UK Minister Priti Patel resigns over Israel row

A UK government minister has resigned after it was revealed she held secret meetings with Israeli officials.

Priti Patel met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior figures while on a private holiday with her family in August.

She apologised on Monday, but was ordered to return from an official trip to Africa on Wednesday after further
revelations came to light.

Ms Patel said her “actions fell below the high standards that are expected”.

Her resignation is the culmination of an unusual chain of events that may seem complicated. So let’s take a step back.

Who is Priti Patel?

Priti Patel, 45, is a politician with the ruling Conservative Party, who has long been viewed as a rising star of the party.

She has had numerous roles in government, and in June 2016 was appointed Secretary of State for International Development. This means Ms Patel is responsible for overseas development and the UK’s programme of assistance to developing countries.

It is fair to say Ms Patel is positioned on the right of the Conservative party. She is a longstanding critic of the European Union, has voted against gay marriage, campaigned against the smoking ban, and is a long-standing supporter of Israel.

What led to the resignation?

Last week, the BBC revealed that Ms Patel held a number of undisclosed meetings with business and political figures during a family holiday to Israel in August.

She met the leader of one of Israel’s main political parties and made visits to several organisations where official government business was reportedly discussed.

This is unusual, because ministers are supposed to tell the government when they are conducting official business overseas.