LONDON (VINnews) — British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband invoked his family’s Holocaust history and his personal ties to Israel on Tuesday before announcing a series of measures targeting Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Speaking to the House of Commons, Miliband described himself as a proud British Jew and said Israel had given his grandmother a place of refuge after the Nazis murdered her husband and 60 other members of their family.

He recalled visiting his grandmother in Tel Aviv during the 1970s and spending time on the kibbutz where his cousins lived. Miliband said those experiences helped shape his opposition to efforts to deny Israel’s existence as the Jewish homeland.

Miliband also condemned the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and said Israel has a right to defend itself. He identified Iran as a threat to Israel and Jews worldwide and said Britain would maintain security cooperation with Israel.

The foreign secretary announced sanctions against Hezbollah’s financial arm, Al-Qard Al-Hassan, and said Britain would restore major economic sanctions on Iran. He also said Britain would work with allies to refer Iran’s nuclear violations to the U.N. Security Council.

Miliband devoted part of his address to rising antisemitism in Britain, calling it an “evil” and a “scourge.” He said the government would provide an additional £250 million for security protecting Jewish communities and announced that Britain would host a J7 meeting in October focused on combating antisemitism, including online hate.

He said criticism of Israel should not be confused with targeting British Jews, arguing that holding British Jews responsible for decisions made by Israel’s government is antisemitic.

Miliband then turned to Gaza and the West Bank, saying Britain was deeply concerned about Palestinian suffering. He accused violent settlers of displacing Palestinians and said Britain considers Israel’s continued occupation of the West Bank unlawful.

Britain plans to ban imports from Israeli settlements, restrict advertising for settlement properties in the country and impose sanctions on people and companies involved in financing, construction and infrastructure linked to settlement expansion. The government said the measures would target settlement activity rather than trade with Israel itself.

Miliband said Britain would continue trading with Israel and opposed the broader Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.

On Gaza, he said there was evidence warranting investigations into possible war crimes but said Britain would not determine whether genocide had occurred, leaving that question to the relevant courts.