Nigel Farage challenged Israeli Ambassador Tzipi Hotovely on GB News about whether Israel was losing international support after Britain sanctioned two of its government ministers.
"Israel is running out of friends, isn't it?" Nigel asked during the interview, which followed Foreign Secretary David Lammy's announcement earlier today that security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich would face travel bans and asset freezes.
The ambassador responded firmly: "Our friends need to choose whether they're going to be on the right or wrong side of history. There are only two sides in this story. Hamas is a jihadi terrorist, Israel is a democratic country trying to protect itself."
She asked Nigel directly which side he would choose in the conflict.
Nigel Farage questioned the Israeli ambassador
GB NEWS / PA
The UK Government announced sanctions against the two Israeli ministers earlier today, with Lammy stating they had been "inciting violence against Palestinian people for months and months and months" and "encouraging egregious abuses of human rights".
Britain is implementing the measures alongside Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway in a coordinated effort to increase pressure on Israel.
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Both ministers belong to right-wing parties that support Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government. Smotrich has opposed aid entering Gaza and backed West Bank settlement expansion, whilst Ben-Gvir has called for Gaza's population to be resettled elsewhere.
When questioned about why similar action hadn't been taken against Netanyahu, the Foreign Secretary did not provide a direct answer but urged the Israeli government to "disavow and condemn" the language used by the two ministers.
Foreign Secretary David LammyForeign Secretary David LammyThe ambassador condemned the sanctions as "a wrong moral decision of the British Government", stating it would "go down in history as the first time that a democratic country is sanctioning ministers of another ally in a democratic country".
She questioned whether the UK government was "underestimating the judgment of the Israeli people when they go and vote in elections".
When Nigel mentioned France's consideration of recognising Palestinian statehood, Hotovely called it "morally wrong", arguing it would mean recognising "a Hamas state".
"If someone wants to make the argument for a better state for Palestinians and Israelis, please explain how another Hamas state will bring a better future to Israelis or Palestinians," she said.
Nigel Farage said Israel is 'running out of friends'
GBNEWS
Asked if she viewed the British government as friends, the ambassador replied: "I believe the UK is Israel's friend and I believe the British people are Israel's friend."
Nigel acknowledged the October 7 attacks as "absolute barbarity" but pressed the ambassador on casualty figures, stating "something like 50,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 7. It's a lot of people."
Hotovely responded: "In war, people die. Who's in charge of the fact innocent people die in the Gaza war? The answer is Hamas. They created this infrastructure."
When Nigel cited an Israeli cabinet minister saying "not even a grain of wheat should get into Gaza", noting why "the international community struggles", the ambassador defended Israel's approach.
She insisted Israel was "very cautious" in its operations, stating: "When Israel is targeting a target, it's a military target or a dual use target. Hamas is abusing schools and hospitals and turning them into headquarters."
The ambassador urged the international community to be "patient" with Israel's military operations, saying "The world needs to give Israel time to finish the job."
When Nigel questioned "how many civilian casualties will that take?", she maintained that Israel was working cautiously in its targeting.
Nigel warned that Israel would "have to keep making" its case as it was "running out of friends" internationally.
Despite the diplomatic tensions, he concluded by affirming he remained a "friend" of Israel.
The ambassador had earlier stated that whilst "the British Government at the moment gave a few decisions today the Israeli people are furious about", she maintained her belief in the friendship between the UK and Israel, particularly emphasising the support of the British people.
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