The hundreth birthday of Israel’s oldest university was celebrated in London on Sunday evening, with Israel’s former president, Reuven Rivlin paying tribute to the Technion, which invented the Iron Dome defence system.

In conversation with JC editor Jake Wallis Simons, Rivlin told the 300 guests that he was “proud” to be marking the centenary of the Israel Institute of Technology after “one of the most challenging years” in Israel’s history.

Speaking at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London, Rivlin caused a stir when he said: “The relationship between us and Queen Elizabeth was a little bit difficult, because she believed that every one of us was either a terrorist or a son of a terrorist.”

The former president added that whilst “our effort is something to write home about by anyone’s standards”, Israel was battling not against freedom fighters who want a Palestinian state but people who “just want to get rid of Israel, and that is something that cannot be fought or stopped without a strategy”.

Asked about the divisions in Israeli society, he said that the Jewish people needed to realise that “the State doesn’t need us, but we need it”.

Rivlin was presented with the Technion UK’s Churchill award by previous recipient Baroness Ruth Deech. Past award-winners have Mikhail Gorbachev, former president of the Soviet Union and King Hussein of Jordan.

Rachel Lavan, a reserve soldier and a Technion student, made the appeal, thanking guests for their support, which, she said, had enabled students to continue with their studies since October 7.

There was entertainment by the stars of the hit production of Fiddler on the Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, who sang a medley of songs.

CEO of Technion UK, Alan Aziz, said: “It was an honour last night to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Technion and to showcase to the audience some of the incredible achievements over the past century.

"Technion is Israel’s Nobel Prize-winning University and is credited with four academic Nobel prizes.”