BICOM

• The British-Israeli relationship has deep and multi-layered roots, but ultimately rests on shared values of a democratic system of governance. 
• The British government’s decision to ask Israel to withdraw a diplomat from the embassy of Israel in London follows established precedent in a situation where a state has become convinced that its documents were misused. The approach taken by the British government over this affair reflects the importance London attaches to the strategic relationship with Israel.
• Israel and Britain share deep concerns regarding the Iranian nuclear programme and the danger it presents to the Middle East. In addition to joint opposition to the Iranian drive for regional hegemony, Britain and Israel share concerns about international terror networks that operate in the region.
• Britain and Israel also maintain extensive economic and cultural relations that underscore the shared values of the two societies.

Introduction

This week, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband announced a decision taken by the British Government to ask Israel to withdraw a diplomat from its embassy in London. The decision was made following an investigation carried out by the British Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) into the use of cloned British passports in the recent assassination of a senior Hamas official in Dubai. Despite the incident, relations between Britain and Israel are based on strong strategic interests and are unlikely to be damaged by the recent strains. This document highlights the broader context of the relationship between the United Kingdom and the State of Israel.

The cloned passports affair and its impact

Given the range of options available to the government, it is noteworthy that Britain chose the relatively mild step of removing an Israeli diplomat from his post in London over more severe actions. Furthermore, the foreign secretary refrained from suggesting that the individual concerned had himself been involved in any wrongdoing. The manner and timing of the British decision clearly indicate that London wishes to swiftly take the action it deems necessary, and then draw a line under the whole affair. There was clearly anger – but the relationship is sufficiently important that the UK government wanted to act quickly to limit any additional damage.

The British government’s request follows established precedents I dealing with incidents involving Israeli intelligence. In this sense, the British decision was probably inevitable. Margaret Thatcher’s government took similar action in 1988, following similar circumstances. In 2004, the New Zealand government took considerably harsher measures against Israel, again following allegations of misconduct by the Israeli intelligence services.

The British relationship with Israel is wide, multi-faceted and of clear mutual benefit to both countries. In addition to the deep strategic, economic and cultural links between the two countries, Britain also wishes to play a central role in Middle East peacemaking. So on a variety of levels, there is a mutual interest in moving forward from the current situation.

Britain and Israel: The history of a strategic alliance

In his address to the Knesset on 21 July 2008, Prime Minister Gordon Brown summed up the relationship between Britain and Israel in the following words: “Britain is your true friend. A friend in difficult times as well as in good times; a friend who will stand beside you whenever your peace, your stability and your existence are under threat; a friend who shares an unbreakable partnership based on shared values of liberty, democracy and justice. And to those who mistakenly and outrageously call for the end of Israel let the message be: Britain will always stand firmly by Israel’s side.”

The Prime Minister’s statement reflects Britain’s historic role as an ally of Israel, and of the Zionist movement historically. It was the Balfour Declaration of 1917 which set the stage for the establishment of the State of Israel, and it was in the early years of the British Mandate over Palestine that the Zionist movement achieved the population numbers which would prove crucial in making a Jewish state a possibility.

An additional element to this historic relationship is constituted by the deep links between the Anglo-Jewish community and Israel. British Jews have historically played a vital and prominent role in British life in a variety of fields. The community also has extensive links and deep involvement in Israel, and this constitutes yet another ‘bridge’ between London and Jerusalem.   

Security/intelligence cooperation

Cooperation between Israel and Britain on issues of security and intelligence exchange has been ongoing for decades, and has increased in recent years. Israel is today one of Britain’s leading strategic partners in tackling the threat of global terror and countering Iran’s nuclear pursue. 

