Live UpdateFrom the Liveblog of Tuesday, March 21, 2023

In London, FM Cohen attends memorial for late ambassador shot by Palestinians in 1982

By Lazar Berman 21 March 2023, 2:28 pm 0 Edit

Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter

Foreign Minister Eli Cohen (C) with UK Minister of State for the Middle East Lord Tariq Ahmad (third from left) and Israeli Ambassador to the UK Tzipi Hotovely (third from right) and members of family of the late former ambassador Shlomo Argov, in London, March 21, 2023 (Stuart Mitchell)

Foreign Minister Eli Cohen participates in a memorial ceremony in London for former Israeli ambassador to the UK Shlomo Argov, who died in 2003 after being shot in 1982. The attack, carried out in London by the Palestinian Abu Nidal organization, left Argov paralyzed from the neck down, and was one of the immediate causes of the IDF’s Operation Peace for Galilee in Lebanon.

Cohen is joined by Israel’s current ambassador to the Court of St. James, Tzipi Hotovely, and Lord Tariq Ahmad, the Foreign Office’s Minister of State for the Middle East. Members of the Argov family are also present at the ceremony.

“Terrorism has ambushed our representatives more than once,” says Cohen, “but we will not let up, we will continue to stand with determination against evil and terrorism for the State of Israel.”

Cohen is set to meet with members of the Jewish community before meeting with his British counterpart, James Cleverly. He will also participate in two events with British business leaders before flying to Warsaw tonight.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to fly to London on Thursday to meet Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.