New British PM Theresa May Has History of Strong Support for Israel, Jewish Community

British Prime Minister Theresa May, who rose to her office in July after the resignation of David Cameron, has a long history of support for Israel and other Jewish causes, forecasting continued warm relations between Israel and the United Kingdom.

May served as Home Secretary (responsible for immigration, security and the justice system) for six years, and showed herself to be “a long-standing friend of Israel and the Jewish community,” former Israeli Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Daniel Taub, told The Jerusalem Post. May was a strong supporter of “efforts to deepen British–Israel ties in the area of homeland security, and also very receptive to the concerns of the Jewish community regarding anti-Semitism and violent extremism,” Taub said.

May has visited Israel once, on an official trip in the summer of 2014 to learn about Israel’s practices in policing, human trafficking and cyber-security. She spoke there about being moved by her visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum, calling the Holocaust “the worst crime in history.” She also spoke out vociferously against terror after the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teens during her visit.