Labour, Suez and Israel: the End of a ‘Special Relationship’?

Abstract

By 1956 the members of the Labour front bench were the most pro–Israel of politicians (Kyle, 1991, p. 89). Indeed all sections of the labour movement shared this sentiment, which was expressed at successive party conferences,² at TUC conferences,³ in party publications such as Tribune and by Labour Women.⁵ At the same time the party’s anti–colonial outlook had sharpened and anti–colonialism called for a sympathetic attitude towards Nasser’s nationalisation of the Suez Canal because it represented an attempt to end colonial domination. Under the leadership of Hugh Gaitskell, Labour engaged in a vigorous campaign against the war and the previously divided party united behind the leader in all–out condemnation of the war. Yet the party’s pro–Israel sympathies ‘called for a less critical view of Britain’s action, if not for outright advocacy, than that which was implied by the Labour Party’s all-out opposition to Eden’ (Epstein, 1964, pp. 174–6).

Alderman, 1983, p. 133.