UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak repeated his promise to pass a law to combat the BDS movement, in a letter to Conservative Friends of Israel on Wednesday.
“I am determined to further strengthen the breadth and depth of our bilateral relationship by championing a UK-Israel Free Trade Agreement,” Sunak wrote. “This includes my commitment to the 2019 Conservative manifesto pledge to combat Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) policies with legislation.”
Sunak's letter came a day after his first major foreign policy speech, which included his intention to work closely with "friends" in Israel.
Rishi Sunak on Israel and the Jewish people
The UK prime minister said he is dedicated to Israel “as the homeland of the Jewish people.”
“Israel is an incredibly important ally of the United Kingdom,” he wrote. “It is a friendship that makes our citizens healthier through our joint collaboration on COVID vaccines, more prosperous thanks to record trade flows, and also safer as a result of close security and military cooperation.”
“Israel is an incredibly important ally of the United Kingdom. It is a friendship that makes our citizens healthier through our joint collaboration on COVID vaccines, more prosperous thanks to record trade flows, and also safer as a result of close security and military cooperation.”
Rishi Sunak
Sunak said he will fight for Israel’s security, including standing up to Iran and its pursuit of nuclear weapons.
“Iran’s nuclear escalation is threatening international security and undermining the global non-proliferation system. The UK will continue working with Israel and all our allies to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon,” he wrote.
Sunak also called the Abraham Accords “one of the greatest achievements in the history of diplomacy in the Middle East,” which “reflected that a brighter future is possible.”
“The UK will continue to do all it can to leverage our strong ties with other Gulf states to expand the number of signatories to the agreement and enhance the already blossoming opportunities opened up by these ground-breaking agreements,” he stated.
Domestically, Sunak said his government will combat antisemitism and to expedite the construction of a planned Holocaust Memorial and Learning Center in London.