Difference between revisions of "Labour Friends of Israel"

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|logo=lfoi.png
 
|logo=lfoi.png
 
|start=1957
 
|start=1957
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|founders=
 
 
|slogan=Working Towards a Two-State Solution
 
|slogan=Working Towards a Two-State Solution
 
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|powerbase=http://www.powerbase.info/index.php/Labour_Friends_of_Israel
 
|powerbase=http://www.powerbase.info/index.php/Labour_Friends_of_Israel
 
|sourcewatch=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Labour_Friends_of_Israel
 
|sourcewatch=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Labour_Friends_of_Israel
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|members=Iain Wright,Jon Mendelsohn,Andrew Gwynne,Gilad Hayeem,Gwyneth Dunwoody,Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale,Tony Blair,Andrew Dismore,Louise Ellman, Barbara Keeley,Gary Titley,Mike Gapes,Stephen Byers,Lord Foster of Bishop Auckland,George Foulkes,Jane Kennedy,Denis MacShane,Chris Bryant,Wayne David ,Fabian Hamilton,Joan Humble , Eric Joyce ,Ashok Kumar,Andrew Miller, Dan Norris , Nick Palmer,Terry Rooney, Siôn Simon ,Dari Taylor,Lord Archer of Sandwell, Lord Burlison, Lord Clarke of Hampstead, Lord Clinton-Davis, Lord Davies of Coity, Lord Glenamara,Lord Haskel,Baroness Hayman,Lord Hogg of Cumbernauld, Lord Janner of Braunstone,Lord Macdonald of Tradeston,Lord Mitchell, Lord Turnber,Lord Winston, Lord Young of Norwood Green,Gordon Brown,James Purnell,Kim Howells,David Cairns,Paul Clark,Caroline Flint,Jon Mendelsohn,orna Fitzsimmons,Valerie Cocks,George Foulkes,David Abrahams, Luciana Berger, Dan Fox , Nick Cosgrave,Toby Green,Rebecca Simon
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|members=Steve McCabe,Rosie Cooper,Chris Evans,Sharon Hodgson,Diana Johnson,Peter Kyle,Pat McFadden,Conor McGinn,Catherine McKinnell,Rachel Reeves,John Spellar,Meta Ramsay,Jonathan Reynolds,Mike Amesbury,Fleur Anderson,Hilary Benn,Nick Brown,Chris Bryant,Liam Byrne,Neil Coyle,Feryal Clark,Yvette Cooper,Jon Cruddas,Janet Daby,Wayne David,Angela Eagle,Maria Eagle,Chris Elmore,Florence Eshalomi,Barry Gardiner,Preet Gill,Mary Glindon,Lilian Greenwood,Nia Griffith,Andrew Gwynne,Carolyn Harris,Fabian Hamilton,Margaret Hodge,George Howarth,Dan Jarvis,Darren Jones,Kevan Jones,Mike Kane,Liz Kendall,David Lammy,Kim Leadbeater,Chris Matheson,Siobhain McDonagh,Stephen Morgan,Alex Norris,Taiwo Owatemi,Toby Perkins,Jess Phillips,Bridget Phillipson,Lucy Powell,Virendra Sharma,Barry Sheerman,Jeff Smith,Karin Smyth,Keir Starmer,Wes Streeting,Graham Stringer,Gareth Thomas,Emily Thornberry,Karl Turner,Derek Twigg,Christian Wakeford,Rosie Winterton
 
}}
 
}}
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'''Labour Friends of Israel''' (LFI) is a Westminster based pro-[[Israel]] [[lobby]] group working within the British Labour party which exercises significant influence over [[UK/Middle East policy]]. It is considered one of the most prestigious groupings in the party and is seen as a stepping stone to ministerial ranks by [[Labour]] MPs.  
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'''Labour Friends of Israel''' (LFI) is a Westminster based pro-[[Israel]] [[lobby]] group working within the British [[Labour Party]] which exercises significant influence over [[UK]]/[[Middle East]] policy. It is considered one of the most prestigious groupings in the party and is seen as a stepping stone to ministerial ranks by [[Labour]] MPs.<ref>''[https://web.archive.org/web/20030801165548/http://www.lfi1.dircon.co.uk/about.html "Welcome to Labour Friends of Israel"]''</ref>
  
 
[[LFI]] boasts some of the wealthiest supporters of the party, and some of its most generous donors, such as [[David Sainsbury|Lord Sainsbury of Turville]], [[Michael Levy]], Sir [[Trevor Chinn]] and Sir [[Emmanuel Kaye]].<ref> Andrew Pierce, “Blair's chance to raise cash for Pounds 1m refund”, ''The Times'', 18 November 1997
 
[[LFI]] boasts some of the wealthiest supporters of the party, and some of its most generous donors, such as [[David Sainsbury|Lord Sainsbury of Turville]], [[Michael Levy]], Sir [[Trevor Chinn]] and Sir [[Emmanuel Kaye]].<ref> Andrew Pierce, “Blair's chance to raise cash for Pounds 1m refund”, ''The Times'', 18 November 1997
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</ref> Two of its leading members, [[Michael Levy]], and [[David Abrahams (property developer)|David Abrahams]], have been embroiled in major scandals involving the New Labour government in recent years. <ref>Yasmin Alibhai-Brown,  [http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/yasmin-alibhai-brown/yasmin-alibhaibrown-the-shadowy-role-of-labour-friends-of-israel-761363.html The shadowy role of Labour Friends of Israel], ''The Independent'', 3 December 2007</ref> Both [[Gordon Brown]] and [[Tony Blair]] have been members of the group.  
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</ref> Two of its leading members, [[Michael Levy]], and [[David Abrahams]], have been embroiled in major scandals involving the [[New Labour]] government in recent years. <ref>Yasmin Alibhai-Brown,  [http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/yasmin-alibhai-brown/yasmin-alibhaibrown-the-shadowy-role-of-labour-friends-of-israel-761363.html The shadowy role of Labour Friends of Israel], ''The Independent'', 3 December 2007</ref>
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[[LFI]]'s director since September 2020 is [[Michael Rubin]].<ref>''[https://www.thejc.com/news/uk/labour-friends-of-israel-director-to-step-down-1.502020 "Labour Friends of Israel director to step down"]''</ref>
  
 
==History==
 
==History==
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The committee wields considerable influence in Westminster and is also consulted routinely by the Foreign Office and Downing Street on matters relating to the Middle East. Tony Blair is known to consult its members over Middle East policy. <ref>David Cracknell, “Byers plots a comeback with pro-Israel pressure group”, ''Sunday Times'', 4 August 2002</ref> The body also has Tory and Liberal Democrat sister organizations. Labour MP [[Gwyneth Dunwoody]], chairman of the Commons transport select committee, is the life president of LFI, while [[David Mencer]], a former volunteer for the [[Israeli Defence Force]], is its current director.
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[[LFI]] wields considerable influence in Westminster and is also consulted routinely by the Foreign Office and Downing Street on matters relating to the [[Middle East]]. [[Tony Blair]] was known to consult its members over [[Middle East]] policy. <ref>David Cracknell, “Byers plots a comeback with pro-Israel pressure group”, ''Sunday Times'', 4 August 2002</ref> [[LFI]] also has [[Tory]] and [[Liberal Democrat]] sister organisations.
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A small time player during the Thatcher years, LFI first made it into the news when one of its erstwhile guests, [[Erwin Van Haarlem]], a Czechoslovakian art dealer turned out to be a spy for the Czech intelligence services. The 1987 gathering, to which Van Haarlem was invited because of his 'apparent support for Jewish causes', was also attended by members of the House of Lords, leading trade unionists, industrialists, and the former chief of staff of the Israeli army. <ref>“Art dealer on spying charge 'impressed Commons meeting'”, ''The Guardian'', 1 March 1989; “'Czech spy' was guest at Commons dinner”, ''The Independent'', 1 March 1989
 
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</ref>
 
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==Buying Influence==
 
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While Labour originally carried a reputation for having more voices sympathetic to the Palestinians - especially during the Thatcher years - the New Labour government of Tony Blair has reversed this orientation. Although one of Tony Blair's first acts after becoming an MP in 1983 was joining LFI, the relationship truly developed in the early 90s, when as shadow Home Secretary, [[Tony Blair]] met Michael Levy at a private meeting at the latter's house. [[Michael Abraham Levy]] is a former chairman of the [[Jewish Care Community Foundation]], a member of the [[Jewish Agency]] World Board of Governors, and a trustee of the
 
