Labour’s student politics are jeopardising a vital security partnership. We are on the same side in the fight against Islamist terror
Daily Telegraph 08/10/26
As Israel marked the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks, it did so in the certain knowledge that the country has emerged from the trauma of the worst terrorist attack in its history by becoming the Middle East’s undisputed military superpower.
The Israelis have not only succeeded in destroying the Hamas terrorist infrastructure that enabled legions of fanatical jihadis to storm across their southern border and massacre around 1,200 people, while taking an additional 251 captives. They have also achieved the impressive feat of waging war on a number of fronts simultaneously. Not only have they played a prominent role in the Trump administration’s conflict with Iran, but they have conducted highly effective military campaigns of their own against Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon and Houthi rebels in Yemen.
What makes Israel’s military achievements all the more remarkable is that they have been accomplished by a country with a population of just over 10 million. Apart from the US, it is hard to imagine any other nation in the world that could successfully conduct military operations on a similar scale.
Russia, of course, has failed miserably to achieve its stated objectives in just one military campaign against Ukraine, despite boasting a population of around 150 million. The UK, meanwhile, has struggled to deploy a single warship to protect its interests in the Mediterranean.
All this should constitute a compelling argument in favour of Western leaders strengthening their ties with the Jewish state. This is particularly the case for the UK given its long and complex history of involvement in the Middle East. Indeed, prior to Labour taking power in 2024, the British government enjoyed strong intelligence and military ties with the Israelis, with the two countries cooperating closely at the highest level on issues of mutual interest, such as Iran’s nuclear ambitions and Islamist-inspired terrorism.
Yet, at a time when any responsible British government would be seeking to build on this valuable alliance, Andy Burnham’s administration appears hell-bent on pursuing the opposite course of action.
Not content with infuriating the Israelis with his ill-judged decision to impose sanctions on Israeli settlements, Foreign Secretary, Ed Miliband, may be preparing to double down on his confrontational stance by expelling 27 diplomats from the Israeli Embassy in London. The move, which would seriously undermine the Embassy’s ability to function as a diplomatic mission, would be in retaliation for Israel’s decision to close the British Consulate in Jerusalem, which was taken in response to Miliband’s original sanctions.
Miliband appears determined to maintain his antagonistic approach towards Israel, despite the recent revelation that the Israelis tipped off their British counterparts about the recent terror plot aimed at RAF Fairford, which has so far resulted in the arrest of seven suspects. While Miliband’s anti-Israel stance might appeal to Labour’s vocal pro-Palestinian lobby, his preference for puerile gesture politics will be counter-productive in so far as the UK’s broader national security interests are concerned.
Israel’s reluctance to engage constructively with the Burnham government was evident during last week’s visit to Israel by national security adviser Jonathan Powell, who personally lobbied his Israeli counterparts not to proceed with the closure of the British Consulate. Unsurprisingly, Powell found the Israelis were not in listening mood.
The collapse in relations between London and Jerusalem, moreover, could have far more profound consequences than the fall-out from the current diplomatic tit-for-tat.
Whether the Burnham government likes it or not, Iran views the UK as a hostile state, and feels thoroughly justified in targeting British interests, whether in the form of cyber attacks or terror plots. Israel’s intelligence on Iran’s global terror operations is second-to-none, and the UK’s ability to thwart Iran’s operations will be fatally compromised if the Israelis decide it is no longer in their interests to share key information with their erstwhile British friends.
Nor does it make any sense to alienate a vital ally like Israel given Britain’s vulnerability in areas such as missile defence, where the UK has much to learn from Israel’s Iron Dome arrangement. The Israelis have a proven track record of intercepting missile strikes launched from numerous fronts, including Yemen, Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. But they are unlikely to be willing to share their expertise with the UK so long as relations between London and Jerusalem remain on their current parlous footing.
The key issue Burnham and Miliband fail to grasp in their haste to pander to Labour’s anti-Israel Left-wing is that, when it comes to dealing with many of the threats we face today, the UK and Israel are on the same side, whether this concerns confronting the ayatollahs in Iran or tackling Islamist terror groups that seek to destroy our way of life.
In so many respects, Israel’s wars are our wars when it comes to defending basic Western values, such as democracy, freedom of expression and the rule of law. Miliband seems incapable of accepting that, in many areas, Israel is doing Britain’s dirty work for it. This means any action by British ministers that threatens this vital alliance will leave the UK, not Israel, the poorer for it.
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