British forces ‘played part’ in supporting Israel, defence secretary confims
Defence Secretary John Healey issues statement in response to attack by Tehran
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Defence Secretary John Healey has confimed that “British forces played their part” in supporting Israel after Iran launched a barrage of missiles.
In a statement posted by the Ministry of Defence on X, Healey :”I want to thank all British personnel involved in the operation for their courage and professionalism. The UK stands fully behind Israel’s right to defend its country and its people against threats.”
He added:”The UK stands fully behind Israel’s right to defend its country and its people against threats.”
Jewish News understands UK fighter jets were involved, as they were in April when Iran last attacked Israel with missiles. Healey’s statement came after Prime Minister Keir Starmer gave a speech at Downing Street to condemn Iran, and confirm the UK stood “with Israel.” The PM said:”“We stand with Israel and we recognise her right to self-defence in the face of this aggression. Iran must stop these attacks. Together with its proxies like Hezbollah, Iran has menaced the Middle East for far too long”. While he did not immediately confirm UK involvement in Tuesday’s action, Starmer had baccked action taken by the previous Conservative government to support Israel in April. In his address from Downing Street Starmer said:”Together with its proxies like Hezbollah, Iran has menaced the Middle East for far too long, chaos and destruction brought not just to Israel, but to the people they live amongst in Lebanon and beyond. “Make no mistake, Britain stands full square against such violence. We support Israel’s reasonable demand for the security of its people.” He had been speaking to Benjamin Netanyahu when the Iranian attacks began. Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do. For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain. Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life. You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with. 100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity... Engaging Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all. Celebrating There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride. Pioneering In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding. Campaigning Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance. Easy access In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people. Voice of our community to wider society The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large. We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
