BICOM

The British Prime Minister yesterday pledged to further strengthen “crucial” ties with Israel and praised Israel as a “beacon of tolerance”.

Addressing an 800-strong audience at the Conservative Friends of Israel lunch, Theresa May said: “In the wake of the [EU] referendum, Britain is forging a new role for itself on the world stage – open, outward-looking, optimistic.

“Israel will be crucial to us as we do that. Because I believe our two countries have a great deal in common.”

She added: “Israel guarantees the rights of people of all religions, races and sexualities, and it wants to enable everyone to flourish. Our aim in Britain is the same: to create a better, fairer society, helping everyone to reach as far as their talents will allow.”

Although the “economic relationship is already strong” between the UK and Israel, May said: “We both want to take maximum advantage of trade and investment opportunities, because we know enterprise is the key to our countries’ prosperity.”

She said that ministers would be visiting Israel in the new year to help boost trade relations.

Reiterating the government’s position on boycotts, May said: “I couldn’t be clearer: the boycotts, divestment and sanctions movement is wrong, it is unacceptable.”

May also praised the humanitarian work spearheaded by Israel globally, saying “Israel does a huge amount for the rest of the world,” including providing medical aid to wounded Syrians and establishing field hospitals in disaster zones.

The PM reaffirmed the government’s support for the two-state solution, and “to achieve that is for the two sides to sit down together, without preconditions, and work towards that lasting solution for all their people”.

May added: “That is why we have been clear about building new, illegal settlements: it is wrong; it is not conducive to peace; and it must stop.”

She revealed that the government is “looking at options for the UK to support co-existence projects in the region”.

May described UK-Israel relations as entering a “special time” owing to the upcoming centenary of the Balfour Declaration, which in 1917 enshrined British support for a Jewish national home in the historic land of Israel. The PM called it “one of the most important letters in history” and that “it is an anniversary we will be marking with pride.”