David Miliband speaks of ‘fears’ over far-right Israeli government

David Miliband has warned that Benjamin Netanyahu’s new far-right Israeli government jeopardises both the character and pluralism of the country.

Speaking via video link to the Jewish Labour Movement’s annual conference, the former Labour foreign secretary said “the fear is” the Jewish democratic nature of Israel is “under threat” and under “rightful scrutiny.”

Miliband also warned the “redefinition of what it is to be a Jew is something very much on the agenda” of the new government, emerging from the “anti-pluralist theological wing of the government, but also from threats to the legal and judicial system.”

But asked by the journalist Jonathan Freedland whether he believed groups such as JLM should now refuse to engage with members of the Israeli government, Miliband said:”I have a strong bias towards engagement rather than boycotts.”

He added:”The caution I give is the purpose of engagement, the nature of engagement needs to be carefully thought through. It needs to be engagement for a purpose.”

Miliband said that while he was in office he engaged with the Iranian regime, but refused to visit, fearing to do so would have left him used as propaganda.”

Earlier at Sunday’s one day JLM conference Bambos Charalambous, Labour’s shadow middle east minister had discussed the party’s approach to issues such as Israel and Palestine under Keir Starmer.

He said he had been the first MP from the party post Corbyn to visit Israel, speaking in Tel Aviv and providing reassurance that Labour did support Israel’s right to exist, something that had been questioned under the previous leader.

Dame Louise Ellman questioned Charalambous on his approach to the region, reminding him of the toxic atmosphere under Corbyn.

The Enfield South MP said:”The party does want to see a prosperous Israel that is flourishing” a point he said had been “expressed countless times to Israel.”

But Charalambous added this would not prevent Labour from being critical of the new Israeli government adding we “need to be clear you can criticise without being antisemitic.”

The shadow minister pointed to the way Labour’s disciplinary processes had been improved under Starmer to ensure antisemites had no place in the party.

He also praised the implementation of the Abraham Accords, which had enabled Israel to achieve improved relations and trade with states in the Gulf and Morocco.