LONDON: British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly will travel to Israel and the Palestinian territories this week, where he will seek to renew dialogue on a two-state solution and commit to addressing threats to regional security, including those from Iran.
On the visit, which begins on Monday, Cleverly will hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh.
Speaking at an international security conference on Tuesday, Cleverly will discuss the security challenges facing Israel and the Palestinian territories, as well as the importance of a two-state solution.
According to the statement, it will accuse Iran of “enabling terrorism” through its support for the militant groups Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
“The UK and Israel work closely together to keep our people safe,” Cleverly said before the trip.
He vowed to “restore our close security partnership in the face of unacceptable threats from the Iranian regime.”
The Israeli “Iron Dome” missile defense system will be displayed, and he will also speak with Foreign Minister Eli Cohen of Israel.
Cleverly visits the Jalazone refugee camp in the West Bank while in the Palestinian Territories to view Palestinian refugees.
Israeli raids and Palestinian street attacks have increased in frequency over the past year, escalating the violence in the West Bank.
Prospects for a revival of US-brokered peace talks aimed at creating a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem remain dim nearly a decade after their collapse.
Palestinians have limited self-government in the West Bank and remain divided between the Western-backed administration and armed Islamists Hamas, who refuse to coexist with Israel. Many in the current Israeli government reject Palestinian statehood.
