Israel and Great Britain (Routledge Handbook on Israel's Foreign Relations)

Israel’s relations with Great Britain over much of the last half century have been complicated, with tensions evident in the early years following the October 1973 war. Britain’s priority was to protect its political and economic interests in the Arab world and to avert future threats to the stability of the region. Israel, however, saw itself as a victim of Arab aggression and expected Britain’s support. Its requests for sales of British arms and oil were generally rebuffed. Israel sought to discourage Britain’s activism in seeking a resolution of the Arab–Israeli conflict and resented its consistent opposition to the construction of Jewish settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. All along, however, successive Israeli governments have reached out to Britain, perceiving it as an influential power. These diplomatic efforts often met with success.