Between November 2-6th ELNET UK hosted a delegation comprised of Peers, legal experts, lawyers and business experts from the UK. The delegates travelled Israel for 5 days to gain a stronger understanding of the challenges Israel faces because of Lawfare against it and to discuss measures and actions which could be taken both on the international stage and in the UK to mitigate the effects.
The delegation’s first briefing was delivered by Lt. Col. Yotam Shefer, Head of the Humanitarian-Civilian Effort in Gaza at COGAT (Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories). Lt. Col. Shefer provided the group with a comprehensive overview of the IDF’s humanitarian operations, detailing the mechanisms that ensure the secure delivery of aid as well as the significant challenges encountered in the process. The briefing also emphasised how these efforts align with Israel’s legal obligations and commitment to humanitarian principles.
This was followed by an in-depth account of how the IDF conducts asymmetric warfare according to the rules of international law by Maj. Tomer Herzig, Deputy of the Strategic Department in the International Law Division of the IDF. The delegation discussed rules of engagement and the internal authorisation procedures that precede military action.
The discussion around asymmetric warfare and the rules of war continued over lunch with Prof. Daphne Richemond-Barak, a leading scholar on international law and terrorism, who provided an academic perspective on Israel’s legal defence in international courts.
In the evening, the group was briefed by Adv. Ayelet Razin, former Director of the Authority for the Advancement of the Status of Women and current Director of the Nitzan Fund, on the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war on October 7th.
The day concluded with dinner with Mark Regev, former Israeli Ambassador to the UK and Senior Advisor to the Prime Minister, who shared his insights into Israel’s diplomatic and legal challenges in both domestic and international contexts.
The following morning, the group received a strategic briefing on Iran from Dr. Raz Zimmt, Director of the “Iran and the Shiite Axis” program at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS). Dr. Zimmt outlined Iran’s current regional ambitions and how lawfare and proxy activity are used as tools to undermine Israel diplomatically.
The delegation then travelled south to Kfar Aza, one of the kibbutzim devastated by the October 7th attacks. The visit offered a deeply emotional encounter with the aftermath of the massacre, illustrating the personal human cost to Israelis. The group also visited Nahal Oz military base, where they were briefed on the attack in which five female soldiers were abducted from the observation post. This was followed by a visit to the Nova massacre site.
After travelling to Jerusalem, the delegation met Dr. Yuval Steinitz, former Minister of Finance and Minister of Intelligence, over dinner. Dr. Steinitz discussed Israel’s strategic, economic, and legal challenges in the face of increasing international legal scrutiny and campaigns of delegitimisation as well as an interesting discussion on Israel’s defence technology advancements.
The third day began with a detailed legal briefing by Dr. Tal Becker, former Legal Adviser to Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Dr. Becker shared insights from his extensive experience defending Israel’s actions in international legal courts, including the International Court of Justice.
The delegation then visited the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where they met with Shlomit Sufa, Director of the Northern Europe Department, and Adv. Tamar Kaplan-Tourgeman, Acting Legal Advisor of the MFA. Discussions centred on the diplomatic and legal tools used to counter false narratives and defend Israel in international institutions.
After lunch at the Modern Restaurant, the group proceeded to the National Security Council, where they met Joseph Draznin, Deputy National Security Advisor for Foreign Policy, and Yoni Eshpar, Advisor to the Prime Minister and Head of the Europe Division. This session offered valuable perspective on how Israel integrates legal and diplomatic strategy at the highest levels of government.
Later that afternoon, the delegation met Gil Hoffman, Executive Director of HonestReporting, who presented on the organisation’s work monitoring international media coverage and countering misinformation and lawfare narratives against Israel.
The final day began with a visit to a lookout point providing a panoramic view over East Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and southern Jerusalem, the group were breifed on the settlements in East Jerusalem and the complexities faced by the surrounding Arab and Jewish communities.
The group then met Anne Herzberg, Vice President of NGO Monitor, who presented the organisation’s research on NGOs operating under the guise of human rights advocacy while promoting campaigns of delegitimisation against Israel. This session provided practical insights into the international network of organisations that fuel lawfare campaigns and the measures needed to increase transparency and accountability.