In a recent interview with The Guardian, Burnham said there was “increasing evidence that war crimes appear to have been committed” in Gaza, but stressed that “it must be for the international courts to determine, rather than politicians.”
He called for consideration of “further sanctions” on Israel and said Britain should examine measures “to ban trade in goods with illegal settlements.”µ
Ed Miliband, son of Holocaust survivors, named Foreign Minister.
Andy Burnham has become Britain’s nex Prime Minister on Monday, making him the country’s seventh leader since 2016.
He replaces Keir Starmer who resigned following mounting internal pressure and a series of political setbacks.
Burnham, 56, is the former mayor of Greater Manchester. He was elected leader of the governing Labour Party on July 17 after running unopposed. He secured the backing of Labour lawmakers and party affiliates after Starmer announced he would step down as party leader last month.
In his first remarks outside 10 Downing Street, the prime minister’s official residence and office, Burnham vowed to “make this moment a circuit breaker for Britain.”
He did not mention Israel in his first speech as Prime Minister but he recently told The Guardian that many people believed Starmer’s government “didn’t get it right” in its response to Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.
“I am sorry about that. The response has too often not been good enough. We need to do better,” he said.
Burnham also said there was “increasing evidence that war crimes appear to have been committed” in Gaza, but stressed that “it must be for the international courts to determine, rather than politicians.”
He called for consideration of “further sanctions” on Israel and said Britain should examine measures “to ban trade in goods with illegal settlements.”
There is “no contradiction between a zero-tolerance approach to antisemitism and holding the Netanyahu government to account,” he said. “I will always take a fair and balanced approach and stand up for what is right.”
Phil Rosenberg, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, congratulated Burnham on Monday.
“We welcome his early commitment to tackling antisemitism, and will work with his administration towards the UK playing its strongest role in global peace and security,” Rosenberg stated.
Ephraim Mirvis, chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, also welcomed Burnham’s appointment.
Burnham “assumes the immense responsibility of leadership at a time of great challenge, both at home and abroad,” Mirvis stated. “May he be blessed with the wisdom, strength and good judgment to keep our country safe and may his service bring prosperity and harmony for all.”
Ed Miliband, new Foreign Minister
Andy Burnham has made Ed Miliband his Foreign Secretary (Minister) in a decision that will provoke sharp reactions among Jewish communal leaders, writes Jewish News.
In a statement after his role was confirmed Miliband identified continuing support for Ukraine, maintaining the special relationship with the US, achieving a “sustainable peace in Palestine and Israel” and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz as defining commitments in his new role as foreign secretary.
In a statement on social media, Miliband, who was once leader of the Labour party, said the Foreign Office will be at “the forefront of issues which pose profound and substantial threats to justice and equality in Britain”, like the climate crisis and international development.
Born to parents who fled Nazi Europe, he is a self-described atheist with ambiguous relationship to Israel, the Jewish Chronicle reported.
His mother Marion, who died aged 91 in May, survived the Second World War in her native Poland thanks to the “kindness and generosity of acquaintances in Warsaw”. Some 60 members of her extended family, including her father, were murdered by the Nazis.
His father Ralph Miliband also came from a Jewish family originally from Poland, but was born in Belgium. Fleeing Nazi persecution in 1940 he arrived in Britain aged 16 and went on to serve in the Royal Navy.
Both Ralph and Marion had extensive backgrounds in academia and activism with leftward political leanings.
Marion, meanwhile, was a longstanding human rights campaigner and a signatory of the founding statement for activist group ‘’ Jews for Justice for Palestinians.’’