New Foreign Secretary indicates tougher approach to new settlements
September 2026
Ed Miliband, the Foreign Secretary has stated in the Commons that the government is prepared to adopt a tougher approach to the proposed new E1 settlement on the West Bank. This highly contentious development is particularly important because it splits the area into two parts thus making any prospect of a viable Palestinian state near impossible.
Israel has just issued tenders for the development of part of the project consisting of around 1,200 homes covering some 4.5 sq miles. Miliband joins a number of other states criticising Israel including Germany which has up to now, been a firm supporter. The UK has joined around 20 other countries and the European Union claiming the development to be unacceptable.
Government ministers have been under increasing pressure to take a firmer stance in relation to Israel. Andy Burnham has apologised for the previous stance of the Labour government. The ever increasing settler violence as well as the destruction of great swathes of Gaza is becoming harder to ignore politically. The encroachment is increasing all the time with over 60% of the land under Israeli control. There are now 2 million Palestinians living in an area of 150 sq km. This is approximately the same area as Havant in Hampshire which has a population of 127,000.
The Israeli embassy has referred to previous comments by the Ambassador saying ‘If Britain acts against the state of Israel, the state of Israel will act against Britain. We have the tools.” The Jewish Chronicle repeated this warning.
Erasure
Amira Hass, writing in the Ha’aretz newspaper (September 1st) quoting the opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot says:
“Erasure is the nightmare solution being written into reality every day. Knesset laws, politicians’ declarations, military orders, school textbooks and the holy real estate battalions operating in Gaza, the West Bank and the Negev all work, together and separately, to advance this “solution” diligently and without fear of international condemnation.”
Some argue that genocide, and the elimination of all Palestinians from Israel, has always been the policy of the government. As the Jewish writer Omar Bartov writes:
” […] for the past two years Israel has engaged in a genocidal operation in Gaza and all he indications are this was part of an intentional policy consistent with political and military rhetoric meant to “encourage” Palestinians to leave the Strip altogether (p 190)” [1]
The theme of the elimination of all Palestinians is amply described in the Jewish academic Ilan Pappe’s book The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine [2]. He notes that right from the start, Ben-Gurion led the Zionist movement to achieve ‘absolute Jewish domination’ of Palestine (p23 ff).
The grim toll of death continues in Gaza with the death toll now put at over 73,000, including 12,500 women, over 20,000 children and 174,500 injured.
The change in stance by the UK government is welcome. As the Ha’aretz article notes, the overwhelming military power possessed by Israel courtesy of the USA, has led it to pursue violent and military solutions. We are rapidly approaching the horrific October 7th massacre with no end of hostilities in sight.
Vigil
Vigils will continue in Salisbury and the next is this Saturday 5th September at 5pm for half an hour. The local MP Mr John Glen has never attended or acknowledged the vigils and is a proud member of the Conservative Friends of Israel group.
[1] Israel: What Went Wrong, Omar Bartov, 2026, Fern Press
[2] The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, Ilan Pappe, 2006 (first published), One World
Sources: Guardian, Middle East Eye, Ha’aretz, Jewish Chronicle. Image created by AI.
Amnesty in Salisbury & South Wiltshire 
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