Sackman: It’s right the government has acted against settlements and settler violence

Justice minister and Finchley & Golders Green MP Sarah Sackman has told local voters “it is right that the UK government has acted against settlement expansion and abhorrent settler violence”.

In a statement published on her website the Jewish politician added Ed Miliband’s announcement of sanctions against Israel in the Commons has not changed the government’s overall commitment to combat antisemitism.

Stating that ahead of Rosh Hashanah she had “been reflecting on deeply felt and concerned correspondence from my constituents”, the minister added: “Many share my horror at the rise in settler violence in the West Bank, and settlement expansion that will, in the words of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, ‘practically erase’ the two-state solution.”

She added: “I refuse to give up on the prospect of peace, a safe and prosperous Israel alongside a viable Palestinian state, and it is right that the UK government has acted against settlement expansion and abhorrent settler violence.”

Defending the government’s intervention as an attempt to preserve the two-state solution, Sackman said it had also seen Andy Burnham’s government “renewing our commitment to combat antisemitism and come down hard on those who perpetrate it.”

She added: “In his statement yesterday, the Foreign Secretary affirmed that holding British Jews responsible for the actions of the Israeli Government is antisemitism, and those who deny Israel’s right to exist as a homeland for the Jewish people must be called out.”

But Sackman stressed: “Jewish people must be kept safe in Britain, and vibrant Jewish life must be cherished, rather than forced behind higher walls. Rosh Hashanah is a vital moment to renew our mission to combat antisemitism – a mission that is not just for the Jewish community, but for everyone in Britain.

“This week’s announcement does not change the Government’s commitment to combat antisemitism, nor my commitment as your local MP.

“The measures announced are designed to target the specific policies of the current Israeli Government that threaten the prospect of peace, not the people of Israel, nor British Jews.”

She continued: Legitimate criticism of Israeli government policy must never be allowed to cross the line into the targeting of Jews in Britain, and I will continue to work with the Prime Minister and the Home Office to combat antisemitism.”

In an admission that her own views did not chime with all in her seat, Sackman said: “I have relayed my constituents’ views to the Foreign Office, and will continue to share your views, including on vital religious exemptions.

“I know that views will differ. But I will continue to be steadfast, speaking up against anti-Jewish hatred, and working with my colleagues in Government to secure and celebrate vibrant Jewish life in Britain.”