According to the UK's Daily Telegraph, citing officials, diplomatic relations between Britain and Israel have essentially frozen after two years in Labour government, with communication between ministerial-level officials from both sides virtually halted. British government sources indicated that the deterioration began with former Prime Minister Starmer's criticism of the Israeli Defense Forces' military operations in Gaza, his decision to sanction Israeli ministers over the West Bank issue, and Britain's formal recognition of the State of Palestine last year. There are indications that relations may further deteriorate under new Prime Minister Burnham.
Earlier this month, Burnham criticized Starmer for failing to call for a ceasefire earlier in the Gaza conflict and expressed support for further sanctions against West Bank settlements.
On Tuesday, Burnham appointed Wes Streitting as Defence Secretary, who had previously privately accused Israel of "committing war crimes before our eyes" and called the Israeli government "speaking the language of ethnic cleansing." Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Miliband has long been a supporter of the Palestinian cause and has consistently criticized Israeli government policies.
Senior British officials have not made official visits to Israel for nearly two years.
In July 2024, then-Foreign Secretary Pascal Lamy visited Israel and met with Netanyahu, calling for an immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages. Cooper, who took over as Foreign Secretary last September, has never visited Israel. One of her key actions upon taking office was announcing at the UN General Assembly that the UK recognized the State of Palestine.
Last June, the British government also announced the freezing of the assets of Israeli Finance Minister Smotrih and National Security Minister Ben-Gwell, and imposed travel bans on them.
An Israeli government source stated that Israel fully anticipated further sanctions from the UK. The source said, "Relations between the two sides look set to deteriorate further, and the situation will likely continue to worsen until it improves."
