Farage: UK no longer a strong ally of Israel with Lammy

Nigel Farage has suggested the UK no longer remains a strong ally of Israel under a Labour government and Foreign Secretary David Lammy.

In an interview published ahead of the start of Reform UK’s annual conference, he also said Benjamin Netanyahu was himself “very good” at losing support for the Jewish state.

Speaking to parliament’s magazine The House, Farage was asked whether the UK is “still a good ally of Israel”.

After a pause, he responded: “Not particularly. I don’t think David Lammy is”.

But in a sign that the Reform leader also shared frustration with the Israeli prime minister, he added: “Is Netanyahu very good at losing friends? Yes, he’s very good at it.”

Farage, who will speak at his party’s conference in Birmingham on Friday, after returning from a trip to the States, admitted he was appalled by the continuation of the war in Gaza.

“I know what is happening in Gaza appals everybody, but equally Hamas’ behaviour, Hamas’ propaganda, Hamas’ deliberate use of human shields is pretty vile and pretty repulsive,” he told the magazine.

Farage also spoke of his campaign to secure the release of British-Israeli hostage Emily Damari, who was held hostage by Hamas for over 400 days.

“We’re in touch with the family,” he told The House magazine.  “I very much want to go and see her. I hoped to go and see her in April, but the election campaign happened.

“At some point, I will go and visit her. She’s very keen that I go and see her. I did champion her. It was a remarkable situation. We had a British hostage being held by Hamas, and no one knew, no one knew.”