Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with his British counterpart Theresa May at 10 Downing Street in London, Feb, 6, 2017. Photo: Screenshot.

This week’s meeting in London between UK Prime Minister Theresa May and her Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, was a “timely reminder of how important it is for Britain to maintain a strong relationship with the Jewish state,” a major conservative British newspaper said in an editorial.

“As the region’s only truly democratic nation, Israel stands as a beacon of stability in a part of the world where the autocratic and dictatorial style of so many neighbouring regimes means the Arab world is now facing its biggest existential crisis since Israel’s victory in the Six Day War in 1967,” the Daily Telegraph wrote. “Maintaining good relations with Israel is vital to British interests, as well as helping to defeat Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Israel is also an important ally when it comes to tackling rogue states like Iran, which is committed to undermining Western interests in the region.”

While May “might have differences” with Netanyahu about Israel’s settlement policies, the paper noted, “the far greater priority must be to reassure the Israeli people that Britain is committed to resisting states like Iran that are dedicated to their destruction.”

Two weeks ago, May received resounding applause and a standing ovation from US Republican lawmakers gathered at a party retreat in Philadelphia when she issued a call to protect Israel.

“Whether it is the security of Israel in the Middle East or Estonia in the Baltic states, we must always stand up for our friends and allies in democratic countries that find themselves in tough neighborhoods, too,” May said in her speech.

Watch a video from Netanyahu’s meeting with May below: