Page 35 - HaMizrachi RH-YK 5784 - North America

cultures and mentalities, have greatly enriched Israeli society.
They become part of the great melting pot that is Israel, and bring
with them creativity and new perspectives. I feel I understand
Diaspora communities because of my family background, and
feel very proud to represent Israel, as a child of people who
made Aliyah.

On a day-to-day basis – when you aren’t meeting with
royalty – what does that actually involve?

I divide my role into aspects that people are aware of, and aspects
that people pay less attention to. One of the well-known aspects
of the role is interacting with the Jewish community, and rep-
resenting Israel at official events. When I get to daven at Kinloss
Shul on Yom HaAtzmaut, at the communal celebration hosted
by Bnei Akiva UK and Mizrachi UK, I feel like I am transported
back to Yerushalayim! I also find this role to be very signifi-
cant, as there is this myth out there that the Israel government
focuses on the Jewish community of America, and doesn’t pay
attention to other Diaspora communities. This is totally untrue
– the relationship between Israel and Diaspora Jews is of critical
importance, and all communities and their relationship with
Israel are extremely significant.
One of the less well-known aspects of the UK-Israel relationship
is our very strong relationship on all matters relating to secu-
rity. Just a few weeks ago, we hosted a significant public event
exploring this security relationship, and this is a relationship that
has become stronger and stronger, with collaboration relating to
Iran, the war in the Ukraine, as well as many other matters. The
UK is a member of the UN Security Council and NATO, where it
plays a critical role. Israel’s security relationship with it is very
strong, and is continually getting stronger.

It is interesting, I think many people reading the news
would think that with the rise of BDS and anti-Zionism,
the UK-Israel relationship is getting weaker. But you are
telling a different story here.
There is no question that in the British media and on univer-
sity campuses there is a lot of anti-Israel feeling – when I went
to speak at the London School of Economics (LSE) I had to be
escorted off the premises because of the strong protest against
my presence. But that is not the whole picture. London and the
UK have a long connection with Zionism, going back almost two
centuries. The story starts with the Montefiore and Rothschild
families and their philanthropy for Eretz Yisrael during Otto-
man times, and it continued with the Balfour Declaration in
1917, issued by the British government as a letter to the Zionist Top to bottom: Ambassador Hotovely with her husband, Or; Ambassador Hotovely
Federation of the UK. Chaim Weizmann, who became Israel’s and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak; Ambassador Hotovely and President Isaac Herzog
first President, was very active in promoting Zionism in the UK. (PHOTOS: EMBASSY OF ISRAEL LONDON PRESS OFFICE)
When Israel was founded, the relationship between the two coun-
tries grew. Margaret Thatcher was the first sitting British Prime to experience the country themselves they understand it better,
Minister to visit Israel, but since then, Prime Ministers such as and we feel these trips make a significant impact.
Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris
Johnson and Rishi Sunak have all been strong friends of Israel. Another expression of this relationship is in the UK’s voting
patterns at the UN. For many years, the UK was what we call a
One of the best things we do is bring politicians to Israel. Both red country, namely a country that would often vote for anti-Is-
Labour Friends of Israel and Conservative Friends of Israel bring rael resolutions in the General Assembly. The UK is now a green
delegations of politicians to experience Israel first-hand. For a country that very often votes against the biased and anti-Israel
country that is so often in the headlines, when politicians come resolutions.

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