Despite a strong groundswell of public opinion opposed to Israel’s actions in the Middle East, the UK’s governing Labour Party, in big trouble in the polls, remains unequivocally supportive of the Zionist state.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves declared herself “unapologetically” a Zionist in a landmark speech last week, underscoring that Labour’s support for Israel remains strong and unequivocal.
She insisted that the belief that there is something inherently wrong with Jewish self-determination must be wholeheartedly rejected as a core step in confronting antisemitism. Speaking at the Labour Friends of Israel annual lunch, Reeves warned that protests since the Gaza war began have often crossed into hate, prejudice, and outright antisemitism.
She cited the tearing down of hostage posters, chants such as “globalise the intifada,” and what she called conspiracy theories about a “Zionist lobby” as clear antisemitic acts that must be called out without hesitation. Reeves urged progressive supporters of Israel, regardless of criticism of particular Israeli governments, to say plainly and unapologetically, “I am a Zionist.”
The speech was widely welcomed by pro-Israel figures as a rare and impressive assertion of clarity in a difficult political climate. Reeves concluded by stressing that antisemitism is a crime, that gaslighting Jews only deepens the harm, and that Labour must confront hatred firmly in schools, on campuses, and on Britain’s streets. She made no mention of islamophobia and had no criticism to make of Israel, which has been accused by the UN of committing genocide.
Image courtesy Labour Friends of Israel
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