Israel is a key ally for Britain in the Middle East. The UK is Israel’s largest European trading partner, with a relationship worth nearly £6bn in 2025, of which more than half was made up of British exports to the Jewish state. Over 9,000 British businesses are involved in exporting or importing goods with Israel. And Israeli firms are the biggest supplier of NHS medicines, with their generics saving the health service an estimated £2.9bn annually.
Britain and Israel also have a strong security relationship, with cooperation to combat terrorism and the threat posed by Iran, and Israeli cybersecurity experts helping the UK fight cyberwarfare to secure London’s place as a global financial centre.
Two key priorities for the government – health technology and accelerating the growth of climate technology innovation – are areas of Israeli strength.
- Israel is a key economic, strategic and security partner for the UK.
- The Israeli centre and left provide the best hope for substantive change – we must do everything we can to assist them and avoid actions which weaken them domestically.
- A change of government in Israel offers the opportunity to reset relations between Israel and Britain.
We want to support the government to:
WORK TOWARDS AN AMBITIOUS UK-ISRAEL FREE TRADE AGREEMENT
With Phase II of the Gaza ceasefire agreement underway, negotiations towards a comprehensive UK-Israel free trade agreement should resume.
EXPAND THE ISRAEL-UK SECURITY AND DEFENCE PARTNERSHIP
Britain helped Israel to defend itself following unprecedented and unprovoked Iranian direct attacks on the Jewish state in 2024, while Israeli intelligence-sharing has helped to keep Britain’s streets safe, and Israeli equipment has been used to protect British soldiers serving overseas. In time, an expanded defence and security agreement should look especially at how Israeli technology and expertise can help strengthen Britain’s aerial defences.