Israel and Britain share deep concerns regarding the Iranian nuclear programme and the danger it presents to stability in the Middle East. In addition to its concerns for Israel’s security, Britain maintains close ties with the Gulf monarchies – precisely those states most vulnerable to and worried about Iranian expansionism. This web of regional interests and the awareness of the growing Iranian threat encourages close and extensive intelligence sharing, a trend that has increased in the recent years following advancements in Iran’s nuclear activity. Britain also stands at the forefront of the international push to impose sanctions on Iran and close cooperation with Israel also helps in this regard. The UK decision to ban British firms from doing business with IRISL, the Iranian shipping company involved in supplying the Iranian nuclear programme, was an important step that is currently being considered by other EU countries and international partners.

In addition to joint opposition to the Iranian drive for regional hegemony, Britain and Israel share concerns regarding transnational terror networks, with both countries singled out as targets by jihadi organisations. Indeed, there are notable organisational links between groups operating against Israel and the UK. The two British Muslims who bombed the Mike’s Place bar in Tel Aviv in 2003 were also associates of Mohammed Sidique Khan, the leader of the cell which bombed London in 2005. The improved intelligence cooperation that was established after the Mike’s Place bombing was further expanded after the bombings carried out in Istanbul in November 2003, in which the British embassy and a number of synagogues were attacked by the same terror cell.

Britain has also been at the forefront of international efforts to prevent the flow of weapons to terror groups operating in the region. In March 2009 Britain took part in an international conference that discussed ways to ensure the prevention of arms smuggling into Gaza as part of the ceasefire agreement that followed Operation Cast Lead. This was the most explicit international commitment to act on this matter. The British Navy also takes part in preventing arms smuggling from Iran to Hezbollah in Lebanon as part of the broader British interest to preserve stability in the region and ensure Israel’s security.

On a broader, strategic level, the British and Israeli militaries face a similar threat scenario of likely involvement in asymmetrical warfare and ‘hybrid’ conflicts (part conventional, part sub-conventional). It is for this reason that recent UK defence documents, such as the ‘Future Character of Conflict’ document, which accompanied the recent strategic defence review undertaken by the Ministry of Defence, used the experience of the 2006 Second Lebanon War as a specific example in ascertaining the kind of challenges UK forces could expect to face. With British forces heavily engaged in Afghanistan, such lessons are being put into practice. Israeli equipment and expertise is today playing a vital role in enabling British troops to carry out their mission in Afghanistan effectively.

More recently, Britain’s high level of involvement in the region and commitment to Israel have been reflected in the British determination to play an active role in the peace process. The presence of former prime minister Tony Blair as the Quartet representative is an example of this. Behind the scenes, Blair has been playing a vital role in helping the Palestinian Authority to develop the institutions and economic infrastructure essential to prospects for peace. Blair has been fully supported by the British government in his efforts.

Economic cooperation

In 2008, BICOM commissioned Oxford Economics to investigate the scale and nature of economic and academic links between Israel and the UK. The investigation revealed an extensive and flourishing relationship.

Israel is the UK’s 26th most important trade partner per head – ahead of the US, Japanese and South African per capita figures. Economic ties with Israel directly contributed a total of some £1.7 billion to UK GDP in 2006.

What these figures point to is a flourishing set of relations between two developed and compatible economies. The pooling of brainpower and research resources between the UK and Israel is similarly producing concrete and beneficial results – for example, in the areas of the development of the PillCam endoscopy capsule, which has benefited over 320,000 people worldwide, joint work on the treatment of breast cancer and bio-indicator work on the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease.

The full Oxford Economics report can be accessed here.

Conclusion: A solid foundation

The relationship between Britain and Israel is currently passing through one of the periodic moments of strain which are an unavoidable characteristic of relations between all states. However, the weight given it by the multiple level of mutually beneficial connections outlined above, and the strong foundations which Gordon Brown encapsulated in his speech, suggest that the enduring connection is more than strong enough to weather the current storm.

In fact, the actions taken by the British government in the recent affair display just how important the strategic relationship with Israel is to Britain. History shows that this conviction crosses party lines, and endures from government to government.

The relationship between the two countries is, ultimately, anchored in the firm conviction of the majority of the British public in the right of Jews to statehood and self determination, and in their right to live in peace. This is the basic anchor of relations and it remains solid as ever.