US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Saturday sharply criticized British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband over claims that Israel is preventing medicines from reaching Gaza, accusing the British government of having “lost it."
The dispute began after Miliband posted a video on Friday describing what he called the “horrific" healthcare situation in Gaza. He said he had attended a meeting where he was told that “medicines being blocked" from entering the Strip and that “children dying while waiting for vital life-saving treatment."
Responding on social media, Huckabee wrote, “the Brits have lost it."
“The Jew hate of their government knows no boundaries and knows no facts," Huckabee wrote.
Israel's Foreign Ministry rejected Miliband's claims, saying there are no restrictions on the entry of medicines into Gaza and that Israel is not preventing Palestinian Arabs from leaving the Strip for medical treatment.
"The British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband posts a video recounting 'stories' he was told about Gaza. If the Foreign Secretary were interested in facts rather than stories, he would know that there are no restrictions whatsoever on the entry of medicines into the Gaza Strip, and that no medicines are being blocked; that 22,500 tons of medical supplies have entered Gaza since the ceasefire began; and that Gazans exit the Strip for medical treatment, including 200 who did so in just the last two weeks," the Ministry wrote on social media
"And of course," the Foreign Ministry continued, "the British Foreign Secretary is well aware of all this, as the UK is a member of the International Gaza Support Center, which facilitates the delivery of medical aid to the Gaza Strip."
"But apparently, facts matter less (when making a video for a political audience)," it concluded.
Miliband, who is Jewish, was appointed foreign secretary by Prime Minister Andy Burnham in mid-July. He has a longstanding record of criticism of Israeli policies. While serving as Labour leader in 2014, he shifted the party toward a more confrontational stance toward Israel.
During that year's Gaza war, Miliband called Israel's military operation "wrong and unjustifiable" and criticized then-Prime Minister David Cameron over his response to civilian casualties. Later in 2014, he instructed Labour lawmakers to back a symbolic parliamentary motion supporting unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, a move that alienated some Jewish donors and communal organizations.
During a subsequent regional visit, Miliband toured a Bedouin site and described Israeli community expansion as "wrong and illegal."
Miliband has also taken positions supportive of Israel. After the October 7 Hamas massacres, he rejected calls for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and instead supported humanitarian pauses. He has described Hamas as a terrorist organization, condemned rocket attacks on Israeli communities as "totally unjustified and appalling," and opposed the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, calling it an obstacle to peace.
Since becoming foreign secretary, Miliband has also criticized Israel's decision to issue a tender for construction in the E1 area between Jerusalem and Ma'ale Adumim. He called the tender unacceptable, urged Israel to withdraw it and halt the plans, and warned that Britain was preparing further measures in response.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar rejected Britain's criticism, objecting to both Miliband's position and the language he used, while accusing London of applying double standards.
The dispute has also drawn criticism from Britain's Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis. After meeting with Miliband in late August, Rabbi Mirvis urged him to reconsider planned British sanctions and trade restrictions targeting Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. He warned that the measures could harm prospects for peace and have negative consequences for British Jews.