Israeli diplomat filmed plotting to 'take down' British MPs

Israel's senior political officer in London was filmed trying to undermine the careers of senior British politicians by an undercover reporter, causing embarrassment for the Israeli government.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab

08 January, 2017

The Israeli ambassador has apologised to the minister involved [Getty]

A senior Israeli diplomat in London has been reprimanded after he admitted a plot to "take down" Britain's deputy foreign minister to an undercover journalist.

Shai Masot, a senior political officer at the Israeli Embassy, admitted that was working to damage the career of Sir Alan Duncan MP, who is outspoken in his support of the Palestinian state.

Mark Regev, Israel's ambassador to the UK, apologised to Duncan on Friday, while a spokesperson for Israel said "the embassy considered the remarks to be completely unacceptable".

Masot refused the opportunity to comment personally or to explain what he meant when he said he wanted to "take down" a number of MPs.

Speaking with Maria Strizzolo, a political aide to the Conservative minister, Robert Halfon, Masot says Duncan is "doing a lot of problems" and references a list of MPs that he wants to take down.

Masot was filmed in October as part of an Al Jazeera investigation, which reveals "attempts by the Israeli government's to influence British democracy".

The programme, which has not yet been released, showcases the Israeli government's attempts to infiltrate the Conservative and Labour parties in order to manipulate their policies and agendas.

Two other politicians named during the conversation included Crispin Blunt MP, the pro-Palestinian chairperson of the foreign affairs select committee and Boris Johnson MP, the UK's foreign minister, whom Masot was seemingly uninterested in.

"You know [Boris] is an idiot, but so far he has become the Minister of Foreign Affairs without any kind of responsibilities," said Masot.