Former home secretary praised for ‘standing on the front line’ in Israel’s defence

Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch MP has told Conversative Friends of Israel (CFI) supporters that she is “proud” to be building stronger UK-Israel ties.

Addressing 200 people at the CFI parliamentary reception on Tuesday, the cabinet minister discussed her work towards an enhanced UK-Israel Free Trade Agreement, saying it focused on “innovation, digital, technology, and the economy of the future”.

The event included a special thanks to the former Conservative chancellor and home secretary, Sajid Javid, with Israeli Ambassador Tzipi Hotovely calling him “a very special friend”.

Javid was pivotal in the government’s decision to proscribe Hezbollah and to ban local councils from instituting their own policies to boycott Israeli goods and services.

Hotovely thanked him for “standing on the front line” in defending Israel. “Your friendship is one of the greatest things that happened for the Israel-UK relationship”, she said, adding that the “iconic photo” of Javid at the Western Wall “won the hearts of the Israeli people”.

Javid said it was “truly humbling” to receive a letter of thanks from Israeli President Isaac Herzog and highlighted his “attachment and love of Israel”, saying he would “continue to support Israel in every way that I have done” despite stepping down as an MP at the next election.

Badenoch, who said she was busy working with Israeli counterpart Nir Barkat, emphasised her support for the construction of a Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre beside Parliament.

She also reflected on her visit to Yad Vashem on a recent trip to Israel, saying it was “critical that we continue to educate” about the Holocaust and we “absolutely need to have the Memorial”.