When it comes to Israel and Palestine, the Labour party has a complex historical legacy. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is acutely aware of the lessons of the past, particularly from when Jeremy Corbyn was Labour leader, about the ability of this conflict to pitch the party into a state of antagonistic self-destruction.

Since 2020, Labour’s consistent line has been that it has fundamentally changed when it comes to antisemitism: British Jews should no longer be afraid to see it as a credible party of government. Polls show that a majority of Jewish voters now support Labour, which suggests this messaging has largely worked.

Read more: Israel, Palestine and the Labour party history that has made Keir Starmer's position so difficult

The Corbyn years were marked by levels of anti-Zionist radicalism not seen in the Labour Party since the early 1980s. The situation was exacerbated by a tendency on the part of some grassroots members, party officials and even MPs to lapse into antisemitic imagery and themes.

The process of shifting Labour away from that era has implications for Starmer in how he shapes Britain’s approach to the Middle East and the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel.

In the election build-up, it was argued that anger at Labour from the left would cost it seats in a number of constituencies where rival independent candidates prioritised Gaza as campaign issue. Starmer’s campaign strategists rightly calculated that Gaza was not a key election issue for the vast majority of voters.

However, despite George Galloway’s........

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