The UK’s top trade envoy to Israel flew to the country to promote ties with Britain days after the Foreign Secretary halted formal trade talks, threatening to undercut the Government’s tough stance on Gaza.
David Lammy suspended trade negotiations with Israel last week in protest at the expansion of its ground operation in Gaza, which he called “an affront to the values of British people”.
In an impassioned speech to MPs, he said Israel’s “egregious” policies in Gaza and the West Bank were “damaging” Britain’s relationship with the country.
But seven days later, Lord Austin, the UK’s trade envoy to Israel, travelled to the country to “promote trade”.
It risks undermining the tough message sent by Mr Lammy last week, which marked Sir Keir Starmer’s Government’s strongest rebuke of Israel since it suspended dozens of arms exports in September.
Announcing the decision to break off trade talks on May 20, the Foreign Secretary said: “We will be reviewing co-operation with them under the 2030 bilateral roadmap. The Netanyahu government’s actions have made this necessary.”
David Lammy telling the House of Commons of the suspension of formal trade talks with Israel on May 20 – House of Commons/AFP via Getty Images
But on Tuesday evening, Lord Austin, a former Labour minister, announced his arrival in Israel with a post on X.
He wrote: “Greetings from Israel! I’m here to meet businesses & officials to promote trade with the UK. Trade with Israel provides many thousands of good jobs in the UK and brings people together in the great multi-cultural democracy that is Israel.”
The Government defended the trip, telling the Financial Times that Lord Austin was there to promote Britain’s relationship with Israeli businesses.
A spokesman said: “We suspended talks with Israel on a new FTA because it is not possible to advance discussions with a Netanyahu government pursuing such egregious policies in Gaza and the West Bank.
“Lord Austin is in Israel this week in his capacity as trade envoy to maintain our relationship with Israeli businesses.”
Britain began its negotiations to strengthen its existing free trade agreement with Israel in 2022. Last year, Labour confirmed its plans to deepen the UK’s £5.8 billion trade links – a move that caused rifts among the party’s backbenchers.
The decision to cease trade talks over the Gaza offensive sparked a furious response from Israel’s foreign ministry, which said: “If, due to anti-Israel obsession and domestic political considerations, the British Government is willing to harm the British economy – that is its own prerogative.”
Lord Austin, who now sits as a non-affiliated peer in the House of Lords, has served as the UK’s trade envoy since 2019. Earlier this year, he said he was “delighted” to be reappointed by Sir Keir to represent the Labour Government.
“Hundreds of businesses and thousands of jobs in the UK depend on trade and investment with Israel, and I’ll be doing everything I can to help our brilliant team at the UK’s embassy in Tel Aviv strengthen the relationship between our two great countries,” he told the Jewish Chronicle.
“Economic growth is the Government’s number one mission and I’m looking forward to playing my part in supporting this vital work.”
Lord Austin quit Labour over its anti-Semitism crisis in 2019, accusing Jeremy Corbyn, the party leader at the time, of presiding over a “culture of extremism”. He was appointed to his trade envoy role by Baroness May a few months later.
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