1 min read
The Labour leadership contest will hold few surprises for the Jewish community. Jeremy Corbyn aside, any of the three main candidates would provide at least a slight improvement on Ed Miliband's positions on Israel.
Yvette Cooper's time as shadow Home Secretary has made her aware of the community's domestic concerns, especially security.
She defended her party's record on Israel in February, telling me she backed opposition to boycotts and dismissing as "utter nonsense" suggestions that a Labour government would be bad for Britain's relationship with Israel. However she was one of the shadow cabinet members who backed the Palestinian statehood vote last October.
So too did Andy Burnham. His promotion to leader would likely leave Israel supporters facing similar challenges to those experienced under Mr Miliband. When Mr Burnham stood for the leadership five years ago, he said he was a friend of Israel but added that the Netanyahu government of the time was making that position "very, very hard".
The Liverpudlian, who is expected to be backed by the largely anti-Israel trade unions, dismissed Mr Netanyahu's re-election in March as "depressing news".
But there is comfort in the knowledge that among Mr Burnham's supporters are Labour Friends of Israel officers Rachel Reeves and Michael Dugher, his campaign manager, who has described his own annoyance at the "catastrophic" approach taken under Mr Miliband.
LFI director Jennifer Gerber was previously Mr Burnham's special advisor at three departments during the last Labour government. He has an insight into the community and was once guest speaker at a Council of European Rabbis dinner.
Liz Kendall is regarded as a "solid friend" of Israel who abstained in the statehood vote. But when signing a "Gaza peace flag" during last summer's conflict, she made no reference to Hamas rocket attacks on Israel.
The fact that Ms Kendall is the most Blairite of the contenders is likely to be a boon for British Jews who enjoyed a strong relationship with the Blair governments.
One Westminster source said the three frontrunners "recognise there was a breakdown in relations with the community" under Mr Miliband, and "they won't want that dysfunctional relationship to continue."
