Miliband tells Labour conference Gaza suffering is a ‘stain on the conscience of the world’
UK foreign secretary condemns the Netanyahu government's conduct in Gaza and the West Bank while defending Labour's sanctions on Israeli settlers.
What to know
- Miliband's remarks come weeks after his announcement of UK sanctions on Israeli settlers drew a 'Jew hate' accusation from US ambassador Mike Huckabee, which the White House did not echo.
- In the same speech Miliband distinguished opposition to antisemitism from criticism of the Netanyahu government, saying 'our argument is not with the people of Israel, but with the actions of its government'.
- He also criticised the UK government's own prior approach to the conflict, saying it had been 'reset' under Andy Burnham.
- Broadcasters (BBC, Al Jazeera) amplified the 'stain on the conscience of the world' line, while online reaction remains split over whether the conflict amounts to genocide or ethnic cleansing.
The dispute Whether the conflict should be characterized as genocide/ethnic cleansing by Israel or as a more complex dispute rooted in unresolved Palestinian claims to a right of return. · positions read across 2 posts and comments
Israeli actions in Gaza and the West Bank amount to genocide and ethnic cleansing.
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“I dunno, from where I am sitting the problem is that genocide and ethnic cleansing is happening in the 21st century.”
Due-Organization5777 · reddit ↗
Palestinian demands for a right of return to land now part of Israel are a core, unresolved obstacle to peace, complicating simple moral framing of the conflict.
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“You're right. The point is that they think "Israel" is also their country... Arafat was offered a deal mediated by the US president. And he walked away because it would mean certain death if he came home with a deal that didn't grant…”
MatchaMeetcha · reddit ↗
Ed Miliband UK Foreign Secretary
Mike Huckabee US Ambassador to Israel
Keir Starmer UK Prime Minister
Andy Burnham Referenced Labour figureNetanyahu government Government of Israel
How it unfolded 3 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesvideospostscomments
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Online commenters clash over 'genocide' framing of the conflict
Reddit commenters responding to coverage of the speech split between describing Israeli actions as genocide/ethnic cleansing and disputing the Palestinian claim to a right of return, reflecting deeper disagreement over the underlying conflict.
“But this cannot justify the suffering the Netanyahu government has inflicted in Gaza and the West Bank.”
— Ed Miliband, UK Foreign Secretary · source -
Like any other state Palestine doesn’t need a purpose, they simply want to exist without being prisoners in their own country You're right. The point is that they think "Israel" is also their country. Now, you can defend this morally if you like, but the upshot of this is that they also want that land/Jews not to be sovereign in a part of it…
1 more of the top 2 · 2 posts in this stretch
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I dunno, from where I am sitting the problem is that genocide and ethnic cleansing is happening in the 21st century.
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Miliband calls Gaza suffering a 'stain on the conscience of the world'
Speaking at the Labour Party conference, Miliband condemned Hamas's 2023 attack but said it 'cannot justify the suffering the Netanyahu government has inflicted in Gaza and the West Bank', calling for accountability over settler violence, war crimes and occupation.
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1 outlet first by Jewish News, 17h ago · read ↗
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Broadcasters amplify the 'stain on conscience' remark
BBC and Al Jazeera aired clips of Miliband's conference speech under headlines highlighting the 'stain on the conscience of the world' line, spreading the remark beyond the conference hall.
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background
Huckabee accuses Miliband of 'Jew hate' — US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee accused the Jewish foreign secretary of 'Jew hate' over the settler sanctions and said the Israeli government was 'turning a blind eye'; the White House did not openly condemn Miliband's move.
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background
Miliband unveils UK sanctions on Israeli settlers — Labour's foreign secretary announced plans to sanction Israeli settlers in the West Bank, prompting a strong reaction from Israeli and US officials.
