This afternoon in Parliament, LFI launched its new campaign to increase funding of coexistence projects entitled ‘For Israel, For Palestine, For Peace’. The campaign aims to persuade the British government to support the creation of an International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace; a fund designed by the Alliance for Middle East Read more…
This blog by LFI Parliamentary Supporter Ian Austin MP first appeared on JewishNews. Trite comparisons between Northern Ireland and the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians, which ignore the very different actors, histories and complexities of the two situations, are commonplace. However, there is one lesson from the experience of Read more…
Leaders from across the world gathered in Jerusalem today for the funeral of Shimon Peres. Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Obama, former President Bill Clinton, and Amos Oz all paid tribute to the former Israeli Prime Minister and President. British dignitaries present at the funeral included Prince Charles, David Cameron, Tony Read more…
This story originally appeared in the Jewish Chronicle. The Labour Friends of Israel group has trebled the number of Parliamentary supporters backing its work, as moderate MPs rebelled against Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the party. More than 65 MPs have pledged to back the group – more than when Labour was Read more…
This article was originally posted on LabourList – you can read it here. British aid feeds 25 million under-fives. It supports midwives, nurses and doctors so 4.3 million babies can be born safely. Our aid spending helped tackle Ebola in Africa. It feeds the starving, helps refugees and provides jobs. Read more…
Calling Israel an “apartheid state” is a barrier to peace by Ian Austin MP for LabourList. This article is available here It’s extraordinary to think it’s been 25 years since millions of us sat transfixed by live footage of Nelson Mandela walking to freedom. As a teenager, I’d marched against Read more…
Following a recent trip to Israel and the Palestinian Territories as part of the Australian Israel UK Leadership Dialogue last month, Ian Austin, Labour MP for Dudley North, wrote to Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond to ask him to support Middle East Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow (MEET), an organisation that helps Palestinians Read more…
This article was originally published in the Jewish News: http://www.jewishnews.co.uk/opinion-hilary-benn-ive-seen-two-possible-futures-for-the-israelis-and-palestinians/ Last week I visited the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel. It was my third trip to a region I first visited more than a decade ago. The aim was simply to hear, to see and to learn more from people Read more…
Rt Hon Joan Ryan MP Speech to LFI Annual Lunch 17th November 2015 Chief Rabbi, Deputy Ambassador, friends. I want to begin today by thanking you all for being here. The responsibility of supporters of Israel in the Labour Party has become even more important since we last met in Read more…
LFI chair Joan Ryan was in Israel this week, reaffirming Labour’s strong ties to its sister party. Meeting Labor chairman Isaac Herzog at the Knesset, she expressed her intention to bring more Labour MPs to Israel over the next year. “In my experience, it is the way to ensure MPs Read more…
Labour Friends of Israel have just returned from a very successful four day-long visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories with four Labour Prospective Parliamentary Candidates and two Labour Members of Parliament. Dame Tessa Jowell MP, who held several senior ministerial positions under PM Tony Blair and PM Gordon Brown, Read more…
Ed Miliband showed strong solidarity with Israel and highlighted his personal connection to the country on his first visit as Leader of the Labour Party. The Labour Leader was joined by his wife Justine, Shadow Foreign Secretary Douglas Alexander, political advisors and LFI director Jennifer Gerber. Ed Miliband met with Read more…