Herzog, Netanyahu congratulate Starmer, pledge to further UK-Israel friendship
Israeli Labor head Yair Golan welcomes ‘sister party’ chief as next UK PM, while former party leader Michaeli says Israel should ‘also make the necessary change’ at home

Israel’s leadership, and politicians associated with the center-left, congratulated British Labour Party leader Keir Starmer on Friday for his landslide victory in the UK parliamentary elections.
President Isaac Herzog, a former chairman of the Israeli Labor Party, wrote on X, “As [Starmer] prepares to enter Downing Street as prime minister, I look forward to working together with him and his new government to bring our hostages home, to build a better future for the region, and to deepen the close friendship between Israel and the United Kingdom.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also took to X to “extend my warm congratulations to Keir Starmer Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.”
“I am confident that we will continue working together to strengthen the historic friendship between the UK and Israel and to advance the twin goals of security and peace,” wrote Netanyahu.
“I also express my gratitude to [outgoing UK Prime Minister] Rishi Sunak for his friendship and support over the years,” he added
Current Israeli Labor Party leader Yair Golan congratulated Starmer, writing on X, “I look forward to working together with our sister party to bring our hostages home and for security, peace and stability here and across the region.”
MK Merav Michaeli, the most recent former leader of Israel’s Labor, tweeted her “warmest congratulations” to Starmer and “to the entire party for an important victory in the elections.”
Michaeli said she worked “extensively” with her party’s British counterpart “to strengthen the ties between the countries and promote our shared values of equality and freedom. This is no ordinary victory: it is a beacon of hope for social democratic parties around the world in an era that is becoming more and more radical and conservative.”
Warmest congratulations to my friends @Keir_starmer, @DavidLammy – Britain's new prime minister and foreign secretary – and to the entire party for an important victory in the elections.
As leader of the Israeli Labor Party, I worked extensively alongside Keir, David and… pic.twitter.com/NVz1aq1Ixn
— Merav Michaeli מרב מיכאלי (@MeravMichaeli) July 5, 2024
She added that if the UK can “make the change, we in Israel can (and should!) also make the necessary change for the sake of our democracy and for the security we owe to future generations.”
Yesh Atid lawmaker and former Knesset Speaker Mickey Levy said of Starmer on X: “When we met he emphasized his commitment to combating antisemitism within the Labour Party, and I trust he will extend this effort nationally. I am confident that our countries’ relationship will flourish under his leadership.”
Britain’s Labour Party swept to power Friday after more than a decade in opposition, as a jaded electorate handed the party a landslide victory — but also a mammoth task of reinvigorating a stagnant economy and dispirited nation.
Starmer will officially become prime minister later in the day, leading his party back to government less than five years after it suffered its worst defeat in almost a century. In the merciless choreography of British politics, he will take charge in 10 Downing St. hours after Thursday’s votes are counted — as Conservative leader Rishi Sunak is hustled out.
I would like to congratulate the incoming British Prime Minister, @Keir_Starmer ,on his victory in the UK general election. When we met he emphasized his commitment to combating antisemitism within the Labour party, and I trust he will extend this effort nationally. I am… pic.twitter.com/ow579HZuxC
— מיקי לוי – ????????????️Mickey Levy (@MKMickeyLevy) July 5, 2024
With almost all the results in, Labour had won 410 seats in the 650-seat House of Commons and the Conservatives 118.
Starmer took control of Labour in 2020, ousting far-left leader Jeremy Corbyn. Starmer pushed the party toward the political center and worked to uproot antisemitism that rampaged in Labour’s ranks under Corbyn.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also congratulated Starmer on his party’s “convincing” election win and said the two countries would remain allies.
“Ukraine and the United Kingdom have been and will continue to be reliable allies through thick and thin. We will continue to defend and advance our common values of life, freedom, and a rules-based international order,” Zelensky wrote on social media.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who himself is facing political uncertainty as his country undergoes parliamentary elections, congratulated Starmer on X, adding that France “will continue the work begun with the UK for our bilateral cooperation, for peace and security in Europe, for the climate and for AI.”
“A mandate like this comes with a great responsibility,” Starmer acknowledged in a speech to supporters after his victory was declared, saying that the fight to regain people’s trust after years of disillusionment “is the battle that defines our age.”
Speaking as dawn broke in London, he said Labour would offer “the sunlight of hope, pale at first but getting stronger through the day.”
Sunak conceded defeat, saying the voters had delivered a “sobering verdict.”