Miliband Defends UK-Israel Security Ties Amid Diplomatic Backlash Over West Bank Sanctions

Britain’s Foreign Secretary has insisted intelligence co-operation with Israel will continue, particularly on Iran, despite the diplomatic backlash over UK sanctions on illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank. Ed Miliband said on Wednesday he remained confident that the security agency relationship would survive Israel’s diplomatic retaliation.

On Tuesday, he accused Israel of “ethnic cleansing” in the occupied West Bank as a dozen countries backed restrictions on trade with settlements in response to rising attacks on Palestinians. The Conservatives warned that the decision could undermine a key relationship in fighting Tehran’s covert operations.

Security sources have told The National that information sharing between Mossad and British intelligence agencies had already “significantly dropped away” after the UK recognised a Palestinian state last year. But Mr Miliband said he was confident the relationship would endure, stating to the BBC that they have important intelligence and security relationships with Israel.

The foreign secretary, who oversees MI6, stressed that Britain would work with Israeli intelligence services against Iran and highlighted new UK sanctions announced this week that target Tehran’s nuclear programme and hostile activities.

However, Israel has announced sweeping retaliation against Britain for the settlement sanctions. It has given 30 days' notice for the British consulate in East Jerusalem to close, removed UK personnel from the Gaza support centre, ended British training of Palestinian Authority security forces, and barred 12 MPs from entering Israel.

While Mr Miliband conceded that the Israeli response was “regrettable and damaging”, he had anticipated retaliation but could not allow that to prevent Britain from acting against settlement expansion. He argued the measures were necessary because settlement expansion threatened to make a future Palestinian state impossible.

The government faces fierce criticism from British Jewish leaders, with Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis describing the sanctions as “a dark day for British Jews”. Mr Miliband, who is Jewish, rejected any suggestion that Britain’s policy amounted to hostility towards Israel, arguing the government wanted a “thriving relationship” despite relations reaching their lowest point in decades.