Anna Gelderd sets out her Israel-Gaza stance amid new sanctions

Westminster does not often feel close to home, but Tuesday’s foreign policy statement in the Commons landed with South East Cornwall’s MP sitting in the Chamber to hear it.

What the government announced

The government set out a package of measures on the conflict in Israel and Gaza on Tuesday 8 September, including economic sanctions on Iran and its proxy networks, and new restrictions on trade linked to Israeli settlements in the West Bank, taken alongside international partners including France, Canada and Ireland. The statement was delivered in the House of Commons, where Anna Gelderd, the Labour MP for South East Cornwall, was present as part of the Foreign Office team.

What Anna Gelderd said

Anna gave her backing to the announcement, framing it around what she described as her primary focus: a two-state solution offering freedom, security and self-determination to both Palestinian and Israeli people, which she said is under threat.

She did not hold back on the events that triggered the wider crisis. “The actions of Hamas on October 7th were sickening and unleashed horrific trauma on Israelis and the Jewish community worldwide, who continue to face antisemitism, which I condemn in all forms,” she said. She welcomed the new economic sanctions on Iran and efforts to curb its networks and proxy groups such as Hezbollah.

On Gaza, Anna called the suffering there “unbearable” and “unacceptable”, and said it was right for the government to ban trade in goods from illegal Israeli settlements and act on services, working with allies including France, Canada and Ireland.

She was direct about where she stands. “Israel has a right to defend itself. Palestine has a right to thrive as a state. Britain has a right and an obligation not to remain silent when we disagree with the actions of other governments, whilst remaining steadfast in our friendship with the people of these countries,” she said.

“A two-state solution is the only solution for peace and security. The Government is right to take action.”

Constituents have been in touch

Anna said she was well aware of how strongly people in South East Cornwall feel about the issue. “I know the strength of feeling that people across South East Cornwall have regarding this important issue, with many people in our area contacting me to express their views. I have listened carefully to what local residents have raised with me,” she said.

The measures mark one of the most significant shifts in Britain’s Middle East policy in years, and Israel has already responded, announcing it would close its consulate in East Jerusalem in protest. Whether it changes the picture on the ground in Gaza and the West Bank is, for now, a question with no answer.