Senior members of parliament have slammed comments made by an Israeli diplomat on plans to "take down" the UK's deputy foreign secretary over his criticism of Israel's settlement policy in the occupied West Bank.

Emily Thornberry, the Labour Party's shadow foreign secretary, called the statements by Shai Masot - a senior political officer at the Israeli embassy in London - "extremely disturbing" and demanded a probe into the potential extent of political "interference" in the United Kingdom.

Masot's comments were secretly captured on film during a six-month undercover operation by Al Jazeera's Investigative Unit, which reveals plots by the Israeli diplomat and a British civil servant to destroy the careers of senior politicians .

"It is simply not good enough for the Foreign Office to say the matter is closed. This is a national security issue," Thornberry said in a statement.

"The embassy official involved should be withdrawn, and the government should launch an immediate inquiry into the extent of this improper interference and demand from the Israeli government that it be brought to an end," she said.

Israel apology after plot against UK politicians

In the recorded conversation with Maria Strizzolo, who was then chief of staff to MP Robert Halfon, the deputy chairman of the ruling Conservative Party, Masot asked if he could give her some names of parliamentarians he would suggest she "take down".

Masot named Deputy Foreign Minister Sir Alan Duncan, who in 2014 said that while he fully supported Israel's right to exist, he believed settlements on occupied Palestinian land represented an "ever-deepening stain on the face of the globe".

He also likened the situation in Hebron in the occupied West Bank to apartheid.

Strizzolo later hinted that "a little scandal" might see Duncan dismissed.

At the same dinner table conversation, Masot described British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Duncan's boss, as an "idiot … without any kind of responsibilities", while Strizzolo said he was "solid on Israel".

Since the announcement by Al Jazeera's Investigative Unit of its findings - and the international media coverage that followed - the Israeli embassy tweeted a response saying that Masot would be "ending his term shortly", adding that Mark Regev, ambassador of Israel to the UK, had apologised to Duncan "and made clear that the embassy considered the remarks to be completely unacceptable".

Al Jazeera learned on Sunday that Strizzolo had resigned from her post.

Scottish National Party MP Alex Salmond reiterated the call on Sunday for Masot's deportation.

"Boris Johnson must right now revoke Mr Masot's diplomatic status and remove him from the country as would most certainly have happened had the circumstances been reversed. Perhaps then the Israeli government representatives will regard the foreign secretary as less of a fool."



Salmond also backed an official investigation into the matter "so that we can be confident our elected officials are free to carry out their jobs to the best of their ability and without fear of having their reputation smeared by embassy officials who do not agree with their views".

READ MORE: Israel's parliamentary plot against UK politicians

Ben White, a researcher and journalist who has written about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, told Al Jazeera it is not surprising that Israel would seek to influence British politicians, but he added this case was unique because it involved a secret video that has been publicised.

"We know that the Israeli foreign ministry - and also interestingly the Israeli ministry of strategic affairs, which it actually seemed that this individual [Masot] is an employee of - are very focused on fighting what they see as dangerous, powerful solidarity activism with particular focus on trying to thwart and undermine the Boycott Divest and Sanctions campaign," said White.

The incident is just one among the Investigative Unit's many findings, which will be revealed in a four-part series "The Lobby" that will be broadcast daily on Al Jazeera from January 11 at 22:30 GMT.

The undercover investigation shows how the Israeli government is involved in a brazen, covert influence campaign in Britain.

For half a year, Robin (an alias), an undercover reporter working with Al Jazeera's Investigative Unit, met members of Britain's lobby network that enjoys strong support from the Israeli government by way of the Israeli embassy in London.

Robin posed as a graduate activist with strong sympathies towards Israel who was keen to help combat the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement prominent in Britain.

Shaping foreign policy agenda

Strizzolo, while advising Robin, revealed that she had a strategy of manipulation to ensure Israel remains at the top of the UK's foreign policy agenda.

