Labour Friends of Israel chair Jon Pearce has become the first MP to travel between Israel and the United Arab Emirates on a visit to the region.
The MP for High Peak is meeting with Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, opposition leader Yair Lapid, and the leader of the Democrats, Yair Golan, as well as the deputy foreign minister, Sharren Haskel.
He also met with the released British-Israeli hostage Emily Damari, and her mother, Mandy, bringing a personal note from prime minister Keir Starmer to Emily.
Jon and Emily discussed how the priority must be the immediate release of the remaining hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza.
The MP will also be receiving briefings on national security and visiting Israeli-Palestinian peacebuilding projects.
Pearce is holding discussions in East Jerusalem with Elias Zananiri, Vice-Chairman, PLO Committee for Interaction with Israeli Society.
In Abu Dhabi, he will meet with Ali Rashid Al-Nuaimi, a leading Emirati parliamentarian involved in championing the 2020 Abraham Accords between Israel and the UAE, as well as the British ambassador to the UAE, Edward Hobart, and Yehuda Sarna, Chief Rabbi of Abu Dhabi’s Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue.
Pearce said: “Even at this difficult time, the fact that British parliamentarians can now travel between Israel and the UAE – something that was impossible just five years ago – shows that old barriers can come down and progress towards peace and coexistence is possible.
“I shall be exploring with both Israelis and the UAE how Britain can help widen and deepen the normalisation process and how we ensure that this supports and enhances the path towards a two-state solution and an end to the tragic conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.”
LFI has called for the UK to establish a special envoy for the Abraham Accords, with the status of an ambassador, tasked with encouraging additional countries to normalise relations with Israel and to more deeply embed UK economic and cultural sectors into emerging regional platforms and exchanges.
