Britain has previously sanctioned a number of Israelis responsible for settler violence on Palestinians in the West Bank, and has called for a cease-fire in Gaza amid Israel’s continued bombardment of the territory in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas.
Barber already works for U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer as an unpaid advisor on “effective delivery,” a gig he will continue to carry out alongside the envoy position. Barber has held advisory roles under the Conservatives too, and carried out reviews on government efficiency for prime ministers including Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak.
Starmer announced the appointment amid a trip to the Middle East, where the PM met Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Monday.
Initially planned as a way to drum up trade and investment, Starmer’s visit has coincided with the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria.
