Prime Minister Liz Truss vows to “stand shoulder to shoulder” with Israel at CFI’s annual Conservative Party Conference event

Prime Minister Liz Truss vowed that the UK would “stand shoulder to shoulder” with Israel at Conservative Friends of Israel’s annual Conservative Party Conference event last night in Birmingham.

The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary James Cleverly made keynote speeches in front of a packed room of 400 people. A series of Cabinet Members and Ministers addressed the crowd, including International Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Nadhim Zahawi, Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan, Conservative Party Chairman Jake Berry, and Attorney General Michael Ellis. The event was chaired by CFI’s Parliamentary Chairman (Lords) Rt. Hon. The Lord Pickles and also featured appearances from CFI’s Parliamentary Chairman (Commons) Rt. Hon Stephen Crabb MP, Health Minister Rob Jenrick, and Chair of the UK Abraham Accords Group, Rt. Hon. Liam Fox MP.

Prime Minister Truss proclaimed she was a “huge Zionist and huge supporter of Israel” and pledged that she would “take the UK-Israel relationship from strength to strength”.

Addressing concerns over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the Prime Minister asserted: “Believe me, the UK will never allow - together with our allies - Iran to get a nuclear weapon”.

Vowing her “absolute, wholehearted support”, the Prime Minister said: “In this world - where we are facing threats from authoritarian regimes who don’t believe in freedom and democracy - two free democracies, the UK and Israel, need to stand shoulder to shoulder and we will be even closer in the future”.

In an exclusive letter written for CFI’s annual Informed magazine which was published for the Party Conference, the Prime Minister reiterated her pledge to review the location of the British Embassy in Israel. She states: I understand the importance and sensitivity of the location of the British Embassy in Israel and I am committed to a review to ensure we are operating on the strongest footing within Israel”.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly spoke of his “incredible pride” at being involved in the “warming of relations between Israel and its neighbours in the region”, adding that it “is something the UK should celebrate”.

Recalling his time playing Perchick in an amateur production of Fiddler on the Roof in his youth, the Foreign Secretary said the UK can “very effectively play the role of matchmaker”. He said the UK would be “trying to make those relationships stronger. Making sure that they are permanent. Making sure that they work for everybody at all levels – government to government, people to people, business to business”.

Committing to visiting Israel soon as Foreign Secretary, Mr Cleverly said: “You know what I know…Israel has been a beacon of democracy, liberalism, openness, tolerance in a part of the world where that has not been the history”.

The Foreign Secretary said the UK was “particularly good friends of Israel” and he sees a “safe, prosperous Israel” being “in our mutual interests”. He added: “I see how closely we work on medical science and technology – the kind of collaboration that will hopefully prevent something like Coronavirus ever happening again”.

Closing his remarks, the Foreign Secretary asserted: “I recognise our friendship with Israel is not just a buzzword or some phrase that tumbles from our lips. It is meaningful. It is important. It is something absolutely worth protecting and preserving”.

Conservative Party Chairman Jake Berry stated: “I follow the Prime Minister in stating in no uncertain terms the commitment of this Party to support the State of Israel. You have my unwavering commitment as Chairman of the Party that we will continue to build strong relationships with the State of Israel and to support it in its fight to ensure that it remains safe and that the capital in Jerusalem is the home to our new Embassy”.

International Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch said that the UK-Israel Free Trade Agreement would be “right at the top of the list” of her priorities.

Health Minister Rob Jenrick said he was “delighted to hear the Prime Minister commit to the review to move our Embassy to Jerusalem”. He emphasised: “We have a site in Jerusalem there waiting to go. It is time we took responsibility and built that Embassy and recognised that the true capital of the State of Israel is obviously Jerusalem”.

Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Michelle Donelan announced that one of her first international visits will be to Israel and said “there are so many lessons that we can take from Israel”.

The Culture Secretary said she was “exceptionally proud of the work I did as Universities Minister to crack down on the antisemitism that runs through some of the political movements still in this country”. She vowed: “As a Government, we remain firm on our commitment to stamp out antisemitism in every corner of our society. One of the things I did was to put the largest set of sanctions on the NUS because they fail to recognise what they were doing. Under this Prime Minister we will be taking even more of those actions, because we certainly should be ensuring that people who grow up in the society of modern Britain don’t even have to consider antisemitism”.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Nadhim Zahawi said he had been a supporter of CFI for over 25 years and that “the work that CFI does and its ability to educate and expose Members of Parliament to the incredible innovation and democracy in the great State of Israel is invaluable and long may it continue”.

Rt. Hon. Liam Fox MP, who is standing for election to be the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, heralded the “ground-breaking” Abraham Accords which would “bring prosperity across the region”. He called for the UK to follow the United States in proscribing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and expressed concern about Iran’s escalating nuclear activities, stating: “If we don’t make the tough choices today, the price tomorrow will be infinitely higher”.

Israel’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom, H.E. Tzipi Hotovely thanked Prime Minister Truss for her “historic review of moving the British Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem”. The Ambassador said: “Nothing can be more significant to show the friendship between Israel and the UK. There is just one capital of Israel – Jerusalem. For the last three thousand years, it has been Jerusalem. It is a historic truth and reality. We cannot be more grateful to the Prime Minister for making this announcement and a historic shift”.