By Liz Truss and Yair Lapid, Israeli
foreign minister
Many fear the skies are darkening worldwide
due to the pandemic, the threat of terrorism and hostile actors seeking the
upper hand. But we believe that with the right approach, freedom and democracy
will prevail over malign forces.
That is why Israel and the United Kingdom
are today coming together in London to take a major step forward: transforming
our close friendship into an even closer partnership by formally agreeing a new
strategic plan for the next decade spanning cyber, tech, trade and defence.
This pact will spur technological
breakthroughs which have the potential to change the world, create high-quality
jobs in both our countries and provide tools to our security forces. But more
than that, it is a victory for optimism.
We believe that a democracy rooted in
freedom - which empowers citizens with the opportunity to innovate, create, and
fulfill their dreams - is the finest form of government. As outward-looking
patriotic nations, we know that the best way forward lies in building stronger
economic, technological and security ties with like-minded partners.
Our great nations can do so much more to
create jobs and fuel economic growth
Our recovery from the pandemic will be
fuelled by free enterprise, free trade, and investment. We have built up a
trading relationship worth £5 billion, led by companies like Rolls-Royce
supplying jet engines to Israel’s national airline and the Israeli
pharmaceutical giant Teva now providing one in six of the NHS’ prescription
medicines.
But our great nations can do so much more
to create jobs and fuel economic growth. That is why we will pave the way to
negotiating a bespoke UK-Israel free trade agreement, which would help us seize
new opportunities in the industries of the future like services, science and
technology.
We know the opportunities of the future
will come from technology, which is why Israel and the UK are going further and
faster to push new frontiers of innovation. Our partnership will keep us at the
forefront of the technological revolution and maximise our competitive
advantage. The UK will also open its doors to high-growth Israeli tech firms,
offering a gateway for them to realise their ambitions in areas like AI and
quantum computing.
With the world increasingly threatened in
cyberspace, we will work closer to defend ourselves. Israel will officially
become a Tier One cyber partner for the UK, recognising how much more we can
achieve together as tech leaders with world-class cybersecurity expertise.
This is testament to the forward-leaning
ethos at the heart of Israel and the UK’s partnership. Chaim Weizmann, Israel’s
first president, was also a renowned scientist who once lectured at the
University of Manchester. He said: “Science will bring to this land both peace
and renewal of its youth.”
As science and tech superpowers, Israel and
the UK are putting our prowess into action, leading the world in our vaccine
rollouts and in developing billion dollar tech unicorns. It is no surprise that
the UK was the first country to establish a special mission to Israel to boost
tech cooperation, helping us set the standard for modern business.
We stand united in condemning the appalling
attacks on Israel and its representatives
Of course, we know the world has to be safe
for freedom-loving democracies. That is why we are working robustly as security
partners. Our air forces now conduct regular exercises and HMS Richmond showed
the strength of our ties when docking in the crystal blue waters of Haifa’s
port, as part of the Carrier Strike Group’s global deployment.
We stand united in condemning the appalling
attacks on Israel and its representatives, from the shooting in Jerusalem last
week by a Hamas militant to the unacceptable hounding of Israel’s ambassador
Tzipi Hotovely outside the London School of Economics.
There is no place for anti-Semitism around
the world. That is why the UK has moved decisively to support Israel in this
fight by proscribing Hamas in its entirety. The Holocaust Memorial and Learning
Centre planned near Parliament will stand as a constant reminder, and answer to
the question of why we must stamp out anti-Semitism and hate wherever and
whenever it is found.
We will also work night and day to prevent
the Iranian regime from ever becoming a nuclear power. The clock is ticking,
which heightens the need for close cooperation with our partners and friends to
thwart Tehran’s ambitions.
There is no greater sign of what can be
achieved through open dialogue than the Abraham Accords. The UK was one of the
first countries to publicly celebrate this historic step towards normalisation
in the Middle East led by Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco
and mediated by the United States. One year on, the UK is continuing to play
its part in supporting Israel as it works more closely with partners in the
region.
Israel and the UK are the closest of
friends, and today we are deepening that partnership to become even closer.
Together, we will forge ahead and ensure the future is defined by liberal
democracies who believe in freedom and fairness.
