New Defence Secretary’s parliamentary record shows support for Israel and UK community

New Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis has praised the UK’s “deep-rooted” relationship with Israel, adding:”Together we share a commitment to robust democratic governance, rule of law, and judicial independence.”

Jarvis, 53, has succeeded John Healey as Defence Secretary following Healey’s unexpected resignation over the government’s long-awaited Defence Investment Plan.

Keir Starmer’s already fragile authority suffered a further blow with the resignations of both Healey and Armed Forces Minister Al Carns  on Thursday over a long-running row over defence spending priorities.

As Security Minister, Jarvis  also wrote in Jewish News about the “appalling” rise of antisemitism in the UK, adding: “Jews have been left feeling isolated and unsafe in their own country. That fills me with sadness.”

He continued: “As Security Minister, it fuels my fierce determination to give British Jews the protection and reassurance they want and deserve.”

In May, Jarvis admitted to broadcasters that UK governments had historically been “too timid” in confronting antisemitism over the years.

He has also made himself available to deliver speeches at functions put on by the Board of Deputies and other communal organisations in the Westminister.

A former elite military officer, Jarvis made history in January 2011 as the first serving Army officer since the Second World War to resign his commission explicitly to run for Parliament.

Elected as Labour MP for Barnsley Central (now Barnsley North) in a 2011 by-election, Jarvis has held the seat ever since.

After Labour’s election victory, he was appointed Minister of State for Security in July 2024, a position he held until his promotion to Defence Secretary.

Throughout his parliamentary career, Jarvis has consistently voted in line with Labour frontbench positions on issues related to Israel and the war in Gaza.

Unlike Healey, he did not serve on Jeremy Corbyn’s front bench.

In November 2023, he followed party orders to abstain on the SNP’s Gaza ceasefire amendment instead of joining the backbench rebellion. He also refrained from signing parliamentary letters calling for the suspension of arms sales to Israel, enforcement of independent sanctions, or the upholding of specific ICC arrest warrants.

In July 2025, Jarvis voted in favour of a House of Commons motion to proscribe the activist group Palestine Action as a banned organisation, alongside two other designated extremist groups.

In May, at Israel’s 78th Independence Day event in London, Jarvis, a Labour Friends of Israel supporter, delivered a speech via video stating that the Labour Party “has long been an advocate of the Jewish state.”

Praising UK-Israel ties, he reiterated: “Together we share a commitment to robust democratic governance, rule of law, and judicial independence … and an unwavering dedication to defending our open societies against security threats.”

Born in Nottingham in 1972, he currently lives in Barnsley with his family. His first wife, Caroline, tragically passed away from cancer in 2010, an event that heavily influenced his decision to leave the military for a career in public service closer to his children. He has since remarried.

Serving as a Platoon Commander with 1 Para, Adjutant with 3 Para, and a Company Commander within the Special Forces Support Group, Jarvis has been deployed to multiple global hotspots, including Northern Ireland, Sierra Leone, Kosovo, Iraq, and two tours of duty in Afghanistan.

During his time as Defence Secretary, Healey grew increasingly critical of Israel’s wartime conduct under Benjamin Netanyahu.

In a notable escalation, he publicly stated that Israel’s renewed military offensives in Gaza were “simply wrong.”

He regularly condemned the “appalling” civilian casualties and warned of the “man-made famine” inside Gaza.

However, Healey consistently refused to sign backbench cross-party letters demanding enforcement of independent sanctions against Israeli officials or compliance with ICC arrest warrants.

In August 2024, Healey flew to Israel to meeting with his counterpart Yoav Gallant in Tel Aviv.

Following the meeting Israeli officials said Gallant had provided Healey with an “operational situation assessment.”

Healey later said:”De-escalation must be the first focus in the Middle East.”

At the time a Labour source said Healey’s meeting, following quickly after then foreign secretary David Lammy’s visit to Israel, showed how seriously the government valued Israel as an ally, despite signs of adopting a tougher stance around international law issues.

Healey’s subsequent rift with Starmer and chancellor Rachel Reeves leadership had nothing to do with differences of opinion over policy relating to the Middle East.

Jarvis now inherits a Ministry of Defence embroiled in a funding dispute with the Treasury and facing questions about how Britain’s armed forces should adapt to the changing nature of warfare.

In his resignation letter, Healey stated that the Prime Minister had been “unable, and the Treasury has been unwilling” to provide adequate funding for the DIP.

Military chiefs have called for around £28 billion over four years, while a figure of around £18 billion had been sought by officials in Whitehall.

However, the DIP promised just £13.5 billion—of which only £10 billion was new money—with defence sources claiming the remaining £3.5 billion was “Treasury trickery”, likely from expected efficiency savings or cuts.