A Downing Street spokesperson said:
“The Prime Minister welcomed Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu to Downing Street today for talks on strengthening the
close partnership between the United Kingdom and Israel.
“The two leaders welcomed the signing of the UK-Israel 2030
Roadmap this week, which will drive our bilateral relationship
forward and commit £20m in funding for joint science and
technology projects over the next decade.
“They expressed their backing for a modern free-trade agreement
with cutting-edge service provisions and said their teams would
work to progress this at pace.
“The leaders discussed shared security and defence challenges,
including Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and the threat
posed by Iran to regional stability. The Prime Minister set out
the UK’s analysis of the situation in Ukraine and the importance
of continued international support to defend their sovereignty.
“On Iran, they discussed the UK and Israel’s significant concern
about Iran’s destabilising activity, and agreed that our
governments would continue to work closely together to push back
against aggression and manage the risk of nuclear proliferation.
“The Prime Minister also expressed his solidarity with Israel in
the face of terrorist attacks in recent months. The UK would
always stand with Israel and its ability to defend itself. At the
same time, the PM outlined international concern at growing
tensions in the West Bank and the risk of undermining efforts
towards the two state solution. He encouraged all efforts to
de-escalate, particularly ahead of the upcoming religious
holidays.
“The Prime Minister stressed the importance of upholding the
democratic values that underpin our relationship, including in
the proposed judicial reforms in Israel.
“The leaders welcomed the chance to meet in person to progress
our important partnership, and the Prime Minister looked forward
to visiting Israel at the earliest opportunity.”
