ban on settlement-produced goods.
- Sep 8 The UK government announced a fast‑track plan to ban imports from Israeli settlements.
- Sep 8 Updated reports put the death toll at up to 12 and note the death of an 18‑year‑old rescue worker.
- Sep 8 Israel closed the UK consulate in East Jerusalem and barred British MPs and officials from entering Israel.
- Sep 8 US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee suggested the Trump administration could retaliate against Britain over its new trade sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements.
- Sep 8 Canada and a dozen European countries announced coordinated bans on settlement products.
- Sep 9 UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese called the UK settlement trade ban a tentative step and urged broader sanctions.
- Sep 9 UK joined eleven other countries in imposing a ban on West Bank settlement products.
- Sep 9 The sanctions were announced immediately before the start of Rosh Hashanah.
Related stories
28 in this thread