Suella Braverman’s trip to Israel cost almost £28,000

Former UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman has stated in her registered interests that the National Jewish Assembly of the United Kingdom sponsored a four-day trip to Israel at a cost of £27,801.27 (approximately NIS 135,750).

Braverman visited Israel from March 31, 2024 to April 4, 2024 in what she declared was a “Solidarity visit to Israel following the October 7 attacks.”

Braverman was removed from office, though she remained a member of parliament, after she criticised police handling of weekly pro-Palestinian marches that have taken over London and other major cities.

Braverman published an unauthorized article accusing police of “double standards.”

The cost of the trip included £989.74 for round-trip flights for Braverman and her husband, accommodation, meals and visits within Israel.

Braverman made three sponsored international visits during 2024, including a trip to Belgium and one to the United States. On a three-day visit to Washington DC, the Edmund Burke Foundation sponsored her trip to the tune of £6,506.41, £20,000 less than on her four-day trip to Israel. The majority of the expenditure (£5,661.79) was used to fund her flights. Suella Braverman arrives at Number 10 Downing Street, in London, Britain September 6, 2022. (credit: REUTERS/PHIL NOBLE)

A price tag of NIS 100,000 for a four-day trip is not unheard of, as evidenced by current UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy having a four-day trip to Brazil sponsored by Conservation International 9th ​​Brazil worth £24,739.36 in 2023.

Who are the Jewish National Assembly?

The National Jewish Assembly is a non-governmental organisation that has the three main aims of supporting Israel, fighting anti-Semitism and protecting Jewish life in the UK.

The NJA currently has 550 paying members, the group told The Jerusalem Post. Members can attend virtual meetings and speeches by speakers knowledgeable about Israel, anti-Semitism and Judaism.

Members are also welcome to attend organized trips to Israel, and the NJA sponsors the attendance of political and media figures, as was the case with Suella Braverman.

“The NJA worked with a number of partners to organize her itinerary during her stay in Israel. She visited both the north of the country and the south, near Gaza, and met with many people severely affected by the October 7 massacre,” NJA President Gary Mond told the Post. “Suella Braverman is and has always been a strong supporter of Israel, especially in the period since October 7 last year, when true friends of Israel on the international stage are in very short supply.

“As a former Home Secretary, she has been and remains highly influential, and it is important that one of Israel’s closest friends in the UK is fully aware of the political situation in Israel and how Israelis are responding to the events of 7 October and their aftermath.”