An Israeli government spokesman has sharply criticized British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, labeling him a "failed figure" and a "joke" whose policies "made Britain irrelevant" amid a dispute over the UK's ban on goods from Israeli settlements.
David Mencer, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a former Labour councillor, accused Miliband and Prime Minister Andy Burnham of acting due to "domestic political pressures." Mencer suggested the policy was an attempt to "outflank" the Green Party in the upcoming Holborn and St Pancras by-election.
Miliband announced earlier this week that Britain would ban the import of goods from illegal Israeli settlements, citing the need for a "new approach" to the West Bank due to Israel's advancement of the E1 settlement scheme. Critics have warned that the ban could amount to a "de facto boycott" of Israel, and the UK's chief rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, has stated the government's action could make British Jews less safe.
"I think this is a ridiculous policy. It's nakedly for domestic politics. Nothing to do with us here in Israel," Mencer told GB News. He added that the policy makes British Jews question their future in the UK and that "no one trusts them here in Israel, and I'm pretty sure that no one will trust Labour on the streets of Holborn and St Pancras."
Regarding Miliband's past performance, Mencer referenced his work on "Net Zero" and his "run to be PM" as "a joke." He argued that Miliband's current actions are "dragging the whole country down" and that Britain is "sacrificing the very influence which it actually wants." Mencer likened Britain's position to that of France, which he described as "mildly annoying but ultimately irrelevant."
In response to the UK's announcement, Israel closed the British consulate in East Jerusalem and banned 11 Members of Parliament from entering the country. Miliband stated on Sky News that he regretted Israel's actions but was "proud of what we did yesterday and it was the right thing to do." He also rejected suggestions that the government's stance emboldens anti-Semitism, stating that while more needs to be done to tackle it, "we can do that and stand up for British values."
