The UK Parliament is set to debate on Monday whether to open an inquiry into Israel’s control over UK politics.
The House will deliberate over e-petition 752646 relating to pro-Israel influence on UK politics and democracy.
The petition has collected 118,331 signatures, which is over the 100,000 required to be debated in Westminster Hall.
The text of the petition says: “We are concerned about reported Israeli state-linked and pro-Israel lobbying activity in UK politics. We believe it is important to determine the scope and impact of any such influence campaigns.
“We feel that the horrific devastation in Gaza, the ongoing suppression of Palestinians in the West Bank, and the UK’s political response underline the urgent need to scrutinize how pro-Israel organizations, networks, and lobbying efforts may shape government decisions, party policy, and public debate.”
UK Government does not public inquiry on pro-Israel influence
The government responded to the petition on April 17, 2026, saying it does not support a public inquiry on pro-Israeli influence and does not have plans to hold an inquiry on wider foreign influence and lobbying more generally.
It nevertheless said that it takes concerns about foreign influence in politics and democracy seriously, and is already taking action to address this.
The Cabinet Office explained that there is an existing framework for transparency around lobbying of the UK Government and Parliament, which includes quarterly government transparency publications of ministers’ and senior officials’ external meetings, a statutory register for consultant lobbyists, and Parliament’s Codes of Conduct, which set rules on lobbying and the registration of interests by members of each House.
Most recently, in December 2025, the Government announced an independent review into foreign financial influence and interference in UK politics led by Philip Rycroft.
The review focused on foreign financial influence and interference in the UK’s political and electoral systems from a range of sources, building on the major reforms set out in the Elections Strategy announced in July 2025. The review’s findings were published on March 25, 2026.