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[[Holocaust Educational Trust]]. <ref>Peter McKay, “How Tony has let us all down”, ''Daily Mail'', 20 March 2000</ref>According to Andrew Porter of ''The Business'', Levy expressed his willingness 'to raise large sums of money for the party' which led to a 'tacit understanding that Labour would never again, while Blair was leader, be anti-Israel' <ref>Andrew Porter, ''The Business'', 30 June 2002</ref>. The partnership proceeded as Levy started inviting potential donors for tennis at his palatial home where Tony Blair would join them for a set or two. Levy would then proceed to ask the guests for donations after Blair had left.<ref>Michael White, “Downing St denies pressure to gag Robinson”, The Guardian, October 21, 1999</ref> The genius of Levy's fundraising strategy ensured that most of Labour's election funds came from private sources, rather than its traditional source - the trade unions, thereby weakening their say over policy.<ref> Paul Eastham, “Tories want answers over ‘Cash Passport to Downing Street’”, The Daily Mail,  March 30, 1998; Iain MacWhirter, “Blair Gambles Party Cash”, The Scotsman, November 18, 1997</ref>
 
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Levy's investment eventually paid off, with Blair's ascencion to power. The reward was not long in coming as Levy was ennobled and subsequently retained as a 'special envoy' to the Middle-East, leading predictably to the development of a strong pro-Israel line <ref>Kevin Maguire and Ewen MacAskill , [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,4267434-103685,00.html Fundraiser's role as envoy under attack], The Guardian, 1 October, 2001</ref>.
 
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Given the fact that Levy has both a business and a house in Israel and his son Daniel used to work for Yossi Beilin - the former Justice Minister of Israel - speaks of a serious conflict of interest, especially when he is the man assigned by Blair to negotiate impartially with Palestinians and Israelis.<ref>John Pilger, [http://pilger.carlton.com/print/93067 Blair's meeting with Arafat served to disguise his support for Sharon and the Zionist project], New Statesman, 14 January, 2002</ref> The fact that Levy acted as a fundraiser for former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak casts further doubt on his capacity for impartiality. According to Neil Sammonds of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign in 2002, four of the previous five ministers with Responsibility for the Middle East had been active members of LFI. <ref>Neil Sammonds, [http://www.zmag.org/sammonds.htm British culpability and the shadow of Canary Wharf], ZNet,April 10, 2002</ref>
 
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==Cash and Dishonour==
 
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While Michael Levy was subsequently arrested and disgraced in what has come to be known as the 'cash-for-honours' scandal, his Israel connection was for the most part politely excluded. (This, however, did not deter some from proclaiming Levy a victim of anti-Semitism)<ref>Geoffrey Wheatcroft, [http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/geoffrey-wheatcroft-is-levy-a-victim-of-racism-439711.html Is Levy a victim of racism?], ''The Independent'', 11 March 2007</ref>. The case was soon followed by another revelation that [[David Martin Abrahams|David Abrahams]], a Labour Friends of Israel financier who has become the third largest donor to the party since Gordon Brown's ascencion, has donated more than £600,000 since 2003 illegaly through proxies.<ref>Chris Hastings and Andrew Alderson, [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/02/ndonor202.xml&page=2 David Abrahams' glory days as Blair ally], ''The Daily Telegraph'', 3 December 2007</ref> The subsequent scandal has swiftly spread to many leading figures in the Labour Party. Abrahams, a strong supporter of Israel, told The Jewish Chronicle that he donated cash secretly 'so as to avoid accusations of his being part of a “Jewish conspiracy”'.<ref>Leon Symons and the JC Reporting Team, [http://www.thejc.com/home.aspx?ParentId=m11&SecId=11&AId=56890&ATypeId=1 David Abrahams gave in secret ‘to quell conspiracy fears’], ''The Jewish Chronicle'', 7 December 2007; Haroon Siddique, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2007/dec/07/labour.uk Jewish Chronicle defends its coverage of David Abrahams], ''The Guardian'', 7 December 2007 </ref> Labour Friends of Israel was implicated in yet another scandal when it was revealed that Cabinet Minister Peter Hain had also been the beneficiary of illegal funds siphoned through proxies. The funders [[Willie Nagel]], a diamond tycoon, and [[Isaac Kaye]], a South-African born supporter of the erstwhile Apartheid regime, are both tied to the Labour Friends of Israel.<ref>Bernard Josephs, [http://thejc.com/home.aspx?ParentId=m11&SecId=11&AId=57466&ATypeId=1 Labour donor calls Hain row ‘rubbish’], ''The Jewish Chronicle'', 18 January 2008; [http://www.britemb.org.il/News/straw130302.html Speech by Foreign Secretary Jack Straw at the Labour Friends of Israel Annual Lunch], 13 March 2002</ref>
 
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==Membership and Funding==
 
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LFI currently has a burgeoning membership in the Commons and it is seen as a certain ladder for success by aspiring politicians. Receptions hosted by the lobby usually boast a huge turnout, with such powerful guests as [[Tony Blair]], [[Gordon Brown]], the Israeli ambassador and the Israeli Deputy Minister of Defence.<ref>“Friend of Israel;Londoner's Diary”,The Evening Standard, September 28, 2001</ref>
 
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LFI has found staunch allies in the current Labour government in the shape of Blair, Brown and Straw. The influence of this committee is quite evident in Blair's frequent comments in support of Israel, particularly at a time, when its actions have been widely condemned. Addressing a meeting of the body, Blair urged the British public not to forget the suicide attacks to which Israel has been subjected when criticizing Israeli aggression towards the Palestinians.<ref>Marie Woolf, “Blair: Do not forget Israeli victims of terror attacks”, The Independent, October 2, 2002</ref> That is indeed a remarkable observation given that - as is well known - the Israeli Human Rights Centre, ''B'Tselem'', reports that the overwhelming majority of the victims, even in the current phase of the conflict, have been Palestinian civilians.<ref>[http://www.btselem.org/English/Statistics/Casualties.asp Fatalities], B’Tselem</ref>
 
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In 1997, prominent members of LFI contributed generously to the coffers of Labour, including [[Lord Sainsbury]], who donated ?1 million - the biggest single donation ever - [[Michael Levy]], who raised 7 million pounds, Sir [[Trevor Chinn]], who was reported to have donated a six figure sum, and [[Emmanuel Kaye]], who donated a sizable sum to Blair's blind trust. <ref>Pierce, op. cit.</ref> According to one party official, by 2001, Levy had raised up to 15 million pounds for the party. <ref>Maguire and MacAskill, op. cit.</ref> David Goldman - the Chairman of an Israeli telecommunications equipment company BATM Advanced Communications - is also reported to have made several 5-figure donations. The amount of influence such money could buy in today's politics cannot be discounted, and from Britain's unconditional support for Israel's brutal policies, it seems like the government is keen to deliver.
 
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==Trips to Israel==
 
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LFI sponsors trips of parliamentarians to Israel, purportedly to educate them on issues central to the conflict. One recent trip included a 'tour of Jerusalem and the route of the separation fence, plus meetings with Labour MKs, senior Foreign and Defence Ministry officials'. These trips are invaluable in cultivating relationships with members of the
 
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British parliament who can then be counted on to support legislation favourable towards Israel. These loyalties usually transcend moral barriers, as David Cairns - the organizer of one such tour - exclaimed after professing his deep commitment to Israel, "No one ever said being a friend of Israel would be easy", since his view of the 'peace process' was at odds with Israel's operative policy<ref>Charlotte Hall, [http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=492101 Separation of Church and state, a one-man act], ''Ha’aretz'', 22 October 2004</ref>
 
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A Labour campaign advert in the ''Jewish Chronicle'' boasted:
 
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:Since 1997 a record 57 Labour MPs have visited Israel, mostly with Labour Friends of Israel, swelling the number of MPS willing to ensure balance on the Middle East in the House of Commons. More Labour MPs have visited Israel than from any other party. <ref>Labor Campaign Advert, ''Jewish Chronicle'', 1 June 2001</ref>
 
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The advert also boasted that the new Terrorism Act of 2000 - for which LFI actively lobbied - 'proscribes terrorist organizations like Hamas, Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad <ref>Ibid.</ref>. Predictably enough there was no mention of the multi-million pound military aid to Israel's occupying forces.
 
