Israeli Ambassador Daniel Taub was formally welcomed to the UK by the Queen at a Buckingham Palace ceremony.

Mr Taub presented his diplomatic credentials to Queen Elizabeth II as the 18th representative of Israel in the UK. He went to the ceremony with his wife, Zehava, the deputy head of mission Alon Roth-Snir, defence attaché Colonel Hadar Furman, head of administration Vivian Aisen and press attaché Amir Ofek.

A Israeli embassy spokeswoman said: "Her Majesty expressed interest in Israel’s impressive hi-tech sector, and the ambassador explained that in the absence of natural resources Israel has realised that human ingenuity is its key resource.

"They discussed the miracle of the revival of the Hebrew language in Israel, and the opportunities for deepening cultural and academic links between the two countries."