Miliband comes under fire after poor start fails to break with Starmer’s Gaza policy

Britain’s new foreign secretary, Ed Miliband, has come under fire for pledging to defend international law while describing Russia’s war in Ukraine as “illegal” but referring only to “conflict in the Middle East”, without condemning Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

New Prime Minister Andy Burnham appointed Miliband yesterday, replacing Yvette Cooper at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Miliband previously served as energy secretary under Keir Starmer’s government.  

In a statement following his appointment, Miliband promised to defend Britain’s “values of democracy, freedom and the rule of law on the world stage”.

However, critics highlighted the striking difference in the language he used to describe Russia and Israel.

“From Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine to conflict in the Middle East,” Miliband stated, before promising to stand “shoulder to shoulder” with Ukraine and work towards “a sustainable peace in Palestine and Israel”. His statement referred to the “terrible suffering” of Palestinians in Gaza but made no reference to genocide, occupation, Israeli war crimes or Britain’s role in arming and supporting Israel.  

Historical sociologist and genocide scholar Martin Shaw accused Miliband of compromising his professed commitment to international law before taking his first substantive steps as foreign secretary.

‘Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine’ but only ‘conflict in the Middle East’: Ed Miliband compromises his commitment to ‘international law’ before he has even got off the ground.

Let me put it right for you, Ed (and by the way, I knew your father, who you refer to—he was always for… https://t.co/Lmv1NaLwIn

— Martin Shaw (@martinshawx) July 20, 2026

“‘Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine’ but only ‘conflict in the Middle East’,” Shaw wrote. “Ed Miliband compromises his commitment to ‘international law’ before he has even got off the ground.”  

Shaw urged Miliband to use clear legal and political language, beginning with “Israel’s genocide in Gaza”. He also called on the foreign secretary to acknowledge what he described as the illegal US-Israeli war on Iran, Israel’s illegal occupations of Palestinian and Lebanese territory and Labour’s involvement in providing Israel with arms and surveillance information.

He further accused the previous Labour government of enabling US military action against Iran from British bases.

Referring to Miliband’s statement that his parents came to Britain as Jewish refugees from the Nazis, Shaw told him that he had known his father, the Marxist academic Ralph Miliband, who, he said, “was always for calling things by their proper names”.

The criticism presents an immediate test for Burnham, who has sought to repair the damage caused by Labour’s support for Israel under Starmer.

Before entering Downing Street, Burnham apologised for Labour’s initial response to Gaza, admitting that the party “got it wrong” and that Britain had been too slow to call for a ceasefire. He proposed further sanctions against Israelis involved in violence and a possible ban on trade in goods from illegal settlements. Many saw his intervention as an attempt to repair the damage caused by Starmer’s stance. 

READ: Palestinian Forum in Britain welcomes Andy Burnham’s remarks on Gaza and Palestine

However, Burnham stopped short of recognising Israel’s actions as genocide. He acknowledged “increasing evidence” of war crimes but insisted that the final determination belonged to international courts rather than politicians.

Critics have challenged that explanation as a selective application of international law. Green Party deputy leader Mothin Ali argued that Burnham would readily describe Russian actions in Ukraine as war crimes but “hides behind the international courts” when confronted with Israel’s conduct in Gaza.

Ali warned that governments have a duty to prevent genocide rather than wait until the killing has ended before acknowledging it. He also argued that formally recognising British knowledge of Israeli war crimes would raise unavoidable questions about arms exports and other forms of UK support.  

The International Court of Justice has not yet delivered its final judgment in South Africa’s genocide case against Israel, which remains ongoing. Nevertheless, Amnesty International, Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem and the International Association of Genocide Scholars have concluded that Israel’s conduct meets the legal definition of genocide.  

Burnham’s apology has thus far failed to satisfy campaigners demanding a complete break with his predecessor. Protesters gathered in London shortly before he entered Downing Street to demand comprehensive sanctions on Israel, while Palestinian and human rights groups have called for an end to arms transfers, military cooperation and trade linked to the occupation.  

Here, the new Foreign Secretary rightly says Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is “illegal”.

He says no such thing about Israel’s genocide.

Burnham has said it’ll be the courts who will decide on war crimes in Gaza.

Yet by stating that Russia’s war is illegal, Miliband accidentally… https://t.co/hfmfLMQWFO

— Owen Jones (@owenjonesjourno) July 20, 2026

Critics commenting on Miliband’s opening statement have pointed out that the change in Labour leadership has not yet produced the promised transformation in foreign policy. By naming Russian illegality while obscuring Israeli crimes beneath the neutral language of “conflict”, the new foreign secretary is seen as having reinforced accusations that Britain’s commitment to international law remains conditional on the identity of the state accused of violating it. 

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