Miliband pledges tougher UK stance on Israel as activists demand 'words turn into action'

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband used his Labour conference speech on Monday to defend the government's sharp shift on Israel and Palestine, adopting some of the strongest language yet used by a senior British minister while acknowledging the pressure exerted by years of pro-Palestine campaigning.

Speaking in Liverpool, Miliband condemned the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October 2023 before turning to Israel’s onslaught on Gaza and escalating settler violence and occupation in the West Bank.

"This cannot justify the suffering the Netanyahu government has inflicted on Gaza and on the West Bank," Miliband said, describing it as "a stain on the conscience of the world".

He went on to describe Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank as "ethnic cleansing", cite "evidence of war crimes in Gaza" and condemn Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory as illegal.

Miliband also directly addressed the millions of people who have protested against Israel's war on Gaza and criticised Labour's response to it.

"I want to say, to the millions of people in this country, and elsewhere, who have been moved by the plight of the Palestinian people, we hear you, you were right," he told delegates.

His comments marked a striking change in tone from Labour's position during the early stages of the Gaza war, when the party under former leader Keir Starmer faced sustained criticism from human rights campaigners over its support for Israel.

Labour's position began shifting after taking office, including through the suspension of some arms export licences in 2024. Under Prime Minister Andy Burnham, the government has gone further, announcing measures this month targeting trade and economic activity linked to illegal Israeli settlements.

The government has said it will ban imports of goods from illegal settlements and target individuals and companies that support, facilitate or profit from settlement activity. Britain has also coordinated restrictions with countries including France and Canada.

Miliband praised Burnham's "reset" on Israel and Palestine, saying Labour would oppose efforts to undermine the possibility of a Palestinian state.

"When it comes to the attempt to destroy the two-state solution, this party, this movement, this government says 'we will not let you succeed'," he said.

But Palestinian solidarity groups said Miliband's acknowledgement of their campaign highlighted continuing contradictions in government policy.

Peter Leary, deputy director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), told The New Arab at the conference that Miliband was "correct to acknowledge" pro-Palestine activists. "Of course, we always knew we were on the right side of history. We're still right, and that's why we are continuing to call for meaningful action."

Leary described the government's sanctions against Israel and illegal settlements as "correct and long overdue", but said Miliband's speech was "full of contradictions".

He pointed to Britain's continued involvement in the supply chain for F-35 fighter jets used by Israel, despite Miliband's acknowledgement of evidence of war crimes in Gaza.

Leary also questioned the government's continued proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation while the foreign secretary was publicly thanking the wider pro-Palestine movement for pushing Labour to change course.

PSC said its protests would continue, with another march planned in London on 10 October.

Aseel Baidoun, deputy director of advocacy and communications at Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), also welcomed Miliband's acknowledgement of campaigners but said rhetoric needed to be followed by further government action.

"Now those words need to translate into action that changes the reality Palestinians are facing every day," Baidoun told The New Arab. "In Gaza, amidst genocide, Israel continues to block access to essential healthcare, medicines and basic supplies, while in the West Bank, violence, ethnic cleansing, and attacks on healthcare are escalating every year."

Baidoun called on the government to impose a comprehensive arms embargo on Israel, including ending the F-35 carve-out, and to support international legal mechanisms aimed at ensuring accountability.

The Labour government has maintained that its measures against settlement activity are intended to protect the viability of a two-state solution.

Earlier this month, Britain said it had concluded that Israel's continued occupation of Palestinian territory was unlawful and announced further measures targeting settlement activity.

Palestinian Ambassador to the UK Husam Zomlot also welcomed Miliband's remarks on Monday, crediting those who had continued campaigning over Gaza and Palestinian rights.

"Thank you to the millions of people in Britain and around the world who stood firmly on the side of justice, on the side of Palestine," he wrote on X.

Miliband sought to cast the shift as part of a wider change in Labour's foreign policy rather than an isolated response to Israel and Palestine.

"As a government, we can, must, and will succeed, because of, not in spite of, our progressive values," he said.

But for campaigners who spent years pressuring Labour to change its position, the focus is now on whether the government's increasingly forceful rhetoric towards Israel will be matched by further measures.