Lord Austin of Dudley has welcomed new figures showing that Israel has risen to eighth place in a ranking of the top European and regional nations investing in the UK.
The UK Trade Envoy to Israel said the results reflected the growing importance of the economic relationship between the two countries.
“This welcome news shows that Israel has firmly established itself as one of the UK’s most important trading partners, creating thousands of jobs across the UK and supporting thousands more in Israel,” said Lord Austin, a former Labour MP and member of the JC board.
“Israel is rightly respected for its world-leading tech sector. It is making a huge contribution to the UK economy, and there is a desire for ever closer cooperation.”
According to a new report from the UK Department for Business and Trade, 19 Israeli companies either established or expanded operations in the UK from 2024-2025.
This moved Israel from 10th to eighth place in the per capita rankings, the department’s Inward Investment Results Report said.
“Israel’s advancement to eighth place among European countries for business presence in the UK is a clear reflection of the important economic ties between our nations,” British Ambassador to Israel Simon Walters said.
“This progress highlights the strength of our partnership and the UK’s enduring commitment to fostering innovation and growth.”
Using the metric of total number of projects, Israel stands at 11 among all the ranked countries, regardless of population size.
The top per capita investors in the UK were Ireland, Sweden, and Denmark, followed by Switzerland, the Netherlands, Norway, Finland, Israel, Austria, and Belgium.
Liron Attias, deputy director for Israel and head of foreign direct investment at the Department for Business and Trade, said: “In a year of regional uncertainty, Israeli companies continue to choose the UK as their European base. The UK’s forward-looking industrial strategy aligns perfectly with Israel’s strengths, driving long-term economic growth.”
Lightico, an Israeli digital-transformation firm that supports major British companies, such as HSBC, Santander, BT, Three, and VMO2, is one of the major investors.
“We chose the UK as our European base because it combines a world-leading financial-services market with strong regulation and a genuine appetite for innovation,” said Richard Grey, chief revenue officer at Lightico.
Danny Kessler, Chair of UK Israel Business, said: “Israel’s growing investment in the UK underlines the strategic depth of our trade relationship with the Jewish state. Thousands of British jobs, our national security and the health of the British public all depend on it.
"The UK brings world class innovation to this partnership; Israel brings world-leading technology especially in the field of AI. The resilience of our bilateral trade is cause for celebration and the strongest possible argument for securing a free trade agreement.
"Two democracies, bound by shared values, building shared security and prosperity.”
Nigel Tobias, Executive Director of the British-Israel Chamber of Commerce (North West), said:
"It’s no surprise that Israel has yet again demonstrated its support for investing in the UK, climbing to 8th globally for UK investment.
“What’s more surprising is that, despite Israel’s longstanding commitment and friendship to the UK, Andy Burnham is hinting at putting further sanctions on the Jewish state with little justification, or consideration of the impact that stopping British Jews from buying products from the only Jewish state increases the disenfranchisement that British Jews face in the UK today.
“There’s also no doubt that the Israel security services have assisted their counterparts in the UK to prevent terrorist atrocities, so further punitive sanctions aren’t likely to be seen as the actions of a friendly state”
Anita Leviant, President of Israel Britain Chamber of Commerce & Innovation (IBCC), said: “This amazing achievement is a testament to the resilience and dynamism of the Israel-UK business and innovation ecosystem. The Israel Britain Chamber of Commerce and Innovation is proud to play its important part in strengthening partnerships, connecting businesses, and creating opportunities that benefit both economies. We are certain that this strong relationship will be stronger and continue to thrive.”
At the end of 2024, the amount of foreign direct investment from Israel into the UK was £1.3 billion.
Total trade in goods and services (exports plus imports) between the UK and Israel was £6 billion in the four quarters to the end of Q4 2025.
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