Be atslakha, Mr. Cameron

Former British Prime Minister David Cameron becomes Britain’s second-in-command by returning to government as UK foreign secretary. Apparently, this is good news for Israel. Cameron has awe and care for Jews (mentioning his great-great grandfather) and Israel. “I have learned to understand something of Jewish values and character, and I have grown to appreciate the extraordinary contribution of the Jewish people to my country and to the world.”   

His position towards Israel during his heartfelt speech in the Knesset in 2014 was very revealing. Then he, in particular, noted, “remembering the past goes far beyond that horrific suffering by that generation; it is about remembering the long and rightful search of a people for a nation, and the right for the Jewish people to live a peaceful and prosperous life in Israel.” 

Previous British leadership, represented by David Cameron, actively opposed any attempts to delegitimize Israel by the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) organization. Cameron also criticized any attempts by various British academic circles to ignore Israeli scientists, considering such steps to be wrong.   

Mr. Cameron understands well the realities of the Middle East, the specifics of regional policy, knows its history and relations between Israel and Palestine. I don’t want to jinx it, but a person who says the following is completely timely: “I’m convinced we will be fighting Islamic extremism for the rest of my political lifetime and we must tackle this poisonous thinking at home and abroad and resist the ideologues’ attempts to divide the world into a clash of civilizations”. 

He is a supporter of the idea of “two states”, which has been gaining momentum lately. Also in 2014, British Prime Minister David Cameron called on the leaders of Israel and Palestine to “take decisive steps and take risks” to implement the principle of “two states for two peoples.”  

The only thing in which I hope Mr Cameron has changed his attitude over time is towards Iran. In mid-2012, he did not support a hypothetical Israeli military action against Iran. He noted then that the international community still has time to put pressure on Tehran through sanctions and diplomatic channels. 

Britain has played a vital role in helping to secure Israel as a homeland for the Jewish people. And just as important as the history is the partnership we are building between our countries today. 

Be atslakha, Mr. Cameron.