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A British trade envoy has visited Israel to “promote trade” between the two countries – a week after the UK suspended talks.
Lord Ian Austin, who is the UK government’s trade envoy to Israel, was welcomed to Haifa on Monday, just days after Foreign Secretary David Lammy paused negotiations.
The British Embassy in Israel said Lord Austin had visited a number of projects – such as the Customs Scanning Centre, Haifa Bayport, and the Haifa-Nazareth Light Rail project – to “witness co-operation at every stop”.
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The independent peer said he was visiting Israel to “meet businesses and officials to promote trade with the UK”.
“Trade with Israel provides many thousands of good jobs in the UK and brings people together in the great multi-cultural democracy that is Israel,” he said.
Last Tuesday, the government confirmed it was suspending its trade negotiations with Israel in the wake of an accelerated military offensive in Gaza and the country’s decision to limit the amount of aid allowed into the Palestinian territory.
Mr Lammy told the Commons that Israel’s actions were “egregious” and amounted to a “dark new phase in this conflict”.
But despite the suspension of any new trade talks with Israel, Number 10 has insisted that the UK still has a trading relationship with the country.
A spokesperson for the prime minister said: “We have always had a trading relationship, but are pausing any new ones.”
The UK has sanctioned a number of individuals and groups in the West Bank which it…
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