The UK has suspended trade deal negotiations with Israel over its military operations in Gaza. Foreign secretary David Lammy told the Commons:
“We have suspended negotiations with this Israeli government on a new free trade agreement. We will be reviewing co-operation with them under the 2030 bilateral roadmap. The Netanyahu government’s actions have made this necessary. I say now to the people of Israel, we want I want a strong friendship with you based on shared values and with flourishing ties between our people and societies. The conduct of the war in Gaza is damaging our relationship with your government. And as the prime minister has said, if Israel pursues this military offensive as it has threatened failing to ensure the unhindered provision of aid, we will take further action in response.”
The Israeli ambassador has been summoned to the Foreign Office in London. A big escalation…
UPDATE: An Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson said:
“If, due to anti-Israel obsession and domestic political considerations, the British government is willing to harm the British economy – that is its own prerogative. External pressure will not divert Israel from its path in defending its existence and security against enemies who seek its destruction.”
Lucy Powell told Sky News that the Ed Miliband-Russell Brand interview happened in part because the ‘social media age’ had not begun by 2015:
“Look, I mean, he approached the Labour Party, he approached the campaign team, and we’re in very different times now. We weren’t in the social media age at the time – where you could maybe search things up and see allegations about somebody at the time. and as I say, if there was any suggestion at all, we were dealing with someone who was a known sexual predator at the time, then, of course, you know, no one would have done that. But as I say, he was a well known public figure. Lots of people from Hollywood to the BBC to many others gave this person a very, very powerful platform. And we didn’t know at the time, unfortunately. It was a different era.”