Page 11 - TORCH Magazine #14 - July 2019

UK Foreign Office under Boris’s premiership and that Britain will shift from its historically compromised position over the Israeli capital.
Regarding recognising Jerusalem, Boris said during his leadership campaign that he “could see the logic” in moving the British Embassy
to Jerusalem but believed “the moment for
us to play that card is when we make further progress”. He added that the moment for
the UK to formally recognise a “State of Palestine” would be when Palestinian leaders “meaningfully recognises Israel and stops threatening to revoke recognition”.
Join over 30,000 that have signed our Jerusalem petition: cufi.org.uk/jerusalem
Standing with the Jewish community
Closer to home, it will be important for Boris to give reassurances to the UK Jewish community, which is faced with rising anti- Semitism.
Boris has lent his support to the planned Holocaust memorial outside Parliament, which CUFI is campaigning in support of. On Jeremy Corbyn, Boris was unsurprisingly optimistic that he could keep the Labour leader out of Downing Street. However, he didn’t go as far as branding Corbyn an anti-Semite.
“I can’t make a window into his soul, and discover exactly where his feelings lie on this. I think there is no question that he is indulging and condoning antisemitism in the Labour Party that is quite extraordinary and reprehensible. It would never have been tolerated 20 years ago.”
Iran threat
One of the greatest current challenges facing Boris, aside from implementing Brexit, is Britain’s response to the growing threat from Iran.
Boris, consistent with government policy, was a supporter of the disastrous Iran deal, which the United States has since withdrawn from.
However, he has said that he is “prepared” to consider sanctions against the Islamic
Republic after its announcement that it has begun enriching more uranium than permitted under the terms of the 2015 nuclear agreement.
“My strong, strong advice to the Iranians would be to cease this madness, not to take any further steps that would break the terms of the agreement, and not to acquire a nuclear weapon,” Boris told Jewish News.
“I think that there are enough tensions in that region without triggering a nuclear arms race, whose consequences would be very hard to foresee, and which would certainly pose very difficult choices for any Israeli government,”
He added that “as Prime Minister, I’d make sure we continue to do everything we can to constrain Iran’s disruptive behaviour in the region.”
Hope for strengthened relations
There is no doubt that Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s stand with Israel will be put to the test.
But the self-described “Zionist” has a deep love for Israel that we pray will steer him to
be a reliable and outspoken defender of the Jewish state.
The UK will be blessed by standing with Israel. We pray for wisdom for Boris and that he will discern with utmost clarity, God’s call for Britain to stand with Israel, especially at this time when Israel needs faithful friends.
CUFI.ORG.UK
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Photo credit: Foreign and Commonwealth Office