Manifesto has mixed message on Israel
LABOUR’S ELECTION manifesto includes a commitment to encouraging Palestinians to end rocket attacks on Israeli civilians.
A leaked version of the document last week focused largely on Israeli actions and made no mention of Palestinian terrorism.
The document also outlines Labour’s plan to immediately and unilaterally recognise the state of Palestine if it wins next month’s general election. The draft manifesto had only pledged to “support Palestinian recognition at the UN”.
The JC understands there was a row among shadow cabinet members last week, with Emily Thornberry, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, reportedly “fuming” over the leak. She was said by one source to have tried to “push through a more balanced manifesto pledge on Israel,” and had been lobbied by Labour Friends of Israel on the point.
The manifesto published in Bradford by Jeremy Corbyn on Tuesday makes clear the party wants to see “an end to rocket and terror attacks”.
It states: “Labour is committed to a comprehensive peace in the Middle East based on a two-state solution — a secure Israel alongside a secure and viable state of Palestine.
“There can be no military solution to this conflict and all sides must avoid taking action that would make peace harder to achieve.
“That means both an end to the blockade, occupation and settlements, and an end to rocket and terror attacks.
“Labour will continue to press for an immediate return to meaningful negotiations leading to a diplomatic resolution. A Labour government will immediately recognise the state of Palestine.”
A paragraph in the leaked draft which referred to the expansion of Israeli settlements was removed in full.
An LFI source said the manifesto’s stance on the Middle East was a “difficult win”.
The source said: “In the leaked manifesto much was made of a ‘humanitarian crisis’ and there was a one-side blaming only on Israel. Tom Watson and others pressed the need for a balanced approach to the issue — and they appear to have been listened to.”
The manifesto says Labour is a party of “equality” which seeks to build a society “free from all forms of racism, antisemitism and Islamophobia”.
In a reference to the allegations of antisemitism in the party over the past two years and the subsequent Chakrabarti inquiry into Jew-hate in Labour, the document includes lines leaked last week and says: “Commissioning a report on our own party was an unprecedented step in British politics, demonstrating a commitment to tackling prejudice wherever it is found.
“Labour is already acting on recommendations, including reform of internal disciplinary procedures to make them firmer and fairer, and expansion of training to tackle antisemitism.
“On a matter of such importance, Labour urges all democratic political parties to do the same.”
Labour also pledges to recognise the efforts of Jewish soldiers who fought in the First World War. Last week’s draft had omitted the word “Jewish” while listing soldiers of other religions.
On education, the manifesto makes no mention of faith schools but its opposition to “inefficient free schools” suggests it will revert to the old system whereby groups will have to apply to open a new state-aided faith school through the council rather than directly to the state.
The party’s pledge to lift the exemption on private school fees could do more than push up the cost of going to Immanuel College, Naima JPS or Kerem.
It could threaten the independent Charedi sector, where many schools notionally charge “fees” even if parental contributions may be classified as donations.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY SIMON ROCKER AND LEE HARPIN