U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee sharply rebuked British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband on Saturday after the British diplomat alleged that Israel was blocking medicines from entering Gaza, with Huckabee accusing the British government of having “lost it.”
The clash followed a video Miliband posted Friday after attending a meeting about healthcare conditions in Gaza, which he characterized as “horrific.” Miliband said participants had told him of “medicines being blocked” from reaching Gaza and of “children dying while waiting for vital life-saving treatment.”
Huckabee responded on social media, writing, “the Brits have lost it.”
“The Jew hate of their government knows no boundaries and knows no facts,” Huckabee wrote.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry also pushed back against Miliband’s assertions, denying that medicines are being prevented from entering Gaza or that Gazans are being barred from leaving the territory to receive medical care.
“The British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband posts a video recounting ‘stories’ he was told about Gaza. If the Foreign Secretary were interested in facts rather than stories, he would know that there are no restrictions whatsoever on the entry of medicines into the Gaza Strip, and that no medicines are being blocked; that 22,500 tons of medical supplies have entered Gaza since the ceasefire began; and that Gazans exit the Strip for medical treatment, including 200 who did so in just the last two weeks,” the Ministry wrote on social media.
“And of course,” the Foreign Ministry continued, “the British Foreign Secretary is well aware of all this, as the UK is a member of the International Gaza Support Center, which facilitates the delivery of medical aid to the Gaza Strip.”
“But apparently, facts matter less (when making a video for a political audience),” it concluded.
Miliband, who is Jewish, was named Britain’s foreign secretary by Prime Minister Andy Burnham in mid-July. His record includes years of criticism of Israeli government policies, dating back to his tenure as leader of Britain’s Labour Party in 2014.
During the 2014 Gaza war, Miliband described Israel’s military operation as “wrong and unjustifiable” and faulted then-Prime Minister David Cameron over his handling of civilian casualties. Later that year, he directed Labour lawmakers to support a symbolic parliamentary measure favoring unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, a decision that strained his relationship with some Jewish donors and communal groups.
On a later visit to the region, Miliband toured a Bedouin site and criticized the expansion of Israeli communities as “wrong and illegal.”
Miliband has also taken positions supportive of Israel on several issues. Following Hamas’s October 7 massacre, he opposed demands for an immediate, unconditional ceasefire and instead backed humanitarian pauses. He has called Hamas a terrorist organization, described rocket attacks against Israeli communities as “totally unjustified and appalling,” and opposed the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, arguing that it obstructs peace efforts.
Since taking over as foreign secretary, Miliband has also condemned Israel’s decision to advance a construction tender in the E1 area between Yerushalayim and Ma’ale Adumim. He called the move unacceptable, demanded that Israel withdraw the tender and halt the plans, and said Britain was preparing additional measures in response.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar rejected Britain’s criticism, taking issue with both Miliband’s position and his choice of language while accusing the British government of holding Israel to a double standard.
Britain’s Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, has also raised concerns over London’s policies toward Israel. Following a meeting with Miliband in late August, Rabbi Mirvis urged him to reconsider proposed British sanctions and trade restrictions aimed at Jewish communities in Yehudah and Shomron, warning that such steps could undermine prospects for peace and negatively affect Britain’s Jewish community.
{Matzav.com}
