Embassy of Israel, London
Diplomatic mission of the State of Israel to the United Kingdom; subject of the 2017 Shai Masot affair
| Embassy of Israel, London
| |
|---|---|
| Type | Diplomatic mission |
| Status | Active |
| Headquarters | 2 Palace Green, London W8 4QB |
| Area served | United Kingdom |
| Website | https://embassies.gov.il/england/en |
The Embassy of Israel in London is the diplomatic mission of the State of Israel to the United Kingdom. Its website, hosted by Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, says it exists "to foster cooperation and partnerships with the citizens and government of the UK in the realms of policy issues, economic affairs, public information, media, culture and other aspects of community relations", and to assist Israeli citizens living or travelling in the UK.[1] It also provides consular services, including passports and notarial services for Israelis.[2] Its mail address is 2 Palace Green, London W8 4QB.[3]
The embassy's website page on the ambassador (last updated 19 September 2025, read on 11 November 2026) states: "There is currently no Ambassador for the State of Israel to the UK".[4]
Powerbase records on this page the embassy's role in the 2017 Shai Masot affair (as reported by the BBC, Al Jazeera and the Guardian) and the visits to Israel that the Electoral Commission and the Commons register list the embassy as funding.
2017: Shai Masot and "The Lobby"
In January 2017 Al Jazeera's Investigative Unit published the first results of a six-month undercover investigation, the four-part series The Lobby. Its introduction said: "The Israeli government is in the midst of a brazen, covert influence campaign in Britain, a six-month undercover investigation by Al Jazeera will reveal."[5] This is Al Jazeera's description of its own findings.
The investigation included footage, secretly filmed by Al Jazeera's undercover reporter in a London restaurant in October 2016 and also obtained by the Mail on Sunday, of Shai Masot, described by the BBC as the embassy's senior political officer, speaking with Maria Strizzolo, an aide to the education minister Robert Halfon, and an undercover reporter. According to the BBC, Masot asked: "Can I give you some names of MPs that I would suggest you take down?" and later named "the deputy foreign minister", Alan Duncan, saying he was creating "a lot of problems".[6]
Reported responses included:
- The BBC reported that Ambassador Mark Regev apologised to Duncan, and quoted an embassy statement that it "rejects the remarks concerning minister Duncan, which are completely unacceptable" and that they "were made by a junior embassy employee who is not an Israeli diplomat, and who will be ending his term of employment with the embassy shortly".[6]
- A Foreign Office spokesman said: "The Israeli Ambassador has apologised and is clear these comments do not reflect the views of the embassy or government of Israel. The UK has a strong relationship with Israel and we consider the matter closed."[6]
- The shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry said improper interference was "unacceptable whichever country was involved", and Labour demanded an inquiry; Crispin Blunt, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, called Masot's "apparent activity" "formally outrageous and deserving of investigation".[6]
- Craig Oliver, David Cameron's former communications director, told the BBC the video was "a classic piece of mischief-making" by the Mail on Sunday.[6]
- Stuart Polak, then director of Conservative Friends of Israel, said: "We utterly condemn any attempt to undermine Sir Alan, or any minister, or any member of Parliament."[6]
- Ms Strizzolo told the Mail on Sunday that the conversation was "tongue-in-cheek and gossipy", and the BBC understood that she had resigned from the civil service.[6]
In October 2017 the Guardian reported that Ofcom had cleared Al Jazeera of antisemitism and of breaching impartiality rules over The Lobby. Ofcom said it "did not consider that the programme portrayed any negative stereotypes of Jewish people as controlling or seeking to control the media or governments", and that the individuals featured appeared "in the context of its investigation into the alleged activities of a foreign state – the state of Israel acting through its UK embassy". The Guardian also reported that Masot resigned.[7]
Funded visits to Israel
The Electoral Commission's register of donations and visits lists the Embassy of Israel (under several spellings) as the funder of 15 visit records by 14 named members. Nine records from October 2025 cover two groups: members who travelled on 26–31 October 2025 and members who travelled on 23–30 October 2025 (one on 23–25 October). One member, Russell George, appears twice with identical dates and values in different reporting periods; the total below counts that trip once. The 2025 trips total £29,170.00 and the six 2018 records total £13,200.00.[8]
The Commons register records one of the 2025 trips, by Sammy Wilson MP (entry 13838), as an in-kind benefit of £3,810 from the Embassy of Israel: flights (£800), food and transport (£1,760) and accommodation (£1,250).[9]
Purpose descriptions are quoted exactly as recorded by the members. The Electoral Commission's data truncates descriptions at 256 characters; truncated entries end in "[…]".
