Buckinghamshire MP defends flying to Israel on trip paid for by lobbying group

Greg Smith’s visit, which included air travel, accommodation and hospitality, was funded by Conservative Friends of Israel Ltd, a pro-Israel lobbying group.

The delegation travelled between January 4 and January 9, 2026, on what was described as a ‘fact finding political delegation’. Mr Smith said the visit included meetings and briefings in both Israel and the West Bank, including talks with politicians, Palestinian business owners and entrepreneurs, and security officials.

Defending the trip, he said such international delegations were a routine and important part of parliamentary work. “Parliamentarians attend international delegations all the time, which is important to meet with politicians and groups overseas to properly see and understand issues on the ground in those countries,” he said.

Mr Smith said the itinerary included meetings in Ramallah in the West Bank, as well as meetings in Israel. He said: “The trip included briefings in the north of Israel to look at security concerns at the Syria and Lebanon borders, as well as at the Gaza border in the south, seeing conditions on the ground in the aftermath of the 7th October terrorist atrocity.

“We were shown around kibbutz kfar-aza by a lady who lost her son, mother-in-law and brother-in-law during the Hamas terror attack.”

The MP said the delegation also met the British Ambassador to Israel in Tel Aviv and international officials involved in coordinating aid and rebuilding plans for Gaza. He continued: “We also met with US General Frank at the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC), where the United States are co-ordinating the international response to the Trump peace plan, including directly seeing work on securing aid flows to Gaza, rubble clearance and re-building plans.”

According to the MP, in Jerusalem the delegation met Israeli deputy foreign minister Sharren Haskel and attended security briefings. He added that the trip provided an opportunity to meet Palestinian entrepreneurs and business owners in Ramallah.

Responding to critics of Israel, Mr Smith said: “My response to those critical of Israel is to perhaps visit the country themselves to gain an appreciation of what it is actually like on the ground in the aftermath of the worst loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust.

“These delegations help politicians see that directly, both from the Israeli and Palestinian perspective.”

He also noted that similar overseas delegations are organised for Labour MPs by Labour Friends of Israel. The MP previously accepted a funded visit to Israel as part of a fact-finding delegation between 3 and 7 January 2024, valued at £2,450 and funded by Conservative Friends of Israel Ltd.