UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has reaffirmed support for Israel’s military campaign against Iran, saying it is not just morally justified but also critical to the UK’s national security.
In a statement released on X, Badenoch accused critics of Israel of indulging in dangerous double standards, warning that failure to back the country in its fight against Iran would jeopardise the safety of democratic nations like the UK.
“Supporting Israel is not just right — it is necessary for our own national security. Israelis are on the front line in the fight for the West and for our shared values,” Badenoch said.
The statement comes amid the escalation in the Middle East following coordinated U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.
Badenoch described Israel as a “vibrant democracy” that protects women’s rights and minority freedoms, and that Iran’s regime is brutal, repressive, and a direct threat to the UK.
“Our security services have thwarted multiple Iranian plots and assassination attempts on UK soil. This is not some distant threat; this is personal,” she said, referencing intelligence warnings about Iran’s influence operations across UK institutions and communities.
Highlighting Iran’s recent missile attacks on Israeli cities, which targeted hospitals and civilian infrastructure, Badenoch labelled Tehran’s actions as “war crimes” and said Israel’s precision counterstrikes exemplified its commitment to international law.
“When Iran attacks, millions of Israelis hide in bomb shelters. When Israel retaliates, Iranian dissidents cheer, because they know Israel is hitting the regime, not the people,” she said.
Her remarks also contained scathing criticism of Britain’s current Labour government, accusing Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy of weakening the UK’s global standing with their ambivalent response to the conflict.
“This Labour government singles out Israel for punishment, while our ally faces an existential threat. We are now viewed as unreliable. Britain wasn’t even informed about the U.S. strikes. That’s how much our credibility has fallen,” she said.
She dismissed attempts to paint Iran and Israel as morally equivalent, pointing instead to Iran’s 46-year history of exporting terror and repressing dissent.
“Anyone who can’t see the difference between a liberal democracy and a terrorist regime needs to spend less time on social media and more time understanding reality,” she added.
The Conservative leader’s comments follow rising tensions across the region, with Iran vowing revenge for the U.S. and Israeli strikes and the Houthis threatening to resume attacks on U.S. ships in the Red Sea.
Badenoch warned that failing to stand firmly with Israel would not only damage bilateral relations but also compromise intelligence cooperation that has helped foil terror plots in the UK.
“Support for Israel is not about sentiment. It’s about security, sovereignty and survival. We stand with Israel because their fight is our fight. To abandon them is to abandon ourselves,” she concluded.
Her statement adds to mounting international political fallout following the U.S. strikes, which Trump has defended as a preemptive effort to “obliterate” Iran’s nuclear ambition.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “historic” decision that will “change history.”
