Benjamin Netanyahu has urged investors to "tell your friends" about Israel's business opportunities in a speech to the London Stock Exchange (LSE) today.

The Israeli Prime Minister paid tribute to the LSE's two centuries of existence, but noted that trading had been going on a lot longer in Israel, with "Abraham purchasing the cave of Machpelah in Hebron around four thousand years ago, and King David buying land on the Temple Mount for 50 shekels.

"And we still use the same currency."

Mr Netanyahu launched the day's trading at the stock exchange at 11am, pushing the button to officially open London's financial market.

In his subsequent speech he also discussed the success of Israeli technology, name-checking companies including Waze and Mobileye.

"Israel received in the last year 20 per cent of the global investment in cyber security," he said.

"Twenty per cent. Since we're a tenth of one percent of the world's population, that's punching 200 times above our weight.”

At the beginning of his speech he had joked that people who were aware of Israel's success should keep it to themselves to benefit the most from the investment opportunities, but made it clear at the end of his talk that he hoped they would share that news with other investors.