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Israel National News (Arutz Sheva) states:
 
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: Touting its links to Israel in campaign literature ahead of the last parliamentary elections, the UK Labour party boasted, "More Labour MPs have visited Israel than from any other party." In September of 2005, an LFI delegation visited the Western Wall tunnels in Jerusalem's Old City.<ref>Nissan Ratzlav-Katz, [http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/112986 Conservative Friends of Israel at UK Political Conference], Arutz Sheva, 22 January 2008.</ref>
 
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:'''NB:''' the tunnels are provocations and a means to undermine the foundations of the Al Aqsa mosque, the third most important religious site in the world. The tunnels have been dug by extreme right-wing settlers with backing of the most reactionary American Zionist backers.<ref>There are many articles about this topic that, among others, can be found here:
 
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*[http://www.corkpsc.org/db.php?eid=1068 list of articles about the 1981 opening of a tunnel] and its real reasons for building it
 
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*[http://www.corkpsc.org/db.php?eid=1069 Subsequent tunnels] (refers to 1996 opening of a Western Wall tunnel). 
 
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Furthermore, refer to:
 
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*Grace Halsell, Eradicating Muslims and Christians from Jerusalem, WRMEA, November 1996.
 
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*Ian Williams, U.N. Debate on Jerusalem Isolates U.S. and Israel, WRMEA, November 1996
 
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*Christopher D. Cook, The Bingo Connection, Mother Jones, October 2000 (refers to Irving Moskowitz).
 
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*Nora Barrows-Friedman, Jane Hunter and Haim Dov Beliak, [http://www.corkpsc.org/db.php?aid=5295  Los Angeles entrepreneur uses his casino to fund illegal settlements in occupied Palestine], 31 December 2003.
 
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*There are many more articles about the tunnel and other "archaelogical" digs used to undermine Palestinian monuments or as a pretext to steal land.  Search [http://cosmos.ucc.ie/cs1064/jabowen/IPSC/php/cs.php?sMask=ynnnnn&wMask=yyy&lv=2&crisis=--&d0=1&k2=tunnel&d1=n&d3=n&w6=&c10=n&d2=n&o1=n&o6=n&o7=10&o4=y Search PIWP database] (about 120 articles referring to the Jerusalem tunnels)
 
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*Other articles [http://cosmos.ucc.ie/cs1064/jabowen/IPSC/php/cs.php?sMask=ynnnnn&wMask=yyy&lv=2&crisis=--&d0=1&d1=n&d3=n&w6=&w7=archaeological&c10=n&d2=n&o1=n&o6=n&o7=10&o4=y PIWP database], but also including archaeological digs initiated with dubious intent and against the wishes of the Palestinians.
 
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</ref>
 
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Some of the MPs, who had their trips to Israel sponsored by LFI in recent years include:
 
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<table border="1" bgcolor="white" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="80%" align="center">
 
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<tr><td>[[Douglas Alexander]]</td>
 
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<td>[[David Blunkett]]<ref>[http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmregmem/080122/memi05.htm Overseas visits], 5 December 2007</ref></td>
 
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<td>[[Andy Burnham]]</td></tr>
 
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<tr><td>[[David Cairns]]</td>
 
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<td>[[Ivor Caplin]]</td>
 
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<td>[[Paul Clark]]</td></tr>
 
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<tr><td>[[Anthony Colman]]</td>
 
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<td>[[Tony Cunningham]]</td>
 
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<td>[[Parmjit Dhanda]]</td></tr>
 
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<tr><td>[[Andrew Dismore]]</td>
 
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<td>[[Louise Ellman]]</td>
 
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<td>[[Lorna Fitzsimons]]</td></tr>
 
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<tr><td>[[Caroline Flint]]</td>
 
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<td>[[Mike Gapes]]</td>
 
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<td>[[Fabian Hamilton]]</td></tr>
 
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<tr><td>[[Huw Irranca-Davies]]</td>
 
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<td>[[Eric Joyce]]</td>
 
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<td>[[Oona King]]</td></tr>
 
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<tr><td>[[Ashok Kumar]]</td>
 
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<td>[[Ivan Lewis]]</td>
 
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<td>[[Anne McGuire]]</td></tr>
 
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<tr><td>[[Rosemary McKenna]]</td>
 
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<td>[[Gillian Merron]]</td>
 
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<td>[[Margaret Moran]]</td></tr>
 
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<tr><td>[[Meg Munn]]</td>
 
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<td>[[Jim Murphy]]</td>
 
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<td>[[Dan Norris]]</td></tr>
 
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<tr><td>[[Sandra Osborne]]</td>
 
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<td>[[Linda Perham]]</td>
 
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<td>[[Peter Pike]]</td></tr>
 
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<tr><td>[[Frank Roy]]</td>
 
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<td>[[Joan Ryan]]</td>
 
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<td>[[Angela Smith]]</td></tr>
 
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<tr><td>[[Graham Stringer]]</td>
 
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<td>[[Gareth Thomas]]</td>
 
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<td>[[Stephen Twigg]]</td></tr>
 
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<tr><td>[[Rudi Vis]]</td>
 
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<td>[[David Watts]]</td>
 
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<td>[[David Wayne]]</td></tr>
 
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</table>
 
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Former MI6 officer and member of the House of Lords [[Margaret 'Meta' Ramsay]] has also been on LFI sponsored trips.
 
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==Taming the Media==
 
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LFI has used its influence to intimidate British media into adopting an openly pro-Israel position. A recent study by the Glasgow University Media Group revealed the systematic bias in BBC and ITV's coverage of the Israel-Palestine conflict which often reproduces the official Israeli narrative uncritically, whereas very little time or detail is devoted to the Palestinian side.<ref>Greg Philo, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/comment/0,10551,1260844,00.html What You Get in 20 Seconds], ''The Guardian'', 14 July, 2004; Greg Philo and Mike Berry, Bad News From Israel, (Pluto, 2004)</ref> Some, who dared to criticize the Israeli position have faced bans, as Faisal Bodi, of BBC Radio 4's ''The World Tonight'' did. According to Bodi, LFI members play a "crucial propaganda role, carrying the flag for Israel in parliament, and lobbying editors to toe the Israeli line"<ref>Faisal Bodi, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4189368,00.html Why I was banned by the BBC], ''The Guardian'', 21 May, 2001</ref>. Tim Llewellyn, a Veteran Middle East correspondent for the BBC, has gone to the extent of calling BBC's reporting on the Israel-Palestine conflict downright 'dishonest'. He has attributed it to the 'unremitting and productive' efforts by 'Israel's many influential and well organised friends" <ref>Tim Llewellyn, [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,6903,1242833,00.html The Story TV Won’t Tell], ''The Observer'', 20 June 2004</ref>. However, this still did not preclude LFI's Andrew Dismore from expressing 'concern' about the BBC for being 'anti-Israeli and biased towards the Palestinians." <ref>Tim Shipman, “BBC Reporter faces ‘Terror Links’ Inquiry”, ''Sunday Express'', 19 December 2004</ref> This charge could not have been more frivolous given that BBC has referred to Jerusalem as Israel's 'capital' - a view otherwise shared outside of Israel by two out of the world's nearly two hundred countries. <ref>Jon Goddard, “BBC Slammed By Anti-Israel MPs”, Totally Jewish</ref> 
 
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A key association in LFI's powerbase is [[Rupert Murdoch|Rupert Murdoch]]'s News Corp. The strategic alliance between News Corp. and New Labour was formed just before the 1997 election when Murdoch's ''The Sun'' and ''The Times'' switched sides to support Blair's election bid against the Tories, who had been discredited by a series of scandals.  Murdoch has been a regular visitor to the Downing Street ever since. In a keynote address to an LFI meeting in London, the Northern Ireland Secretary and New Labour luminary Peter Mandelson praised Thatcher's intolerance towards the siege of Murdoch's union-busting Wapping plant by protesting printers. <ref>Michael White, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/Tories/story/0,7369,407390,00.html Mandelson speaks up for Portillo], The Guardian, 20 December 2000</ref> In the past
 
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Mandelson has appeared at pro-Israel rallies with the far-right former Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu. Mandelson also happens to be a close friend of Elisabeth Murdoch - Rupert Murdoch's daughter, and given Murdoch's own investments in Israel and his close friendship with Ariel Sharon, the orientation of Murdoch's newspapers is predictably pro-Israel. Journalists have complained of extremely narrow editorial parameters favouring Israel, and having to adopt official Israeli formulations like 'targeted killing', 'crossfire' and 'closures'. <ref>Sam Kiley, “The Middle-East’s war of words”, The Evening Standard, 25 September, 2001</ref>
 
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Another natural ally in this enterprise was Conrad Black, whose ''Daily Telegraph'' and ''The Spectator'' magazine are two of the most influential pro-Israel voices in Britain. He was
 
