The Israeli embassy in London has apologized after a political officer on staff was recorded saying he wanted to "take down" several British politicians who he deemed unfriendly to Israel.

Masot was particularly eager to target Alan Duncan, a minister in the Foreign Office who has been critical of Israel and its settlements in occupied Palestinian territory, a sensitive issue in British politics.

The target of Masot's ire is Alan Duncan, minister of state at the foreign office and deputy to the foreign secretary, Boris Johnson.

"Ambassador Regev on Friday spoke with minister Duncan, apologised for the comments and made clear that the embassy considered the remarks to be completely unacceptable".

However, SNP Foreign Affairs spokesperson Alex Salmond said: "It is completely unacceptable for the United Kingdom government to declare the matter closed - Shai Masot must go and go immediately before the end of his tenure at the Israeli Embassy".

At the meeting, which was filmed secretly, Mr Masot asked if he could give Ms Strizzolo the names of MPs the names of MPs he suggested she took down, which included Sir Alan.

When pressed on who he meant, he said: "The deputy foreign minister".

Mr Duncan was "doing a lot of problems", the employee added.

Also present at the dinner in October 2016 was Maria Strizzolo, an aide to education minister Mr Halfon, the former political director of Conservative Friends of Israel.

Ms Strizzolo told the Mail on Sunday that her conversation with Mr Masot was "tongue-in-cheek and gossipy", adding: "Any suggestion that I. could exert the type of influence you are suggesting is risible".

The undercover investigation shows how the Israeli government is involved in a brazen, covert influence campaign in Britain. He was referring to Duncan, Al-Jazeera reported.

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.

The disclosure is one of the investigative unit's many findings, which will be showcased in a four-part series called The Lobby that will be broadcast daily on Al Jazeera from Sunday.

"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".

The former minister said there needed to be a full inquiry into the Israeli embassy's links with CFI and LFI, and that while political parties should welcome funding from the UK's Jewish community, they should not accept any engagement linked to Israel until it ceases new developments on Palestinian land.