The Labour Party, SNP and Liberal Democrat Party have all come out against a British embassy in Jerusalem. The opposition parties have each made statements this week amid concern that the UK government could announce the move following a review by Prime Minister Truss.
One opposition leader even described such a move as “a provocation”.
Over 50,000 CUFI supporters in the UK have so far called for the move.
A Labour spokesman for shadow foreign secretary David Lammy said, “Our position on this hasn’t changed, Labour does not support the move. We do not want the move to happen and we will oppose it.”
The spokesperson did not answer specifically whether Labour would reverse a potential location change were it to form the next government.
CUFI UK’s Executive Director, Des Starritt, said, “Whilst it is encouraging to see Labour turn a corner in its dealings with antisemitism in the party, it still has much work to do in its attitude towards Israel. Its shameful that the Jewish state should be singled out as the only country whose capital the UK refuses to recognise. The party clearly still has an Israel problem that it must resolve parallel to its rooting out antisemitism.”
Starritt continues, “We would like to see all political parties support a British embassy in Jerusalem. This really shouldn’t be a party-political issue. Jerusalem is Israel’s rightful capital and will continue to be. It is high time Britain recognised it as such.”
Tell Liz Truss to move the embassy – Click here
Layla Moran, the Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson, said, “Moving the UK embassy in Israel to Jerusalem would be a provocation. The UK should under no circumstances be taking steps which risk inflaming tensions and damaging the prospects of peace.”
Moran said she had written to James Cleverly, the foreign secretary, “to make clear that moving the embassy should only come as part of a negotiated peace settlement between Israel and Palestine.”
“This review should accordingly be stopped,” she said. “My energy is in stopping this move from happening in the first place.”
The Scottish National Party’s foreign affairs spokesperson, Alyn Smith also condemned Liz Truss’s plan to “review” the location as “inconsistent with international law and does nothing to help bring about a peaceful two-state solution.
We call upon the UK Government to officially recognise Jerusalem is Israel's capital and move its embassy to Jerusalem.