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Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hollinger Inc. which owns the right-wing Israeli ''Jerusalem Post'' which openly advocated the killing of Yasir Arafat in 2003. The leading Neo-con and pro-Israel hawk Richard Perle is also a top executive at Hollinger. Black's wife Barbara Amiel is a famous right-wing Zionist columnist. Both are known for their unbridled support for Israel. Apparently as a reward for his contributions, Black has also been ennobled by the Blair government. <ref>Richard Ingrams, [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,6903,552607,00.html Who will dare damn Israel?], ''The Guardian'', 16 September 2001</ref>
 
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==Obstacles to Peace==
 
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Given the hard line position of its donors, LFI has grown increasingly tendentious in its approach towards any resolution of the Middle East conflict. In 1990, two principal donors withdrew their financial backing for holding a joint meeting with the pro-Arab Labour Middle East Council<ref>“Israel's friends make enemies”, ''The Times'', 4 October 1990</ref>. While LFI has consistently excused Israeli atrocities in the occupied territories as 'self defence', it certainly can't feign ignorance. One of its visiting members got a first-hand glimpse of IDF tactics when he got shot at in Rafah even though he arrived in a clearly marked UN vehicle.<ref>Crispin Blunt, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/comment/0,10551,1244472,00.html Shooting at MPs won't do any good], ''The Guardian'', 22 June 2004</ref> The three British MPs, surrounded by 20 children got shot at in the presence of UN officials, which led to a demand for investigation by the MPs into the IDF's 'outrageous behaviour' bordering on 'lunatic'. One of the MPs, Crispin Blunt, concluded 'If they are prepared to do this to people who come out of two clearly marked UN cars, what do they do when there is no one there?' He added 'They are building up levels of hatred that will take decades, if not centuries, to erase." <ref>Inigo Gilmore, [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/06/20/wisr20.xml&sSheet=/portal/2004/06/20/ixportal.html Israeli soldiers open fire on visiting British MPs], ''Sunday Telegraph'', 20 June, 2004.</ref>
 
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Such insights into have not precluded Blair from making significant contributions towards the maintenance of the illegal Israeli occupation. According to the veteran Journalist John Pilger:
 
  
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:Under Blair, British support for Israeli repression has accelerated. Last year alone, the government approved 91 arms export licences to Israel, in categories that included ammunition, bombs, torpedoes, rockets, missiles, combat vessels, military electronic and imaging equipment and armoured vehicles.<ref>Pilger, op. cit.</ref>
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While Labour originally carried a reputation for having more voices sympathetic to the [[Palestinians]] - especially during the [[Thatcher]] years - the [[New Labour]] government of Tony Blair reversed this orientation. Although one of Tony Blair's first acts after becoming an MP in 1983 was joining [[LFI]], the relationship truly developed in the early 90s, when as Shadow Home Secretary, [[Tony Blair]] met [[Michael Levy]] at a private meeting at the latter's house. [[Michael Abraham Levy]] is a former chairman of the [[Jewish Care Community Foundation]], a member of the [[Jewish Agency]] World Board of Governors, and a trustee of the
 +
[[Holocaust Educational Trust]]. <ref>Peter McKay, “How Tony has let us all down”, ''Daily Mail'', 20 March 2000</ref>According to Andrew Porter of ''The Business'', Levy expressed his willingness 'to raise large sums of money for the party' which led to a 'tacit understanding that Labour would never again, while Blair was leader, be anti-[[Israel]]' <ref>Andrew Porter, ''The Business'', 30 June 2002</ref>. The partnership proceeded as Levy started inviting potential donors for tennis at his palatial home where [[Tony Blair]] would join them for a set or two. Levy would then proceed to ask the guests for donations after Blair had left.<ref>Michael White, “Downing St denies pressure to gag Robinson”, The Guardian, October 21, 1999</ref> The genius of Levy's fundraising strategy ensured that most of Labour's election funds came from private sources, rather than its traditional source - the trade unions, thereby weakening their say over policy.<ref> Paul Eastham, “Tories want answers over ‘Cash Passport to Downing Street’”, The Daily Mail,  March 30, 1998; Iain MacWhirter, “Blair Gambles Party Cash”, The Scotsman, November 18, 1997</ref>
  
−
While Foreign Office minister Ben Bradshaw - an active member of LFI - said there was "no evidence" that British arms and equipment had been used against the Palestinians, the Pilger article cited an Amnesty International report claiming abundant evidence that the Apache helicopters used to attack the Palestinians are kept flying with British components made by [[Smiths Industries]]. Merkava tanks are serviced with parts from Airtechnology Group; BAE provides parts for Israel's F-16 fighter jets while converted British Centurion tanks are used as armoured personnel carriers. Land Rovers are an Israeli Army mainstay and British transponders are employed to coordinate helicopter attacks <ref>Sammonds, op. cit.</ref>.
+
Levy's investment eventually paid off, with Blair's ascencion to power. The reward was not long in coming as Levy was ennobled and subsequently retained as a 'special envoy' to the [[Middle East]], leading predictably to the development of a strong pro-Israel line <ref>Kevin Maguire and Ewen MacAskill , [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,4267434-103685,00.html Fundraiser's role as envoy under attack], The Guardian, 1 October, 2001</ref>.
 +
Given the fact that Levy has both a business and a house in Israel and his son Daniel used to work for Yossi Beilin - the former Justice Minister of Israel - speaks of a serious conflict of interest, especially when he is the man assigned by Blair to negotiate impartially with [[Palestinians]] and [[Israeli]]s.<ref>John Pilger, [http://pilger.carlton.com/print/93067 Blair's meeting with Arafat served to disguise his support for Sharon and the Zionist project], New Statesman, 14 January, 2002</ref> The fact that Levy acted as a fundraiser for former Israeli Prime Minister [[Ehud Barak]] casts further doubt on his capacity for impartiality. According to Neil Sammonds of the [[Palestine Solidarity Campaign]] in 2002, four of the previous five ministers with Responsibility for the [[Middle East]] had been active members of [[LFI]]. <ref>Neil Sammonds, [http://www.zmag.org/sammonds.htm British culpability and the shadow of Canary Wharf], ZNet,April 10, 2002</ref>
  
−
Pilger provides further insight into how the Israeli occupation is kept liquid:
+
===Cash and Dishonour===
 +
While [[Michael Levy]] was subsequently arrested and disgraced in what has come to be known as the 'cash-for-honours' scandal, his [[Israel]] connection was for the most part politely excluded. (This, however, did not deter some from proclaiming Levy a victim of [[anti-Semitism]])<ref>Geoffrey Wheatcroft, [http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/geoffrey-wheatcroft-is-levy-a-victim-of-racism-439711.html Is Levy a victim of racism?], ''The Independent'', 11 March 2007</ref>. The case was soon followed by another revelation that [[David Abrahams]], a Labour Friends of Israel financier who has become the third largest donor to the party since [[Gordon Brown]]'s ascencion, has donated more than £600,000 since 2003 illegaly through proxies.<ref>Chris Hastings and Andrew Alderson, [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/02/ndonor202.xml&page=2 David Abrahams' glory days as Blair ally], ''The Daily Telegraph'', 3 December 2007</ref> The subsequent scandal has swiftly spread to many leading figures in the [[Labour Party]]. Abrahams, a strong supporter of Israel, told The ''Jewish Chronicle'' that he donated cash secretly 'so as to avoid accusations of his being part of a “Jewish conspiracy”'.<ref>Leon Symons and the JC Reporting Team, [http://www.thejc.com/home.aspx?ParentId=m11&SecId=11&AId=56890&ATypeId=1 David Abrahams gave in secret ‘to quell conspiracy fears’], ''Jewish Chronicle'', 7 December 2007; Haroon Siddique, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2007/dec/07/labour.uk Jewish Chronicle defends its coverage of David Abrahams], ''The Guardian'', 7 December 2007 </ref> Labour Friends of Israel was implicated in yet another scandal when it was revealed that Cabinet Minister [[Peter Hain]] had also been the beneficiary of illegal funds siphoned through proxies. The funders [[Willie Nagel]], a diamond tycoon, and [[Isaac Kaye]], a [[South Africa]]n born supporter of the erstwhile [[Apartheid]] regime, are both tied to the [[LFI]].<ref>Bernard Josephs, [http://thejc.com/home.aspx?ParentId=m11&SecId=11&AId=57466&ATypeId=1 Labour donor calls Hain row ‘rubbish’], ''The Jewish Chronicle'', 18 January 2008; [http://www.britemb.org.il/News/straw130302.html Speech by Foreign Secretary Jack Straw at the Labour Friends of Israel Annual Lunch], 13 March 2002</ref>
  
−
:The Blair government has also backed the Israeli military-industrial complex by buying bullets, bombs, grenades and anti-tank missiles. The Metropolitan Police and the South Wales police buy Israeli ammunition. An Israeli combat aircraft training system was bought by the RAF. In 1999, a joint UK-Israeli high-technology investment fund was established to pump funds into joint research and development.<ref>Pilger, op. cit.</ref>
+
===2000 to 2015===
 +
In 2003, [[LFI]] described itself as "a Westminster based lobby group working within the British Labour Party to promote the State of Israel". It has been described as "less unquestioning in its support of the Israeli government than the [[Conservative Friends of Israel]]".<ref>''[https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/nov/16/pro-israel-lobby-conservatives-channel4-dispatches "Pro-Israel lobby group bankrolling Tories, film claims"]''</ref> Between 2001 and 2009, [[LFI]] sponsored more than 60 MPs to visit [[Israel]], more than any other group.
  
