During his visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian
Territories this week, the Foreign Secretary met the Foreign
Minister of Israel, Eli Cohen.
A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said:
The Foreign Secretary met with Foreign Minister Cohen this
afternoon during his visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian
Territories.
Both ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the UK and Israel’s
thriving partnership, building on their meeting in London in
March to sign the UK-Israel 2030 roadmap.
The Foreign Secretary welcomed the work underway to negotiate an
enhanced and modernised Free Trade Agreement and encouraged
Israel to demonstrate increased ambition in order to secure the
best possible deal.
The Foreign Secretary emphasised continued UK concern about any
departure from the democratic values that underpin our strategic
partnership.
The Foreign Secretary acknowledged the heightened tensions in
Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. He expressed his
condolences following repeated terror attacks against Israeli
citizens and reaffirmed the UK’s support for Israel’s right to
self-defence in line with international law.
The Foreign Secretary urged both Israelis and Palestinians to
take meaningful action to de-escalate tensions and to preserve
the two-state solution including, in the case of Israel, to stop
settlement expansion and act to prevent settler violence and the
culture of impunity.
He and Foreign Minister Cohen welcomed the UK and Israel’s
continued cooperation on tackling the threat posed by Iran. The
Foreign Secretary also reaffirmed the UK’s steadfast support for
Ukraine and highlighted the importance of Israel’s support,
including towards Ukrainian reconstruction.
