Ed Miliband has hit back this morning at the Chief Rabbi over criticism of his Israeli sanctions package announced yesterday. A day the Chief Rabbi described as “a dark day for Jews”…
Speaking on Sky News, Miliband said:
“I’m a proud British Jew, and I don’t agree with the Chief Rabbi.
“I have great respect for the chief rabbi, but I don’t agree with him, and I believe that it must be possible to do what we did yesterday, which is to stand up for British values of the rule of law, of dignity for people, of the prevention of injustice, and do so in a way, as I did yesterday, to say to anyone in our country who holds British Jews responsible for the actions of the Israeli government, that is antisemitism, pure and simple.”
Miliband then doubled down on the Today programme when asked directly if the Chief Rabbi was wrong: “Yes. I am saying I don’t agree with the Chief Rabbi, someone for whom I have great respect”…
From the mind that brought you Parliament’s ‘Summer of Sex‘…
The full list:
The British Consulate in Jerusalem has also been closed…
Cat Little is leaving the Cabinet Office as Permanent Secretary to take up the same role in BIST, which currently has an interim Permanent Secretary. She will remain in her current post until a successor is appointed. Guido first reported on rumours of Little’s move back in April, which were denied at the time. Become a Guido member to get all the gossip first…
The Jewish Leadership Council has published an icy statement in response to Ed Miliband’s sanctions on Israeli settlers:
“The government is simply yielding to pressure from the most extreme elements of British society. They will continue to push the government to take increasingly radical action against Israel, to the detriment of peace in the Middle East and community relations in the UK.
“The Left-wing and Islamist extremists the Government is trying to appease will never be satisfied, and no responsible government should bend to their demands.
“In the run up to the High Holy Days, placing this increased target on British Jews is deeply irresponsible.”
Not going down well in the States either…
Miliband’s sanctions in brief:
Burnham still hasn’t spoken to Netanyahu. And privately, British diplomats are trying to convince the US this package is nothing to worry about. Good luck with that…
Former Treasury minister and adviser to Burnham in the Makerfield campaign Lord Jim O’Neill, who has turned down a role in his government, said Burnham’s first statement Commons was:
“The last thing investors wanted to hear… gilt yields have risen by a 0.25% in one day, which is a lot. We’ve not had that since Liz Truss days… If your country is under the focus of ‘can they come up with a sensible fiscal strategy’ on a day when the markets think ‘well no, you’re not showing any sign of it’ you’re going to have a tough day…if it stays like this your mortgage rate is going up.”