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Martin Bright

ByMartin Bright, Martin Bright

Analysis

Israel's champion, but poor friend

October 19, 2011 10:49
1 min read

With the resignation of Defence Secretary Liam Fox, Israel has lost its most powerful champion in government. Michael Gove may be the most vocal and eloquent Zionist in the Cabinet, but as Education Secretary he has no diplomatic or strategic role.

Dr Fox has been personally humiliated by the Adam Werritty affair. But he has also caused considerable embarrassment to the financial backers of his Atlantic Bridge project, including Poju Zabludowicz, chairman of Israel advocacy organisation BICOM, , and its former vice-chairman, Michael Lewis.

The present government has worked hard to build up trust with Israel and the UK Jewish establishment. The change in the law on universal jurisdiction and the withdrawal from the antisemitic Durban III conference were seen as important gestures of support. The Conservative Friends of Israel lunch, at party conference in Manchester, was something of a love-in as a result.

In recent days this trust has been seriously undermined as the government scrabbles to protect its reputation by blaming shadowy financiers and lobbyists for its predicament. This unseemly back-covering exercise is unworthy of a government which has attempted to represent itself as sympathetic to the Jewish business community.