Ed Miliband's trade ban is in response to controversial settlement that risks killing off any hope of a two-state solution for Palestine
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By ANDREW JEHRING, CHIEF FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT and NOA SCHWARZ
Published: | Updated:
Britain's Jewish community last night warned that Labour's sanctions against Israeli settlements will embolden anti-Semites and extremists in the UK.
Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis declared yesterday's decision as 'truly a dark day for British Jews' at a time when they have never been more vulnerable.
There is also fury that Andy Burnham ignored 'significant concerns' raised directly with him by communal leaders last week that his policy will have 'unintended consequences'.
Community leaders were shocked that Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband chose to announce the policy just days before Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.
It is particularly painful given the festival ended with the Heaton Park synagogue terror attack in Manchester last year.
Labour life peer Lord Mendelsohn told the Daily Mail: 'This is a rather frightening and callous New Year's greeting for the Jewish community.'
He said the framing of Mr Miliband's statement was 'ugly and thoughtless' and will increase the 'appalling hostile environment for Jews in the UK'.
Tory life peer Lord Polak also took aim at the Foreign Secretary's choice of words to describe himself as 'proud Jew' when announcing the policy.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband unveiled the sanctions in the Commons on Tuesday
Britain is facing reprisals from the US and Israel as Andy Burnham imposes sanctions on West Bank settlements
Concern about Israeli settlements has been mounting for years. It has intensified following Israel's recent decision to open tenders for 1,200 homes east of Jerusalem, which would divide the West Bank
He said: 'For the Foreign Secretary to have the gall to begin his horrific speech that he is a proud British Jew is repugnant and an insult to thousands of really proud British Jews.
'I do not expect that Mr Miliband, as a "proud Jew", will reflect on Rosh Hashanah this weekend about how treacherous he has been to Israel and the Jewish community. The next two years will be sadly horrific.'
The Board of Deputies of British Jews said it followed the announcement with 'deep regret' and hit out at the timing.
A spokesman said: 'Before the Jewish New Year festival of Rosh Hashanah, with concerns for communal security at their highest levels, this will be felt particularly acutely by British Jews.
'As we have told both governments over recent weeks, the deteriorating relationship between the UK and Israel has the potential to negatively impact the two countries' security and their economies and further inflame community tensions here, too.'
There are also questions over why Mr Miliband did not wait until after the Israeli elections next month, given that the policy will take between six to nine months to implement.
A new government could come to power which would block the E1 settlements at the heart of the fallout – but Labour's announcement could serve only to embolden the hard-Right in Israel.
Meanwhile, The Jewish Labour Movement said: 'In just a matter of weeks, Israel heads to the polls in their first elections since the atrocities of October 7. Anything that feeds [Netanyahu's] bunker mentality politics could put that victory at risk. With stakes so high, we question the timing of this announcement.'
Prime Minister Mr Burnham met with leaders from across the Jewish community last week who warned him that the boycott could have 'unintended consequences' that 'marginalises and stigmatises British Jews'.
He held a 75-minute meeting in Downing Street with leaders including the president of the Board of Deputies and other figures from the Jewish
Leadership Committee and the Union of Jewish Students.
Afterwards they released a joint statement saying they 'conveyed significant concerns about the unintended consequences of policies the government is considering in relation to settlements'.
But yesterday it appeared that their appeal fell on deaf ears.
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