New U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is Hindu, has a short, but positive record of pro-Israel statements while serving in government in other offices over the past seven years, and he vowed in a speech this year that he will "fight very hard for the security of people in Israel."

Even though he has only had one post on Twitter using the word "Israel," Sunak has often spoken out about recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital, and about taking steps against attacks on the nation and its people, The Jerusalem Post reported.

"Israel and the United Kingdom are close allies; we share not only mutual interests but an unwavering commitment to democratic values," Prime Minister Yair Lapid tweeted, congratulating Sunak upon becoming prime minister. "I look forward to working together to shape a stronger, safer future for both our countries and peoples."

Lord Stuart Polak, the honorary president of Conservative Friends of Israel, commented earlier this year that Sunak was "very forceful in promoting anti-boycott policies as minister for local government and was very helpful in the Treasury. All the people around him are good friends of Israel, and he has shown interest in the subject."

"Jerusalem is undisputedly the historic capital," Sunak said during a Conservative Friends of Israel event in August. "There's a very strong case for it to be recognized … so it is something I would like to do."

During the same event, he called on the U.K. to "put snapback sanctions on the table" on Iran or to reinstate all sanctions against that nation because it is not likely to return to the international nuclear deal with other world powers.

The new prime minister also has said the U.K. should condemn Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and criticized the Palestinian Authority, which he said is an "organization which glorifies terrorist attacks on Israel, spreads hate in its schools."

"We need to call that out and look at what the U.N. does to support it and make sure that they're accountable with the funding and the resources that they get and how they're using it."

In 2018, while a local government understudy, Sunak moved in favor of reinstating a ban on boycotting Israel, and this summer called for a bill to extend a prohibition against the Palestinian-led boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement, which promotes anti-Israel actions.

Meanwhile, Sunak wrote in a piece for the Jewish News that he believes freedom of religion is "incomplete" because Jews are not safe to worship in their churches, while he does feel safe when he visits his temple.

"I am extremely concerned by the rise in reports of antisemitic hate," Sunak wrote. "As prime minister, I will continue the work of this government to support Jewish communities across the country."

He also said members of Parliament and the entire U.K. population "take a robust position on eliminating antisemitism. I am determined to ensure this scourge on our society is eradicated."

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