Andy Burnham has been hit by backlash from Jewish leaders who say they have “significant concerns” over his indication he will oversee a tougher policy on Israel in support of Gaza.
The prime minister-in-waiting issued a video on social media on Thursday in which he apologised for Labour’s previous response to the violence in Gaza, and admitted that the government had been too slow in calling for a ceasefire.
In the video, he said: “I know many people feel that at the start of Israel’s military action in Gaza, my party didn’t get it right – and I am sorry about that. The response has too often not been good enough. We need to do better.”
While the statement has been welcomed by many in the Labour party, the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council expressed concern over the comments on Friday.
“We have been in touch with Andy Burnham’s team to convey directly our significant concerns in relation to his remarks yesterday,” the groups said in a statement.
“We welcome his zero tolerance approach to antisemitism, affirm his assertion that there is no contradiction between fighting antisemitism and disagreeing with actions of the Israeli government, and share concern for the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
“However, antisemitism cannot be confronted without addressing all its drivers. In today’s Britain, this includes Islamist, far-left and far-right extremists who go beyond criticism of the Israeli government to a place of hatred directed at Jews and Israelis.”
In his video, Mr Burnham apologised for Labour’s initial response to Israel’s military action in Gaza, admitting that the party “didn’t get it right”.
The intervention is significant, and signals a break from the approach of the Starmer government, which insisted that Israel “has a right to defend itself”.
It means that arms sales to Israel could be banned under Mr Burnham’s leadership, while it is understood that Foreign Office ministers are already looking at ways of preventing goods and services from the settlements making it into the UK, without a knock-on effect on legitimate trade with Israel.
Mr Burnham also tried to signal that he would not accept antisemitism in the party, and again strongly condemned the 7 October attacks on Israel, as well as terrorist attacks on synagogues and Jewish people in Golders Green in London, and in Heaton Park in Manchester.
But the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council added that critics use “distorted or one-sided portrayals of the situation in Gaza” to “single out the world’s only Jewish state”.
“The awful situation in the Gaza Strip and the suffering of innocent Palestinians cannot be understood without reference to the role of Hamas not only in launching the conflict but in perpetuating the war through the holding of hostages, war-fighting entirely from within the civilian population, and ongoing refusal to cede power and disarm, in line with the 20-point peace plan.”
Mr Burnham, who is expected to take over as prime minister on 20 July, said the party needs to “do better” under his leadership and that he would put more pressure on the Israeli government through sanctions on both individuals and entities, as he sought to win back voters who had abandoned the party over its position on Gaza.
“We’ve got to do more to put pressure on the Israeli government… Yes, we have taken some important steps… But let’s be honest, the UK was too slow to call for a ceasefire. And we must now do more to strengthen our approach.”
It came as nominations opened on Thursday to replace Sir Keir Starmer as leader of the Labour Party, with Mr Burnham so far the only candidate coming forward.
After Mr Burnham nominated himself, a series of Labour MPs posted their nomination forms for him on X in a sign of solidarity. Mr Burnham requires just one more MP to nominate him to make it mathematically impossible for anyone to stand against him and Home Office minister Mike Tapp said he would back him when the Commons returns on Monday.
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