Labour Friends of Israel

Labour Friends of Israel is a Westminister based pro-Israel lobby group working within the UK Labour Party. 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. It was formerly known as Poale Zion and is now more commonly called the Jewish Labour Movement.

Among LFI's members include some of the party's biggest donors, such as Lord Sainsbury of Turville, Michael Levy, Sir Trevor Chinn and Sir Emmanuel Kaye. The group's president is Gwyneth Dunwoody MP, while David Mencer,a former volunteer for the Israeli Defence Force, is its current director.

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 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.

A Labour campaign advert in the Jewish Chronicle boasted:

"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."

The advert also boasted that the new Terrorism Act of 2000 – for which LFI actively lobbied – "proscribes terrorist organizations like Hamas, Hizbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad".

Some of the MPs, who had their trips to Israel sponsored by LFI in recent years include Ivor Caplin, Paul Clark, Oona King, Ashok Kumar, Ivan Lewis, Anne McGuire, Rosemary McKenna, Margaret Moran, Jim Murphy, Sandra Osborne, Gareth Thomas, Frank Roy, Joan Ryan, Angela Smith, Graham Stringer, Rudi Vis, David Watts, Gillian Merron, Peter Pike, Lorna Fitzsimons, Louise Ellman, Caroline Flint, Linda Perham, Douglas Alexander, Fabian Hamilton, Anthony Colman, Dan Norris, Andy Burnham, David Cairns, Tony Cunningham, Eric Joyce, Huw Irranca-Davies, David Wayne, Parmjit Dhanda, Meg Munn, Mike Gapes, Stephen Twigg and Andrew Dismore.

External link

• Spinwatch: Labour Friends of Israel