***CHECKED AGAINST DELIVERY*** Chief Rabbi, Honoured Guests… It’s a privilege to be invited to speak to you today. And I’d like to begin by thanking our lunch co-sponsors – Sir David Garrard and Stuart Roden. And I know everyone here will join me in sending our very best wishes to Read more…
Keir Starmer yesterday addressed LFI’s Annual Lunch – its biggest in 15 years – and underlined his support for Israel and a two-state solution. The prime minister also had strong words for Iran, restated the government’s opposition to BDS, and made a major announcement on Britain’s work to help establish Read more…
Labour Friends of Israel has today announced three new honorary vice-chairs, following July’s landslide general election victory for the Labour Party. The new honorary parliamentary officers are three MPs elected for the first time this year – Bristol North East MP Damien Egan, Bassetlaw MP Jo White, and Dover and Read more…
At today’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Questions session, Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer and International Development Minister Anneliese Dodds respectively reiterated the government’s positions on the need to free the 101 Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza and the need to tackle the threats posed by the Iranian regime. Read more…
At this afternoon’s urgent question on the Middle East, Labour MP Peter Prinsley asked the Middle East Minister about efforts to free 28-year-old Emily Damari, a British-Israeli dual national who has been held hostage in Gaza since 7 October last year. He asked: “Emily is a British citizen who, as Read more…
LFI statement on northern Gaza Hamas’ murderous assault on southern Israel on 7 October triggered tragic conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, and huge suffering for innocent people throughout the region. LFI continues to support a ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all the Israeli hostages held by Hamas, and Read more…
At today’s Prime Minister’s Questions session, Keir Starmer rejected claims that Israel’s war against Hamas constitutes a genocide. In response to a question from an independent MP, the PM said that he is “well aware of the definition of genocide and that is why I have never described this and Read more…
Former LFI chair Dame Louise Ellman has written the below article for the Jewish Chronicle. Click here to read the original. I was an MP for over two decades so am rarely surprised by the amount of time parliament spends focused on Israel. Even I, however, was taken aback by the degree to which Read more…
Today, Labour Friends of Israel publishes UK-Israel Aerial Defence Collaboration: Towards a British Iron Shield, a policy briefing on the lessons Britain can learn from Israel on aerial defence to protect civilians and infrastructure against missile attacks. Since its creation in 1948, Israel has lived under the constant threat of Read more…
Merav Michaeli, sitting Knesset member and the former leader of the Israeli Labor party, this week visited London as a guest of Labour Friends of Israel. During her visit, Merav met with Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer MP and chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee Emily Thornberry MP. Among Read more…
At today’s Prime Minister’s Questions, Prime Minister Keir Starmer reiterated the government’s view that claims that the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza constitute genocide are wrong. This follows comments from the Foreign Secretary on Monday that accusations of genocide against Israel “undermine the seriousness” of the term. Green Read more…
At today’s Urgent Question on the situation in the Middle East, Labour MPs raised the issue of the 101 remaining hostage still in Gaza and the need for UNRWA to be properly reformed in the House of Commons. Mansfield MP Steve Yemm asked: “It is incredibly concerning that the Knesset Read more…