Senior Labour MP Emily Thornberry has demanded UK government intervention after Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel secretly recorded their private meeting at the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, and shared the footage online without consent. The meeting, which Thornberry described as “rude,” “insulting” and “provocative,” saw Knesset members make disrespectful remarks, revealing tensions between the two sides.
Thornberry, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, confronted Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer about the incident during a committee hearing on Tuesday. She pressed him on whether such behaviour would be tolerated in Westminster, asking: “Would you expect, minister, if there was a visiting delegation of members of parliament to the House of Commons, for the delegation to be videoed without their knowledge or consent?”
Falconer responded: “Certainly not. I think that’d be very unusual.”
Thornberry continued: “Or for it to be put onto Instagram and indeed briefed to, let’s say, the Daily Telegraph in disparaging terms?”
Falconer appeared to be caught off guard. He responded that he was not familiar with the details but stated that visitors to Westminster should be treated with courtesy.
Thornberry then laid out the details of the meeting in Israel. “It would be particularly bad, wouldn’t it, if it was the deputy foreign minister of Israel who would be videoed in the UK and for disparaging comments to be made about her evidence or a private meeting that she’d had, let’s say, with us?”
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She went on to confirm that this was exactly what had happened in Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, revealing that footage of the delegation’s meeting with Haskel had been posted online without their knowledge. She expressed outrage at the breach of trust. “We understand that, I mean, certainly we had no knowledge that it was being videoed and assumed, of course, that it would never happen, and I have to say I’ve just found out about it, and to say that I’m cross might be an understatement.”
Thornberry also called out the conduct of some Knesset members, describing their behaviour as deeply inappropriate. “There were many things said by many members of the Knesset that we found quite provocative and indeed, if I’m really honest, quite insulting – and the attitude of some of the members of the Knesset were remarkably rude.” She emphasised that despite the hostile atmosphere, the UK delegation had remained professional and composed. “We did our utmost to keep decorum at all times and to remain polite and restrained. But I do think this takes it to another level.”
Thornberry called on the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to take immediate action, urging ministers to investigate the incident, determine who authorised the filming, demand that the footage be taken down, and seek an official apology from the Israeli government.
Responding to Thornberry’s concerns, Falconer promised to investigate the matter: “Chair, thank you for bringing it to my attention. It’s obviously the first I’ve heard about it. I’ll look into it and come back to the committee.”
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