Toby Greene
Fathom Journal, September 2022
“In Truss’s mental map of the world, in which decent, honest, sovereign free-trading nations are pitted against aggressive authoritarians, Israel sits firmly in the former category.”
INTRODUCTION: PRIME MINISTER TRUSS IN A DANGEROUS WORLD
Liz Truss enters Number 10 at a time of massive policy challenges. Whilst the British public’s concerns will overwhelmingly focus on the cost of living, the energy crisis, and the buckling health service, Truss will know how much her ability to address these domestic challenges is linked to the international situation.
She has described the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a 9/11 type moment. But war in Europe is only one aspect of a wider set of challenges, including the rise of China, to the Western-led vision of liberal international order.
Unusually in British politics, Truss bounces into the top job off the back of foreign policy roles. A year long stint as Foreign Secretary was preceded by two years as Secretary of State for Trade. This has provided ample chance for Truss to speak her mind on Britain’s place in the world.
So, what can we say about Liz Truss’s international world view, and what does it mean for UK relations with Israel, which faces its own pivotal election at the beginning of November?
TRUSS AND THE 21ST CENTURY TORIES
Truss was a Johnson loyalist from his successful 2019 leadership bid to the bitter and humiliating end of his chaotic premiership. As Johnson’s Foreign Secretary, we can expect continuity rather than change in foreign policy under Truss. … Source
