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Gideon Sa'ar is an Israeli politician and lawyer who serves as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel. He was appointed Foreign Minister in November 2024, having previously held a number of senior cabinet posts including Minister of Education, Minister of the Interior and Minister of Justice.
Sa'ar was born on 9 December 1966 in Tel Aviv. He studied political science and law at Tel Aviv University and worked as an attorney before entering national politics. He also served in the Israel Defense Forces as a combat soldier and intelligence non-commissioned officer in the Golani Brigade.
He first entered the Knesset in 2003 as a member of Likud and rose to become one of the party's most prominent figures. He served as Minister of Education from 2009 to 2013 and as Minister of the Interior from 2013 to 2014.
After returning to frontline politics, Sa'ar challenged Benjamin Netanyahu for the Likud leadership in 2019. He left Likud in 2020 and founded the New Hope party, later serving as Minister of Justice in the coalition led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid. New Hope subsequently joined Benny Gantz's National Unity alliance before leaving it in 2024.
Sa'ar returned to Benjamin Netanyahu's government in September 2024 and was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs on 8 November 2024. In that role he is responsible for representing Israel's foreign policy internationally and has been a prominent figure in the country's diplomatic relations with Britain, Europe and the wider Middle East.
Signs were removed from Britain’s East Jerusalem consulate as Israel’s closure deadline expired, but the Foreign Office says the building remains operational as UK Mission, Jerusalem.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has personally defended the Government's sanctions against Israeli settlements, telling MPs that Britain 'has to stand for something' and must back support for a two-state solution with action.