Priti Patel commissioned Government work on Britain’s partnership with Israel after taking time out of a family holiday to meet the country’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu and other politicians without first alerting the Foreign Office.
The International Development Secretary also tasked her department with work on disability after holding 12 meetings with politicians, businesses, non-governmental organisations and a disability charity.
All the meetings were arranged by the honorary president of the lobbying group Conservative Friends of Israel, Lord Polak, and he attended all but one.
Labour described her conduct as a “clear breach” of the ministerial code, but Downing Street said an apology from Ms Patel had been accepted by Theresa May.
“The Prime Minister met the Secretary of State this morning to remind her of the obligations which exist under the ministerial code,” a Number 10 spokesman added.
Shadow Cabinet Office minister Jon Trickett tweeted: “Priti Patel forced to apologise over undisclosed Israel meetings. Admits FCO (Foreign Office) didn’t know. PM should investigate clear breach of Min. code.”
Ms Patel was forced to clarify her claims last week that Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson “knew about the visit”, acknowledging he was not told in advance.
Her department said she “regrets the lack of precision” in her comments last week when only two meetings – with Yesh Atid party leader Yair Lapid and a disability charity – were reported.
She had claimed “the stuff that is out there is it, as far as I am concerned”, only for a list to be published by her own department showing 12 separate events, including a meeting with Mr Netanyahu in which “prospects for closer collaboration” were discussed.
Ms Patel said: “This summer I travelled to Israel, on a family holiday paid for myself.
“While away, I had the opportunity to meet a number of people and organisations. I am publishing a list of who I met. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office was aware of my visit while it was under way.
“In hindsight, I can see how my enthusiasm to engage in this way could be misread, and how meetings were set up and reported in a way which did not accord with the usual procedures. I am sorry for this and I apologise for it.
“My first and only aim as the Secretary of State for International Development is to put the interests of British taxpayers and the world’s poor at the front of our development work.”
Ms Patel met director general of the Israeli foreign ministry Yuval Rotem for discussions about “prospects for partnership work” between the two countries on development and humanitarian issues.
She discussed “growing anti-Semitism” in British politics in separate meetings with public security minister Gilad Erdan and Mr Lapid, as well as visiting a host of charities, non-governmental organisations and businesses.
Lord Polak attended all the meetings apart from an introduction to the work of the Pears Programme For Global Innovation by its director, Aliza Inbal.
On returning from her trip to Israel between August 13 and 25, Ms Patel commissioned Department for International Development (Dfid) work on humanitarian and development partnerships between Israel and the UK, and on disability.
“The FCO are clear that UK interests were not damaged or affected by the meetings on this visit,” Dfid said.