Did you know that the UK Parliament is obsessed with Israel? We had a feeling it might be, but it appears Israel is debated more than some key domestic topics.
In this article:
- Parliament has been called out for discussing Israel more than key domestic issues.
- How this Israel obsession could be fuelling antisemitism in Britain.
- Hypocrisy as the UK sanctions Israelis to target those “fuelling violence” whilst at the same time giving £10 million to the Palestinian Authority, which is itself still fuelling violence.
We should not be surprised that Israel is a key topic of debate in Parliament. God said He would make Jerusalem a “heavy stone” for all nations, and that includes our own. When our government decided to recognise a Palestinian state, it effectively split Jerusalem in two and turned against God Almighty.
Now, as the UK grapples with numerous domestic problems, Parliament is being called out for its Israel obsession.
Lord Ian Austin this week explained: “Over the last few years, Parliament has discussed Israel more than any other issue, not just any international issue, more than any domestic issue: more than the economy, unemployment, crime, the NHS.”
He continued, “The public out there look at Parliament and think this is utterly mad, utterly, utterly mad.”
Is this anti-Israel obsession a sign of antisemitism?
Lord Austin also made an important point about the UK’s seeming obsession with the only Jewish nation on earth and highlighted how this could fuel antisemitism.
“Does Parliament not understand that singling out the world’s only Jewish state, holding it to standards not applied to anywhere else, falsely accusing Israel of committing these terrible crimes? This is bound to drive hostility towards people who are identified with Israel, which is the vast majority of the Jewish community, and I have to say this is why I believe Parliament is playing a large role in driving the explosion of anti-Semitism that we’ve seen on the streets of Britain.”
Excellent from @LordIanAustin on yet ANOTHER debate on the evils of Israel:
As he says: ‘Over the last few years, Parliament has discussed Israel more than any other issue, not just any international issue, more than any domestic issue: more than the economy, unemployment,… pic.twitter.com/q0q10CSWXe
— Nicole Lampert (@nicolelampert) June 10, 2026
Lord Austin is quite correct. Parliament’s singling out of Israel is problematic.
The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism states that the singling out of Israel and holding it to different standards is a form of antisemitism.
Is Parliament fuelling antisemitism in the UK?
The rhetoric coming from inside parliament is likely fuelling antisemitism in the wider public. We would argue there is an antisemitism crisis in the UK. Jews are increasingly fearful of walking around in public wearing visibly Jewish clothing, especially following terror stabbings against Jews. Numerous Jewish establishments have been targeted in attacks, including a spree of arson attacks that rocked the Jewish community.
Parliament has to take responsibility for this. Antisemitism breeds antisemitism, and as the saying goes, the fish rots from the head down.
The UK government cannot expect to be able to fix the problem of antisemitism in the streets when it cannot even acknowledge its own biases against Israel.
The government’s hypocrisy in Judea and Samaria
An outworking of antisemitism is a bias against Jews. It could be argued that the way the UK government treats Jews living in Judea and Samaria (West Bank) is different to how it treats Arabs living in the area.
This week, the UK government imposed sanctions on Israeli “Settlers” in Judea and Samaria.
The UK, together with the governments of Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand and Norway, delivered what they said were “coordinated sanctions against networks financing and enabling settler attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank”.
The Government also “firmly advises British businesses against activity in illegal Israeli settlements.”
UK Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper said that “these measures show the UK is leading with our partners to target those who are fuelling this violence.”
At CUFI, we are praying for peace and reconciliation between Israel and the Palestinians. We acknowledge that there are issues within certain groups. Violence is not the answer to solving disputes. Likewise, it is important that we point out that not every Israeli who lives in Judea and Samaria is an extremist ‘Settler’. This is a mischaracterisation, and we would argue a demonisation of Jews living in their ancient homeland. Most Israelis, including those living in Judea and Samaria, support peace.
Just as violence is not the answer, neither is singling out one group whilst rewarding the other.
Here’s the problem: At the same time the government announced sanctions against Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria, the UK Government also announced a £10 million aid package to fund the Palestinian Authority (PA).
This is the same Palestinian Authority that funds terrorism against Israelis and celebrates violence against Jews.
The PA continues to fund and glorify terror
The Palestinian Authority’s open policy of rewarding terrorism has long been ignored by Western governments. Hundreds of millions of pounds have been spent by the PA to pay the salaries of terrorists, both prisoners held in Israelis jails, and even to the widows of those who have died carrying out terror attacks. It seems the one way for a Palestinian to guarantee an income, even after death, is to murder a Jew. It is state-funded terror. And even though the PA is strapped for cash, Abbas has said many times that even if they only had one penny left, it would go to the prisoners and martyrs fund.
In April, Fatah, the ruling party of the PA, announced that terrorists who serve 20 years in an Israeli prison will be granted leadership positions. To be clear, those serving such long sentences are those who are responsible for killing Israelis.
In May, PA TV broadcast a prayer from Shariah Judge Abdallah Harb, where he called for all Israelis to be killed: “O Allah… grant us victory over the infidel people… Do not leave an oppressor without crushing him. O Allah, strike Your enemies and the enemies of Your religion… O Allah, count them, and kill them one by one, and do not leave even one.”
This comes after Fatah Central Committee Secretary Jibril Rajoub said: “The most sacred thing in the eyes of the Palestinians is those who sacrificed their lives and their freedom – our Martyrs.”
Rajoub is also the head of the Palestinian Football Association and made headlines this week because he couldn’t attend the World Cup.
As is expected, news stories painted Rajoub as a victim of unfair treatment. However, it should not be a surprise that a terror supporter was barred from entering the US. We would hope the same would happen if he were trying to travel to Europe.
The UK Governemnt is not solving problems, it’s fuelling them
As mentioned earlier, the UK proclaimed that its actions were to stop those fuelling violence, but the reality is that the UK is itself funding those who fuel violence.
Likewise, the government regularly says that it is doing all it can to tackle the antisemitism crisis in Britain, but is itself obsessing over Israel and contributing to the environment of antisemitism and anti-Israel hatred.
Our nation is in great peril because of two main things: its abandonment of our Judeo-Christian roots and its treatment of Israel and the Jewish people. The government needs to get its house in order. God will not hold our nation guiltless. He promised to bless those who bless Israel and to curse those who curse Israel.
Britain is far from being a blessing to Israel and the Jewish people. Christians must raise our voices and guide our nation back to Biblical truth before it is too late.
