Thank you for contacting me about Israel.
I am proud of the UK’s historic role in the birth of the state of Israel, and the decades of cooperation that has defined the relationship between our two democracies since. I welcome that, to this day, Israel remains a close ally of the UK, and that our two countries continue to work together on issues of shared interest.
The Foreign Secretary hosted his Israeli counterpart in London on 21 March to sign an ambitious landmark agreement that will define bilateral relations between their two countries until 2030. The agreement contains detailed commitments for deepening cooperation across the breadth of the Israel-UK relationship, including on trade, cyber, science and tech, security, health, climate and gender and much more. I welcome this move and the trajectory on which it sets our two nations.
Furthermore, the Prime Minister most recently hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on 24 March 2023 to welcome the signing of this modern free-trade agreement, as well as to discuss shared security and defence challenges, including Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine and the threat posed by Iran to regional stability.
I support the Government’s commitment to promoting bilateral trade and business ties with Israel and its strong opposition to the Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions Movement. The UK-Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement entered into force in January 2021, and I welcome that our trading relationship will continue to go from strength to strength in the years to come as our countries set out negotiating a new, enhanced UK-Israel trade deal.
Israel's security remains a concern. The UK supports Israel’s right to defend itself and will work alongside anyone in the Middle East who seeks to establish better stability and security for their people. The destabilising effect of Iranian activity in the region, including its sponsoring of terrorist groups, is also of concern.
The UK's friendship with Israel and recognition of it as a thriving democracy and an example to the rest of the world for overcoming adversity does not prohibit criticism of some Israeli government policies. On the contrary, it is because of this close relationship that difficult issues can be discussed where they arise.
For example, the Government continues to call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and has a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation of the Palestinian territories. Most recently, this message was reinforced by the Foreign Secretary following the incident at Al Aqsa Mosque on 7 April.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Craig Whittaker MP
May 2023