UK Labour leader 'welcomes Israel-Arab diplomatic normalization'

• Author: JEREMY SHARON
• Published date: 29 September 2021

His comments were made to the Labour Friends of Israel lobbying group during the current Labour Party annual conference, and came following a motion passed by delegates calling for an arms boycott and other sanctions against Israel for its policies toward the Palestinians.

"We must bring people together... not drive them apart with boycotts. That's the path forward for Israelis and Palestinians," said Starmer, although it is unclear exactly when his comments were recorded.

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"Labour welcomes the Abraham Accords and the growing diplomatic normalization between Israel and its Arab neighbors. This will enhance prosperity and security for all peoples across the region."

Starmer praised the new Israeli government for including an Arab party, Ra'am, in the coalition, and said that he is "encouraged by the steps the government is taking to repair relations with the Palestinian Authority and its proposals to tackle the terrible plight of the people of Gaza."

He added that he is seeking to visit Israel as soon as possible, and that he is "committed to doing all I can to continue rebuilding the important bond with our friends in Israel."

He also noted his work to remove antisemitism from the Labour Party's ranks, which became an ongoing problem under the tenure of former leader Jeremy Corbyn. He said, however, that "our work to tear antisemitism out by its roots must continue."

On Monday, the conference approved a motion calling for an arms boycott of Israel, trade sanctions against Israeli settlements, and an implicit call for Palestinian refugees to return to Israel.

The motion further demanded "effective measures, including sanctions," against Israeli policy in Gaza, the West Bank, and in the West Bank settlements, and approvingly recalled the designation of Israel as an apartheid state by trade unions and human rights groups.

The motion was, however, criticized by senior Labour MP and shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy, who said it was not balanced and that the party could not support it.

Passage of the motion comes amid efforts by Starmer to combat the antisemitism that took root in the party during Corbyn's tenure, much of which emanated from far-left, anti-Zionist elements.

"Conference condemns the ongoing Nakba in Palestine, Israel's militarized violence attacking al-Aqsa Mosque, the forced displacements from Sheikh Jarrah...