# Ed Miliband is a ‘failed figure’ and a ‘joke’ who’s ‘made Britain irrelevant’, blasts Israeli spokesman amid West Bank sanctions row

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/ed-miliband-is-a-failed-figure-and-a-joke-whos-made-britain-irrelevant-blasts-israeli-spokesman-amid-west-bank-sanctions-row/
- Published: 2026-09-09T20:02:08+00:00
- Updated: 2026-09-10T02:14:06+00:00
- Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16118285/Ed-Miliband-failed-figure-joke-whos-Britain-irrelevant-blasts-Israeli-spokesman-amid-West-Bank-sanctions-row.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
- Topics: Entertainment, Geopolitics, Government, Middle East, Music, Politics, UK, World

## Key points

- Israeli spokesman brands Miliband a "failed figure" over settlement import ban
- Israel retaliated by shutting its East Jerusalem consulate and barring 11 MPs
- UK's chief rabbi says the policy endangers British Jews; Miliband disagrees

## Summary

An Israeli government spokesman launched a personal attack on Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, calling him a "failed figure" and a "joke" who has "made Britain irrelevant", after the UK announced a ban on imports of goods from illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank. David Mencer, a former Labour councillor who now speaks for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, made the remarks on GB News, claiming the move was driven by "domestic political pressures" ahead of the Holborn and St Pancras by-election rather than genuine policy concerns. The row has strained UK-Israel relations, with Israel taking retaliatory diplomatic action and British Jewish leaders warning of wider fallout.

Miliband told MPs on Tuesday that the import ban reflected a "new approach" to the West Bank, citing Israel's continuation of the controversial E1 settlement scheme, though critics have warned it risks becoming a "de facto boycott" of Israel. In response, Israel closed the British consulate in East Jerusalem and banned 11 MPs from entering the country. The UK's chief rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, said the government's action would make British Jews less safe, a claim Miliband rejected while insisting he had "great respect" for him. Mencer added that "no one in Israel" wants to see Miliband visit the country, while Miliband maintained he was "proud" of the government's decision despite regretting Israel's response.

## Coverage

- [Daily Mail: Ed Miliband is a ‘failed figure’ and a ‘joke’ who’s ‘made Britain irrelevant’, blasts Israeli spokesman amid West Bank sanctions row](https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16118285/Ed-Miliband-failed-figure-joke-whos-Britain-irrelevant-blasts-Israeli-spokesman-amid-West-Bank-sanctions-row.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490)
- [The Independent: West Bank trade ban is Britain showing ‘leadership on world stage’, Burnham says](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/uk-israel-burnham-west-bank-trade-ban-b3047562.html)

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.