Israel 'not an ally' of UK, says former ambassador

Sir Richard Dalton, Britain's former ambassador to Iran, has said that "Israel is not an ally" of Britain in an interview.

Speaking to Declassified, Dalton, who also served as Britain's Consul-General in Jerusalem in the late 90s, spoke about the UK's support for Israel, "intense" pro-Israeli lobbying efforts and the US's 13 June attacks on Iran.

"On all the grounds of ideals and principles, I think that Israel cannot be regarded as an ally," Dalton told Declassified.

"We believe in the self-determination of the Palestinian people, the Israelis do not. We believe in a two-state solution, the Israelis, not all of them, but the dominant ones, do not," Dalton said when measuring allyship by having shared values.

"We believe that the state of Israel should be based on its 1948 borders, the Israelis do not. We believe that settlements across the Green Line are illegal and an obstacle to peace, the Israelis are bent on expanding them, and we believe that the Palestinians have a right to a peaceful existence on their own land".

However, the ambassador said that the UK and Israel shared "mutual support" in intelligence cooperation, particularly regarding extremist movements.

He claimed that Israel was "the only democracy in the Middle East", and could be considered an ally in that sense.

However, he also called out Israel for its oppression of Palestinians.

"I happen to believe the state of Israel, that consistently oppresses its neighbouring people, subjects them to the inhuman circumstances that they've subjected to them in Gaza, despite the appalling and grossly illegal and immoral provocation of October 7th, 2023, still the balance indicates that this is not a country with a similar set of values to ours," Dalton said.

'Intense Israeli lobbying'

Asked why he believes the UK is "so supportive" of Israel, the former ambassador says it is because it "would be very inconvenient" for British politicians to take a clear position on Israel's brutal war on Gaza, noting "intense Israeli lobbying".

Dalton says the lobbying is "a very powerful force in our society" that influences politicians, political parties, and the media, adding that there is "no doubt" that the Israeli public has a right to be proud of their lobbying efforts to leverage influence within British society.

"A desire for a quiet life and a good career means that many politicians swallow potential dislike of aspects of Israeli policy in order to tow the Israeli line," Dalton told Declassified.

Dalton, who served as Britain's top official in Tehran from 2003 to 2006, has been vocal against the US and Israel's aerial attack on Iran in the media, describing the attack as illegal and contributing to instability in the region.

When asked about the so-called threat of Iran, Dalton said that he has "always believed that the United States, Israel, together constituted a greater threat to the stability of the region than Iran".

The official also dismissed the "false" allegation that Tehran was on the verge of developing nuclear arms, saying that "no such threat existed", saying the information has been "distorted by so much propaganda" and supporters of Israel.

The UK and Israel have historically maintained a strong bilateral relationship, characterised by strategic partnership, close security cooperation, and trade ties.

As Israel wages its war on the Gaza Strip, the UK has reaffirmed its commitment to Israel's security while also calling for a just and lasting resolution.