"It’s an incredible country that’s changed out of all recognition since I worked on kibbutz 30 years ago. I’m here because of that economic change...Israel has been responsible for everything from USB memory sticks to all sorts of apps that are of great value. The country has played a huge role in computing generally and the whole tech explosion. But it’s more fundamental than that: the world would be greatly poorer without Israel. The world would be impoverished without a state – for all its faults and all the criticisms you can level – is far and away the most free, open, democratic in this neighbourhood. It’s a great thing and we need to preserve that."
− Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Boris Johnson MP, November 2015
"(The Balfour Declaration) is one of the most important letters in history. It demonstrates Britain’s vital role in creating a homeland for the Jewish people. And it is an anniversary we will be marking with pride. Born of that letter, and the efforts of so many people, is a remarkable country."
− Then-Prime Minister Theresa May, December 2016
"(Nothing) detracts from the fact that we have, in Israel, a thriving democracy, a beacon of tolerance, an engine of enterprise and an example to the rest of the world for overcoming adversity and defying disadvantages."
− Then-Prime Minister Theresa May, December 2016
"As I realised during my visit in 2014 - seeing is believing. For it is only when you walk through Jerusalem or Tel Aviv that you see a country where people of all religions and sexualities are free and equal in the eyes of the law. It is only when you travel across the country that you realise it is only the size of Wales - and appreciate even more the impact it has on the world. It is only when you meet our partners in eradicating modern slavery – one of the main reasons I visited in 2014 – that you see a country committed to tackling some of the world’s most heinous practices. And it is only when you witness Israel’s vulnerability that you see the constant danger Israelis face, as I did during my visit, when the bodies of the murdered teenagers, Naftali Frenkel, Gilad Shaer and Eyal Yifrah, were discovered."
− Then-Prime Minister Theresa May, December 2016
"When we talk about our countries achieving our aims together, that isn’t just for the good of Israel and Britain; it’s for the good of the world. When our scientists come together, they are working to cure diseases that affect millions of people. When we work together on our mutual security at the highest level, it makes the world safer. When we increase trade and investment with one another, it brings more opportunities and prosperity to the wider world. It is that collaboration that this organisation, CFI, so wonderfully celebrates and builds upon."
− Then-Prime Minister Theresa May, December 2016
"We have common values; we work together, on health, counter-terrorism, cyber security, technology; and we can help each other achieve our aims. First, we both want to take maximum advantage of trade and investment opportunities, because we know enterprise is the key to our countries’ prosperity. Our economic relationship is already strong. The UK is Israel’s second-largest trading partner. We are its number-one destination for investment in Europe, with more than 300 Israeli companies operating here. And last year saw our countries’ biggest-ever business deal, worth over £1 billion, when Israeli airline El Al decided to use Rolls Royce engines in its new aircraft. We should celebrate that, we should build on that – and we should condemn any attempt to undermine that through boycotts."
− Then-Prime Minister Theresa May, December 2016
"Today the relationship between our countries remains as strong as ever, based not only on bilateral trade, scientific research and security co-operation, but the values we share, like freedom, democracy and tolerance. Indeed, I saw those values for myself when I made my first visit to Israel as Home Secretary in 2014."
− Then-Prime Minister Theresa May, CFI Informed Magazine, September 2016
"It’s worth restating the threats faced by Israel because they are considerable. There are the familiar but deadly threats from Hamas and Hezbollah. The collapse of Syria that has spawned ISIS and threatens to destabilise Lebanon and Jordan. The instability of the wider region. And the threats issued to Israel by Iran. No democratic government could, in the face of such danger, do anything but maintain a strong defence and security capability and be prepared to deploy it if necessary. That is why I - and the whole British Government - will always defend Israel's right to defend itself."
− Then-Prime Minister Theresa May, CFI Parliamentary Reception, 9 September 2014
"Israel is at once an ancient and a young nation. The modern State of Israel is the fufilment of many generations of struggle... It is a tragic fact of history that the Jewish people have had to protect themselves against repeated attempts to obliterate them, and that the safety of the Jewish people can never be taken for granted. "
− Then-Prime Minister Theresa May, Bnei Akiva Yom Ha'atzmaut Event, April 2015
"It is immensely important that we speak up for the only working democracy in the Middle East. A bastion of democracy; a bastion of free speech; a bastion of civil liberties. "
− CFI Parliamentary Chairman, Rt. Hon. Sir Eric Pickles MP, January 2016
"We have to reflect while we are here this evening on something that I think unites us all - and brings us together here to support Conservative Friends of Israel - and that, of course, is the values. The shared values that we all have when it comes to the value of democracy, the value of peace, but also the value of freedom as well. And these values apply to Israel in such a great way... Those values that all of us in this room tonight are standing up for and championing. "
− Home Secretary, Rt. Hon. Priti Patel MP, January 2016
"I am a proud, British-born Muslim, and I love my country more than any other place on earth. But, if for some reason, I had to leave, with my young family, and I was told that I must go and live in the Middle East, where would I decide to go? Would I choose Dubai, with its vibrant city life and soaring skyscrapers? No. Would I choose Saudi Arabia, a fabulously wealthy nation and the birthplace of the holy Prophet Mohammed? No. There is only one place I could possibly go: Israel, the only nation in the Middle East that shares the same democratic values as Britain. And the only nation in the Middle East where my family would feel the warm embrace of freedom and liberty."
− Former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rt. Hon. Sajid Javid MP, December 2012
