ByAnonymous, Anonymous
Israel’s intelligence minister has accused British MPs of encouraging terrorism by voting to support Palestinian statehood.
Yuval Steinitz said calling on the government to recognise Palestine had sent “the wrong message” in the wake of the Gaza conflict.
Visiting London last week the intelligence and strategic affairs minister said he had been surprised and frustrated by the vote earlier this month.
The passing of the non-binding motion by 274-12 could be seen as a reward for Hamas terror, he claimed.
“It’s like saying ‘look, we cannot care less about rocket attacks on Israel’. I know this was not the purpose, but the people who initiated it, it seems they could not care less about encouraging terrorist attacks, at least against Israel,” Mr Steinitz told the Telegraph.
He said the vote was akin to giving up on attempts to make a peace deal and could discourage both Israelis and Palestinians from entering negotiations.
Mr Steinitz praised the efforts of David Cameron and Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond to oppose the motion.
Israel’s diplomats and senior politicians currently see David Cameron as the most pro-Israel prime minister in living memory.
“Much of what goes on between the two countries cannot be spoken of in public, especially the level of intelligence-sharing,” said one Israeli diplomat.
“In many aspects, our alliance with Britain today is as good as the one we have with the United States, and in some cases recently, even better.
“The vote in Parliament has distorted that a bit, but as far we are concerned, that is local politics which shouldn’t change the relationship.”