According to a 2009 channel 4 dispatches documentary, 50% of the then conservative shadow cabinet were members of the cfi friends of israel lobby but now, that figure has risen to an estimated 80%. It is fascinating because up until this showed, i didnt know labourconservative friends of israel existed and that they send mps on trips to israel for free. The conservative friends of israel, described by conservative party politician and historian robert rhodes james as the largest organization in western europe dedicated to the cause of the people of israel. Conservative friends of israel cfi is one of the most active lobby groups in westminster.
An indymedia user posted an article citing conservative friends of israel supporters as your unelected leaders, with this. Mike gapes, chair of the foreign affairs select committee, is a former. Indeed, 80 percent of conservative mps and meps are thought to belong to the proisrael lobby, according to a recent channel 4 dispatches programme. C4 dispatches investigates israel lobbys influence on uk. For others, dispatches was not an opportunity for any kind of in depth study, but simply a reaffirmation of preexisting paranoia. Britains leading conservative blog for news, comment, analysis and campaigns, edited by paul goodman. Proisrael lobby group bankrolling tories, film claims politics the. It was founded by the late conservative mp for bury and radcliffe, michael fidler. Lord arbuthnot of edrom 16 graham brady mp 17 alistair burt mp 18 david cameron 15 james clappison 19 stephen crabb mp cfis parliamentary chairman in the house of commons, 2017 20 steve double. It claims that 80 per cent of all conservative mps are members, though compared with other british lobbies the group has so far received little press coverage.
According to the documentary dispatches, 80% of conservative mps are members of the conservative friends of israel group. Channel 4 dispatches investigates the proisrael lobby in britain. Friends in high places peter oborne opinion the guardian. We have obtained a full copy of this by peter oborne and james jones. Israeli conservative movement will ordain gay rabbis. Conservative friends of israel cfi is a parliamentary group founded by the late conservative mp for bury and radcliffe, michael fidler and currently chaired by stuart polak. It also seeks to strengthen ties between the british conservative party and the israeli likud party. Cfi according to the cfi website 80% of tory mps are members of conservative friends of israel. It was established by the rightwing religious zionist and conservative politician michael fidler, who was described by his biographer as having had extreme political views reminiscent of the philosophy of enoch powell. It was founded in 1974 by conservative mp for bury and radcliffe, michael fidler.
Young friends of israel l al jazeera investigations duration. Uks powerful israel lobby on 16 th november 2009, the uks channel 4 tv broadcast a dispatches program that claimed to investigates one of the most powerful and influential political lobbies in britain, which is working in support of the interests of the state of israel. In alphabetical order, members of conservative friends of israel include. By james jones and peter oborne authors note by peter oborne every year, in a central london hotel, a very grand lunch is thrown by the conservative friends of israel. It is often addressed by the conservative leader of the day. Cfi as i revealed in a film on the proisraeli lobby for channel 4s dispatches. You can follow any responses to this entry through the rss 2. At least half of the shadow cabinet are members of the conservative friends of israel cfi, according to a dispatches programme being screened on channel 4. The journalist peter oborne presented a highly informative channel 4 dispatches documentary called inside britains israel lobby in which he discussed amongst other matters the role played by the conservative friends of israel in our electoral process. At the moment israel via the us runs britain, but after camerons conservative friends of israel cabal are elected into power solely by a. Dispatches inside britains israel lobby myspace forums the video of it is in there otherwise i would have just linked it. Dispatches described the cfi as beyond doubt the most wellconnected and probably the best funded of all westminster lobbying groups19. Given that there is a general election looming in which the labour government is expected to be swept aside by a conservative tory landslide, dispatches opened with an examination of the conservative friends of israel cfi, an organization that claims.
Inside britains israel lobby full 48 minute episode inside britains israel lobby from channel 4s dispatches. Most of the conservative party members and its friends of israel lobby group allege that the bds movement is disguised antisemitism. However, conservative friends of israel chair richard harrington stressed that the leader had given cfi every possible access and had met cfi officials several times. Conservative friends of israel, abbreviated to cfi, is a british parliamentary group affiliated to the conservative party, which is dedicated to strengthening business, cultural and political ties between the united kingdom and israel.
They vote democrat, support gay rights, and dont keep kosherat least not in the traditional way. Inside britains israel lobby on monday night claimed that conservative friends of israel has funded the tory party to the tune of. The conservative friends of israel the jerusalem post. Dispatches investigates one of the most powerful and influential political lobbies in britain, which is working in support of the interests of the state of israel. Conservative friends of israel is an influential affiliate group of the conservative party which contains perhaps the largest number of conservative mps of any group in parliament. Nor is this the only evidence that dispatches claim on this point is entirely wrong. The prime minister david cameron, has declared himself a zionist. Conservative friends of israel cfi, which was founded in 1974, both reflected and strengthened this trend. Read the latest news from parliament, cfi, israel and the wider region.
Long after waving goodbye to labour, tony blair is still worshipped by its internal israel lobby. Prager, who last week deemed christians united for israel and other christian zionist groups the jews and israels best friends in the world, also tried to blame liberals, not messianic jews, for challenges to judaism. Friends of israel initiative is a qualified 501c3 nonprofit organization and contributions to friends of israel initiative are fully taxdeductible. Proisrael lobby group bankrolling tories, film claims. Some 80 per cent of all tory mps are members, including most cabinet ministers. The film also claimed that the proisrael lobby group were. There is no such organisation as the conservative friends of. The conservative friends of israel director stuart polak, here with david cameron, has criticised the channel 4 dispatches programme. Dispatches criticised by leading jews the jewish chronicle. Nirenstein is a leading columnist for the conservative daily il giornale. Conservative friends of israel, abbreviated to cfi, is a british parliamentary group affiliated to the conservative party and dedicated to strengthening business, cultural and political ties between the united kingdom and israel. Conservatives, messianic jews, and the jews religion. The cfi states its main aim is to strengthen business, cultural and political ties between the uk and israel.
Yesterday, on behalf of conservative friends of israel, 17 tory mps wrote to the daily telegraph urging the government to maintain its stance of not dealing with hamas, which they blamed for. Every year, in a central london hotel, a very grand lunch is thrown by the conservative friends of israel. According to the dispatches documentary, between 2006 and 2009 the cfi funded more than 30 conservative parliamentary candidates to visit israel. She is the author of ten books in italian and two in english. Channel 4 dispatches investigates the proisrael lobby in. It exists to promote understanding of and support for the state of israel in the conservative party, and its membership reaches the highest echelons of power. Among the cfis early patrons was the former prime minister anthony eden, a strong ally of israel in the 1956 suez crisis. Conservative friends of israel wikipedia republished. David cameron was the main speaker at the conservative friends of israel annual lunch on the 18 june 2009. Dispatches also covered the israel lobbys alleged influence on the bbc and other british media and further claimed that many media outlets were frightened of broaching the lobby. Ofcom received 50 complaints about channel 4s program on the uk israel lobby for which opendemocracy published the pamphlet. New conservative government in the uk set to ban bds movement. According to the channel 4 documentary dispatches inside britains israel lobby, around 80% of conservative mps.
Hague was speaking at the conservative friends of israel lunch which was held in the ballroom of the dorchester. She has been granted over twenty awards for her literary and journalistic activity. For 40 years i have argued that jews for jesus pose little or no danger to jewish survival, prager wrote. The label notwithstanding, most conservative jews in america are relatively progressive. British tv documentary tackles taboo of israels lobby the. And so a new expression was born into the sleazy world of westminster. Inside britains israel lobby, channel 4, monday 16 november 2009 cfi informed magazine, second edition, conservative friends of israel, february 2007, p. Many members of the shadow cabinet make it their business to be there along. These must be worrying times for labour friends of israel lfi. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. No other lobbying organisation and certainly not one that acts in the interests of a foreign country carries as much weight at westminster. Now i am not too concerned about the hatchet job that he did on the conservative party and the conservative friends of israel cfi, the troubling thing was the way former tory ministers michael ancram and michael mates spoke with the sort of venom you would generally hear from less well informed antisemites.
This weeks channel 4 programme dispatches, entitled inside britains israel lobby examines how the lobby in this country bankrolls our politicians to bring direct influence on the policies towards israel by both the labour and conservative parties political commentator peter oborne examines the rise of influence of the lobby in the blair years, with blairs appointment of lord. The proisrael lobby is the most powerful political lobby. We are independent of the conservative party but supportive of it. The warmth forged 107 years ago is today sustained by the conservative friends of israel cfi. The latest revelations come only a few months after another channel 4 dispatches report, by peter oborne, showed how large numbers of mps were stooging or cabbing for israel. The cowardice at the heart of our relationship with israel. Dispatches investigates the proisrael lobby in britain which is working in support of the interests of the state of israel. That is not to say that the labour party is any less proisrael, in fact pro. One blogger blamed the lobby for blocking his efforts to upload the programme to youtube. The conservative friends of israel is beyond doubt the best connected, and probably the best funded, of all westminster lobbying groups. The documentary which is 48 minutes long can still be viewed here.
522 925 1299 535 656 796 786 532 1164 909 1164 1314 146 1033 1477 800 885 642 1571 382 670 1510 354 1335 63 163 122 1340 1203 580 1573 996 905 1460 379 143 818 542 250 33 1312 510