ry m ple , ▁review ing ▁G ove ' s ▁book ▁Cel si us ▁ 7 / 7 ▁in ▁The ▁Times , ▁dismiss ed ▁G ove ' s ▁knowledge ▁of ▁the ▁Middle ▁East ▁as ▁being ▁derivative ▁and ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁views ▁of ▁Bernard ▁Lewis . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁G ove ▁cancel led ▁a ▁£ 5 . 9 ▁million ▁contract ▁to ▁provide ▁services ▁for ▁pr isons ▁in ▁Sa udi ▁Arab ia , ▁according ▁to ▁The ▁Guardian , ▁because ▁it ▁was ▁thought ▁" the ▁British ▁government ▁should ▁not ▁be ▁assist ing ▁a ▁regime ▁that ▁uses ▁be head ings , ▁st oning , ▁cru c if ix ions ▁and ▁l ash ings ▁as ▁forms ▁of ▁pun ishment ." ▁Foreign ▁Secretary ▁Philip ▁Hamm ond ▁was ▁reported ▁to ▁have ▁accused ▁G ove ▁of ▁being ▁na ive . ▁ ▁Israel ▁and ▁Jewish ▁people ▁G ove ▁has ▁described ▁himself ▁as ▁" a ▁proud ▁Z ion ist ", ▁and ▁supports ▁the ▁United ▁Jewish ▁Israel ▁App e al ' s ▁fund ra ising ▁activities . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁he ▁re iter ated ▁" One ▁thing ▁I ▁have ▁always ▁been ▁since ▁I ▁was ▁a ▁boy ▁is ▁a ▁Z ion ist ." ▁and ▁spoke ▁of ▁his ▁desire ▁to ▁" ce le br ate ▁everything ▁that ▁Israel ▁and ▁the ▁Jewish ▁people ▁have ▁brought ▁to ▁the ▁life ▁of ▁this ▁world ▁and ▁hold ▁it ▁dear ▁to ▁our ▁hearts ." ▁and ▁that ▁" For ▁as ▁long ▁as ▁I ▁have ▁breath ▁in ▁my ▁body ▁and ▁a ▁platform ▁on ▁which ▁to