The UK and Israel’s foreign ministers are declaring that they will work “night and day” to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.
In a joint article for The Daily Telegraph, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, preview a 10-year memorandum of understanding they will sign on Monday, which will enable the UK and Israel to work more closely on issues such as cybersecurity, technology development, defense, trade and science.
The two ministers also mention in their article a renewed commitment to stop Tehran ever getting nuclear weapons.
The article comes as nuclear talks between Iran and world powers are set to resume in Vienna on Monday.
“We will also work night and day to prevent the Iranian regime from ever becoming a nuclear power. The clock is ticking, which heightens the need for close cooperation with our partners and friends to thwart Tehran’s ambitions,” write Truss and Lapid in the article.
“There is no greater sign of what can be achieved through open dialogue than the Abraham Accords. The UK was one of the first countries to publicly celebrate this historic step towards normalization in the Middle East led by Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco and mediated by the United States. One year on, the UK is continuing to play its part in supporting Israel as it works more closely with partners in the region,” they write.
They also condemn “the appalling attacks on Israel and its representatives, from the shooting in Jerusalem last week by a Hamas militant to the unacceptable hounding of Israel’s ambassador Tzipi Hotovely outside the London School of Economics.”
“There is no place for anti-Semitism around the world. That is why the UK has moved decisively to support Israel in this fight by proscribing Hamas in its entirety. The Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre planned near Parliament will stand as a constant reminder, and answer to the question of why we must stamp out anti-Semitism and hate wherever and whenever it is found,” write Truss and Lapid.
The article concludes with the words, “Israel and the UK are the closest of friends, and today we are deepening that partnership to become even closer. Together, we will forge ahead and ensure the future is defined by liberal democracies who believe in freedom and fairness.”