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Dirt emerges on the Labour-Israel relationship – despite Starmer trying to suppress it

The National has reported that Keir Starmer’s Labour government has blocked a Freedom of Information (FOI) request regarding a meeting with Israel. While there are legitimate reasons for the government to block FOIs, the excuse given here has been described as “extraordinary”.

Scottish Green MSP Patrick Harvie responded by saying the “idea that the public cannot see these documents because we might misinterpret them seems extraordinary, and if that excuse is allowed to stand, it would set a dangerous precedent”.

Try as Labour might, however, they can’t stop the dirt about them and Israel from getting out:

What are they hiding

As we reported previously, Labour’s David Lammy (then-foreign secretary) hosted a secret meeting with his Israel counterpart Gideon Sa’ar in April. Wanting to know more about this “clandestine event”, the National sent an FOI requesting any documents relating to the visit. As they report, the government should have responded within 20 days. In the end, they kept pushing this date back, with a final refusal sent 5 months later.

The refusal stated (emphasis added):

Some of the information in scope shows our internal position and strategy on this bilateral relationship [with Israel].

This relationship of trust allows for the free and frank exchange of information on the understanding that it will be treated in confidence. If the United Kingdom does not respect such confidences, its ability to promote and protect UK interests through international relations will be hampered, which will not be in the public interest.

We believe, if viewed, it could be open to misinterpretation, which would damage our relationship with Israel.

For these reasons, we consider that the public interest in maintaining this exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosure of the information.

Freedom of Information was introduced to ensure confidence in government behaviour. Now we’re being told a British government can’t provide transparency to the British public because it might upset a foreign power.

Where does it end?

Not here, it seems, as there’s also this:

“Nothing has changed” when it comes to Labour and Israel

MintPress described lord Ian Austin as an “Arch Israel lobbyist” back in February 2024:

As reported by the Guardian on 18 October:

The Foreign Office recommended that David Lammy endorse a trade mission to Israel, days after he suspended trade talks and rebuked the country’s government, internal documents reveal.

In an unusual move, officials asked for ministerial advice over Ian Austin’s visit to Israel in late May. Bureaucratic dysfunction meant the trip by the trade envoy went ahead without the support of ministers or advisers.

The Foreign Office had said the peer would not meet any representatives of the Israeli government. But photographs show him with senior Israeli trade officials on two occasions.

Activist and rapper Lowkey noted what Austin was up to back in May:


The Guardian piece also carried this particularly telling section (emphasis added):

The official said the visit would give Austin the opportunity “to explain to Israeli civil society and business … that nothing has changed in our existing trading relationship” and concluded: “We recommend the visit goes ahead. Do you agree?”

In Israel, Austin met Rafael systems who produced the Spike missiles which almost certainly “killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers, including three British citizens”. And if things went to plan, Austin told them that nothing had changed.

Here he is telling Sky News that people are ‘obsessed’ with Gaza:


Funny he has a problem with this given he wants to ensure ‘nothing changes’.

Either Ian Austin has gone completely rogue and is undermining the UK’s position on the Israeli government (which was actively committing a genocide at the time), or nothing was officially signed so Lammy would have plausible deniability.

Whichever way you look at it, it’s a grubby affair.

Dirt

To be fair, we have a pretty good idea why this current Labour government would want to avoid transparency:

At this point, Starmer and his cronies are up to their eyeballs in it.

They might be able to block some of this stuff now, but it will all come out eventually.

Featured image via House of Commons

By Willem Moore

This post was originally published on Canary.