Labour sparks major 'security intelligence' row with former CIA chief over the party's Israel stance

Andy Burnham previously told the United Nations General Assembly that Britain stands "with Israel in the face of the ongoing threats, including from Iran, against Israel and Jewish people around the world", while criticising the actions of settlers in the occupied West Bank.

However, Mr Goff warned Israeli spies had "stronger" capabilities than their British counterparts, echoing comments from Israeli President Isaac Herzog about the strained relationship between Jerusalem and Westminster.

The former six-time station chief who spent three decades in America’s foreign intelligence agency, told The Times: "Israel would cut off intelligence-sharing [if diplomatic ties worsened].

"I think Britain benefits most but only if we take Iran into consideration, where Israel has stronger capabilities, especially cyber."

On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Israel handed Britain intelligence about the suspected terror plot.

Mr Netanyahu said his country warned British authorities about the "Iranian-sponsored attack" shortly before Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband's announcement of a ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Former CIA Senior Intelligence Executive Ralph Goff issued the warning

GETTY

When pressed about Netanyahu’s claim, President Herzog insisted "nobody wants to hurt national security interests", the intelligence-sharing relationship could be under threat.

He told the BBC: "We have affinity with Britain on many topics but we were extremely insulted and I think it was not necessary.

"I think this ongoing bashing of Israel on so many topics in a judgmental way, which is unfair, should not have happened.

"I hope we will be able to go back on track in due course. We have excellent co-operation on the intelligence level with high mutual respect; nobody wants to hurt national security interests but at the end there is always some interaction between political level and professional level."

However, assistant professor of international relations at the University of Nottingham Dan Lomas poured cold water on the idea ties between MI6 and Mossad could be fully severed.

Professor Lomas said: "There are probably strings of information that the Israelis, because of their geopolitical positioning...will have privileged access to information, but the UK remains a global player in terms of intelligence.

"The Israeli community, like any other intelligence community, still need to share intelligence with allies.

"Fundamentally, politicians can wield the stick and say let’s limit intelligence-sharing, but intelligence professions realise intelligence-sharing is of mutual interest to both sides."

He pointed to the October 7 attack on Israel, which he said demonstrated "the idea [that] Israeli’s intelligence services are all-seeing and all-knowing is not true."

Mossad is known around the world for being one of the most intense and feared intelligence agencies in the world with agents and assassins across the Middle East.

However, MI6 is believed to have better connections and capabilities outside the Middle East, from which Israeli agents benefit.

In order to share intelligence with most British allies across the world, including Israel, MI6 is required to make a submission to the Foreign Secretary.

The Foreign Office must then approve it to ensure any handover aligns with government policy and meets legal requirements.

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband reached out to pro-Palestine protesters in his speech

REUTERS

Speaking at the Labour Party conference last weekend, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said "we hear you, you were right" as he spoke directly to those who “have been moved and outraged by the plight of the Palestinian people”.

Speaking at Labour Party conference, he said: "The only route to peace is two states. A secure Israel and a secure Palestine, with freedom, dignity, and self-determination for both peoples. We all know how far away we are from that."

He added: “I want to say to the millions of people in this country, and indeed elsewhere, who have been moved and outraged by the plight of the Palestinian people: we hear you, you were right.

"Under Andy’s leadership, we have reset our approach. We call out ethnic cleansing by the settler terrorists in the West Bank, we call out the evidence of war crimes in Gaza, we call out Israel’s illegal occupation of Gaza."