−
The war on Iraq also received enthusiastic support from senior LFI members. An LFI gathering was reassured by Blair that 'a stable Iraq will be good news for Israel." Israel security needs were also cited as a rationale by the Neo-con dominated US administration in its decision to go to war. In an exclusive interview with Israel's daily ''Yediot Aharonot'' [[Condoleezza Rice]] said 'security of Israel is the key to security of the world."<ref>[http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_22-5-2003_pg7_11 Israel Key to World Security], ''The Daily Times'', May 22, 2003</ref> The economic dividends for Israel from this venture were not discussed as openly - except in Israel's own press.<ref>Akiva Eldar, [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/14002292-509C-4896-951D-DAE550DFB88F.htm Infrastructure Minister Paritzky dreams of Iraqi oil flowing to Haifa], ''Ha'aretz''; [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/14002292-509C-4896-951D-DAE550DFB88F.htm Israeli firm awarded oil tender in Iraq firm], ''Aljazeera'', February 25, 2004</ref> This led [[Tam Dalyell]], the longest serving member of the House of Commons, to comment on the undue influence of the 'Sharon-Likudnik' agenda pushed by advisers such as Michael Levy (and the US neocons)- on Blair's decision to go to war.<ref>Chris Marsden, [http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/may2003/lab-m22.shtml Labour extends antiwar witch-hunt to Tam Dalyell], ''WSWS'', 22 May 2003</ref> He commented on the Neo-conservative 'Cabal', particularly the 'Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs combined with neo-Christian fundamentalists' urging America on towards a 'Likudnik' policy of attacking Syria.<ref>Michael White, [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/labour/story/0,9061,950116,00.html Dalyell steps up attack on Levy], ''The Guardian'', 6 May 2003</ref>
+
In 2010, Jennifer Gerber, previously director of [[Progress]] and before that, special advisor to [[Andy Burnham]], was appointed director.
  
−
==The Politics of Anti-Semitism==
+
In 2011, [[LFI]] adopted a new strategy of becoming a wider membership organisation and of operating under the slogan "Working Towards a Two-State Solution".
−
While more circumspect than its American counterparts, LFI - like most pro-Israel groups - has often tried to discredit criticism of Israel by conflating it with 'anti-Semitism'. LFI has not shied away from describing general resentment against Israeli policies as being rooted in, or contributing to, anti-Semitism. [[Lord Greville Janner]], former president of the [[Jewish Board of Deputies]] and an LFI vice-chair has commented on the surge of anti-Semitism among the "viciously and often notoriously anti-Israel" left liberal media.<ref>Rabbi David Goldberg, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/jan/26/religion.uk1 Let's have a sense of proportion], ''The Guardian'', January 26, 2002</ref>
 
  
−
An alleged comment by the French ambassador to London, referring to Israel as that 'shitty little country' immediately elicited a demand by LFI (in a letter from Chair [[Jim Murphy]] and president [[Gwyneth Dunwoody]]) for his sacking, and the charge of anti-Semitism by Barbara Amiel in the ''Daily Telegraph''. The Ambassador denied making the remark.<ref>Ewen McAskill, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,622009,00.html Israel seeks head of French envoy], The Guardian, 20 December 2001
+
In 2011, [[John Woodcock]] was appointed chair, followed in May 2013 by Dame Anne McGuire and, in 2015, [[Joan Ryan]].
−
</ref> For good measure, Dunwoody also added 'These comments are eerily familiar from the French.' Ironically enough, the alleged remark was made by the ambassador at a dinner hosted by [[Conrad Black]].(Ibid.) Black's newspapers and magazines have regularly intimidated other media for their criticism of Israel as anti-Semitic. Black's ''The Spectator'' features articles by [[Melanie Phillips]] who is notorious for her extreme views, and has gone as far to suggest that Bishop [[Desmond Tutu]]'s criticism of Israel is anti-Semitic. <ref>Melanie Phillips, [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,6903,1153419,00.html Return of the old hatred], ''The Observer'', 22 February 2004</ref>
 
  
−
During the elections for the seat of the Mayor of London, LFI compiled a dossier of the alleged 'anti-Zionist bias' of the candidate [[Ken Livingstone]].<ref>Mark Inglefield, “Ken Livingstone; Diary”, ''The Times'', 19 November 1999</ref> The feud came to a head, with Livingstone's comments to an invasive reporter, accusing him of acting like a 'concentration camp guard'. Whereas LFI itself was guarded in its statements, its pro-Israel allies in the press were less inhibited as they cited various unnamed 'critics' and 'protesters' who found the comments 'anti-Semitic' as the reporter in question was Jewish.<ref>Paul Eastham, “Red Ken's Nazi slur”, ''Daily Mail'', 12 February 2005</ref>Livingstone's refusal to apologise and his subsequent publication of an op-ed openly critical of Israeli policies drew further ire from the lobby and its media surrogates.<ref>Ken Livingstone, “This is about Israel, not anti-semitism”, ''The Guardian'', 4 March 2005</ref>
+
In 2014, Adrian Cohen, a corporate lawyer, the chair of the London Jewish Forum, a trustee of the Jewish Leadership Council and a deputy of the [[Board of Deputies of British Jews]], was appointed Lay Chair.
  
−
Alarmed by the growing condemnation of Israel's brutal suppression of the Al Aqsa Intifada when Israel's PR apparatus responded with the New Anti-Semitism campaign (this campaign identifies criticism of Israel as a new form of anti-Semitism and progressive antiwar forces at its main purveyors)<ref>As Norman Finkelstein has shown, there are precedents for this campaign. Every iteration of the 'New Anti-Semitism' campaign has coincided with some particularly brutal Israeli action eliciting worldwide censure. See Norman Finkelstein, Beyond Chutzpah, Verso, 2005</ref>, LFI was quick to latch on to the theme. [[James Purnell]] of LFI declared anti-Semitism 'a virus' once again infecting [British] body politic while [[Stephen Byers]] added that anti-Israeli criticism should not be used as "a cloak of respectability" for racist views. He went on to warn against dangers of the development of an "intellectual argument" bolstering anti-Semitic feeling. <ref>Marie Woolf, “Anti-Semitism is infecting British politics, MPs warn”, ''The Independent'', 21 April 2004</ref>. [[Denis MacShane]] dispenses with any pretense of originality — or subtlety — altogether in publishing an op-ed in the ''Washington Post'' entitled 'The New Anti-Semitism', which he dramatically began by writing, 'Hatred of Jews has reached new heights in Europe'<ref>Denis MacShane, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/03/AR2007090300719.html The New Anti-Semitism], Washington Post, 4 September 2007</ref>, however the only evidence he cites for his tendtentious claims is a report by an entity called [[All-Party Parliamentary Inquiry Into Antisemitism]]. However, this entity is comprised exclusively of members of the Israel lobby, and the report — published in 2006 to coincide with the campaign to resurrect Israel's image after the PR debacle that was the Lebanon war — is itself of dubious merit. Norman Finkelstein writes:
+
===2016 onwards===
−
:To judge by the witnesses ([[David Cesarani]], [[Lord Janner]], [[Oona King]], [[Emanuele Ottolenghi]], [[Melanie Phillips]]) and sources ([[MEMRI]], [[Holocaust Education Trust]]) cited in the body of the report, much time and money could have been saved had it just been contracted out to the Israel Foreign Ministry...<ref>Norman G. Finkelstein, [http://www.normanfinkelstein.com/article.php?pg=11&ar=516 Kill Arabs, Cry Antisemitism], ''Counterpunch'', 12 September 2006</ref>
+
With the ascent to the leadership of the [[Labour Party]], in September 2015, of [[Jeremy Corbyn]], who has a history of support for [[Palestinians]], the relationship between the [[LFI]] and the party leadership deteriorated.
  
