Labour Friends of Israel held its biggest ever reception at Labour party conference in Liverpool this week. Over 400 delegates attended a packed event addressed by deputy leader Tom Watson, Israeli Labor MK Ayelet Nahmias-Verbin, Ambassador Mark Regev, and LFI chair Joan Ryan. In a stirring address, Mr Watson declared: “I Read more…
Following the Trump administration’s decision to end all funding for coexistence projects in Israel-Palestine, over 50 Labour MPs have written to DFID Secretary of State Penny Mordaunt to express their serious concern and to call on the UK to help fill the void. You can view a PDF of the Read more…
The Trump administration is to end US funding to coexistence programmes that bring Israelis and Palestinians together, it has emerged. The US currently provides $10m for the projects – one quarter of the money invested globally in civil society peace and reconciliation work between Israelis and Palestinians. The American move is Read more…
LFI chair Joan Ryan wrote this week to Jeremy Corbyn asking him to explain his apparent decision to honour the terrorists behind the Munich massacre during a 2014 visit to Tunisia. Ms Ryan also called upon the Labour leader to apologise to the bereaved families of the 11 Israeli athletes who were Read more…
LFI chair Joan Ryan MP has written to Jeremy Corbyn MP regarding the images in this weekend’s newspapers which appear to show Mr Corbyn taking part in a ceremony in Tunisia in 2014 honouring Black September terrorists who were responsible for the 1972 Munich massacre. Ms Ryan calls for Mr Read more…
Last weekend, in an extraordinary humanitarian operation, Israel helped evacuate 800 members of the White Helmets and their families. Israel, working with North American and European countries, including the UK, transported the humanitarian workers from South West Syria into Jordan. Jordan, which has consistently refused to accept Syrian refugees in recent years, Read more…
Donald Trump’s hope of pulling off the “ultimate deal” – an end to the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians – appears to be more distant than ever, with US media reporting a significant downgrading of the US effort. This week the Washington Post suggested that, with the American Middle East peace Read more…
LFI chair Rt. Hon Joan Ryan MP has written to Israeli Ambassador H.E Mark Regev regarding Khan al-Ahmar. You can read the letter here.
Israeli communities close to the border with Gaza have endured nearly three months of “kite terror” attacks launched from the coastal enclave. Kites, balloons and condoms laden with a metal pouch containing flammable substances such as burning coal or rags soaked with oil are able to drift across the border Read more…
LFI chair Joan Ryan MP has written to Jeremy Corbyn MP regarding his comments in Jordan on the “right to return”. You can read the letter here.
When Prince William arrives in Israel next week, it will be the first official royal visit to the country in the Jewish state’s 70-year history. The visit will underline the growing bond between Britain and Israel, and help put to bed historical strains in relations between the two countries. It is believed Read more…
Seven Labour parliamentarians toured Israel and the Palestinian territories this week on a delegation run by Labour Friends of Israel. LFI parliamentary chair Joan Ryan led the delegation, and she was joined by MPs Louise Ellman, Andrew Gwynne, Stephen Morgan, Sharon Hodgson, and Jonathan Reynolds, as well as Lord Roy Kennedy. The delegation Read more…