An MP representing an Oxfordshire constituency has explained his reasons for taking part in a trip to Israel that was funded by a lobby group, saying it provided him with valuable insights for his work in Parliament.
The accommodation cost £2,297 and was listed in Calum Miller MP’s registered interests, with the Bicester and Woodstock representative holding meetings with Israeli President Herzog that were coordinated by lobbying professionals.
Photographs showed the parliamentarian shaking hands with the president, with the images appearing on social media platforms.
The visit, funded by European Leadership Network (ELNET) – a charity dedicated to strengthening European-Israeli ties – and Liberal Democrats Friends of Israel, took place between February 15 and 19 this year.
This came after Mr Miller, the Liberal Democrats’ foreign affairs spokesperson, had previously called on the government to halt arms exports to Israel and to acknowledge International Criminal Court arrest warrants for war crimes issued against Prime Minister Netanyahu and former defence minister Gallant.
In his official parliamentary declaration, Mr Miller described the stay as a fact-finding visit to Israel and Ramallah, adding that he encountered campaigners working for Israeli-Palestinian coexistence, politicians, academics and diplomatic officials.
The MP has now provided justification for accepting the funded journey.
He explained that as a liberal, he believes it is vital to engage with all sides of this conflict, even on those issues where he fundamentally disagrees. He said that during his visit to Israel and the West Bank, he met with a range of stakeholders and policymakers, including the Mayor of Ramallah, the President of Israel, journalists, academics and Palestinian civil society actors.
The parliamentarian declined to reveal whether he raised humanitarian issues with President Herzog.
He also noted that he met last year with President Abbas during his visit to London. Mr Miller indicated that during those discussions, he stressed the urgent need for humanitarian assistance to reach Gaza, progress towards Palestinian Authority elections, and the significance of stopping and reversing the growth of unlawful Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
He said he has used the information and insights he gained from the visit to inform his interventions in the House of Commons since he returned.
This week, in Parliament, Mr Miller has raised concerns about the Israeli government, saying his constituents have shared with him their concern that Benjamin Netanyahu’s Security Cabinet is committing international war crimes in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon, under the cover of the war that he launched with Donald Trump.
On April 21, he called on the Government to prohibit all settlement goods from the UK and to reconsider measures to prevent all UK individuals, businesses and banks from supporting unlawful settlements.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper responded that there are already restrictions to prevent goods from illegal settlements benefiting from tariff preferences, and that they take immensely seriously engagement with those illegal settlements by UK businesses.