Foreign Secretary 'will be asked to mediate in Middle East peace process' on Israel visit

Britain’s Foreign Secretary will be asked to act as a “bridge” between Israelis and Palestinians to mediate in the stalled Middle East peace process during a joint visit to Jerusalem and the Occupied Territories on Tuesday.

Amid rising security tensions in the Gaza Strip, Dominic Raab is due to meet with both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and will urge renewed dialogue between their governments in favour of a peaceful two-state solution, the Foreign Office said.

Israel’s foreign ministry on Monday hailed the “unique timing” of the visit, a day after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Mr Netanyahu to discuss the Trump administration’s own “deal of the century” peace plan, which has been roundly rejected by the Palestinian leadership.

While Mr Pompeo did not meet with Palestinian leaders, Mr Raab’s visit presented “a good opportunity to ask the British to impress upon the Palestinians to come to the negotiating table with us… it’s good timing,” said Anna Azari, Israel’s deputy director general for European affairs.

Mr Raab’s trip was previously postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, and now comes shortly after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) became only the third Arab country to normalise relations with Israel, amid a US-led drive to counter Iran’s influence in the region.

"The UK remains committed to Israel's security and stability, and the recent normalisation of relations between Israel and the UAE was an important moment for the region," Mr Raab said in a statement.

The UAE-Israeli deal has been loudly celebrated by President Trump but has been condemned by the Palestinians, as well as regional powers such as Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

As part of the agreement, Mr Netanyahu has paused his controversial planned annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank that Palestinians consider integral to their proposed future state.

"Israel's suspension of annexation is an essential step towards a more peaceful Middle East,” Mr Raab added. “It is important to build on this new dynamic, and ultimately only the government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority can negotiate the two-state solution required to secure lasting peace.”

During his visit, the Foreign Secretary is also due to meet Benny Gantz, the opposition leader who now shares power with Mr Netanyahu as defence minister and alternate prime minister in an uneasy coalition.

Speaking after his own meeting with the Israeli prime minister in Jerusalem, Mr Pompeo said on Monday that he was confident other nations would soon follow the UAE in agreeing official diplomatic ties with Israel.

But both he and Mr Netanyahu criticised the lack of international support for Washington's call to restore United Nations sanctions against Iran.

The Trump administration has been pushing the UN Security Council to impose "snapback" sanctions over what the United States claims are Iran's violations of the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, which Britain, France and Germany have been trying to salvage despite America pulling out in 2018.

"We are determined to use every tool that we have to ensure they can't get access to high-end weapon systems," Mr Pompeo said. "The rest of the world should join us."

As well as visiting the UAE and Bahrain, Mr Pompeo is also due to visit Sudan later this week, where the Arab League’s historic 1967 policy of refusing to recognise Israel was originally signed, but which is now considered the next country most likely to normalise relations.

"I am hopeful that we will see other Arab nations join in this," Mr Pompeo said on Monday, while publicly reassuring Mr Netanyahu that Israel could maintain its “qualitative military edge” over Arab rivals, despite the prospect of future US arms sales to the UAE.

The Palestinian militant group Hamas meanwhile called on regional leaders to reject any ties with Israel and to "break their silence" on the blockade of Gaza, which has intensified in recent weeks after fire bomb and rocket attacks were launched into Israeli territory.

The Israeli military said on Monday that fighter jets, tanks and aircraft had struck "military posts and an underground infrastructure" belonging to Hamas in the southern Gaza Strip in response to “arson balloons” launched into Israel the day before, and rocket attacks on Friday.