His appointment of Ed Miliband, the second Miliband to hold the role of foreign secretary, brought back memories of the robust disagreement between him and the community when it came to the 2014 Gaza conflict.
Although many of our communal organisations have voiced the usual welcome to Andy Burnham and let it be known that they are keen to work with him to tackle antisemitism (as they did during his time as mayor of Greater Manchester where he enjoyed a good relationship with the community), there is still significant trepidation.
Several senior communal sources I’ve spoken to have indicated they have severe concerns about the foreign policy stances he adopted early on.
But despite the differences in rhetoric when it comes to Israel, the reshuffle doesn’t indicate any huge differences in policy from Starmer’s approach, which was still robustly critical, with ministers indicating they are looking at the best and most effective way to impose sanctions on Israel in response to settlement activity.
Indeed, Miliband’s bland statement where he said the government would help seek “sustainable peace in Palestine and Israel, including an end to the terrible suffering of the people of Gaza and security for the people of Israel” has managed to trigger the usual suspects.
Green Party leader Zack Polanski lamented that Miliband “can't even bring himself to name Israel as the genocidal aggressor” while Zarah Sultana chimed in that “Day 1 of Andy Burnham as Prime Minister and he is still refusing to call the killing of tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza what it is: a genocide.”
It is important to note that the fact that he has refrained from using such language hasn’t been a given.
His key ally Louise Haigh, now chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster and cabinet office minister, previously said: “It is impossible to conclude that what is happening in Gaza is anything short of genocide.”
Putting aside the difficulties when it comes to Israel, some of the other appointments will have even been, if not welcomed, at least not hated.
Though her staying on as home secretary was more likely an endorsement of the political necessity of her immigration reforms, Shabana Mahmood’s understanding of Islamist antisemitism and willingness to confront it robustly is something communal sources have spoken about in her favour.
While out of ministerial office following her resignation for her tax affairs, former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner visited both the Nova Festival exhibition and Heaton Park synagogue, and now returns as communities secretary.
In office, she also refused to endorse the “genocide” claims, and spoke at Labour Friends of Israel’s reception at the Labour Party’s annual conference in 2024 where she pledged the government would “do everything in our power to protect the Jewish communities and ensure that those responsible for antisemitic hate crimes feel the full force of the law”.
Rachel Reeves arrives to take part in a G7 Finance Ministers video call to discuss the situation in the Middle East, in Downing Street, London, March 9, 2026 (Credit: Alberto Pezzali / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)POOL/AFP via Getty Images
However, in Rachel Reeves’s departure from No11 Downing Street and the cabinet, the government loses one of the only cabinet ministers unafraid to declare themselves proudly a Zionist.
At Labour Friends of Israel’s annual lunch at the end of last year, the former chancellor clearly articulated that “the belief that there is something inherently wrong about the right of the Jewish people to self-determination” must be “wholeheartedly” rejected and even acknowledged that some pro-Palestine protests had “strayed into and even been driven by hate and prejudice and by antisemitism”.
She even insisted on her right to state “unapologetically: I am a Zionist.”
It is in some ways a skill to be able to articulate oneself passionately and get a standing ovation while not announcing any new policies and being a member of the same government that was being robustly criticised by many in the Jewish community.
In a government led by someone more robustly critical of Israel who is facing pressure to do more to show displeasure and sanction towards Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, is it really likely that we will see a senior cabinet minister speak so coherently and unashamedly about supporting the right of the Jewish people to self-determination in the state of Israel?
