Tory Party leadership contenders Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch have renewed their attacks on the government’s stance on Israel in two hard-hitting letters sent to the Conservative Friends of Israel organisation.
In comments that echoed those made at a recent CFI hustings event in central London, Badenoch wrote that “we stand on the edge” of Labour “reversing” the UK’s strong relationship with Israel built by the previous Conservative government.
Jenrick, a former immigration and commmunities minister, said the Keir Stamer government has already “demonstrated that they prioritise appeasing sectarian extremists over standing with our allies like Israel”.
While the two former ministers have exchanged increasingly personal barbs ahead of the November 2nd deadline for party members to cast their votes on the next Tory leader, the two CFI letters showed both held similar staunchly pro-Israel views.
Badenoch, who was business and trade secretary under the last government, vowed “If I am leader of the Conservative Party, we will continue to strengthen our ties with Israel and root out the tragic resurgence of antisemitism in the UK. We will be true to our values”.
She claimed the current government risks “turning the UK against our free, democratic ally: making ourselves, Israel, and Jewish people around the world less safe”.
Jenrick meanwhile said” I will always stand with you as friends and colleagues and look forward to continuing to work with and support CFI”.
He pointed to his actions in support of Israel: “In Government, I tabled anti Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) legislation to stop local councils boycotting Israel. I successfully campaigned to proscribe Hamas and Hezbollah and I revoked visas for supporters of Hamas.”
Jenrick said he regarded being sanctioned by the Iranian regime “as an honour”.
Returning to the new government he added:”“Israel has a right to defend itself and we must reject Labour’s suspension of arms export licences to Israel for use in Gaza. We must staunchly oppose UK involvement with UNRWA when time and again they are linked to Hamas.”
Both candidates expressed alarm at rising levels of antisemitism.
“We have seen a deeply worrying rise in antisemitism in the UK since the 7th of October last year,” said Badenoch. “We have seen people in this country use their views on Israel as an excuse to display antisemitism. We have seen this at protests on our streets and we see this in our universities. Those who glorify terrorism and celebrate the massacre of Jews have no place on our streets”.
Jenrick added: “Over the past year we’ve witnessed, weekend after weekend, the grotesque spectacle of people taking to the streets of our cities to valorise Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. We’ve seen antisemitism skyrocket to record levels.
“Jewish people in the United Kingdom have faced abuse and intimidation because other Jews, thousands of miles away, have been murdered. This fact must shame us. I will never be cowed from calling out the antisemitic alliance between the far-left and Islamists in this country”.
At a CFI hustings earlier this month, the two candidates outlined their visions for the future in separate Q&A sessions chaired by CFI Honorary President Lord Polak CBE. Over 300 Conservative activists joined the event in person and online.Tory leadership contenders raise concerns about pro-Palestine marches at CFI hustings
Voting by members on the next leader closes on 31 October and the winner is announced on 2 November.
