London (QNN)- Newly obtained documents have revealed a series of secret meetings between Israel’s former ambassador to the United Kingdom, Tzipi Hotovely, and senior British officials, lobbyists, and political donors during Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
Investigative outlet Declassified UK obtained Hotovely’s personal diary through a Freedom of Information request filed by Israeli lawyer Elad Man from the Hatzlacha NGO. The documents provide rare insight into the ambassador’s behind-the-scenes engagements in London over nearly two years.
The diary shows that Hotovely held secret meetings with Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley in November 2023 and Assistant Commissioner Matt Jukes in August 2024. These meetings took place as public debate intensified in Britain over policing pro-Palestinian protests and Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
Hotovely has drawn widespread criticism for her public statements about Gaza. During a media appearance during the genocide, she alleged that “every school, every mosque, every second house” in the territory had access to underground tunnels, framing them as legitimate military targets. When asked whether this logic justified destroying the entire Gaza strip, she did not reject the premise and instead questioned whether critics had an alternative solution.
United Nations data shows that roughly 92 percent of residential buildings in Gaza, or about 436,000 homes, have been damaged or destroyed during the genocide. Hotovely has also repeatedly claimed that Hamas operates alleged headquarters from hospitals, a claim that Israel has used to justify strikes on Gaza's healthcare infrastructure.
The newly revealed diary entries also point to extensive coordination between the Israeli embassy and zionist lobbying groups in Britain. Despite public claims of independence from the Israeli government, both Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI) and Labour Friends of Israel (LFI) appear to maintain regular contact with the ambassador.
Hotovely met four times with Stuart Polak, a senior figure in CFI and a member of the House of Lords. Some of these meetings included Israeli diplomats Yossi Amrani and Meirav Eilon Shahar, both of whom hold senior roles in Israel’s foreign ministry.
The ambassador also held multiple meetings with figures linked to LFI, including director Michael Rubin, MP Jon Pearce, and Lord Jonathan Mendelsohn. Rubin previously stated in a 2017 documentary that LFI and the Israeli embassy “work really closely together,” often away from public view. One of his meetings with Hotovely reportedly took place at her private residence in London.
The diary further shows that Hotovely met Labour MP Luke Akehurst during the party’s conference in Liverpool. Akehurst previously directed the pro-Israel group “We Believe in Israel,” adding to concerns about political alignment and influence.
Hotovely’s engagements extended beyond political figures to include major Labour Party donors. Stuart Roden, chairman of Israeli venture capital firm Hetz Ventures, met the ambassador twice in July 2024, shortly after Keir Starmer formed a government. One meeting took place at a London gallery, while the other occurred at Hotovely’s residence.
Roden has donated more than £500,000 to the Labour Party and maintains informal communication with its leadership, according to previous reports. He publicly defended Israel’s genocide, framing it as a broader “clash of civilizations.”
Another donor, property developer Jonathan Goldstein, also met with Hotovely at her residence. Goldstein has supported senior Labour figures in the past and participated in pro-Israel advocacy efforts, including meetings with Israeli officials.
The documents also highlight links between the Israeli embassy and major corporate actors. In November 2023, Hotovely met with Michael Denison, head of international advisory at energy giant BP. His role includes managing political risk and maintaining ties with the UK Foreign Office and foreign diplomatic missions.
The meeting took place just days after Israel awarded new offshore gas exploration licenses in the eastern Mediterranean. BP later joined a consortium that secured one of these licenses, alongside Azerbaijan’s SOCAR and Israel’s NewMed Energy.
BP has faced growing scrutiny over its activities in Israel. UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese recently criticized the company in a report examining corporate involvement in an “economy of genocide.” She noted that BP expanded its role in the region by securing exploration rights in March 2025 in maritime areas linked to Palestinian resources.
Hotovely also met with representatives from Rafael UK, a subsidiary of Israel’s state-owned arms manufacturer known for producing missile systems used in urban warfare.
Members of the House of Lords appear frequently in the ambassador’s schedule. Lord Browne, former CEO of BP and current chairman of Israeli logistics firm Windward, met with Hotovely in October 2023. Weeks later, she hosted Lord Feldman, a former Conservative Party chairman now working with Hetz Ventures.
In July 2024, historian Lord Andrew Roberts attended a breakfast at Hotovely’s residence. He later published a report attacking the 7 October resistance operation, funded by a consultancy linked to pro-Israel figures. In September, Lord Kestenbaum, who has ties to the pro-Israel lobby group BICOM, also met the ambassador.
The disclosures raise fresh questions about political influence, lobbying transparency, and the extent of coordination between Israeli diplomats and British institutions during the Gaza genocide.
