After UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer stepped down on Monday, Labour MP Andy Burnham declared his plan to seek the leadership role.

Burnham has served as Mayor of Greater Manchester since May 2017 and stepped away from that post last week following success in the local by-election in Makersfield. He is widely viewed as the frontrunner for the Labour Party leadership contest.

Focus has now shifted to Burnham's positions regarding Israel, Gaza, and antisemitism.

What has the prospective new UK prime minister expressed on these subjects?

Jews and antisemitism

Burnham maintains a consistent record of confronting antisemitism, particularly inside his own political party.

Back in 2018 he posted on social media urging stronger action from Labour against antisemitism. The following year, during Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, Burnham addressed the Board of Deputies at Manchester Town Hall and stated it was inconceivable that a party proud of its anti-racism history had become entangled in an antisemitism crisis.

He added that racism must be addressed firmly, promptly, and decisively, noting that the prior response had fallen short and expressing hope that this would change going forward.

While serving as Mayor of Manchester, two people were killed and others injured in an antisemitic terror incident outside a synagogue on Yom Kippur 2025.

Burnham was among the first officials to comment publicly, informing BBC Radio Manchester around 10:30 a.m. that a serious incident had occurred.

He later posted on X condemning the vile attack on the Jewish community during its holiest day.

He stated that Greater Manchester stands with its Jewish community and would work throughout the day to assist them.

In a recent Jewish News interview, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy called Burnham a great ally in combating antisemitism who will always stand with the Jewish community.

She noted that he believes in justice and recognizes the need for a safe homeland for Jewish people along with the unique historical circumstances behind Israel's founding.

Burnham has also shown active support for Holocaust remembrance and education efforts.

In January 2026 he attended a Holocaust Memorial Day service alongside the Jewish Representative Council of GM and Region.

At the event Burnham renewed his pledge to oppose anti-Jewish racism, drawing on words from the late Mancunian Holocaust survivor Ike Alterman BEM about hate being a disease.

JRCMCR chair Mark Adlestone has commended Burnham's long-term collaboration with local Jewish groups and his solidarity during difficult periods.

Adlestone recently told Jewish News that it would be disingenuous to claim there have never been disagreements, pointing to Burnham's call for a ceasefire after 7 October while hostages remained captive as one instance of tension.

Oct. 7 and the Israel-Hamas War

Burnham held the mayoral post during the October 7 Hamas attacks. On 13 October 2023 he issued a statement condemning without reservation the appalling attacks in Israel by Hamas.

Nothing justifies taking innocent lives in such a barbaric and indiscriminate way, he said.

He also recognized the increased concerns among Manchester's Jewish community members and confirmed speaking with the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, who assured continued heightened police presence near Jewish community organizations.

Burnham emphasized that while peaceful demonstrations and flag displays are permitted, it is unacceptable to use flags to provoke confrontation, display those of proscribed organizations, or make inciteful hateful statements.

He further noted that Israel holds the right to defend itself and protect its citizens in accordance with international law.

Just under two weeks later on 27 October, Burnham joined the deputy mayor and local councillors in releasing a statement calling for a ceasefire while hostages remained in Hamas captivity.

The statement condemned unreservedly the appalling terror attacks on innocent civilians in Israel by Hamas on 7 October, while expressing profound concerns about the loss of thousands of innocent lives in Gaza, the displacement of many more, and widespread suffering from the ongoing blockade of essential goods and services.

Given the humanitarian disaster unfolding in Gaza, the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and the ten Leaders of Greater Manchester joined growing international calls for a ceasefire by all sides and for the hostages to be released unharmed.

This drew criticism from Adlestone of the JRCMCR, who said that although much of the content was well constructed and showed awareness of the situation's complexity, the request gave insufficient weight to Israel's right and obligation to defend her citizens.

At the start of this month Burnham notably declined to label Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide, prompting significant reaction in pro-Palestine circles.

During a Guardian interview Burnham was reportedly asked about foreign policy and declined to state that Israel has committed genocide, explaining he could not judge matters of that scale from his position as mayor of Greater Manchester.

Pro-Palestinian activists and left-wing media outlets have circulated a video clip from the 2015 Labour Leadership Election in which Burnham said the first country he would visit if elected is Israel and described the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement as spiteful.

Burnham has repeatedly affirmed support for a two-state solution. In May 2015 he responded to a Palestine Solidarity Campaign survey by stating full support for two states living side by side in peace and recognized by all neighbors.

He said Palestinian statehood is not a gift to be given but a right to be recognized and recalled urging the UK government in 2011 and 2012 to back the Palestinian bid for UN recognition.

He also called for an end to occupation and illegal settlement building by Israelis along with an end to rocket and terror attacks by Hamas.

Labour recognizes that settlements and their expansion remain key obstacles to resolving the conflict, as Ed Miliband noted they are both illegal and immoral. Labour has taken domestic action on labelling transparency and will seek a Europe-wide approach to settlement products, he said.