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 Labour’s sister party, the Democrats, Yair Golan; and Israel’s deputy foreign minister, Sharren Haskel.
In Manama, he met government leaders, parliamentarians, and diplomats. Sewards also met Houda Nonoo, the former Bahraini ambassador to the United States and a founding board member of the Association of Gulf Jewish Communities; Britain’s ambassador to Bahrain, Alistair Long and Bahrain’s ambassador to Israel, Khaled Yousef Al Jalahma. His meetings focused on the transformative potential of the Abraham Accords and the role of regional states in advancing the ceasefire in Gaza.
During his meeting with Herzog, Sewards emphasised the importance of UK-Israel relations, the dangers of the global rise in antisemitism, and the steps needed to confront it. He and Haskel discussed strengthening bilateral ties and the steps necessary to ensure lasting peace.
After meeting with Golan and Democrat MKs, and Shelly Meron, an MK for the centrist Yesh Atid party, Sewards praised the efforts of Israel’s centre-left parties to safeguard Israel’s liberal democratic identity.
Sewards pledged his unwavering support for Israel’s right to defend itself against the resurgent threat posed by Iranian-backed terror organisations. He highlighted the need for the UK to deepen its diplomatic and defence engagement with Israel, while refraining from unilateral measures that ultimately constrain its ability to help advance a two-state solution.
Sewards also visited the Civil-Military Coordination Centre (CMCC) in Kiryat Gat, the body established by the United States and tasked with maintaining the delicate ceasefire in Gaza. With between 600-800 truckloads of food aid, medical goods and other supplies entering the Strip daily, he learned about CMCC aid delivery operations and ceasefire monitoring, and was briefed on the recent recovery of Sgt. Ran Gvili’s remains from Gaza.
He also met Palestinian activist Samer Sinijlawi, with whom he discussed efforts to reform the Palestinian Authority and the work of grassroots civil society organisations in combating extremism. Sewards underscored LFI’s commitment to peacebuilding initiatives, noting its longstanding support for the creation of the International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace, modelled on Northern Ireland’s peacebuilding efforts, which is set to convene in London this March.
Emphasising UK-Israel bilateral relations, Sewards met with the UK’s ambassador to Israel, Simon Walters, where they discussed key opportunities and obstacles as well as the role the UK should have in the reconstruction and rebuilding of Gaza.
Sewards discussed the security situation in Gaza with the former Israeli ambassador to Egypt, Amira Oron. They met with Gili Roman, a hostage family member and former headteacher at a coexistence high school. Dr Raz Zimmt briefed him from the Institute for National Security Studies on the status of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile threat, a possible escalation with the United States and Israel’s security posture more generally. Former IDF colonel Miri Eisin outlined efforts by Iran-backed Hezbollah to reconstitute itself after its unprovoked war with Israel, the situation in Syria, as well as the threat from Iran and the Islamic Republic’s unprecedented repression in recent weeks.
Commenting on his delegation, Sewards said: “After two years of bloodshed and tragedy for Israelis and Palestinians, it’s never been more critical for the UK to deepen its engagement with longstanding regional allies and partners in the pursuit of peace and prosperity.”
He added: “I was pleased to visit the Middle East to meet with Israelis, Palestinians, and Bahrainis to explore ways Britain can help build upon the renewed hope provided by the ceasefire in Gaza to advance a two-state solution and expand Israel’s regional integration.”
