ISRAEL secretly lobbied the British government to stop it boycotting trade, an investigation by Declassified revealed today.

Israeli officials were exposed as holding a high-level meeting with Michael Gove when he was justice secretary in 2015.

Emails leaked from a hack of the Israeli ministry of justice show how the “sensitive” meeting focused on how to combat the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement.

Israel’s then justice minister Ayelet Shaked met Mr Gove following plans by the European Commission to label products made on illegally occupied land as coming from an “Israeli settlement,” which she feared would help boycott campaigns. 

Mr Gove said he “enjoyed” meeting Ms Shaked and requested more information from the Israeli embassy. 

Ms Shaked, who had previously released a campaign video spritzing herself with a perfume called “fascism,” then wrote to Mr Gove about the labels.

She said: “I respectfully request that … you advocate for the UK to exercise prudence and restraint if your country chooses to implement what we deem to be a politically motivated, unnecessary and discriminatory [policy].”

Ms Shaked also raised concerns about NGOs. The complaint was reportedly linked to a memo noting how Britain was “providing significant funds, directly and indirectly, to NGOs that promote and participate in BDS campaigns against Israel.”

Christian Aid, Islamic Relief Worldwide and Rabbis for Human Rights, were among those listed. 

In 2019, Israel’s ministry of justice commissioned advice from law firm Crowell & Moring on how to “mitigate or reverse the impact” of “a [UN] database of companies undertaking activities in the settlements.”

The law firm reportedly suggested that the Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI) and Labour Friends of Israel (LFI) could be used to exert pressure on the government.

Last year, Mr Gove unsuccessfully attempted to push through a Bill banning British public bodies from boycotting Israel.