Latest News And Analysis
Analysis: After the Abraham Accords – what next for the Palestinians?
In their steadfast opposition to the historic agreement signed last week between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, Hamas and the Palestinian Authority have found a rare common cause. Earlier this month, President Mahmoud Abbas hosted a meeting in Ramallah which brought together all 14 major Palestinian factions – including Hamas and its fellow[…]
LFI chair urges UK government to take action on PA curriculum
LFI’s chair, Steve McCabe, has written an op-ed for this week’s Jewish News in which he urges the government to take action on the Palestinian Authority’s school curriculum. The curriculum, introduced in 2017, incites violence and glorifies terrorists. Through the Department for International Development, UK taxpayers’ aid funds the salaries of some 33,000 teachers and[…]
In Brief: Bulgarian court sentences two to life for 2012 Hezbollah terror attack
A Bulgarian court this week sentenced two men to life imprisonment for a 2012 bus bombing in which five Israeli tourists were murdered and more than 35 injured. The driver of the bus also died in the attack. The two men, both of Lebanese origin, were tried in absentia and their whereabouts are unknown. Hezbollah[…]
In Brief: US and Europe tangle over reimposition over Iran sanctions
The United States and European countries, including Britain, are at loggerheads over efforts by the Trump administration to reimpose all sanctions on Iran lifted after the 2015 nuclear deal. The so-called “snapback” clause in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was triggered when the UN Security Council voted last month not to extend the arms[…]
In Brief: Israeli cabinet reviews new restrictions as covid-19 lockdown starts
The Israeli cabinet is to consider a raft of new restrictions to dampen the country’s sharp rise in covid-19 cases. The meeting comes just days after Israel became the first country in the world to impose a second national lockdown. As the three-week lockdown – which has seen schools and many businesses close – the[…]
In Brief: Report reveals Corbyn tried to save Livingstone
Jeremy Corbyn directed aides to get Ken Livingstone back into Labour, reports the Jewish Chronicle. In a special enquiry by Panama journalist John Ware, sources revealed two senior leaders’ staff were tasked with organising the former Mayor of London’s re-admittance into the party, coming after his second suspension after his “Hitler … was a Zionist”[…]
In Brief: Iran executes champion wrestler
Amnesty International described Iran’s execution of wrestler Navid Afkari as a “travesty of justice”. The 27-year-old was sentenced to death over a security guard murder that occurred during a 2018 wave of anti-government protests. Afkari alleged his confession was secured by torture, stating in audio released by the human rights organisation: “If I am executed,[…]
In Brief: Israeli cabinet approves full national lockdown
The Knesset’s coronavirus cabinet has agreed to a three-week national lockdown in Israel as cases continue to spike. The decision came ahead of the Jewish high holy days while Western Galilee Hospital in Nahariya is said to be overwhelmed and turning away new covid-19 patients. On Sunday, Haredi Minister Yaakov Litzman resigned from cabinet, telling[…]
Analysis: Israel and Bahrain normalise relations as historic UAE agreement is signed
In the third announcement of its kind in as many weeks, the Israeli and Bahraini Governments announced the normalising of relations. This follows a similar agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, and two Balkan states. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu traveled to Washington DC for a four day trip to be part of the[…]
LFI chair: The left’s fixation on Israel has stifled fresh analysis about long-term stability in the Middle East
LFI chair Steve McCabe has written for The House, click here to read the original. Relations in the Middle East are shifting. Labour Friends of Israel will help craft a new internationalist approach to the region, while standing up to anti-Semitism in our party Labour Friends of Israel this week doubled our number of vice-chairs[…]
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