Starmer should push British interests – by backing Israel

If Britain and its European allies are not to stand on the sidelines of this potentially seismic shift, they need to change course. There is a clear path ahead for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy if they choose to take it in the best interests of Britain.

First, a ceasefire in Gaza will provide London with the opportunity to reset its now-frayed relationship with Jerusalem. Largely symbolic but damaging actions taken by the UK – such as partially suspending arms sales and suspending the trade agreement talks – need to be urgently reviewed and reversed.

Britain should also think much more carefully about how its actions are viewed by the Israeli public. There are, for instance, many Israelis who are deeply opposed to the politics of Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, who nonetheless will be surprised that they are the only ministers in any liberal democracy that the UK has chosen to sanction. They will be similarly surprised to learn that senior figures in the Palestinian leadership who have justified the atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7 have not been sanctioned by Britain.

Second, the British government is alive to the threat from Iran and has taken important steps to counter it, including ramping up sanctions on the regime and pledging legislation to introduce a new form of proscription for state threats, such as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

However, compared to Germany’s fulsome backing for Israel’s action against the Iranian nuclear programme, the UK’s response was somewhat tepid.

Having strongly advocated diplomacy with Tehran, Britain should now adopt a hard-headed and tough-minded approach. Ministers should make clear that any deal with Iran has to be on the basis of zero domestic enrichment of uranium and must be expanded to include the ballistic missile programme and the regime’s support for terrorism and proxy armies.

As a member of the E3, Britain also has the power to trigger the “snapback” of UN sanctions against Iran. It should use it without delay as a fitting response to Tehran’s belligerence towards the IAEA and threats to withdraw from the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Finally, the relationship between Britain and Israel should not be viewed as a problem to be managed but an opportunity to be seized. The region’s sole democracy, a bulwark against terrorism, and an economic powerhouse, Israel is a natural strategic partner for the UK.

Increased cooperation and trade could indeed boost a number of the government’s key priority areas.

Germany, for instance, has recognised that, as it seeks to bolster its military capabilities in the face of growing threats from Russia, it should draw on Israeli expertise in cyber defence and anti-drone defences, as well as enhancing security cooperation. This builds on Berlin’s 2023 agreement to purchase Israel’s Arrow 3 long-range missile defence system. Britain should follow suit.

Israel’s pioneering tech and innovation sector has long been a source of admiration. It is now emerging as a global leader in AI innovation – especially in the fields of healthcare, climate tech, robotics, cybersecurity and agrifood – with Israel’s AI startup activity two to four times greater than that seen in the US and Europe, and the country ranking first globally in terms of AI talent concentration. UK ministers should recognise that Silicon Valley isn’t the only place they should be seeking answers to the opportunities and dilemmas AI poses.

Israel’s climate tech sector should also be a source of inspiration for a British government with an ambitious green agenda, while, in opposition, health secretary Wes Streeting rightly said Israel’s use of tech in healthcare was “10 years ahead of the NHS”.

Iran’s theocratic regime remains a menace, albeit a much-weakened one. A window of opportunity to reorient the region, allowing Israel to play the role it has been denied for eight decades, is within sight. Israel’s neighbours should grab it with both hands – and so, too, should Britain.

Joan Ryan, a former Labour MP, is the CEO of ELNET UK