−
On the other hand testimony from Jews critical of Israel, such as the members of [[Jews for Justice for Palestinians]], was pointedly rejected by the Committee.
+
[[LFI]] had been depleted of Parliamentary supporters who lost their seats at the 2015 General Election. In 2016, [[LFI]] announced it had trebled its number of Parliamentary supporters, stating that 65 MPs had pledged to back the group, at a time when many MPs rebelled against the leadership of the party. [[LFI]] re-branded itself as "Labour Friends of Israel: For Israel, For Palestine, For Peace", created a Young LFI group, and stated it would support the Alliance for Middle East Peace’s international fund.<ref>''[https://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/mps-%EF%AC%82ock-to-support-labour-israel-group-1.53362 "MPs flock to support Labour Israel group"]''</ref>
  
−
:The report defines an anti-Semitic incident as any occasion "perceived" to be anti-Semitic by the "Jewish community"... The report includes under the rubric of anti-Semitic incidents not just violent acts and incendiary speech but "conversations, discussions, or pronouncements made in public or private, which cross the line of acceptability," as well as "the mood and tone when Jews are discussed"... In the category of inherently anti-Semitic pronouncements the report includes "drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis" (only comparisons of contemporary Arab policy to that of the Nazis are permissible) and "theories about Jewish or Zionist influence on American foreign policy" (even if Jewish and Zionist organizations boast about this influence).<ref>Ibid.</ref>
+
In early 2017, [[Al Jazeera]] released a four-part documentary entitled "The Lobby", which investigated aspects of the [[Israel lobby]] in the United Kingdom, particularly relating to the Labour Party. A member of Israeli embassy staff, [[Shai Masot]], was recorded "plotting" to take down British MPs who favour recognition of a [[Palestinian]] state; links to the Labour Friends of Israel were put under the spotlight, including a reference to the availability of £1m from the Israeli government.<ref>''[https://www.aljazeera.com/program/investigations/2017/1/10/the-lobby-young-friends-of-israel-part-1/ "The Lobby Part 1: Young Friends of Israel"]''</ref>
  
−
==Target Iran==
+
In March 2018, supporters of [[LFI]], along with the [[Board of Deputies of British Jews]] and the [[Jewish Leadership Council]], took part in a protest critical of the Corbyn leadership, stating that [[antisemitism]] was present in the [[Labour Party]].
−
The [[neoconservative]] agitation for war against [[Iran]] has been complemented by campaign of fear-mongering in UK by key members of Labour Friends of Israel which while rejecting the military option reproduces much of the same unsubstantiated claims. [[Kim Howells]], [[Mike Gapes]] and [[Siôn Simon]] have been actively promoting the 'Iran Threat'. Howells claimed Iran was 'hell bent' on developing nuclear weapons.<ref>DPA, [http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/782336.html U.K. minister: Iranians 'hell-bent' on getting nuclear weapons], ''Haaretz'', 2 November 2006</ref> Even though the US National Intelligence Estimate laid to rest claims about Iran's nuclear weapons program, [[Mike Gapes]], the chair of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee claims Iran still has 'ambitions' and 'by 2015 could gain the ability to quickly produce nuclear weapons.'
 
−
:"Based on the evidence we have received and our own visit to Iran, we believe its nuclear ambitions remain...Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. If it did, it is very likely to lead to a domino effect in the Middle East. This challenge requires the world's urgent attention."
 
−
According to the BBC, 'The report also said it was equally important that the nuclear issue was not a distraction from addressing what it calls Iran's "malign influence" in the [[Middle East]] and support for insurgents in [[Iraq]] and [[Afghanistan]].'<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7273389.stm MPs urging direct US-Iran talks], ''BBC News'', 2 March 2008</ref>
 
  
−
Through its chief propagandist [[Emanuele Ottolenghi]], LFI also has links to the [[neoconservatism|neoconservative]] right. Ottolenghi is a personal friend of [[Michael Ledeen]], and has also been a featured lecturer at the [[Henry Jackson Society]], two key proponents of the anti-Iran campaign.
+
In February 2019, after having lost a vote of no confidence by her local constituency Labour Party, [[Joan Ryan]] resigned from the [[Labour Party]] to join the recently formed [[The Independent Group]] but retained her position as Chair of [[LFI]]. She became Honorary President in August 2019 and Dame [[Louise Ellman]] succeeded her as Parliamentary Chair. In October 2019, Ellman resigned from the Labour Party. Neither stood for reelection in the [[UK/2019 General Election]]. However, despite resigning from the [[Labour Party]], they remained members of [[LFI]].
  
−
==Meeting with American Jewish Committee==
+
As of July 2020, around a quarter of the Parliamentary Labour Party and a third of the shadow cabinet were members of the group. In September 2020, Jennifer Gerber stepped down as director and was replaced by [[Michael Rubin]].
−
In 2006, the [[American Jewish Committee]] (AJC) report meeting with Labour Friends of Israel in 'an effort to strengthen AJC’s ties to British Jewry'
 
  
−
The report states that:
+
==Change of tune on Israel==
−
: 'AJC President [[E Robert Goodkind]] led a leadership delegation to London to meet with the [[Board of Deputies of British Jews]], the main community organizing body for British Jews, as well as with the [[Community Service Trust]] and the newly formed [[Jewish Leadership Council]]. The group also met with British Chief Rabbi [[Jonathan Sacks]], longtime Jewish community leaders Lord [[Greville Janner]] and Sir [[Trevor Chinn]], and with leadership from the Reform, Liberal and [[Conservative Masorti]] movements. In addition, the group held meetings with those Members of Parliament who initiated a serious parliamentary investigation of anti-Semitism, and with younger leaders of [[Conservative Friends of Israel]] and [[Labour Friends of Israel]]. AJC Board members [[Stanley Bergman]] and [[Peter Rosenblatt]] joined Goodkind on the mission<ref>American Jewish Committee [http://www.ajc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=ijITI2PHKoG&b=3121957&ct=4278125 London Jewish Community Greets AJC President] Update 236, 20th December 2006. Accessed 21st August 2008</ref>.
+
On 12 March 2023, ''[[The Observer]]'' published this letter from [[LFI]] director [[Michael Rubin]] who suggested that in trying to emasculate the judiciary and by allying himself with the [[far right]], the [[Israeli]] Prime Minister had alienated the people:{{QB|
 +
:'''We stand united against Netanyahu'''
  
−
==Affiliations==
+
:[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Schama Simon Schama] is right – the actions of [[Benjamin Netanyahu]]’s government since taking office are deeply disturbing and must be strongly opposed ([https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/05/simon-schama-uk-jews-condemn-israel-far-right-violence-palestinians “Simon Schama urges UK Jews to condemn Israel’s ‘horrifying’ shift to far right”, News).] Our support for [[Israel]] is firmly rooted in our progressive values and the [[Jewish]] state’s place as a beacon of democracy, the rule of law and minority rights in the [[Middle East]].
−
*[[Trade Union Friends of Israel]]
 
−
*[[Academic Friends of Israel]]
 
