Burnham and Trump spoke Monday about the “U.K.’s commitment to working towards peace and security” in the Middle East and stressed the “importance of the two state solution,” according to a readout from the British side.
While Trump has yet to respond to the sanctions, political differences have previously influenced his decisions on trade.
In January, the president threatened to impose 10 percent tariffs on eight countries, including the U.K., for opposing his demands to use military force to take control of Greenland. More recently, he has threatened to slap European countries imposing digital services taxes on American tech firms with 100 percent tariffs.
Other Labour politicians fell in behind Miliband, withWork and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden defending the reset on the BBC, insisting that the U.K.’s strong security relationship with Israel would continue: “There is a difference between that ongoing relationship and the approval of specific policies by this Israeli government at this time.”
The move will be welcomed by many Labour MPs, who have called for tougher action against the Israeli government after its actions in Gaza.
But backbench Labour MP Peter Prinsley warned that opponents of Israel would not distinguish between Israeli government policy and British Jews, who have faced an uptick in violent antisemitic attacks. “As far as they’re concerned, the whole thing’s the same and I think it carries a real risk of increased chances of attacks on the British Jewish community,” he told the BBC.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar warned the U.K. last week that Israel will retaliate against the sanctions. “If Britain acts against the state of Israel, the state of Israel will act against Britain. We have tools,” Sa’ar told a podcast by media outlet Ynet. Britain, he said, “will be making a big mistake.”
This developing story has been updated.