‘Continuity’ expected in UK foreign policy on Israel under Burnham
Likely next PM keen not to allow his stance on Israel to dominate his time as leader
Andy Burnham will resist calls from pro-Palestine campaigners to label Israel’s actions in Gaza a “genocide,” instead maintaining the current government stance that such determinations should be left to international experts and lawyers, Jewish News understands.
However, three sources familiar with Burnham’s views on this divisive foreign policy issue suggest he will also seek to show he “understands” the anger over Israel’s actions in Gaza following the October 7 Hamas attacks, and that he remains “profoundly concerned” about the ongoing suffering in the region.
With a major foreign policy speech expected in the coming weeks, sources suggest there will be no significant departure from UK foreign policy under Keir Starmer if, as now seems likely, Burnham becomes the next Prime Minister.
Burnham is said to be determined to offer “clarity” on his views regarding Israel and Palestine, but does not want the issue to define his leadership, particularly among the political left.
He also believes he can win back voters who have left Labour for the Greens, without adopting the divisive stance of Zack Polanski on the matter, sources confirmed.
One former senior government advisor pointed to the likely appointments of James Purnell as Burnham’s chief of staff and Donjeta Miftari as his foreign affairs advisor and communications director as clear indications that Burnham intends to follow a broadly similar international path to that of the Starmer government and other key allies in Europe and beyond.
Purnell’s previous role as chair of the Labour Friends of Israel organisation (2002–2004) and his time in Tony Blair’s cabinet have already been cited by far-left critics as signs that Burnham will take a “pro-Israel” stance.
However, Purnell’s current position on the Middle East remains largely unknown two decades later, though it is considered unlikely he now holds a hardline pro-Palestine stance.
Burnham has further signaled his foreign policy leanings by bringing in Miftari, who briefly worked for Starmer under Sue Grey before moving to the influential Hanbury Strategy agency.
She has now taken unpaid leave to help steer a clear path for Burnham.
While Miftari’s views on Israel are not widely known, she previously served as chief communications advisor to Vjosa Osmani, the former President of Kosovo.
Miftari’s tenure in the Kosovan Presidency coincided with a historic milestone: the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between Israel and Kosovo in early 2021.
One senior Labour figure told Jewish News, “All the signs point to continuity in Burnham’s approach to foreign policy.”
The source added: “It’s not as though issues like Palestine recognition are still outstanding; we are aligned with most of our allies on this front.
“I don’t see relations with Israel improving as long as the Netanyahu government remains in power. We will continue to take a firm stance on West Bank settlements and violence.
“In Gaza, we won’t shy away from the humanitarian crisis. On the question of genocide, I’m sure Andy will make it clear that he is not in a position to make that determination, but fully respects the authority of international experts to do so.”
The former Greater Manchester mayor and Makerfield MP is now widely expected to become the next Prime Minister on July 17, following a succession timetable for Keir Starmer that was approved by Labour’s ruling NEC on Thursday.
While Burnham’s domestic political instincts are well known, he has been less involved in foreign affairs. Since the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre, he has expressed solidarity with the Jewish state and engaged with pro-Palestine campaigners, voicing his “concerns” about the Gaza death toll without letting the issue define his tenure as a regional mayor.
He previously urged Starmer not to “brand” MPs who disagreed with his stance on Gaza as “disloyal,” and called for a ceasefire weeks before the Prime Minister did so.
Appearing on BBC Question Time during the Makerfield by-election campaign, Burnham declined to label the catastrophe in Gaza as genocide.
“I can’t judge matters of that enormity from my position as mayor of Greater Manchester,” he said. “But I do have concerns about the disproportionate destruction, and there must be a full process of investigation and accountability.”
Burnham has also made several supportive comments about Israel in the past, including his well-known pledge during his unsuccessful 2015 leadership campaign that his first foreign visit as leader would be to the Jewish state.
This is now highly unlikely if he becomes Prime Minister next month. However, in conversations with communal leaders in Greater Manchester, Burnham has reassured them that he understands the strong connection to Israel among many British Jews.
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