Priti Patel: Israel and Britain can extend and improve their partnership
Secretary of State for International Development spoke of relationship between countries at Jewish News-BICOM Balfour centenary conference
Jenni Frazer is a freelance journalist
Described by fellow MP Theresa Villiers as one of Israel’s staunchest friends in Parliament, the Secretary of State for International Development, Priti Patel, confirmed her determination to extend collaboration between Britain and Israel in her address to the Bicom/Jewish News conference last week.
Ms Patel, MP for Witham in Essex, said she was proud of the role which Britain had played in “helping to make a homeland for the Jewish people” and said that the Balfour centenary should be celebrated with pride.
“It is vital that we look forward to establishing security and justice for both Israelis and Palestinians,” she said, adding that Britain, a “close and reliable friend of Israel”, with a strong relationship based on “decades of co-operation”, was well placed to help that happen.
Britain’s commitment to Israel’s security remained “unwavering”, Ms Patel said, but added that there was “more than just a security challenge” in the Middle East, but also a development challenge, noting the volatile population shifts in the region and the vast numbers of refugees, the greatest such numbers since the end of the Second World War.
Some of the areas in the Middle East had become “fertile territory for extremist groups and organisations” and Ms Patel declared that within her ministry, DfID, there was a commitment to “ending hateful ideologies”, particularly in teaching in schools which sowed division between countries and communities.
The Secretary of State said she had seen for herself the work of Jewish charities in Israel, and said she was “struck by the achievements of the state of Israel. It was a country which started with nothing and is now a world leader in technology, life skills and vocational skills. It has a can-do attitude which is precisely the sort of Jewish homeland envisaged by Theodor Herzl, and i have long admired it.”
The Balfour Declaration, she said, had been “indispensable” in the creation of a great nation, “a liberal democracy and hi-tech nation”, and she believed there are many opportunities for Israel and Britain to extend and improve their partnership.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
