British Conservative leader Liz Truss said she would consider moving the British embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem if she becomes prime minister next month.
In a letter to the Conservative Friends of Israel, Truss wrote that she understands the “importance and sensitivity” of the location of the British embassy in Israel.
“I have had many conversations with my good friend Prime Minister Lapid on this subject. Recognizing that, I will revise one step to ensure we operate on the strongest base in Israel.”
The US became the first country to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem under former US President Donald Trump.
Truss also promised she would secure the passage of a bill to end local councils enacting boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) policies targeting Israel.
“Government agencies should not engage in such discriminatory policies that go against this government’s position and cause unnecessary division. I will make sure this is stopped.
“Our shared values are strong and must be defended. The UK must stand side by side with Israel now and in the future. As prime minister, I would be at the forefront of this mission,” she said.
Trump’s Historic Israel Policy Will Continue https://t.co/sdZ6srZxE6
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) January 21, 2021
“It also remains important to me that the public is educated about the dangers of anti-Semitism and the role it plays in fueling anti-Zionism and anti-Israel sentiment,” she said.
“A critical part of this is ongoing education about the horrors of the Holocaust, which I hope will be reflected in an appropriate memorial to the memories of millions of victims.”
She promised that “all options are on the table” if Iran rejects a return to the ruptured nuclear deal.
Truss will face off against former Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who wrote his own letter to the Conservative Friends of Israel group expressing his support for Israel.
Sunak said he would seek “a new, strengthened nuclear deal that extends expiration clauses, extends the outbreak period and curtails Iran’s ballistic missile program. The credible threat of snapback sanctions, which has so far been missing from the negotiations, is the only way we can force Iran to take these proposals seriously.”
“Iran’s quest for regional hegemony and the threat it poses to Israel is of great concern to me,” Sunak wrote. “We cannot allow Iran to possess a nuclear weapon and the UK and Israel must strengthen our diplomatic, defense and intelligence cooperation to prevent this.”
Sunak praised the Trump-led Abraham Accords, saying that “the UK has a responsibility to leverage its strong ties with other Gulf states to expand the number of signatories to the agreement.”