Boris Johnson has warned ‘we face a huge terrorist threat’ as he landed in Israel today in a solidarity visit to the Jewish state after the former prime minister labelled Hamas‘ terror attack among the most depraved in the history of human cruelty.
Mr Johnson touched down at Ben Guiron airport this morning alongside Australia’s former prime minister Scott Morrison and was met by the country’s former ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon.
The duo met British-Israeli soldiers in Jerusalem and are expected to later speak with President Isaac Herzog, and relatives of the hostages who were snatched by the terrorists during the October 7 massacre in which 1,400 people were killed.
Mr Johnson last month described Hamas’ attack ‘among the most sickening and depraved events in all the history of human cruelty’. He said he was visiting the country to make sure people understand Israel’s ‘right to defend itself’ and warned ‘we face a huge terrorist threat’.
‘So it is incredible that in the three weeks since the murder of 1,400 Jews we seem — in Britain and around the world — to have lost all moral clarity,’ he wrote on MailOnline.
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison meet with British-Israeli soldiers during a visit to Jerusalem
Mr Johnson landed at Ben Guiron airport alongside former Australian PM Scott Morriosn (left) and was greeted by Israel’s ex-UN ambassador Danny Danon (centre)
A spokesman for Mr Johnson said: ‘Former UK prime minister Boris Johnson and former Australian prime minister Scott Morrison are in Israel making a joint visit to express solidarity and support for Israel after the terrible terrorist attacks on October 7.’
Mr Johnson met with British-Israeli troops and sat at a tabled alongside Mr Morrison. Explaining why he had made the visit, he said: ‘I’m here as a month on after the most appalling atrocities against the Jewish people we have seen since the Second World War.
‘I want to make sure people understand the duty of Israelis to defend themselves and to fight terror on behalf of freedom-loving people around the world – I think that’s the crucial thing.
‘When it comes to the long-term solution to the security issues then to your point of the involvement of the UK and other Western democracies I’m sure that all that kind of thing is going to be… it is a legitimate subject for consideration.
‘But right now we are facing the imperative to deal with a huge terrorist threat and the Israelis need to get on with that.’
Mr Morrison said he was ‘thankful for the opportunity to join former prime minister Johnson to come to Israel as a demonstration of solidarity with the people and State of Israel and the Jewish community throughout the world;, reported The Times of Israel.
‘It is an opportunity to understand firsthand what is occurring on the ground, honor those who have been lost, show support to those who have suffered and are now engaged in this terrible conflict and discuss how to move forward,’ he said.
It is the first trip made by an Australian politician since Hamas’ attack. Rishi Sunak visited Israel on October 19.
Mr Danon posted a pictured of himself standing alongside Mr Johnson and Mr Morrison on his X page and wrote: ‘Early this morning, at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport, I received my friends Boris Johnson, the former Prime Minister of Great Britain and Scott Morrison, the former Prime Minister of Australia – both true friends of Israel.
‘During the day we will visit Israel’s Southern communities and will meet with our heroic IDF soldiers. On behalf of all the people of Israel, we thank you for your steadfast support.’
He later uploaded a video of Mr Johnson meeting British-Israeli soldiers in Jerusalem where the former prime minster asks them how long they had been in the country’s army.
A spokesman for Mr Johnson said he and former Australian prime minister Scott Morrison are in Israel making a joint visit to express solidarity and support for Israel
Mr Johnson is expected to later speak with President Isaac Herzog, and relatives of the hostages who were snatched by the terrorists during the October 7 massacre
Mr Danon described Mr Johnson and Mr Morrison as both ‘true friends of Israel’ and detailed their itinerary for the day
A video was later uploaded of Mr Johnson speaking with British-Israeli soldiers in which he asks them how long they have been serving in the army
Writing for MailOnline at the end of October, Mr Johnson said we are ‘treating Hamas and Israel as two belligerent parties in an ancient quarrel, where there are faults on both sides; and we are therefore ignoring, or minimising, what actually happened’.
He said: ‘I want a two state-solution, and I will continue to work for it, and for peace.
‘I want the Palestinians to have their own homeland — though you have to wonder how the Israelis will ever trust them to make it work after the catastrophic consequences of letting Hamas run Gaza.
‘If you step back and look at the broad sweep of post-war history, you also have to wonder why this is the one territorial dispute that continues to excite such viciousness and such hatred.
‘Think of the colossal movements of people around the world after 1945, the tens of millions who were turned into refugees as the maps were re-drawn.’
It comes amid accusations from Hamas that Israeli warplanes bombed the Al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip this morning, killing at least 33 people, reported ITV.
Mr Johnson has had close ties with Israel during his time in government and visited the country in 2017 for the first time as Foreign Secretary when he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Two years later the then Prime Minister hosted Mr Netanyahu at 10 Downing Street and discussed Iran’s attempts to acquire a nuclear weapon.
Speaking at the time, a Downing Street spokesman said: ‘Both Prime Ministers agreed on the need to prevent Iran getting a nuclear weapon and stop wider destabilising Iranian behaviour.
‘The Prime Minister stressed the need for dialogue and a diplomatic solution.’
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
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