Fighting boycott through cultural cooperation
Op-ed: Achieving lasting peace through a two-state solution will be the best long-term guarantee of Israel's security, says Britain's new ambassador to Israel, but boycotts won't help achieve that goal.
But visiting and living in a country are two very different things. I am enjoying every minute of getting to know this beautiful land. I could not have received a warmer welcome.
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond visited Israel on my fifth day in office. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in London for talks with Prime Minister David Cameron in my second month. So it's been a busy period for high-level political contacts: Exactly what every new ambassador wants.
I see examples every day of the depth and breadth of the relationship between the UK and Israel. Trade between our countries is at record levels. Two-way trade in goods reached $5.8 billion in 2014, up 8 percent on 2013. El Al's decision to buy Rolls-Royce engines for its new Dreamliner fleet will lead to the UK's largest ever export to Israel. More companies listed on the London Stock Exchange last year are from Israel than any other country bar the UK itself.
Israeli tech is driving innovation in the UK economy. Scientists from British and Israeli universities are working together under the BIRAX program on groundbreaking regenerative medicines to help those suffering from heart disease, diabetes and Parkinson's disease. Our security experts cooperate against the shared threats of extremism and terrorism.
This cooperation is of huge benefit to both our countries. But it rarely hits the headlines - at least not in the same way that calls for boycotts of Israel do.
Prime Minister Cameron has been crystal clear about the British government's position. We oppose calls for boycotts and any attempt to delegitimize Israel. I was with him last year when he spoke powerfully about this in the Knesset. And the government doesn't just oppose them in principle, it opposes them in practice - including through new measures to stop any local councils using public funds to support boycotts.
It's not just the British government that opposes boycotts. There is not a single British university that has a policy of boycotting Israel.
It is one of my goals to increase cooperation between our universities. With the British Council, we will by 2016/17 have funded over 100 new scholarships and fellowships for British and Israeli researchers. We have recently invited applications for the Chevening Scholarship scheme, for outstanding students to study Masters degrees at leading UK universities. The new Frost and Blavatnik scholarships are helping more Israelis study in the UK.
As I can see from my Twitter account, opposing boycotts is not always popular. I completely disagree with those who say that boycotts are a means to achieve peace.
I profoundly believe that achieving lasting peace through a two-state solution will be the best long-term guarantee of Israel's security. But boycotts won't help achieve that goal. I agree with the 150 leading British cultural figures - including J.K. Rowling, Simon Schama and Hilary Mantel - that we need more cultural collaboration, not less.
I told President Reuven Rivlin that I’m proud to be Britain’s ambassador to Israel. It’s a privilege to do this job. And it’s a pleasure for my partner and me to live here. Building closer ties between the UK and Israel - in trade, investment, science, tech and culture - will be one of my key priorities. I look forward to it.
