UK's Boris Johnson invites new Israeli leader to Cop26

Naftali Bennett formed coalition government to oust Benjamin Netanyahu

New Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett recently formed a coalition government to oust Benjamin Netanyahu. AFP

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke with Israel's new leader Naftali Bennett on Friday and invited him to the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow later this year.

Mr Bennett, a former software entrepreneur, ousted Benjamin Netanyahu following 12 years in power after striking a coalition agreement with Foreign Minister Yair Lapid. Mr Netanyahu now serves as opposition leader.

“The prime minister spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett today, to congratulate him on the formation of a new government and reaffirm the strength of the UK-Israel relationship,” said Mr Johnson's office.

“The leaders stressed their commitment to deepening cooperation on defence and security, as well as in technology and trade.

“They discussed the shared fight against coronavirus and welcomed the collaboration between our two countries throughout the pandemic, including exchanges between medical experts and data-sharing on vaccines.

“The prime minister raised the importance of working together to tackle climate change, and hoped that Prime Minister Bennett would be able to attend the UK-hosted Cop26 summit in November.”

Cop26 will gather climate negotiators from 196 countries and the EU, along with businesses, experts and world leaders in Glasgow, in Scotland, between November 1-12.

Cop26 was originally scheduled for November 2020 but was pushed back due to the pandemic.

A recent informal negotiating session to prepare for Cop26 was held virtually, with little progress made on a number of issues, including how the rules governing the Paris agreement – the 2016 international treaty on climate change – are implemented.

Developing nations have voiced concerns that their delegates might miss out on the crucial summit due to vaccine inequality.