Campaign calls on UK to ‘realign’ Middle East policy after Abraham Accords

A campaign is urging the UK to “realign” its foreign policy in the Middle East following normalisation between Israel and its gulf neighbours.

The Israel Britain Alliance’s director, former Labour MP Michael McCann, is targeting its initiative at foreign secretary Dominic Raab, with supporters’ writing to constituency MPs.

It seeks to challenge the “distorted and fake narratives created around the Israel/ Palestinian conflict”, and highlight “the contradictions” the Accords “raises with UK foreign policy.”

McCann said, normalisation “demonstrates that a new way has been found to establish peace”, because “Arab nations are simultaneously fed up with the refusal of the Palestinians to negotiate peace and Iran’s ambitions in the region”. He said Arab states “have realised that peace with Israel aligns with their own interests”.

• OPINION – Michael McCann: Britain must change course and embrace the new Middle East

Saying IBA has concerns “UK foreign policy is at odds” with the changing landscape, it calls on the government to “accept these new realities and realign” its approach, while rethinking the millions of pounds given in foreign aid to the Palestinian Authority.

McCann said “no penalties are imposed when Palestinian leaders support and incite violence”.

“They take our money under false pretences while they keep their ambitions to wipe Israel from map, under the table, beside the bombs, guns and rockets.”

It’s time for Britain to “forge a new way forward” so it is “aligned to the peace opportunities” the Accords offer, he says.