| Recipient (as recorded) | Dates | Value (£) | Donor as recorded | Purpose as recorded | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russell George | 26–31 October 2025 | 3,560.00 | Embassy of Israel London | "Parliamentary Fact Finding Delegation" | V0834171 |
| Russell George | 26–31 October 2025 | 3,560.00 | Embassy of Israel London | "Parliamentary fact finding delegation" | V0834030 |
| Darren Millar | 26–31 October 2025 | 3,560.00 | Embassy of Israel London | "Parliamentary fact finding delegation" | V0834029 |
| Steve Aiken | 23–25 October 2025 | 3,810.00 | Embassy of Israel | "Fact-finding visit with Israeli Jews, Christians, Muslims, Druze and others, meeting members of civil and political society and being briefed by eyewitnesses to the murderous terrorist attacks by Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran and Houthis" | V0834170 |
| Sammy Wilson | 23–30 October 2025 | 3,810.00 | Embassy of Israel | "This was a fact finding visit which included visiting Israeli Jews, Christians, Muslims, Druze and others, meeting members of civil and political society (including Government and opposition MK's) being briefed by eyewitnesses to the murderous terrorist attacks by Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran and the Houthis. (full text from the Commons register, entry 13838)" | V0834174 |
| Ronald McDowell | 23–30 October 2025 | 3,000.00 | Embassy of Israel to the UK | "A devolved government delegation to explore the recent conflict, history and current political climate in Israel" | V0834199 |
| Paul Givan | 23–30 October 2025 | 3,810.00 | Embassy of Israel London | "I visited Israel on a fact finding tour. The visit included visiting Israeli Jews, Christians, Muslims, Druze and others, meeting members of civil and political society (including government and opposition MK's), being briefed by eyewitnesses to the murder […]" | V0834001 |
| David Brooks | 23–30 October 2025 | 3,810.00 | Embassy of Israel London | "I visited Israel on a fact finding tour. The visit included visiting Israeli Jews, Christians, Muslims, Druze and others, meeting members of civil and political society (including government and opposition MK's), being briefed by eyewitnesses to the murder […]" | V0834031 |
| Ben Mallon | 23–30 October 2025 | 3,810.00 | Embassy of Israel in London | "Fact finding visit to Israel" | V0834230 |
| Richard Lyle | 12–17 August 2018 | 2,200.00 | Embassy of Israel in the United Kingdom | "From 12 August to 17 August 2018 I participated in a visit, by the Cross-Party Group Building Bridges with Israel, to Israel and the Palestinian Territories." | V0397701 |
| Murdo Fraser | 12–17 August 2018 | 2,200.00 | Embassy of Israel in the United Kingdom | "From 12 August to 17 August 2018 I participated in a visit, by the Cross-Party Group Building Bridges with Israel, to Israel and the Palestinian Territories." | V0397670 |
| Maurice Corry | 12–17 August 2018 | 2,200.00 | Embassy of Israel in the United Kingdom | "From 12 August to 17 August 2018 I participated in a visit, by the Cross-Party Group Building Bridges with Israel, to Israel and the Palestinian Territories." | V0397700 |
| Jackson Carlaw | 12–17 August 2018 | 2,200.00 | Embassy of Israel in the United Kingdom | "From 12 August to 17 August 2018 I participated in a visit, by the Cross-Party Group Building Bridges with Israel, to Israel and the Palestinian Territories." | V0397698 |
| Bill Bowman | 12–17 August 2018 | 2,200.00 | Embassy of Israel in the United Kingdom | "From 12 August to 17 August 2018 I participated in a visit, by the Cross-Party Group Building Bridges with Israel, to Israel and the Palestinian Territories." | V0397699 |
| Mary Fee | 12–17 August 2018 | 2,200.00 | Embassy of Israel in the United Kingdom | "From 12 August to 17 August 2018 I participated in a visit, by the Cross-Party Group Building Bridges with Israel, to Israel and the Palestinian Territories." | V0397736 |
Notes
- ↑ Embassy of Israel in London, About the embassy, accessed 11 November 2026.
- ↑ Embassy of Israel in London, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, About the embassy and home page, accessed 11 November 2026.
- ↑ Embassy of Israel in London, Contact us, accessed 11 November 2026.
- ↑ Embassy of Israel in London, The ambassador, accessed 11 November 2026.
- ↑ Al Jazeera Investigative Unit, Israel's parliamentary plot against UK politicians, Al Jazeera, 8 January 2017, accessed 11 November 2026.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 BBC News, Israel's ambassador sorry over 'take down' Sir Alan Duncan comment, 8 January 2017, accessed 11 November 2026.
- ↑ The Guardian, Ofcom clears al-Jazeera of antisemitism in exposé of Israeli official, 9 October 2017, accessed 11 November 2026.
- ↑ Electoral Commission, Political Finance Online: donations and visits, search for "Embassy of Israel" (15 records); each record is linked in the table, accessed 11 November 2026.
- ↑ UK Parliament, Register of Members' Financial Interests, entry 13838 (Sammy Wilson, visit to Israel, 23–30 October 2025), accessed 11 November 2026.