The question is pertinent in light of recent revelations that an Israeli official, working for the country's embassy in London, was plotting ways to "take down" various British politicians over their opposition to Israeli settlements and support for a Palestinian state.

It comes as only the latest in a series of such nefarious activities on the part of a state that has long operated with scant regard for international law at home and overseas.

Indeed, rather than a state operating in accordance with international law and diplomatic norms, Israel increasingly evinces the character of a rogue state making up its own rules and norms as it goes along. Whether the on-going illegal military occupation of the West Bank, the expansion of illegal Jewish-only settlements on Palestinian land, or the siege of Gaza, which comes under rubric of collective punishment and is therefore illegal, we are talking here about a country that believes it can act with impunity.

The Israeli official in question in this instance, Shai Masot, was secretly filmed during a meeting which he attended at a London restaurant with a British civil servant and former Conservative Party official, and a man he thought worked for the pro-Israel pressure group Labour Friends of Israel. This individual, known as Robin, was in truth an undercover reporter with Al Jazeera.

The most high profile object of Masot's ire within the British political establishment was Sir Alan Duncan MP, the country's Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

© Flickr / Foreign and Commonwealth Office UK Minister for Europe Alan Duncan

In a 2014 speech, Duncan described Israel's on-going policy towards the Palestinians thus: "Settlements are illegal colonies built in someone else's country. They are an act of theft, and what is more something which is both initiated and supported by the state of Israel.

"Settlement activity is not carried out by some minority group outside the orbit of the Israeli state. Settlement activity is systematically initiated, implemented and supported by the Israeli Government, who authorize, implement and protect the relentless illegal expansion of the borders of Israel. This is reprehensible," Duncan added.

Duncan then made the key point that:

"It is no exaggeration to say that many settlers are state-supported militia, defying international law, driving out the rightful inhabitants from their land, and creating an illegal economy at the expense of those who have been cruelly displaced."

According to the Israeli embassy in London, Masot was a junior official. Yet his business card described him as a "senior political officer." He is also believed to hold a position within the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as "deputy head of the international organizations sector."

The political backlash in response to the exposure of this shocking violation of diplomatic protocol has involved the leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, calling for a full investigation. In this, he is being supported by MPs from both sides of the political divide.

Corbyn has previously come under huge criticism in the mainstream media for his long record of support and campaigning for justice for the Palestinians.

At this state, however, it appears Prime Minister Theresa May is intent on kicking the issue into the long grass, more concerned with shielding the Israeli government from criticism than she is in taking a harsh view of the actions of one of its officials in plotting to "take down" ministers within Her Majesty's Government.

If this scandal involved Russian officials does anybody doubt for a second that mass expulsions of Russian embassy staff would follow?

Of course, the Israeli embassy in London has distanced itself from Masot's actions. Whether we actually believe their denial of any involvement in this affair is another matter. In this regard, we should never make the mistake of underestimating some people's capacity for naivety.

The fact that Israel is able to undertake such nefarious activities and go unpunished or without sanction is impossible to deny. And when it comes to its UK friend and ally, this is not the first time its officials and institutions have treated it with contempt.

Back in 2010, Mossad agents used the stolen identities of British citizens to forge UK passports, which they used to travel to Dubai to carry out the assassination of Hamas operative Mahmoud al-Mabhouh.

The British government's response was given by the country's then foreign secretary David Miliband in the UK parliament, who described the use of stolen British identities as an "outrage" while pledging to "get to the bottom" of the incident. What followed was… well nothing very much.

Israel apologized and that, as they say, was that.

This time around the response of the British government is even more tepid. In a statement issued by the UK foreign office, we learn that:

"The Israeli ambassador has apologized and is clear these comments do not reflect the views of the embassy or government of Israel. The UK has a strong relationship with Israel and we consider the matter closed."

One of the most highly regarded politicians to ever hold the position of British foreign secretary was Henry John Temple, more commonly known as Lord Palmerston. He held the post in the mid 19th century and is best known for an analysis of a state's foreign policy that has stood the test of time.

"We have no eternal allies," Palmerston said, "and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual, and those interests it is our duty to follow."

When it comes to the determination of the current British government to support Israel despite Tel Aviv repeatedly treating it with unalloyed contempt, who can doubt that Palmerston will be turning in his grave?

The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Sputnik.

The views and opinions expressed in the article do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik.