Former LFI chair Dame Louise Ellman has written the below article for the Jewish Chronicle. Click here to read the original. I was an MP for over two decades so am rarely surprised by the amount of time parliament spends focused on Israel. Even I, however, was taken aback by the degree to which Read more…
Today, Labour Friends of Israel publishes UK-Israel Aerial Defence Collaboration: Towards a British Iron Shield, a policy briefing on the lessons Britain can learn from Israel on aerial defence to protect civilians and infrastructure against missile attacks. Since its creation in 1948, Israel has lived under the constant threat of Read more…
Merav Michaeli, sitting Knesset member and the former leader of the Israeli Labor party, this week visited London as a guest of Labour Friends of Israel. During her visit, Merav met with Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer MP and chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee Emily Thornberry MP. Among Read more…
At today’s Prime Minister’s Questions, Prime Minister Keir Starmer reiterated the government’s view that claims that the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza constitute genocide are wrong. This follows comments from the Foreign Secretary on Monday that accusations of genocide against Israel “undermine the seriousness” of the term. Green Read more…
At today’s Urgent Question on the situation in the Middle East, Labour MPs raised the issue of the 101 remaining hostage still in Gaza and the need for UNRWA to be properly reformed in the House of Commons. Mansfield MP Steve Yemm asked: “It is incredibly concerning that the Knesset Read more…
At today’s statement from the Foreign Secretary on the situation in the Middle East, Labour MPs urged tougher action against the Iranian regime from the government. Dunfermline and Dollar MP Graeme Downie asked: “A year ago, despite the undoubted challenges, there were early signs of improved relations between Israel, the Read more…
At today’s statement on the situation in the Middle East, Foreign Secretary David Lammy made clear the government’s view that the use of the term ‘genocide’ to refer to the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza “undermines the seriousness” of the term. In response to a question from a Read more…
Introducing new sanctions against the Iranian regime in the House of Commons today, Foreign Office Minister Stephen Doughty MP has confirmed that snapback sanctions “remain an option” for the government should Iran continue to flout the JCPOA nuclear deal. Later, he said: “Let me be clear: Iran’s actions in relation Read more…
At today’s Foreign Office Questions session, a number of Labour parliamentarians asked questions relating to LFI campaigns, including UK support for Israeli-Palestinian people-to-people coexistence funding and Iranian support for terrorist proxies. LFI chair Jon Pearce asked: “In 2020, the US committed £250 million to support peace building and Palestinian economic Read more…
At today’s Home Office Questions session, LFI chair Jon Pearce MP asked the Security Minister about the threat posed to Jewish students on UK campuses by the malign activity of the Iranian regime. He asked: “UK universities have experienced a fivefold increase in antisemitic incidents since the 7 October terrorist Read more…
Foreign Secretary David Lammy has announced a fresh round of sanctions targeting Iranian military figures and organisations for their continued role in destabilising political relations across the Middle East. In response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack against Israel on October 1, the government said it was taking action against senior figures in Read more…
Today, the Prime Minister delivered a statement to the house on the anniversary of 7 October Hamas attacks. He opened the statement noting that October 7 “was the bloodiest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust”. The anniversary marked “a day of sorrow, a day of grief” in which Read more…