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LFI chair writes to Kate Osamor over BDS statement

LFI chair Joan Ryan has written to the shadow international development secretary, Kate Osamor, asking her to clarify Tweets she made over the weekend supporting the BDS movement. Below the words "BDS movement # freedom # Justice # Equality", Ms Osamor added a link to the Middle East Institute for Understanding and an explanation of the…

LFI raises questions over anti-Israel US Embassy protest

LFI has written to Labour MP Andy Slaughter asking him to condemn antisemitic chanting which occurred at a demonstration he attended last week outside the US Embassy. Mr Slaughter was one of a number of speakers at a rally called to protest at President Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Videos of…

New Palestinian Authority school lessons in hate raise concern over UK aid funding

This article originally appeared in the Jewish Chronicle, click here to read it.  The Palestinian Authority school curriculum is teaching children the ‘virtues of martyrdom’ and repeatedly refers to Israel as the ‘Zionist Occupation’, an alarming new report has revealed. The newly updated syllabus, the first since the PA published its 2000 curriculum as part of the…

Ambassador Mark Regev’s Speech to LFI Annual Lunch 2017

*** CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY *** HMA Mark Regev, Israeli Ambassador, speech to Labour Friends of Israel Annual Lunch 2017  Chief Rabbi, Lords and Ladies, Members of Parliament, Distinguished guests, It is a real pleasure to be back here at Central Hall for LFI’s Annual Lunch. I would like to begin by thanking your Parliamentary Chair, Joan Ryan, and the entire LFI…

Emily Thornberry MP, Shadow Foreign Secretary, speech to LFI Annual Lunch 2017

*** CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY *** Rt Hon Emily Thornberry MP, Shadow Foreign Secretary, speech to Labour Friends of Israel Annual Lunch 2017  Chief Rabbi, Ambassador Regev, Parliamentary colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen, it is an honour to be here today. Sir David, thank you for that kind introduction, and on behalf of everyone here, let me add my…

Joan Ryan MP, LFI chair, speech to LFI Annual Lunch 2017

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 thank all of my parliamentary colleagues who have…

LFI vice-chair Louise Ellman presses police over Hezbollah flags at Al-Quds march

This article first appeared in the JewishNews.  An MP who is vice-chair of Labour Friends of Israel has pushed the Metropolitan Police to raise concerns about protesters waving Hezbollah flags at the annual Al-Quds Day march in London. Louise Ellman MP met police chiefs and expressed concern that marchers were exploiting a legal loophole, under which it…

LFI chair Joan Ryan MP raises Hezbollah in Parliament

During October's Foreign and Commonwealth Office questions in the House of Commons, LFI chair Joan Ryan MP questioned Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt MP on the threat Hezbollah poses to both Israel and the Middle East. Joan asked "does the Minister agree that Hezbollah poses a serious threat to Israel’s security and presents a significant…

Stand by your friends, Israeli MK urges at LFI reception

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 don’t help Israel, they don’t help…

Analysis: The link between anti-semitism and anti-Zionism

The link between anti-semitism and anti-Israel  attitudes has been long debated and hotly contested. To some the connection is self-evident. Seeking to demonise and delegitimise Israel , to question the right to exist of the world’s only Jewish state to exist and to deny the Jews’ right to self-determination is the very essence of “modern anti-semitism”. Others view…