LFI Delegation: 26 February - 3 March, 2006

---

The first Labour Friends of Israel delegation of 2006 was a particularly significant event for LFI, the delegates and those whom we met on both sides of the Green Line.

Like the rest of the world, the Palestinians were still coming to grips with the unexpected victory of Hamas in the Legislative Council elections just one month before. Israel was in the middle of a General Election campaign in which new leaders, new issues and at least one new party were jostling for centre stage.

For LFI, this was our first delegation to include Members of the European Parliament (three on this occasion). It was also the first visit for our new Chair, Iain Wright MP, and also included a member of the May 2005 Commons in-take.

The delegation itinerary and the interlocutors it covered were designed to build understanding of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, the wider regional and global security contexts, and the bilateral relationships between Israel and the UK and EU; and strengthen the links between British politicians and their Israeli and Palestinian counterparts.