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…
Labour parliamentarians have written to Jeremy Corbyn this week urging him to join them in persuading the NEC to overturn its decision to boycott G4S. Following an unscheduled intervention by UNITE political director Jennie Formby, the party’s governing body last month voted to bar G4S from providing security at Labour’s 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…
Check against delivery Annual Lunch 17th November 2015 Keynote speech by Guest of Honour Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP Shadow Foreign Secretary Sir David, Chief Rabbi, parliamentary colleagues, ladies and gentlemen. Shalom. Can I first of all apologise profusely for being late. I do hope you will understand that I Read more…
Rt Hon Joan Ryan MP, Chair of LFI, said: “We are disappointed at yesterday’s labelling decision by the European Union. As a matter of principle, it is unfair that the Middle East’s only democracy should be singled out for such discriminatory treatment by the EU. Boycotts are a means to Read more…
This article was originally published in the JC: http://www.thejc.com/comment-and-debate/comment/148357/boycotts-are-misguided-0 Last week, I joined over 150 British artists and authors, including JK Rowling, Tom Holland and Simon Schama, in backing a new network promoting co-existence and dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians. This was about saying that rather than boycotts, it is dialogue 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…
Jeremy Corbyn caused controversy on Tuesday night when he failed to mention the word “Israel” in his address to LFI’s annual party conference reception. At the end of the Labour leader’s eight-minute speech – in which he defended the vote to recognise Palestine last October and called for the lifting Read more…
Over the coming weeks and months, I intend to begin an open and frank dialogue with Labour’s new leadership. On behalf of LFI’s supporters, I want to do three things. First, we will make clear to Jeremy Corbyn why some are deeply concerned about statements he has made regarding Israel, Read more…
This article was published by LabourList on 20 July 2015 and is available here: http://labourlist.org/2015/07/tonights-hustings-could-begin-to-rebuild-the-bridges-between-labour-and-the-jewish-community/ Tonight’s hustings could begin to rebuild the bridges between Labour and the Jewish community Among the many depressing moments on election night was the result from Hendon. Number three seat on Labour’s target list, it required Read more…
Hendon was the number three seat on Labour’s target list going into last week’s general election. But, despite needing a swing of only 0.2 per cent, Andrew Dismore, the unimpeachably pro-Israel former Labour MP who represented the seat prior to 2010, was defeated. A similar sad story was repeated elsewhere, Read more…