Conservative leader hopeful MP Robert Jenrick pledges to move UK embassy to Jerusalem

A senior MP who is running to be leader of the Conservative Party said if elected prime minister he would move the UK embassy to Jerusalem, a decision that would be in breach of international law.

Robert Jenrick, who has previously faced accusations of Islamophobia, said he would move UK’s embassy to Israel to Jerusalem in a highly controversial move that would contradict the government's own policy on a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine issue.

Israel wants more countries to recognise Jerusalem as its capital city, a stance that breaches international law on the issue.

Jenrick, speaking at a Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI) event on Sunday on the sidelines of the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham, told the audience that he would "build the embassy" himself.

"If the Foreign Office or the civil servants don’t want to do it, I will build it myself," Jenrick told a crowd full of party members, diplomats, and politicians. He was reportedly again wearing a hoodie emblazoned with the words "Hamas are terrorists".

The British embassy to Israel is in Tel Aviv, Israel’s largest city, alongside the embassies of most nations. Only five countries, Honduras, Guatemala, Kosovo, Papua New Guinea, and the US, have full diplomatic missions in Jerusalem.

Former President Donald Trump moved the US embassy to Jerusalem in 2017 and recognised it as Israel’s official capital in a move highly criticised by the international community and Arab world.

Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be the capital of a future independent Palestinian state, which is currently under Israeli occupation after it was captured in the 1967 war in a move deemed illegal by the United Nations.

Moving the UK’s embassy to Jerusalem would embolden Israel’s annexation of occupied Palestinian territories and risk collapsing any hope for a sovereign Palestinian state, diplomats say.

Ben Jamal, director of UK advocacy group Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said Jenrick's remarks confirm his "complete unfitness for any public office", in written comments to The New Arab.

"That a leading candidate for leadership of the Conservative party is proudly declaring his intention, if elected Prime Minister, to commit the UK to an overt violation of International law is disgraceful if not surprising," Jamal said.

"Such statements, in the context of his longstanding support for Israel's war crimes and violations of human rights, confirm his complete unfitness for any public office, let alone as candidate for the premiership."

Jenrick’s pledge was reportedly received by loud cheers and applause, and comes as he hopes to garner support to become the next leader of the centre-right party after their disastrous general election loss in July.

Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he would stand down as leader following his party's defeat which saw the opposition Labour Party win a landslide majority led by now-Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The CFI is an influential lobby group that garners support for Israeli government policies and favourable stances among Conservative politicians and members. The CFI has donated thousands of pounds to the party and organises trips to Israel for MPs.

Relatives of Israeli captives held in Gaza are due to speak at an event organised by CFI on Tuesday at the party conference.

The CFI event on Sunday evening had speeches from the four Tory leadership candidates including former Foreign Secretary James Cleverley, Tom Tugendhat, Kemi Badenoch, as well as Jenrick. The presence of the four senior figures at the event conveys the tight networks between lobby groups and MPs.

The event was jammed-packed, with a queue outside the venue as people hoped to gain access, according to an attendee.

Jenrick, who is one of the favourites to lead the party, also said he believed that the UK’s border points should be marked with a Star of David to show "we stand with Israel".

He is running on an anti-migration campaign and was widely criticised for claiming that people who say ‘Allahu Akbar’ on the UK’s streets should be "immediately arrested" in reference to pro-Palestine marches.

His remarks were criticised as Islamophobic and were firmly rejected by several politicians, including former Tory MP Sayeeda Warsi, who described it as "nasty" and "divisive" rhetoric. Jenrick later said he "fundamentally" disagreed with Warsi.

Jenrick previously served as immigration minister and is married to lawyer Michal Berkner who was born in Israel.

Berkner recently came under fire for allegedly advising several wealthy Russian businessmen who have been sanctioned by the UK government, according to a report on Sunday in the newspaper The Daily Mirror.

The New Arab reached out to Jenrick's campaign team for comment.