Israel’s President Herzog said ‘argued out of respect’ with British PM

Downing Street aboriginal stressed that ‘the UK and Israel are longstanding allies’ contempt their differences.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has criticised Israel’s “man-made famine” successful Gaza pursuing a arguable gathering with Israeli President Isaac Herzog successful London.

“They indispensable halt the man-made famine from worsening further by letting assistance successful and halting their violative operations,” a Downing Street spokesperson said pursuing the gathering connected Wednesday.

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Starmer “implored Israel to alteration course” successful Gaza, the spokesperson said.

The uncommon rebuke marks 1 of Starmer’s strongest criticisms of Israel since taking bureau successful July 2024. It besides comes arsenic assistance groups pass that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians successful Gaza look catastrophic hunger aft astir 2 years of bombardment and blockade.

Herzog’s sojourn to London drew wide disapproval successful the United Kingdom, with thousands demonstrating extracurricular Downing Street for a 2nd consecutive day, according to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

Protesters besides gathered astatine the London-based deliberation vessel Chatham House, banging pots and pans arsenic Herzog delivered a speech.

“There’s a genocide happening and the president of that state is successful our state and being welcomed here, erstwhile cipher is blessed astir it,” a protester told Al Jazeera.

“This is not diplomacy,” said different protester.

“You are aiding and abetting a genocide – and this antheral is not invited successful our country.”

The gathering betwixt Herzog and Starmer came a time aft Israel launched an aerial onslaught connected Qatar, a adjacent state of the United States and the UK, that targeted a Hamas enactment delegation.

The Downing Street spokesperson said Starmer told Herzog the onslaught connected Doha was “unacceptable” and condemned it arsenic “a flagrant usurpation of a cardinal partner’s sovereignty”.

Despite the crisp words, the spokesperson added that “the UK and Israel are longstanding allies”.

Speaking aft his gathering with Starmer, Herzog confirmed the 2 leaders had “argued retired of respect”.

“Things were said that were pugnacious and strong,” Herzog said, adding, “Clearly, we tin argue, due to the fact that erstwhile allies meet, they tin argue. We are some democracies.”

Herzog besides said that helium had invited the UK to nonstop “a fact-finding mission” to Israel “to survey the concern successful Gaza connected the humanitarian level”.

Herzog antecedently said publically that the “entire [Palestinian] nation” was liable for the October 7 attacks connected Israel, and 2 months later, helium was witnessed personally signing artillery shells owed to beryllium fired into Gaza.

In parliament earlier connected Wednesday, Scottish National Party person Stephen Flynn asked: “What does it accidental of this premier curate that helium volition harbour this antheral whilst children starve?”

Starmer defended his determination to conscionable Herzog, rejecting calls to chopped diplomatic ties. “I volition not springiness up connected diplomacy,” helium said.

“That is the authorities of students.”

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies