Israel’s Prime Minister Yair Lapid has emphasised to Liz Truss “the necessity of avoiding further compromises with Iran,” during their meeting in New York this week.

“[Mr Lapid] further emphasised that Israel’s expectation is the advancement of a longer and stronger deal that will provide a response to the full range of threats stemming from Iran,” a spokesperson for Israel’s foreign minister said. “The leaders discussed the Middle East peace process and regional security, stressing the need for a long-term strategy to contain the threat from Iran.”

At the start of the talks, Lapid expressed his “deepest condolences, on his own behalf and on behalf of the people of Israel, on the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.” He also congratulated Liz Truss on taking office, and expressed confidence that under her leadership, ties between Israel and the United Kingdom “will reach new heights in various fields, in particular the economy, innovation and security.”

“Prime Minister Truss is a true friend of Israel, and together, we’ll make the UK-Israel alliance even stronger,” tweeted Lapid following the meeting.

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The leaders also discussed the continued deepening of bilateral ties, and instructed their teams to quickly advance negotiations on a free trade agreement.

Downing Street confirmed having met in New York, Liz Truss and her Israeli counterpart “discussed the huge opportunities to boost cooperation between the UK and Israel on strategic priorities, including defence, cyber security, trade and green technology”.

The spokesperson added: “The prime minister informed Prime Minister Lapid about her review of the current location of the British Embassy in Israel.” 

Moving the embassy to Israel’s capital Jerusalem would be a significant shift in UK foreign policy, as until now Britain has insisted in keeping the embassy in Tel Aviv. 

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Downing Street continued, “[Liz Truss] welcomed progress on a new free trade agreement and reiterated the UK’s commitment to signing a high-ambition deal which delivers for the digital and services sectors.

“The prime minister also raised the importance of continued international unity in opposition to Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, including on economic sanctions.

“Turning to recent events, she thanked Prime Minister Lapid for his kind condolences on the death of Her late Majesty the Queen, noting the close ties between British and Israeli people.”

Following the talks, Liz Truss tweeted, “Great meeting PM yesterday on strengthening 🇬🇧🇮🇱 ties, including progress towards a Free Trade Agreement. It’s vital we maintain our unity in opposition to Russia, contain the threat of Iran and guarantee long-term security in the Middle East.”

https://twitter.com/IsraeliPM/status/1572710962016276480

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