“I can tell you, as security minister, a lot of incidents did not happen because of co-operation with intelligence sources in Israel, who helped us to protect British people from terror attacks.”
The government’s first job, he added, was “the protection of the British people, and one of the things I am absolutely clear on, is that leading Britain’s foreign policy is about protecting our people first.”
He stressed that “where we have friends and allies who provide us with intelligence in order to keep our citizens safe, we should work with them”.
And he accused Labour of putting “electoral politics above national security” and risking “empowering and encouraging” the more extreme elements within Israeli and Palestinian society, according to the newspaper.
Communal leaders warned in a meeting with Andy Burnham last week of the unintended consequences of imposing a trade ban on settlements.
The prime minister is understood to have rejected the notion that Labour was pursuing the policy because of internal party pressure.
Israel has warned it will retaliate if the UK implements sanctions.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “Israel is an important strategic partner for the UK. Our relationship is built on decades of cooperation, and we continue to engage regularly with the government of Israel at multiple levels across a broad range of issues.”