The National Jewish Assembly expresses deep concern over recent comments by UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who stated that the United Kingdom will take further punitive action against Israel if a ceasefire is not reached in Gaza. His remarks, made before the Foreign Affairs Committee on 8 July, represent a serious misjudgment of both the moral and strategic realities facing the State of Israel and the broader international community.
Israel is currently engaged in a war of necessity, not of choice, following the worst mass killing of Jews since the Holocaust on October 7, 2023. Hamas – a genocidal, theocratic terror organisation – still holds hostages, continues to fire rockets, and uses civilians as human shields. The UK, as a democratic ally, should be unequivocal in its support for Israel’s right to dismantle Hamas and to prevent such atrocities from ever recurring.
Mr Lammy’s warning that Britain may escalate diplomatic pressure or sanctions if Israel does not accede to a ceasefire – regardless of whether Hamas continues to hold captives or fire rockets – sends a chilling message: that Western democratic values are negotiable when political convenience demands it.
No democracy can be expected to halt its military operations in the middle of a war if doing so leaves its citizens under threat. It is not for Britain to dictate military timelines to a sovereign ally defending itself against an existential menace. Nor is it constructive to conflate political rhetoric by Israeli officials with policy, or to penalise a nation for waging a just war in defence of its people.
We urge the Foreign Secretary to reconsider this posture, which emboldens Israel’s enemies while alienating one of Britain’s closest strategic and democratic partners in the region.
Steve Winston, Managing Director of the NJA, commented: “This is a betrayal of reason and principle. Britain should stand with Israel, not punish it for defending its citizens against terror.”
The NJA calls for a principled and balanced UK foreign policy that recognises the unique security threats Israel faces and supports its right to defend its people and restore long-term peace and stability to the region.
