Rt Hon Joan Ryan MP, LFI chair, speech to Labour Friends of Israel Annual Lunch 2017 Chief Rabbi, Ambassador Regev, friends Thank you to all of you for being here today. In particular, I want to thank Sir David Garrard and Isaac Kaye, our long-standing lunch sponsors. I also want to Read more…
Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry returned to Britain this week after visiting Israel with LFI. During a four-day trip to Israel and the West Bank, she was accompanied by the shadow minister for peace and disarmament Fabian Hamilton. Ms Thornberry met with the new leader of the Israeli Labor party, Read more…
Labour should stand by its friends on the Israeli left, Labor MK Stav Shaffir told a packed LFI reception on Tuesday night. Ms Shaffir, a rising star in the Israeli Labor party, was in Brighton for the Labour party’s annual conference. “When sister-parties turn their backs at the progressive camp, they Read more…
In a House of Commons debate yesterday on Israel-Palestinian peace talks, LFI parliamentary supporters challenged the government on its cuts to co-existence funding, pushed our campaign for an International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace and highlighted the barriers to peace, including PA incitement and terrorism. LFI chair Joan Ryan urged the government to “reverse their elimination of Read more…
This article first appeared in the Jewish Chronicle. Please click here to view it. Labour’s performance in the general election was better than many had expected. That clearly presents a huge challenge to Theresa May, but that should not detract from the problems which Labour still has to confront. The party secured some stunning victories on Thursday and the Read more…
Congratulations from all of us at LFI to all of our officers and parliamentary supporters who were re-elected in last week’s general election. Our chair, Rt Hon Joan Ryan MP, was returned to parliament, as were LFI vice-chairs Louise Ellman MP, Sharon Hodgson MP, Rt. Hon Pat McFadden MP, Rachel Read more…
LFI’s parliamentary officers have called on Jeremy Corbyn to publicly call for Ken Livingstone’s expulsion. The full letter is below: Dear Jeremy, We are utterly appalled by the decision not to expel Ken Livingstone from the Labour party last night. Mr Livingstone has repeatedly made comments on Nazism that have Read more…
Iain McNicol, general secretary of the Labour party, travelled to Israel this week with Labour Friends of Israel. The three-day trip included laying a wreath at Yad Vashem; meeting with Israeli Labor MKs Hilik Bar and Michal Biran and the party’s new general secretary, Eran Hermoni; visiting a Jerusalem coexistence Read more…
Jennifer Gerber, Director of LFI, said: “We find it strange that Jeremy Corbyn would think it’s appropriate to attend an event organised by a group who say the party he leads is “indebted to Jewish financiers with Zionist leanings”. We hope in future Jeremy will think more carefully about the Read more…
Ambassador Mark Regev Speech to LFI Annual Lunch 2016 CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY Chief Rabbi, Deputy Leader Tom Watson, Lords and Ladies, Members of Parliament, Distinguished Guests, Friends of Israel, It is a pleasure being here this afternoon. I wish to start by thanking your Parliamentary Chair Joan Ryan MP, your Read more…
Rt Hon Joan Ryan MP, Chair, Labour Friends of Israel, speech to the LFI Annual Lunch 2016. CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY Chief Rabbi, Ambassador Regev, friends I want to begin by thanking you all for being here today. In particular, I want to thank Sir David Garrard and Isaac Kaye, our Read more…
Tom Watson MP, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party’s speech to the LFI Annual Lunch 2016. CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY Friends, you honour me with the invitation to address you today. I want to join with Joan in thanking Sir David Garrard and Isaac Kaye for making this wonderful gathering possible. Read more…