Ed Miliband has been handed a clear warning by a Labour MP after slapping sanctions on Israel.
Speaking to GB News, Graham Stringer hit out at the “student union politics” from the Foreign Secretary, arguing it will “give license to people who want to attack Jews”.
Addressing MPs in the House of Commons today, Mr Miliband confirmed sanctions on trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
He said: “To those who finance or facilitate illegal settlements, let me say this. You will face the full force of UK sanctions.
“I can also announce we are sanctioning Lebanese Hezbollah’s financing arm, Al Qaeda al-Hassan.
“Iran must never have a nuclear weapon, so we are also acting this week to report Iran to the UN Security Council for its nuclear violations alongside our allies.”
Discussing the sanctions, Mr Stringer warned the Jewish community will feel “less safe” as a result.
He said: “I’m in no doubt really how the Jewish community feel after the announcement by Ed Miliband today. I am sure they will feel less safe.
“They were very worried when I was at Heaton Park Synagogue a few days ago and I agree with them.”
Mr Stringer argued the Government is “not considering the impact” of the sanctions on the UK Jewish community.
He told GB News: “I don’t think the Government is considering what impact this will have on the safety of the Jewish community in London, Leeds, Manchester and elsewhere.
“Nobody knows what was in the mind of the person who attacked the synagogue, but it would be surprising if the general atmosphere around the demonstrations have been in favour of Palestinians, in favour of Hamas, where chants are regularly made basically calling for genocide, for the killing of Jews and the elimination of Israel from the basically saying Israel should be deleted, finished.
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“It sort of gives a license to people who want to attack Jews, so that community is feeling very vulnerable. This is a bit of student union politics, really. It won’t bring peace any closer to Israel. It is just saying that it’s signifying a hostility to to Israel.”
Asked by host Miriam Cates if the move will “win back votes on the hard left”, Mr Stringer questioned whether it could be a “cynical ploy” by Mr Miliband.
He said: “You may be right; it may be a cynical ploy to get back Muslim votes, because there’s no doubt that that the position of the Government and the Labour Party in the Gorton by-election really had an impact on a large number of Muslims changing their vote from Labour to Green.
“I don’t know what the motivation is, but if that is the motivation, it’s wrong, because in the final analysis, I think it is better to stand on principle rather than make short-term tactical decisions.”
The Labour MP cautioned the Government it “cannot go back” on making “tactical decisions” to win voters.
He stressed: “If you do that, when the world changes, you can’t go back on tactical decisions, whereas you can if you’ve had a principled position; you can sustain that or explain why you’re changing.
“And I think if people are saying we should basically fish for Muslim votes by not having a principled position on Gaza and Israel, then I think we’re wrong.”
Mr Stringer admitted that a “two-state solution” looks “very distant” in the current state of affairs.
He concluded: “I don’t know how a solution is going to come about; a two-state solution looks very, very distant at the moment, but I think you have to keep a principled position.
“There is force on both sides, Hamas and Iran; Hezbollah all want to kill Jews and eliminate Israel. Giving any succour to that is a mistake.”
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