Fact check: The UK is maintaining ties and keeping its diplomats in Israel

Sir Keir Starmer has reiterated Britain’s position on Middle East conflict on the first anniversary of Hamas attacks.

Tuesday 08 October 2024 10:18 EDT

Foreign Secretary David Lammy (centre left) with members of the Jewish community, during a visit to South Tottenham Synagogue in London, to mark the year anniversary of the October 7 attacks on Israel (PA) (PA Wire)

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A social media user on TikTok has received tens of thousands of views with a post that claims Sir Keir Starmer has said the UK will “boycott diplomatic relations with Israel” over the conflict in Gaza.

Another, less popular, post from the same account claimed the UK was evacuating British diplomats’ families from Israel. This claim was repeatedly made by other accounts on X, formerly Twitter, with some claiming embassy and consular staff were also being evacuated.

Evaluation

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has repeatedly pledged the UK’s support to Israel, most recently in statements marking the first anniversary of the attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023. He has called for a ceasefire and made several commitments to peace in the Middle East, but has never voiced support for severing diplomatic ties with Israel or its government.

British diplomats working and living in Israel have not been ordered to evacuate their posts, but it is true that family members of embassy staff have been “temporarily withdrawn” from the region.

The facts

On October 6, a statement was published on the official gov.uk webpage in Sir Keir’s name to mark the first anniversary of the October 7 attack by Hamas. In it the Prime Minister committed to “bring the hostages home”, adding “we must unequivocally stand with the Jewish community” and calling for ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon.

Sir Keir also made a statement to the House of Commons on October 7, in which he referred to recent attacks against Israel by Iran, affirming support for “Israel’s right to defend herself” and referencing the UK’s recent talks with leaders of several Middle Eastern countries, including Israel. These G7 talks on October 3 culminated in a co-signed statement in which the bloc of leading nations said it “unequivocally reiterate our commitment to the security of Israel”.

The TikTok post making the claim of a diplomatic boycott was based on a screenshot from an original post on X. The account that posted it uses the name “World Affairs” and included the phrase “breaking news” on its message but does not appear to be linked with any known news organisation. The photo of Sir Keir is also not taken from a statement on Israel but was originally captured by a press photographer on July 6.

The UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office issues guidance on travel to and from other countries. Its page for Israel, updated on October 8, says that “family members of British Embassy staff have been temporarily withdrawn” due to the ongoing conflict but the staff themselves remain.