Britain's Jewish community has reacted with anger and alarm after the Labour government announced sanctions against Israeli settlements just days before Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis called it "a dark day for British Jews," while community leaders said they had raised "significant concerns" directly with Andy Burnham last week, only to be ignored. The timing has caused particular distress, coming a year after the terror attack on Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester, and critics warn the policy risks emboldening anti-Semites and extremists in the UK.

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband unveiled the sanctions, drawing criticism from figures including Labour peer Lord Mendelsohn, who called it a "frightening and callous New Year's greeting," and Tory peer Lord Polak, who objected to Miliband describing himself as a "proud Jew" while announcing the measures. The Board of Deputies of British Jews expressed "deep regret" over the announcement's timing, while the Jewish Labour Movement questioned why ministers did not wait until after Israeli elections next month, since the policy will take six to nine months to implement. Burnham had held a 75-minute meeting with Jewish community leaders in Downing Street last week, who warned of "unintended consequences," but the government proceeded regardless.