UK Hypocrisy Scramble: Foreign Office Undermined Lammy's Israel Trade Suspension for Arms Deals

Just days after Foreign Secretary David Lammy publicly suspended new free trade agreement talks with Israel on May 20—citing the Israeli government's "egregious policies in Gaza"—internal Foreign Office officials actively recommended that ministers endorse a trade mission to Israel led by Lord Ian Austin. This shocking revelation, sourced from newly released internal documents, lays bare a profound contradiction between the UK's public foreign policy and its underlying bureaucratic actions.

In a move described as unusual, officials bypassed standard procedure by seeking ministerial advice for the trade envoy's visit. Emails reveal a Foreign Office staffer arguing that cancelling Austin's trip would "send a bad signal" to the Israeli business community, which was reportedly "agitated" by Lammy’s announcement. The official's submission concluded with a recommendation for the visit to go ahead, allowing Austin to explain that "nothing has changed in our existing trading relationship."

Sources confirm that neither Lammy nor Lord Falconer received the official's submission nor endorsed the trip, and were reportedly "unhappy" that the visit proceeded without their support, suggesting a clear lack of ministerial oversight.

The Defence Industry Connection and Official Lies

Further compounding the political fallout is the disclosure of the mission's focus, which included a meeting with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, a major Israeli arms company. Rafael develops Spike missiles, which have been linked to controversial IDF strikes, including one that killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers (including three British citizens) in April 2024. Austin met with a Rafael executive on May 28 for an "open discussion on UK-Israel relations, policy, joint R&D and export opportunities from the UK."

Adding to the controversy, the Foreign Office appears to have actively misled the public regarding the nature of the meetings. Despite a draft submission stating Lord Austin would "not be meeting any representatives from the Israeli government," photographs and accounts show him meeting with senior Israeli trade officials, including Lena Zeiger, an Israeli trade policy official, and Yifat Alon Perel, a Deputy Director of Israel's foreign trade administration. Austin was also present at a reception at the British embassy where Israel's Education Minister, Yoav Kisch, gave a speech, directly contradicting the official narrative that the trip was solely focused on business and not government engagement.

The revelation that the Foreign Office sought to approve the entire trip, including the meeting with a controversial defence contractor, immediately following Lammy's rebuke, sparks fresh questions about the government's true priorities and its relationship with the Israeli defence establishment.

The Foreign Office referred all inquiries to the Department for Business and Trade, which, along with Lord Austin, Israel’s foreign trade administration, and Rafael, has declined to comment.