  
−
==People==
+
:It is also clear that [[Netanyahu]]’s self-serving efforts to debilitate the judiciary and the repellent actions of his far-right allies do not command the support of the [[Israeli]] people, who have shown the strength of their opposition in demonstrations now entering their 10th week.
−
People as of 2007-2008<ref>[http://www.jewishtelegraph.co.uk/nat_1.html School Chairman Paid for Bibi Trip], Jewish Telegraph</ref><ref> Etgar Lefkovits, [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1225910067025&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull UK MPs call for Europe-wide campaign to pressure Red Cross concerning Schalit], Jerusalem Post, 9 November 2008.</ref><ref>Bernard Josephs, [http://www.thejc.com/home.aspx?ParentId=m11s18&SecId=18&AId=57338&ATypeId=1 Leader quits Labour Friends of Israel], ''Jewish Chronicle'', 11 January 2008</ref><ref>[http://www.lfi.org.uk/who_we_are Who We Are, ''LFI'']</ref><ref>One of the [http://www.lfi.org.uk/news///Speech_by_Gordon_Brown first speeches] that he delivered when he became prime minster was addressed to LFI; 25 Sept. 2008.  Therein he states: "I have been proud to be a member of Labour Friends of Israel over three decades...".</ref><ref>[http://www.theyworkforyou.com/regmem/?p=11176 James Prunell Profile], TheyWorkForYou.com</ref> <ref>Chris McGreal, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1651249,00.html Foreign Office 'unrelentingly pro-Palestinian' says Israel], ''The Guardian'', 26 November 2005</ref><ref>Andrew Apostolou, 'The Battle for Britain', [http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/apostolou200505050818.asp ''National Review Online''], 5 May, 2005.</ref><ref>Matthew Taylor, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/secondworldwar/story/0,,2179841,00.html Discredited Irving plans comeback tour], Guardian, 29 September 2007.</ref><ref>Dan Fox and Toby Greene, [http://www.progressives.org.uk/Magazine/article.asp?a=1267 Israel is not the problem], Progress Online, 25 August 2005</ref><ref>[http://www.prweek.com/uk/sectors/media/article/852251/the-week-lobbying/ The Week in Lobbying], Hanover has hired a new senior consultant from Labour Friends of Israel. Rebecca Simon makes the switch to Charles Lewington's agency, having been deputy director at LFI. (Accessed: 13 October 2008).</ref>
 
  
−
==Sponsorship==
+
:An estimated 250,000 [[Israeli]]s took to the streets to oppose the government’s judicial reforms. Given the size of the population, this is roughly equivalent to 1.9 million Britons joining the protests – a figure far in excess of any in our history. Those of us who care for [[Israeli]] democracy stand four-square behind the opposition to [[Netanyahu]] both on the streets and in the Knesset.
−
In 2002, [[Isaac Kaye]] and [[David Garrard]] sponsored the [[Labour Friends of Israel]] Annual Lunch. Amongst those in attendence were [[Jack Straw]] and Israeli Ambassador, [[Zvi Shtauber]]. In his speech at the event, Straw thanked [[Michael Levy]] for his work on behalf of the Jewish community in Britain<ref>Straw, J. (2002)  [http://www.britemb.org.il/News/straw130302.html Speech by Foreign Secretary Jack Straw at the Labour Friends of Israel Annual Lunch] 13th March 2002. Accessed 2nd July 2008</ref>.
 
  
−
==Supporters==
+
:[[Michael Rubin]], director,
−
In 2003 Secretary of State for Defence, [[Geoff Hoon]] gave a speech to the [[United Jewish Israel Appeal]]. In his speech he declared that he is a 'strong supporter' of [[Labour Friends of Israel]] and a good friend of [[Trevor Chinn]]<ref>Hoon, G. (2003) [http://www.britemb.org.il/News/hoon131103.html Speech by Secretary of State for Defence, Geoff Hoon, to the United Jewish Israel Appeal]. 13th November 2003. accessed 2nd July 2008</ref>.
+
:Labour Friends of Israel
 +
:London WC1<ref>''[https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/commentisfree/2023/mar/12/those-who-care-for-israeli-democracy-unite-opposition-benjamin-netanyahu "Those of us who care for Israeli democracy unite against Benjamin Netanyahu"]''</ref>}}
  
−
*Nick Palmer - Letter to the Editor, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/letters/story/0,,1815612,00.html The background to the Israeli operation in Gaza], ''The Guardian'', 9 July 2006
 
 
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==References==
 
==References==
 
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Revision as of 17:07, 13 March 2023

Group.png Labour Friends of Israel   Powerbase Sourcewatch WebsiteRdf-entity.pngRdf-icon.png
Lfoi.png
Formation1957
Typelobby
SloganWorking Towards a Two-State Solution
Interest ofKeir Starmer
Membership• Steve McCabe
• Rosie Cooper
• Chris Evans
• Sharon Hodgson
• Diana Johnson
• Peter Kyle
• Pat McFadden
• Conor McGinn
• Catherine McKinnell
• Rachel Reeves
• John Spellar
• Meta Ramsay
• Jonathan Reynolds
• Mike Amesbury
• Fleur Anderson
• Hilary Benn
• Nick Brown
• Chris Bryant
• Liam Byrne
• Neil Coyle
• Feryal Clark
• Yvette Cooper
• Jon Cruddas
• Janet Daby
• Wayne David
• Angela Eagle
• Maria Eagle
• Chris Elmore
• Florence Eshalomi
• Barry Gardiner
• Preet Gill
• Mary Glindon
• Lilian Greenwood
• Nia Griffith
• Andrew Gwynne
• Carolyn Harris
• Fabian Hamilton
• Margaret Hodge
• George Howarth
• Dan Jarvis
• Darren Jones
• Kevan Jones
• Mike Kane
• Liz Kendall
• David Lammy
• Kim Leadbeater
• Chris Matheson
• Siobhain McDonagh
• Stephen Morgan
• Alex Norris
• Taiwo Owatemi
• Toby Perkins
• Jess Phillips
• Bridget Phillipson
• Lucy Powell
• Virendra Sharma
• Barry Sheerman
• Jeff Smith
• Karin Smyth
• Keir Starmer
• Wes Streeting
• Graham Stringer
• Gareth Thomas
• Emily Thornberry
• Karl Turner
• Derek Twigg
• Christian Wakeford
• Rosie Winterton

Labour Friends of Israel (LFI) is a Westminster based pro-Israel lobby group working within the British Labour Party which exercises significant influence over UK/Middle East policy. It is considered one of the most prestigious groupings in the party and is seen as a stepping stone to ministerial ranks by Labour MPs.[1]

LFI boasts some of the wealthiest supporters of the party, and some of its most generous donors, such as Lord Sainsbury of Turville, Michael Levy, Sir Trevor Chinn and Sir Emmanuel Kaye.[2] Two of its leading members, Michael Levy, and David Abrahams, have been embroiled in major scandals involving the New Labour government in recent years. [3]

LFI's director since September 2020 is Michael Rubin.[4]

History

LFI wields considerable influence in Westminster and is also consulted routinely by the Foreign Office and Downing Street on matters relating to the Middle East. Tony Blair was known to consult its members over Middle East policy. [5] LFI also has Tory and Liberal Democrat sister organisations.

While Labour originally carried a reputation for having more voices sympathetic to the Palestinians - especially during the Thatcher years - the New Labour government of Tony Blair reversed this orientation. Although one of Tony Blair's first acts after becoming an MP in 1983 was joining LFI, the relationship truly developed in the early 90s, when as Shadow Home Secretary, Tony Blair met Michael Levy at a private meeting at the latter's house. Michael Abraham Levy is a former chairman of the Jewish Care Community Foundation, a member of the Jewish Agency World Board of Governors, and a trustee of the Holocaust Educational Trust. [6]According to Andrew Porter of The Business, Levy expressed his willingness 'to raise large sums of money for the party' which led to a 'tacit understanding that Labour would never again, while Blair was leader, be anti-Israel' [7]. The partnership proceeded as Levy started inviting potential donors for tennis at his palatial home where Tony Blair would join them for a set or two. Levy would then proceed to ask the guests for donations after Blair had left.[8] The genius of Levy's fundraising strategy ensured that most of Labour's election funds came from private sources, rather than its traditional source - the trade unions, thereby weakening their say over policy.[9]

Levy's investment eventually paid off, with Blair's ascencion to power. The reward was not long in coming as Levy was ennobled and subsequently retained as a 'special envoy' to the Middle East, leading predictably to the development of a strong pro-Israel line [10]. Given the fact that Levy has both a business and a house in Israel and his son Daniel used to work for Yossi Beilin - the former Justice Minister of Israel - speaks of a serious conflict of interest, especially when he is the man assigned by Blair to negotiate impartially with Palestinians and Israelis.[11] The fact that Levy acted as a fundraiser for former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak casts further doubt on his capacity for impartiality. According to Neil Sammonds of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign in 2002, four of the previous five ministers with Responsibility for the Middle East had been active members of LFI. [12]

Cash and Dishonour

While Michael Levy was subsequently arrested and disgraced in what has come to be known as the 'cash-for-honours' scandal, his Israel connection was for the most part politely excluded. (This, however, did not deter some from proclaiming Levy a victim of anti-Semitism)[13]. The case was soon followed by another revelation that David Abrahams, a Labour Friends of Israel financier who has become the third largest donor to the party since Gordon Brown's ascencion, has donated more than £600,000 since 2003 illegaly through proxies.[14] The subsequent scandal has swiftly spread to many leading figures in the Labour Party. Abrahams, a strong supporter of Israel, told The Jewish Chronicle that he donated cash secretly 'so as to avoid accusations of his being part of a “Jewish conspiracy”'.[15] Labour Friends of Israel was implicated in yet another scandal when it was revealed that Cabinet Minister Peter Hain had also been the beneficiary of illegal funds siphoned through proxies. The funders Willie Nagel, a diamond tycoon, and Isaac Kaye, a South African born supporter of the erstwhile Apartheid regime, are both tied to the LFI.[16]

2000 to 2015

In 2003, LFI described itself as "a Westminster based lobby group working within the British Labour Party to promote the State of Israel". It has been described as "less unquestioning in its support of the Israeli government than the Conservative Friends of Israel".[17] Between 2001 and 2009, LFI sponsored more than 60 MPs to visit Israel, more than any other group.

