LFI strongly welcomes the government’s new social cohesion strategy. New measures to tackle extremist abuse in the charity sector, antisemitism on campus and blocking hate preachers and extremists from entering the UK are the right steps to clamp down on rising extremism. If we’re to stamp out near-historic levels of Read more…
Labour Friends of Israel (LFI) has published a new policy paper: Unleashing hell: Time to ban Tehran’s terror army which details the Islamic Republic’s brutal repression of its own people and calls for the proscription of the IRGC, recognition of the regime’s crimes against humanity and to protect Britons from this threat. Read more…
The Iranian regime’s longstanding support for terror armies, its ballistic missile programme and nuclear ambitions have sown destabilisation and fear across the Middle East. Tehran represents a clear and present danger to the national security of the UK and our allies and partners in the region and beyond. Time and Read more…
Mark Sewards has become the first Labour Friends of Israel chair to visit the Kingdom of Bahrain, following a visit to Israel where he met senior political figures and peace activists. While in Israel, the MP for Leeds South West and Morley met Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog; the leader of Read more…
LFI honorary chair Mark Sewards has written the article below for Jewish News. Click here to read the original. This week, I am visiting Israel and Bahrain; my first trip to the region since becoming Labour Friends of Israel’s new parliamentary chair. My visit comes at a moment of huge Read more…
LFI honorary chair Mark Sewards met with Palestinian-American humanitarian peace activist Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib in parliament on 21 January. At Portcullis House, the Labour MP for Leeds South West and Morley discussed with the peace activist the progress made on the Gaza peace plan, the steps necessary as the second Read more…
LFI honorary chair Mark Sewards hosted a parliamentary event for 38 secondary school headteachers and heads of innovation from Jewish, Muslim and Arab schools across Israel as part of an ongoing UK–Israel education exchange focused on practical, classroom-led innovation. The delegation was led by Dr Sharon Greenberg, deputy chief executive Read more…
LFI had a major presence at the Jewish Labour Movement one-day conference in north London, including a stall and several sessions on issues relating to Israel and the wider Middle East. The day began with an event on the upcoming 2026 Knesset elections, chaired by former LFI chair Louise Ellman, Read more…
The UK and Israel have become founding members of the Pax Silica Alliance, a strategic initiative focused on securing and strengthening AI and technology supply chain. Spearheaded by the US and launched last week at the summit in Washington DC, the alliance is also made up of Japan, South Korea, Read more…
LFI honorary chair Mark Sewards MP has written the below article for PoliticsHome. Click here to read the original. From Manchester to Sydney, we’re now seeing just where calls by the far left and Islamist extremists to “globalise the intifada” lead – to the murder of Jews on the streets of Western Read more…
In a major step forward for a longstanding LFI policy ask, the UK will host a key peacebuilding conference on 12 March next year to help establish an International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace. The conference at Lancaster House will bring together civil society leaders from across the region and delivers Read more…
*** Check against delivery *** Introduction Thank you Stuart Friends It’s a real pleasure to be with you here at LFI’s annual lunch. I last addressed this event three years ago as Shadow Chancellor and a proud LFI vice-chair. Sadly, I had to stand down from the role of vice-chair Read more…