UK minister Priti Patel 'likely to be sacked' over Israel meetings

Under-fire aid minister Priti Patel's future hangs in the balance after news of two further unsanctioned meetings with Israeli politicians emerged.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab

08 November, 2017

Cabinet minister Priti Patel's future hangs in the balance [Getty]

Disgraced British International Development Secretary Priti Patel is likely to be sacked, reports suggested on Wednesday morning, after The Sun newspaper revealed she held two further undisclosed meetings with Israeli politicians.

The aid minister was already under fire this week for failing to disclose at least 12 meetings with senior Israeli politicians, businessmen, and the Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, while on a private holiday with her family in Israel – and suggesting the Foreign Office knew about it.

The Sun newspaper reported Patel had also met Israel's Foreign Ministry Director General Yuval Rotem in New York and Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan in London but had not informed Prime Minister Theresa May about either meeting, despite giving her assurances there had been no other unsanctioned talks.

A government source confirmed the meetings took place. The source said that no UK government officials were present for these discussions, and they were set up and reported in a way which did not accord with the usual procedures.

There was no comment from Downing Street or from the Department for International Development, and Patel could not be reached for comment.

Patel has cut short a visit to Africa and has been ordered to fly back to London by the prime minister, The Telegraph reported.

Patel apologised to May on Monday for failing to report the meetings during the Israel trip.

It also emerged on Tuesday that Patel suggested part of the UK's foreign budget should go towards the Israeli army, including to support operations in occupied Palestinian territory.

She reportedly asked her officials to examine whether the UK could support "humanitarian operations" conducted by the Israeli army in the occupied Golan Heights – Syrian territory captured and annexed by Israel in 1967.

The Foreign Office advised against any such support, the BBC reported, as Britain does not officially recognise Israel's annexation of the occupied territory.

The UK gives around £68 million ($89 million) a year to the occupied Palestinian territories, most of which comes from the Department for International Development's (DFID) budget.

Patel has long been critical of funding to the Palestinian Authority, and in October 2016 as development secretary ordered a review of funding procedures and froze nearly a third of Britain's budget to the PA.

By attending the overseas meetings without informing the Foreign Office, Patel allegedly broke ministerial convention.

After news broke of Patel's meetings in Israel, Labour called for an investigation into whether she had breached rules on lobbying.