"If at least you can get a small group of MPs that you know you can always rely on, when there is something coming to parliament and you know you brief them, you say: 'you don't have to do anything, we are going to give you the speech, we are going to give you all the information, we are going to do everything for you'," she said.

She also advised trying to infiltrate Prime Minster's Questions, a weekly session in which the leader of the country answers questions from MPs. The debate is televised live.

"If they already have the question to table for PMQs [Prime Minister's Questions], it's harder to say: 'No, no, no, I won't do it'," she said.

Strizzolo then boasted how her own efforts once made an immediate impact on the national debate.

While in Israel with the Conservative Friends of Israel parliamentary group in 2014, she persuaded MP Halfon to question the prime minster in public over three missing teenagers believed to have been kidnapped and murdered "to get a response from the government", Strizzolo said.

Halfon took the request and called on former prime minister David Cameron to support the Israeli government, which he said should do "everything possible to take out Hamas terrorist networks".

In response, Cameron promised that Britain would "stand by Israel".

Al Jazeera Investigative Unit's series "The Lobby" can be viewed on Al Jazeera at the following times:

Episode One - Wednesday, January 11, 22:30 GMT

Episode Two - Thursday, January 12, 22:30 GMT

Episode Three - Friday, January 13, 22:30 GMT

Episode Four - Saturday, January 14, 22:30 GMT

The series will also be available online.



</s>A senior official of the Israeli embassy in London has been filmed during a sting operation purportedly plotting to “take down” British MPs who are outspoken supporters of Palestinian cause, including foreign office minister Alan Duncan.

Shai Masot, who described himself as an officer in the Israel Defence Forces and was a senior political officer at the mission, was caught on camera by an undercover reporter of Al Jazeera while talking to Maria Strizzolo, who works for the department for education's Skills Funding Agency.

The Israeli ambassador to the UK, Mark Regev, has apologised to Duncan. An Israeli spokesman said Regev believed “the embassy considered the remarks completely ­unacceptable”.

The Israeli embassy also said Masot would be “ending his term of employment with the embassy shortly”.

During a meeting at a restaurant, Masot spoke to Strizzolo about purportedly acting against MPs who cause “problems” for Israel. “Can I give you some MPs that I would suggest you would take down,” he said.

Strizzolo asked him which MPs he was referring to and Masot replied, “The deputy foreign minister.”

Masot agreed with Strizzolo’s contention that foreign secretary Boris Johnson was “solid” on Israel but added: “You know he (Johnson) is an idiot but so far he became the minister of foreign affairs without any kind of responsibilities.”

The Israeli official’s secretly filmed conversations and his profile on social media platforms such as LinkedIn described him as a major in the Israeli Defence Forces between 2004 and 2011 and showed that he is still employed by the IDF as deputy head of the international organisations sector.

He also said he had applied for the post of “head of the foreign affairs department of the intelligence department”.

Strizzolo, who earlier served as chief of staff to MP Robert Halfon when he was deputy chair of the Conservative Party, deleted her Twitter account after Al Jazeera aired footage from the sting operation on Saturday.

The footage from the six-month undercover operation will feature in a four-part series to be broadcast from January 15.</s>In the UK - an Israeli embassy official has been secretly filmed saying he wants to "take down" a British Foreign Office minister.

Senior political officer Shai Masot was recorded saying Alan Duncan (pictured) was causing "a lot of problems".

The Israeli Embassy says the remarks do not reflect the views of the Government of Israel and the ambassador has apologised.

Sky's Willem Marx has more from outside the Embassy in London: "They have also said that Mr Masot will be ending his term of employment with the Embassy shortly.

"The British foreign office also with a statement talking about their understanding that the Israeli embassy has apologised and Israel is a close ally but this clearly has been a bit of a storm in a tea cup, bit of a diplomatic row."
Several British MPs demand an investigation into a recent scandal in which an Israeli embassy official in London had conspired to damage the reputation of several British politicians in response to the recent United Nations Security Council resolution.