Hard-liner’s appointment as Israeli ambassador to UK condemned

Tzipi Hotovely, Israel’s settlements minister and outspoken proponent of annexation, has been named by Netanyahu as the next ambassador to the UK. (File/AFP)

• A self-described “religious right-winger,” Hotovely rejects Palestinian claims to any of the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem
• Over 1,200 British Jews have signed a petition calling on the British government to reject her appointment as ambassador

LONDON: The appointment of a hard-line supporter of the annexation of Palestinian land as the next Israeli ambassador to the UK has drawn criticism from experts and the wider British Jewish community.
Tzipi Hotovely, Israel’s settlements minister and outspoken proponent of annexation, has been named by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the next ambassador to the UK, succeeding Mark Regev.
A self-described “religious right-winger,” Hotovely rejects Palestinian claims to any of the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem. 
Yossi Mekelberg, professor of international relations at Regent’s University London, told Arab News that her appointment is not only unpalatable, but it may not even be in Israel’s best interest.
“She wasn’t selected for her great diplomatic skills. She has a political background and has never served abroad in the diplomatic service,” he said.
A fiercely ambitious person, Hotovely’s aspirations in domestic politics, Mekelberg explains, could be a source of tension in her new position.
“Hotovely will have to play the diplomatic game, not the political one. Can she represent the state of Israel, not the Likud party?”
The religious hard-liner’s position on annexation, which extends beyond even the official Israeli position, is also likely to be a major obstacle in fulfilling her new role, particularly as she engages with British Jews.
“My doubt is whether she can reach out to the Jewish community,” Mekelberg said. “Their concern may be that instead of the representative of Israel, Hotovely will be the representative of the settlements.”
This apprehension is already being felt among portions of the British Jewish community.
Over 1,200 British Jews have signed a petition by anti-occupation group Na’amod, calling on the British government to reject her appointment as ambassador and denouncing Hotovely’s “appalling record of racist and inflammatory behavior.”
A spokesperson for Na’amod said: “There is clearly growing unrest in our community about Israel’s blatant disregard for human rights, and people increasingly realize that it is time to take a stand.”
Laura Janner-Klausner, the senior rabbi to Reform Judaism, has also criticized the rightwing politician’s record. “Her political views on Palestinians, annexation and religious pluralism clash with our core values,” she said.
Hotovely’s appointment comes as Netanyahu’s coalition government prepares to annex almost a third of the West Bank in a move that has drawn sharp criticism for breaching international law.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has “strongly objected” to the plan, while human rights experts from the UN have likened the Israeli plan to “21st-century apartheid” and warned that human rights violations against Palestinians “would only intensify after annexation.”