Labour Friends of Israel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Labour Friends of Israel is a UK Parliament-based lobby group promoting support within the British Labour Party for a strong bilateral relationship between Britain and Israel. It also seeks to strengthen ties between the British and the Israeli Labour party. Labour Friends of Israel supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with Israel recognised and secure within its borders and the establishment of a viable Palestinian state.[1]
Founded in October 1957 at a public rally at the Labour Party Conference,[2] it has developed into one of the largest special interest groups in the Labour Party, drawing wide support from Members of Parliament and Government Ministers. Labour Friends of Israel has a large membership, organised into local branches. Seeking to strengthen the bond between the British Labour Party and the Israeli Labor Party, it organises meetings in both the UK and Israel between senior figures. Membership of the group is regarded, by many political commentators, as an essential step towards attaining a front-bench position within the party[3]. In 2003 it described itself as "a Westminster based lobby group working within the British Labour Party to promote the State of Israel".[4]
As of 25th September 2007, its Chair was Jane Kennedy MP and President was Rt Hon Gwyneth Dunwoody (Deceased) MP. Vice Chairs were Barbara Keeley MP, Andrew Dismore MP, Louise Ellman MP and Gary Titley MEP.
Members of the Labour Friends of Israel Policy Council were Rt Hon Stephen Byers MP, Rt Hon Derek Foster MP, Rt Hon George Foulkes MSP, Jane Kennedy MP, Rt Hon Paul Murphy MP, Rt Hon Don Touhig MP and Denis MacShane MP. House of Lords Chair was Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale.
The Labour Friends of Israel is a distinct organisation to the Jewish Labour Movement, the affiliated socialist society and successor to the UK's Poale Zion.
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[edit] Members of LFI
In alphabetical order, members of Labour Friends of Israel include:
- David Abrahams - former Treasurer [5]
- Lord Archer of Sandwell[6]
- Sir Stuart Bell MP [7]
- Tony Blair former MP and Prime Minister[8]
- Gordon Brown MP and Prime Minister[8][9]
- Chris Bryant MP[6]
- Stephen Byers MP - former Secretary of State for Trade and Industry[6]
- Wayne David MP[6]
- Andrew Dismore MP[6]
- Louise Ellman MP[6]
- Derek Foster MP[6]
- George Foulkes MP[6]
- Mike Gapes MP - former Deputy Chairman (2004)[10]
- Anthony Greenwood MP - first Chair (1957)[2]
- Fabian Hamilton MP[6]
- Joan Humble MP[6]
- Baroness Hayman[6]
- Barbara Keeley MP[6]
- Jane Kennedy MP[6] - Chair (2007)[6]
- Ashok Kumar MP[6]
- Ivan Lewis MP, former Vice Chair of LFI [11]
- Lord Macdonald of Tradeston[6]
- Denis MacShane MP[6]
- Jonathan Mendelsohn - former Chairman (2002)[12]
- Andrew Miller MP[6]
- Jim Murphy MP - former Chairman (2001) [13]
- Dan Norris MP[6]
- Nick Palmer MP[6]
- James Purnell MP - former Chairman LFI - incumbent Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [14]
- Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale[6]
- John Reid MP - former Home Secretary (2007)[15]
- Terry Rooney MP[6]
- Siôn Simon MP[6]
- Dari Taylor MP[6]
- Gary Titley MP[6]
- Lord Winston[6]
- Iain Wright MP - Chair (2006)[6]
- Lord Young of Norwood Green[6]
[edit] See also
- Conservative Friends of Israel
- Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel
- Northern Ireland Friends of Israel
- European Friends of Israel
[edit] References
- ^ Janine Roberts (May 24, 2008), The Influence of Israel in Westminster, Palestine Chronice, http://www.palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=13821, retrieved on 2008-12-10
- ^ a b Labor Friends of Israel (December 8, 2008). "Labor Friends of Israel - 50 Years". http://www.lfi.org.uk/50_years.
- ^ http://www.spinwatch.org/
- ^ Labour Friends Of Israel website - about us, archive.org, 2003-08-01, http://web.archive.org/web/20030801165548/www.lfi1.dircon.co.uk/about.html, retrieved on 2008-12-10
- ^ Symons, Leon et al.. "David Abrahams gave in secret ‘to quell conspiracy fears’". Jewish Chronicle. http://web.archive.org/web/20071209172859/http://www.thejc.com/home.aspx?ParentId=m11&SecId=11&AId=56890&ATypeId=1.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab Labor Friends of Israel (December 7, 2008). "Who We Are". http://www.lfi.org.uk/who_we_are.
- ^ Bell, Stuart (January 30, 2008). "Sir Stuart Bell MP, Biography". http://web.archive.org/web/20080130071351/http://www.stuartbellmp.org/biography.htm.
- ^ a b Ned Temko (2 December 2007). "Behind-the-scenes group's unerring knack of backing the right man". The Observer. http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2007/dec/02/uk.partyfunding1. Retrieved on 2008-12-29.
- ^ Brown, Gordon (September 25, 2007). "Speech by Gordon Brown to the LFI Annual Reception". Labor Friends of Israel. http://www.lfi.org.uk/news///Speech_by_Gordon_Brown.
- ^ Gapes, Mike (July 4, 2001). "House of Commons Hansard Debates". House of Commons, UK. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200102/cmhansrd/vo010704/halltext/10704h02.htm.
- ^ H.M. Cabinet Office (2003). "Speaker Biographies, Ivan Lewis MP". http://archive.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/e-envoy/esummit-speakers/$file/lewis.htm.
- ^ Hope, Christopher (February 9, 2007). "Jon Mendelsohn profile: a real Mr Fix-It". Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/11/28/nbrown1928.xml.
- ^ Mulholland, Hélène (October 3, 2008). "Profile - Jim Murphy". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/oct/03/labour.scotland.
- ^ "Five days in Israel -- James Purnell MP, chairman of Labour Friends of Israel, visits a kibbutz, meets Ehud Barak and attends a peace conference in Tel Aviv". The Guardian. December 12, 2002. http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2002/dec/12/israelandthepalestinians.jamespurnell.
- ^ Kite, Melissa Kite and Hennessy, Patrick (January 5, 2005). "David Blunkett to return to the Cabinet in major reshuffle". Daily Telegraph. http://web.archive.org/web/20071123132711/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/05/01/nlab01.xml.
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Labour Friends of Israel, 1997 General Election information,1 May 1997
- Labour Friends of Israel event speech, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, 2 November 2005
- Speech by PM Tony Blair to LFI Annual Reception, Prime Minister Tony Blair, 26 September, 2006
- Speech by Gordon Brown to the LFI Annual Reception, Prime Minister Gordon Brown, 25 September 2007
- Friends of Israel
- Labour Friends of Israel in the House, critical Spinwatch article
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