Mark Sewards has become the first Labour Friends of Israel chair to visit the Kingdom of Bahrain, following a visit to Israel where he met senior political figures and peace activists. While in Israel, the MP for Leeds South West and Morley met Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog; the leader of Read more…
LFI honorary chair Mark Sewards has written the article below for Jewish News. Click here to read the original. This week, I am visiting Israel and Bahrain; my first trip to the region since becoming Labour Friends of Israel’s new parliamentary chair. My visit comes at a moment of huge Read more…
LFI honorary chair Mark Sewards met with Palestinian-American humanitarian peace activist Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib in parliament on 21 January. At Portcullis House, the Labour MP for Leeds South West and Morley discussed with the peace activist the progress made on the Gaza peace plan, the steps necessary as the second Read more…
LFI honorary chair Mark Sewards hosted a parliamentary event for 38 secondary school headteachers and heads of innovation from Jewish, Muslim and Arab schools across Israel as part of an ongoing UK–Israel education exchange focused on practical, classroom-led innovation. The delegation was led by Dr Sharon Greenberg, deputy chief executive Read more…
LFI had a major presence at the Jewish Labour Movement one-day conference in north London, including a stall and several sessions on issues relating to Israel and the wider Middle East. The day began with an event on the upcoming 2026 Knesset elections, chaired by former LFI chair Louise Ellman, Read more…
In a major step forward for a longstanding LFI policy ask, the UK will host a key peacebuilding conference on 12 March next year to help establish an International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace. The conference at Lancaster House will bring together civil society leaders from across the region and delivers Read more…
*** Check against delivery *** Introduction Thank you Stuart Friends It’s a real pleasure to be with you here at LFI’s annual lunch. I last addressed this event three years ago as Shadow Chancellor and a proud LFI vice-chair. Sadly, I had to stand down from the role of vice-chair Read more…
At today’s statement from Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, she set out the government’s view that reform to remove antisemtic and inciteful content from the Palestinian Authority’s educational curriculum is “a crucial part of the Palestinian Authority reforms” required by the American peace plan. Responding to the Conservative frontbench, she said: Read more…
“We share the land – can we share the future?” by Samer Sinijlawi With Saudi Arabia fast becoming the gravitational centre of Middle Eastern diplomacy, resolving the Palestinian question has never been more urgent. This is no longer just a moral imperative. It is a strategic necessity for Israel. Peace with the Palestinians unlocks a Read more…
November 2025 marks the 30-year anniversary since the assassination of Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin on 4 November 1995. To mark this anniversary of the murder of the man who brought Israeli closer to peace than any other, LFI today republishes Striving for Peace: The Legacy of Yitzhak Rabin. Published Read more…
At today’s Foreign Office Questions session, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper set out the government’s position on the need for Hamas to be thoroughly disarmed in the Gaza Strip and for the bodies of the remaining hostages to be freed. She said: “We will all have seen the incredibly moving scenes Read more…
North Durham MP Luke Akehurst has written the below article for the Jewish Chronicle. Click here to read the original. The tragic conflict between Israel and Hamas has put the relationship between Britain and the Jewish state under great strain. The ceasefire deal agreed offers an opportunity for a reset – not Read more…