Minister for the Middle East, Dr Andrew Murrison MP, made his first visit to Israel in his role this week, where he met with Israeli leaders and hailed prospects for the future.
Addressing a delegation of British and Israeli veterans, hosted by Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin, the Dr Murrison said that the UK’s relationship with Israel “couldn’t be closer”.
Dr Murrison said it was “inspiring to meet British and Israeli participants at the landmark Veteran Games with President Rivlin”, praising the “incredible stories of achievement over adversity”.
The Middle East Minister started his visit to Israel at Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial, where he commemorated the victims of the Holocaust. He underlined: “We must fight against the scourge of antisemitism in all its forms, wherever it occurs”.
In Tel Aviv, with the UK Israel Tech Hub, he experienced some of the best of Israeli innovation, at the TechForGood Israel Impact Summit.
He met with Israeli Minister for Regional Cooperation Tzachi Hanegbi, and leader of the Blue and White party Yair Lapid, to discuss the importance of the UK-Israel relationship and future prospects for the region.
The Middle East Minister visited Israel’s Gaza border region where he “saw the threat that Hamas tunnels and rockets pose to people living in the Gaza periphery”, emphasising that “such violence has to stop”.
Dr Murrison also visited Gaza, where he announced an extra £1.6 million for medical aid to the Gaza Strip. He said the new money would pay for emergency and trauma care and contribute to the World Health Organisation programme to “bring support and help to 380,000 Gazans”.
