A group of 130 former army commanders and senior officials in the secret services and intelligence community publicly called for Benny Gantz to pull out of next month’s general election – or risk helping Benjamin Netanyahu remain in power. Gantz, a former IDF commander, currently serves as defence minister in Read more…
Gaza’s humanitarian crisis could be eased by the announcement last weekend of a major deal between the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli energy company Delek to supply natural gas to the coastal enclave’s sole power plant. The agreement was announced by Qatar’s envoy to Gaza – a key intermediary between Read more…
Labour Friends of Israel were delighted to host a parliamentary briefing on Israel’s vaccine roll-out and what lessons the UK can learn from it. The speakers at the event were Dr Asher Shalmon, Director of the International Relations Division in Israel’s Ministry of Health, senior member of the COVID-19 Emergency Response Team and Dr Adam Cutler, Deputy Head of Read more…
Labour Friends of Israel are delighted to be hosting a webinar on the upcoming Israeli election with David Horovitz, founding editor of the Times of Israel, on Wednesday 10 March 7:00-8:00pm. On March 23 Israelis will head to the polls for their fourth general election in less than two years. Read more…
The contours of the choice before Israeli voters on 23 March became clearer last week as parties submitted their final electoral lists, with centre-left rivals to the Labor party dropping out, the far-right consolidating and the main Israeli-Arab alliance splintering. What happened Last Thursday was the deadline for parties to Read more…
Benjamin Netanyahu appeared in Jerusalem’s District Court to formally enter a plea of not guilty as his trial on corruption charges resumed this week. The prime minister is accused of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three separate cases. He is the first serving Israeli prime minister to go on Read more…
Iran is stepping up its breaches of the 2015 nuclear deal despite Joe Biden’s efforts to salvage the accord. A report by the International Atomic Energy Agency obtained by Reuters this week confirms that Tehran is installing more efficient centrifuges to enrich uranium at its underground plant at Natanz. Speeding-up uranium enrichment Read more…
LFI chair Steve McCabe MP and LFI Parliamentary Officers took part in a debate marking Holocaust Memorial Day in the House of Commons on Thursday 28 January. This annual debate is an opportunity for Parliamentarians from across the House to unite in remembering the victims, honouring survivors, and remembering where Read more…
Labour Friends of Israel Director Michael Rubin has written for LabourList, click here to read the original. The inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris was a tremendous day for the world. Donald Trump was a disaster, not just for America, but globally. His vile, divisive and racist politics caused Read more…
Merav Michaeli, who refused to back her party’s decision to join Israel’s “unity government” last summer, was elected Labor leader on Sunday in a landslide victory. She now has a little under two months to revive the party, which had been threatened with an electoral wipeout, before voters return to Read more…
The first-ever Israeli ambassador to the United Arab Emirates arrived in Abu Dhabi on Sunday following the signing of last summer’s Abraham Accords. The move came as the UAE cabinet approved the decision to open an embassy in Tel Aviv. Senior diplomat Eitan Na’eh (pictured), who has previously been posted to the Israeli Embassy in London, will serve as charge Read more…
Gideon Saar, a former ally of Benjamin Netanyahu, said at the weekend that his new party might consider an alliance with Likud – but that the prime minister couldn’t be part of it. Formed in December, Saar’s New Hope party has soared in the polls and represents the biggest danger Read more…