The shadow defence secretary has acknowledged Sir Keir Starmer’s approach to the Israel-Hamas conflict has “caused hurt to many people”.
John Healey’s comments come as the Labour leader is battling to maintain discipline in the party, with several senior figures revolting against his stance of only calling for a humanitarian “pause” in Gaza.
Earlier this week, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar criticised Sir Keir for having “hurt” Muslim communities when he appeared to suggest in an interview with LBC that the Israeli government had the right to withhold water and power from citizens in Gaza.
Asked on the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme if he accepted Mr Sarwar’s criticism that Sir Keir’s approach has caused hurt to Muslim voters, Mr Healey said: “I accept that it’s caused hurt to many people and Keir Starmer would do that as well.
His concern is twofold and he says that at present this is not the right time for now— John Healey on Sir Keir Starmer
“But he understands why people are calling for a ceasefire and want to see an end to the fighting.
“His concern is twofold and he says that at present this is not the right time for now. First, because Israel must have the right to self-defence, it must have the right to go after the Hamas fighters and its missile launchers.
“And secondly, in the end, what’s most important now is what will best work to bring some alleviation of the suffering to people in Palestine, get more aid into Gaza and create more space for further diplomacy. And that quite clearly has been the humanitarian pauses that Keir Starmer has been arguing for, a break in the fighting if you like.”
Speaking earlier on Sky News, Mr Healey said Sir Keir wanted to bring people with him “like a good leader”
He said a humanitarian pause is a “break in fighting that allows some of the things that we all want to see, especially the alleviation of Palestinian suffering, to take place”, adding: “In the end, what matters is what stands the best chance of working, and in a conflict like this small steps can lead to a bigger breakthrough.
“So that’s why Keir Starmer has been arguing for humanitarian pauses.
“Keir Starmer is not a protest leader. He understands why people are calling for a ceasefire.”
Mr Healey added: “He (Sir Keir) wants to bring people with him like a good leader, the sort of leadership we’ve not seen from Rishi Sunak on this.
If his own shadow frontbench is defying him without any action being taken, how could the British people ever trust him to get on with taking the difficult long-term decisions?— Tory Party chairman Greg Hands
“But in order to respect the absolute right that Israel has to defend itself, rescue its hostages, and take out Hamas fighters and threat for the future and especially to try and achieve the relief of the suffering, the greater aid into Gaza, the break in the humanitarian catastrophe that we’re seeing within Gaza, then pursuing pauses or humanitarian pauses or breaks in the fighting is the most practical way of doing this.
“And Keir Starmer will be looking to win those arguments, take the party with us.”
Commenting on Mr Healey’s comments, Tory Party chairman Greg Hands said: “John Healey claims that Sir Keir is not a ‘protest leader’. Yet, he is being openly defied by his own party with Labour figures joining protests across the country and demanding a ceasefire.
“If his own shadow frontbench is defying him without any action being taken, how could the British people ever trust him to get on with taking the difficult long-term decisions?
“Only Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives are focused on the long-term decisions that will deliver the change the country needs.”
