When I suggested that she might be forced to resign, both sources were taken aback.
But it was the steady drip of new information about the content and scale of her meetings that made it impossible for Ms Patel to get ahead of the story.
Will this damage UK/Israel relations? My view is that it’s unlikely. Government ministers will be a little more cautious in their dealings with their Israeli counterparts, and more likely to follow the line of the Foreign Office’s mandarins.
However, this is one scandal where nobody is blaming Israel itself. Ms Patel’s "secret" meetings were tweeted out by Gilad Erdan and Yair Lapid, who had nothing to hide. Ms Patel’s failure to follow protocol shouldn’t scare off other Conservatives, who’ll probably use the proper channels on their next Israel trip.
With Ms Patel’s departure, the Jewish community has lost a friend in a friendly Cabinet. Hopefully, she will keep fighting for Israel from the backbenches.
Arieh Kovler is Jerusalem-based political consultant and writer
