Burnham hit with backlash from Jewish groups over apology over Labour's Gaza stance
Andy Burnham has been hit with backlash from Jewish groups over his apology for Labour's initial stance to the war in Gaza.
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The PM-in-waiting issued a sincere video statement on Thursday in which he apologised for Labour's response to the conflict in the immediate aftermath of the October 7, 2023 attacks.
In the video, he said: “I know many people feel that at the start of Israel’s military action in Gaza, my party didn’t get it right – and I am sorry about that. The response has too often not been good enough. We need to do better.”
The statement was welcomed by many in the Labour party, but the Board of Deputies of British Jews, as well as the Jewish Leadership Council have expressed concerns over his comments.
Read More: Burnham apologises for Labour’s response to Gaza conflict, but stops short of genocide claim
In a joint statement, the groups said: “We have been in touch with Andy Burnham’s team to convey directly our significant concerns in relation to his remarks yesterday.
“We welcome his zero tolerance approach to antisemitism, affirm his assertion that there is no contradiction between fighting antisemitism and disagreeing with actions of the Israeli government, and share concern for the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
“However, antisemitism cannot be confronted without addressing all its drivers. In today’s Britain, this includes Islamist, far-left and far-right extremists who go beyond criticism of the Israeli government to a place of hatred directed at Jews and Israelis.”
The video has sparked fears that Burnham's government could take a much tougher stance on Israel, including a ban on arms sales.
Burnham said: “We’ve got to do more to put pressure on the Israeli government... Yes, we have taken some important steps... But let’s be honest, the UK was too slow to call for a ceasefire.
"And we must now do more to strengthen our approach.”