Kemi Badenoch brands Starmer 'careless' after Netanyahu accuses PM of being on the 'wrong side of history' over Gaza

23 May 2025, 17:37 | Updated: 24 May 2025, 23:09

Kemi Badenoch has criticised Sir Keir Starmer's comments on Gaza as "careless", after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was on the "wrong side of history".

Ms Badenoch was asked whether she agrees with Mr Netanyahu that Sir Keir, along with French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, are on the wrong side of history with their statement criticising Israel's activity in Gaza.

She told LBC she thinks they have "been a bit careless", adding: "I think they've rushed out and put out a statement without thinking about the repercussions. I would not have done that."

The Conservative Party leader said: "I think we saw the shooting in (Washington) D.C. of those two Israeli embassy staff, young people just starting out their lives (which) shows that anti-Semitism is a real problem.

"And that is why a lot of Jewish people are scared. It is why a lot of the people in Israel are worried.

"But the thing that struck me the most was who congratulated Keir Starmer and Mark Carney for the statements and their actions? It was Hamas. That's a terrorist group."

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The disagreement between the world leaders started when Sir Keir, Mr Carney and Mr Macron signed a joint letter condemning Israel's military action and blockade of aid into Gaza.

The three leaders opposed the expansion of Israel’s military operations in Gaza, and said the level of human suffering in Gaza is "intolerable".

They said the Israeli government’s denial of aid “is unacceptable and risks breaching international humanitarian law”.

The leaders also called on Hamas to release the hostages it took in the “heinous attack” on October 7, 2023.

After a young Israeli couple were shot dead in an attack outside the Jewish Museum in Washington DC, Mr Netanyahu released a statement criticising the joint statement from the three world leaders.

Mr Netanyahu said: "I could never understand how this simple truth evades the leaders of France, Britain, Canada, and others. They're now proposing to establish a Palestinian state and reward these murders with the ultimate prize.

"Well, for 18 years, we had a de facto Palestinian state. It's called Gaza. And what did we get? Peace? No, we got the most savage slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust.

"You won't be surprised to learn that Hamas thanked President Macron and Prime Minister Starmer and Carney for demanding that Israel end its war in Gaza immediately.

"Hamas was right to thank them, because by issuing their demand, replete with a threat of sanctions against Israel, against Israel, not Hamas, these three leaders effectively said they want Hamas to remain in power.

"They want Israel to stand down and accept that Hamas's army of mass murderers will survive, rebuild, and repeat the October 7th massacre again and again and again. Because that's what Hamas has vowed to do."

Mr Netanyahu went on to address the world leaders directly.

He said: "I say to President Macron, Prime Minister Carney, and Prime Minister Starmer, when mass murderers, rapists, baby killers, and kidnappers thank you, you're on the wrong side of justice, you're on the wrong side of humanity, and you're on the wrong side of history."