Britain considered harming trade with Israel – but backed down for fear of economic damage
Exposure of official documents in Britain reveals that the London government conducted a secret impact assessment to examine suspending the trade agreement with Israel • The move was advanced following the fighting in Gaza and…
Assessment
British officials considered suspending the trade agreement with Israel during the Gaza fighting and operations in Judea and Samaria, but backed down over fears of domestic economic damage. The internal impact assessment was kept secret from Parliament and the public by government ministers. The revelation suggests that UK-Israel trade relations were more fragile than publicly acknowledged, and that economic self-interest restrained diplomatic action.