Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu telephoned Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday to discuss ways in which Britain and Israel can maintain and strengthen cooperation in a variety of fields, including regional issues and the threat of global terrorism.
The call was the first conversation between the two leaders since Prime Minister May took office last month.
Prime Minister Netanyahu wished Prime Minister May good luck as she begins her premiership.
Netanyahu sent the Prime Minister a letter of congratulations immediately after she entered Downing Street, and she was welcomed by other leading Israeli officials from across the political spectrum.
Prime Minister May has strongly supported Israel’s right to defend itself; at a CFI Parliamentary reception in 2014, she said: “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”.
CFI Parliamentary Chairman Rt. Hon. Sir Eric Pickles MP, Honorary President Lord Polak CBE and Executive Director James Gurd last month congratulated Prime Minister May, stating: “Theresa is a long-standing friend of Israel and the UK’s Jewish community, with a proven track-record in combating anti-Semitism. This represents an exciting new chapter in the UK-Israel relationship and CFI looks forward to working with Theresa to further strengthen the relationship between the United Kingdom and Israel”.
