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Conservative MPs celebrated flourishing UK-Israel trade ties and called for even further progress in a Westminster Hall debate on Thursday led by CFI Officer Bob Blackman MP.
The MP for Harrow East underlined in his opening speech that “the UK Israel trade relationship covers all our major industries and has a natural focus on the technology and services of the future”, adding that the “next step” is to “negotiate the full post-Brexit trade deal”.
Mr Blackman asked the International Trade Minister about the start date of the Trade Department’s public consultation on a UK-Israel free trade agreement, as well as calling on the Government to “seize the opportunity given from the historic Abraham Accords” between Israel, the UAE and Bahrain.
Among MPs to contribute included CFI Officers Matthew Offord MP and Damien Moore MP, as well as Buckingham MP Greg Smith, who highlighted the role that Israeli innovation has played in the UK, and voiced their opposition to “counterproductive” anti-Israel boycott campaigns. Mr Blackman said that the Government’s anti-BDS legislation to stop public bodies across the UK from discriminating on the ground of country and territory of origin will be “warmly welcomed” by many of his Harrow East constituents.
Responding to the debate, International Trade Minister Ranil Jayawardena MP reaffirmed the Government’s staunch opposition to boycotts of Israel, and commitment to supporting the Abraham Accords. He emphasised: “Through an ambitious, forward-looking and comprehensive free trade agreement, founded on the strength of the Israeli and British economies, we look forward to developing and improving that relationship even further in the future as an independent trading nation”.
The Minister also revealed that International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan will be visiting Israel in February.
