Ahead of a scheduled trip by Israeli President Isaac Herzog to London next week, Labour Party Parliament members have urged U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer not to meet with the visiting Israeli delegation, The Guardian reported on Friday.
It said Herzog’s pending arrival was “fraught with complication for ministers, with the U.K. government on the brink of recognizing the state of Palestine at the U.N. General Assembly” later in September.
Sarah Champion, a Labour MP who chairs the international development committee, posted on X that she hoped it was inaccurate that ministers would meet the Israeli leader. “The U.K.’s recognized the ‘real risk’ of genocide perpetuated by Israel, so unless this meeting is about peace, what message are we sending?”
John McDonnell, MP, the former shadow chancellor, said Herzog should not be permitted entry to the country. “I am appalled at the decision to allow this representative of a government that is systematically killing Palestinian children on a daily basis to visit our country,” he said.
“The prime minister is proving to be absolutely tone deaf to the desperate plight of the Palestinian people and the overwhelming feelings of revulsion of the British people at the brutality of the government Herzog represents.”
Downing Street sources told the Guardian that no appointments would be confirmed with any minister until next week.
On Friday, Minister of State for Trade Policy and Economic Security Douglas Alexander defended the prospect of government members meeting Herzog, telling Sky News, “I’m genuinely not sure in terms of what the schedule is. But I’d make a pretty basic point. First of all, diplomacy involves meeting people with whom you disagree, and the British government has very strong views in terms of the present conduct of the government of Israel.”
He added: “It is right that we are engaging with politicians from across the region, because the suffering is incalculable and it needs to stop. … In order to get to a path to that two-stage solution, of course, you’re going to have to be talking not just to the Palestinians but also to the Israelis.”
Herzog is scheduled to be in the United Kingdom on Wednesday and Thursday. It will be the first time a senior Israeli leader has been in the U.K. since the British foreign secretary, David Lammy, met with his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Sa’ar, on an unannounced visit in the spring.
During a meeting with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Thursday, Herzog urged faith leaders to unite in calling for the release of the hostages held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza.
