MP, Britain’s Minister of
State for the Middle East at the Foreign & Commonwealth
Office, today concluded a three day visit to Israel and the OPTs.
During the Israel leg of the visit, Minister Burt met a number of
government officials and political figures to discuss
wide-ranging issues affecting the UK’s relations with Israel. He
emphasised the UK’s strong relationship with Israel and its
commitment to the Middle East Peace Process.
Mr Burt also attended the launch ceremony of El Al Airlines’
first Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane Ben Gurion Airport. El Al’s new
fleet of Dreamliners is equipped with British-made Rolls Royce
engines, a result of the biggest-ever trade deal between the two
countries, signed in 2016.
Minister Burt said:
The UK is a great friend of Israel and during this visit I have
reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to peace and stability in the
Middle East. We will continue to work with and support those in
Israel and beyond who want to achieve a viable solution.
We have a longstanding relationship with Israel and I have
witnessed first-hand the strength of this partnership in many
areas from trade and investment to technology and innovation.
This relationship will continue to grow and benefit both of our
nations.
In a series of meetings in Jerusalem, Minister Burt met Tzachi
Hanegbi MK, Minister for Regional Cooperation; Michael Oren MK,
Deputy Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office; Ayman Odeh MK,
head of the Joint List party; and Yuval Rotem, Director General
of the Ministry of foreign Affairs.
During a meeting with young tech developers, he witnessed how a
London-based initiative, the free coding school Founders &
Coders, is expanding to Israel through a successful branch in the
city of Nazareth.
