The National Jewish Assembly (NJA) strongly condemns Early Day Motion 864, tabled by Richard Burgon MP and supported by over 50 MPs, calling for sanctions on Israel.
EDM 864 paints a one-sided picture of Israel’s recent security operations, omitting entirely the role of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other terror groups operating within civilian infrastructure. It ignores the fact that these operations have followed months of escalating terror attacks, and that the IDF’s objective has been to dismantle terrorist networks – not to “occupy” for the sake of domination.
But the problem is not just the content of the motion – it is the person leading it. Richard Burgon is no impartial observer of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In 2014, he declared that “Zionism is the enemy of peace and the enemy of the Palestinian people.” He denied ever saying it – until video evidence emerged proving otherwise. Only then did he issue a half-hearted expression of “regret,” hiding behind platitudes and claiming the phrase “does not reflect how I now think about this complex issue.”
Yet now, in 2025, he leads a motion that once again singles out the Jewish state, ignores context, and echoes the language of delegitimisation. There is no mention in EDM 864 of the October 7th massacre, the most savage pogrom of Jews since the Holocaust. There is no recognition of the trauma faced by Israeli civilians, nor of the grotesque abuse of Palestinians by Hamas.
Steve Winston, Managing Director of the NJA, said: “Richard Burgon’s motion is a disgrace to Parliament and a betrayal of the truth. It deliberately whitewashes terror, demonises a democratic ally, and insults British Jews by framing Israel’s right to self-defence as a crime. It is a morally bankrupt document drafted by someone with a long and troubling record of anti-Israel rhetoric. Parliament should reject it out of hand.”
The NJA urges all responsible MPs to refuse association with this motion and to reaffirm their support for Israel’s right to defend itself.
