Benjamin Netanyahu has suggested Israel may halt its intelligence cooperation with the UK if Jeremy Corbyn becomes prime minister and carries out his pledge to impose an arms embargo on Israel.

Israel has become one of Britain’s most important intelligence partners after the US, but the Israeli prime minister indicated that security relationship would be damaged under a Corbyn premiership.

During a visit to London in September, The Telegraph asked Mr Netanyahu whether security cooperation could continue if Mr Corbyn follows through on his promises to stop arms sales to Israel and to recognise a Palestinian state. “What do you think?” Mr Netanyahu said.

The Israeli leader refused to elaborate further but Israeli officials said it was inevitable that work between intelligence agencies would suffer if Labour comes to power.

The Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) and MI5 work closely with their Israeli peers on intelligence issues ranging from counterterrorism to Iran.

Israel’s Mossad spy agency is believed to be the second largest sharer of intelligence with Britain after the CIA.