PRESS RELEASE : Foreign Secretary meets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu [September 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 September 2023.

During his visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories this week, the Foreign Secretary met the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu.

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said:

The Foreign Secretary met Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu today during his visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The Foreign Secretary emphasised the strength of our bilateral relationship and welcomed the free trade negotiations underway.

The Foreign Secretary underlined the importance of the UK and Israel’s shared democratic values that underpin our strategic partnership and encouraged Prime Minister Netanyahu to seek any judicial reform through the achievement of the broadest possible consensus.

He and Prime Minister Netanyahu welcomed the UK and Israel’s continued cooperation on major geopolitical challenges, in the region and around the world.

The Foreign Secretary reaffirmed the UK’s support for Israel’s right to self-defence in line with international law. He expressed the UK’s solidarity with Israel following repeated terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians.

He also outlined his concern with ongoing tensions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and the importance of both Israelis and Palestinians taking meaningful action to de-escalate tensions, including by addressing settler violence.