Britain’s Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. Sajid Javid. Photo: Reuters/Peter Nicholls.

A UK government minister added his voice to the condemnation of the anti-Israel BDS movement on Wednesday, in a meeting with US and British Jewish leaders.

“As long as I am in government, as long as I am in politics, I promise you that I will do everything within my power to fight back against those who seek to isolate and undermine Israel,” Sajid Javid, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, said in a meeting with the American Jewish Committee and the Board of Deputies of British Jews.

Launching an attack on the BDS movement, Javid added that “for all its bluster, the BDS campaign is most notable for its lack of success – trade between Israel and the UK is booming, tourism in both directions is thriving. Economic boycotts, cultural boycotts, academic boycotts. None of them are justified and, even if they were, all would be counter-productive.”

The delegation also met the Minister for the Middle East Alistair Burt and the Minister for International Trade Greg Hands, as part of a fact finding mission into UK politics and the Jewish community.

Board of Deputies Chief Executive Gillian Merron said: “We were very pleased to host this high level AJC delegation in London this week and to facilitate meetings with Government ministers, leading parliamentarians and Jewish communal leaders. In having these meetings we were reminded of what great friends our community has at the highest level and how strong our communal institutions are. The UK’s Jewish community has much to be proud of.”