In 2010, Jennifer Gerber, previously director of Progress and before that, special advisor to Andy Burnham, was appointed director.

In 2011, LFI adopted a new strategy of becoming a wider membership organisation and of operating under the slogan "Working Towards a Two-State Solution".

In 2011, John Woodcock was appointed chair, followed in May 2013 by Dame Anne McGuire and, in 2015, Joan Ryan.

In 2014, Adrian Cohen, a corporate lawyer, the chair of the London Jewish Forum, a trustee of the Jewish Leadership Council and a deputy of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, was appointed Lay Chair.

2016 onwards

With the ascent to the leadership of the Labour Party, in September 2015, of Jeremy Corbyn, who has a history of support for Palestinians, the relationship between the LFI and the party leadership deteriorated.

LFI had been depleted of Parliamentary supporters who lost their seats at the 2015 General Election. In 2016, LFI announced it had trebled its number of Parliamentary supporters, stating that 65 MPs had pledged to back the group, at a time when many MPs rebelled against the leadership of the party. LFI re-branded itself as "Labour Friends of Israel: For Israel, For Palestine, For Peace", created a Young LFI group, and stated it would support the Alliance for Middle East Peace’s international fund.[18]

In early 2017, Al Jazeera released a four-part documentary entitled "The Lobby", which investigated aspects of the Israel lobby in the United Kingdom, particularly relating to the Labour Party. A member of Israeli embassy staff, Shai Masot, was recorded "plotting" to take down British MPs who favour recognition of a Palestinian state; links to the Labour Friends of Israel were put under the spotlight, including a reference to the availability of £1m from the Israeli government.[19]

In March 2018, supporters of LFI, along with the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council, took part in a protest critical of the Corbyn leadership, stating that antisemitism was present in the Labour Party.

In February 2019, after having lost a vote of no confidence by her local constituency Labour Party, Joan Ryan resigned from the Labour Party to join the recently formed The Independent Group but retained her position as Chair of LFI. She became Honorary President in August 2019 and Dame Louise Ellman succeeded her as Parliamentary Chair. In October 2019, Ellman resigned from the Labour Party. Neither stood for reelection in the UK/2019 General Election. However, despite resigning from the Labour Party, they remained members of LFI.

As of July 2020, around a quarter of the Parliamentary Labour Party and a third of the shadow cabinet were members of the group. In September 2020, Jennifer Gerber stepped down as director and was replaced by Michael Rubin.

Change of tune on Israel

On 12 March 2023, The Observer published this letter from LFI director Michael Rubin who suggested that in trying to emasculate the judiciary and by allying himself with the far right, the Israeli Prime Minister had alienated the people:

We stand united against Netanyahu
Simon Schama is right – the actions of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government since taking office are deeply disturbing and must be strongly opposed (“Simon Schama urges UK Jews to condemn Israel’s ‘horrifying’ shift to far right”, News). Our support for Israel is firmly rooted in our progressive values and the Jewish state’s place as a beacon of democracy, the rule of law and minority rights in the Middle East.
It is also clear that Netanyahu’s self-serving efforts to debilitate the judiciary and the repellent actions of his far-right allies do not command the support of the Israeli people, who have shown the strength of their opposition in demonstrations now entering their 10th week.
An estimated 250,000 Israelis took to the streets to oppose the government’s judicial reforms. Given the size of the population, this is roughly equivalent to 1.9 million Britons joining the protests – a figure far in excess of any in our history. Those of us who care for Israeli democracy stand four-square behind the opposition to Netanyahu both on the streets and in the Knesset.
Michael Rubin, director,
Labour Friends of Israel
London WC1[20]


 

Known members

23 of the 71 of the members already have pages here:

MemberDescription
Hilary BennWarmongering son of the great peace and social justice activist Tony Benn, proving that the apple sometimes land far from the tree.
Tony BlairRemarkably popular at the time, Tony Blair was a UK prime minister, now infamous for lying the UK into invading Iraq, notwithstanding massive opposition. He is currently sought for War crimes by many people.
Gordon BrownUK deep state functionary. Prime Minister from 2007-2010. WHO ambassador for Global Health Financing from 2021
Chris BryantPrivate school-educated Labour MP for Rhondda
Liam Byrne
Rosie CooperFormer Labour MP
Yvette CooperChair of the Home Affairs Select Committee
Angela EagleUK Labour Party MP
Maria EagleBritish Labour MP who held several ministerial appointments in Tony Blair's government
Barry GardinerShadow International Trade Secretary under Jeremy Corbyn
Margaret Hodge
George Howarth
Lindsay Hoyle
Darren Jones
Kevan JonesLabour defence politician with safe establishment views
Liz KendallBlairite Labour party leadership contender
David LammyEnglish Labour Party politician, WEF/GLT/2002, publicly apologised for nominating Jeremy Corbyn for Labour leader
Kim Leadbeater
Lucy PowellLabour MP, frontbencher under Jeremy Corbyn and Keir Starmer. "Social media anti-vax misinformation is a matter of life or death"
Rachel ReevesRachel Reeves coined the term 'Securonomics'<a href="#cite_note-1">[1]</a>
Virendra Sharma
Keir StarmerSir Spooky Starmer has questions to answer about TLC
Emily Thornberry

 

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References

  1. ↑ "Welcome to Labour Friends of Israel"
  2. ↑ Andrew Pierce, “Blair's chance to raise cash for Pounds 1m refund”, The Times, 18 November 1997
  3. ↑ Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, The shadowy role of Labour Friends of Israel, The Independent, 3 December 2007
  4. ↑ "Labour Friends of Israel director to step down"
  5. ↑ David Cracknell, “Byers plots a comeback with pro-Israel pressure group”, Sunday Times, 4 August 2002
  6. ↑ Peter McKay, “How Tony has let us all down”, Daily Mail, 20 March 2000
  7. ↑ Andrew Porter, The Business, 30 June 2002
  8. ↑ Michael White, “Downing St denies pressure to gag Robinson”, The Guardian, October 21, 1999
  9. ↑ Paul Eastham, “Tories want answers over ‘Cash Passport to Downing Street’”, The Daily Mail, March 30, 1998; Iain MacWhirter, “Blair Gambles Party Cash”, The Scotsman, November 18, 1997
  10. ↑ Kevin Maguire and Ewen MacAskill , Fundraiser's role as envoy under attack, The Guardian, 1 October, 2001
  11. ↑ John Pilger, Blair's meeting with Arafat served to disguise his support for Sharon and the Zionist project, New Statesman, 14 January, 2002
  12. ↑ Neil Sammonds, British culpability and the shadow of Canary Wharf, ZNet,April 10, 2002
  13. ↑ Geoffrey Wheatcroft, Is Levy a victim of racism?, The Independent, 11 March 2007
  14. ↑ Chris Hastings and Andrew Alderson, David Abrahams' glory days as Blair ally, The Daily Telegraph, 3 December 2007
  15. ↑ Leon Symons and the JC Reporting Team, David Abrahams gave in secret ‘to quell conspiracy fears’, Jewish Chronicle, 7 December 2007; Haroon Siddique, Jewish Chronicle defends its coverage of David Abrahams, The Guardian, 7 December 2007
  16. ↑ Bernard Josephs, Labour donor calls Hain row ‘rubbish’, The Jewish Chronicle, 18 January 2008; Speech by Foreign Secretary Jack Straw at the Labour Friends of Israel Annual Lunch, 13 March 2002
  17. ↑ "Pro-Israel lobby group bankrolling Tories, film claims"
  18. ↑ "MPs flock to support Labour Israel group"
  19. ↑ "The Lobby Part 1: Young Friends of Israel"
  20. ↑ "Those of us who care for Israeli democracy unite against Benjamin Netanyahu"
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