Badenoch, who recently took over as Opposition Leader, likened Israel’s war to Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression, claiming that Israel is acting in the UK’s national interest.
British Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has come under fire for defending Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza, describing it as a “proxy war on behalf of the UK.”
Her comments, made during a Sunday interview on Sky News with Trevor Phillips, have drawn widespread condemnation from lawmakers, human rights organisations, and international observers, according to Middle East Eye newspaper.
Badenoch, who recently took over as Opposition Leader, likened Israel’s war to Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression, claiming that Israel is acting in the UK’s national interest.
“Israel is fighting a war. It is not for me to police exactly how they are doing that… It is not a genocide, as people are saying,” she said, rejecting growing international condemnation of Israel’s actions.
The comments came just days after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer joined Canada’s Mark Carney and France’s Emmanuel Macron in a joint warning to Israel, urging an end to “intolerable” suffering in Gaza or face “further concrete actions.”
Britain followed up by suspending trade talks with Israel, marking a rare diplomatic rebuke.
However, Badenoch refused to criticise Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, dismissing concerns over inflammatory rhetoric and human rights violations.
“I’m not here to police the language of the Prime Minister of Israel,” she said.
British MP Ayoub Khan strongly denounced Badenoch’s remarks, calling them “morally bankrupt, dangerously disingenuous,” and a “blatant attempt to spin false narratives.”
“Her silence on the starvation of children, the bombing of hospitals, and the detention of civilians — while defending those under international investigation for war crimes — should deeply alarm every person of principle in this country,” Khan told Middle East Eye.
Chris Doyle, Director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding, echoed the criticism, calling Badenoch’s stance “disgraceful.”
He accused the Conservative leader of promoting “anti-Arab racism and Islamophobia,” stating: “Her failure to condemn the brutal starvation policy against Palestinians highlights the continued racism of her leadership.”
Badenoch’s alignment with Netanyahu, who, along with former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, is the subject of International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants for alleged war crimes, has further fuelled controversy. Meanwhile, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is currently hearing a genocide case against Israel related to its military actions in Gaza.
As Israel’s war on Gaza enters its 19th month, nearly 54,000 Palestinians — the majority women and children — have been killed, according to health officials in the besieged enclave. Israel continues to enforce a blockade on humanitarian aid, leaving Gaza’s health infrastructure in ruins and prompting widespread warnings of mass starvation and disease outbreaks.
Critics argue that Badenoch’s framing of the conflict erases Palestinian suffering and undermines international diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire.
“The only times hostages have been freed have been through diplomacy and negotiated ceasefires,” Khan noted, pointing out that while 58 Israeli hostages remain in Gaza, thousands of Palestinians are imprisoned by Israel, including minors and non-combatants.
Meanwhile, The Sun recently reported that a covert campaign to reinstall former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson as Conservative Party leader was reportedly underway, with senior party insiders moving to replace Badenoch.
According to The Sun on Sunday, a group of former Conservative MPs is in active discussions to persuade Johnson to make a dramatic return to frontline politics.
The revelation came just days after a YouGov poll placed the Tories in a dismal fourth position—behind the Liberal Democrats—intensifying panic within the party.
Disheartened Conservative MPs described the poll as a turning point, warning that the party could not afford to continue under Badenoch’s leadership if it hoped to avoid electoral collapse.
“Some of the old gang around Boris Johnson are back texting and in talks to get him to return,” The Sun quoted a senior Tory as saying.
“The feeling is he is the only man who can take on Nigel Farage and win. They want to bring back Boris.”
“Team Boris are talking again. There are even some people in Tory HQ who are moonlighting on Project Boris,” said another prominent Conservative member.
When asked about Kemi Badenoch’s leadership, one despondent Conservative MP described the situation as “pretty grim,” while another described Boris Johnson as the only figure Reform UK would fear.
Boris Johnson resigned as UK Prime Minister in September 2022 following a series of scandals and political crises that eroded support within his own party.
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