Edinburgh Friends of Israel

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Edinburgh Friends of Israel is the name of an organisation used by a number of Zionist activists in Edinburgh. Its first iteration was between 1971 and 1996. It appears to have depended on regular subventionms from the Zionist regime and when these were withdrawn the group closed.

The most recent iteration was as part of a wave of Scottish Friends of Israel groups initiated around 2014/5 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Ministry of Strategic Affairs (part of the Zionist regime in occupied Palestine).

Timeline

Report from the Friends of Israel, Edinburgh Stat, September 1992, No. 13.

First iteration

  • 1971 - A meeting was held in Edinburgh last week to consider the formation of a local branch of the Anglo-Israel Friendship League. Mr John Levy gave an account of the purpose and work of the league and it was decided that a branch be established to be called the Edinburgh Friends of Israel.[1]
  • 1973 - President The Earl of Balfour. Hon Sec. Mrs I. Eivan 4 Afton Terr.[2]
  • 1981 - President The Earl of Balfour. Hon Sec. Mrs I. Eivan 4 Afton Terr.[3]
  • 1983 - President The Earl of Balfour. Hon Sec. Mrs I. Eivan 4 Afton Terr. T.:031-332 4386.[4]
  • 1993 - President The Earl of Balfour. Hon Sec. Mrs I. Eivan 4 Afton Terr. T.:031-332 4386.[5]
  • 1987 (March) - "In March 1987 I had the good fortune to participate in a study tour of Israel organized and conducted by that wonderful couple, John and Irene Eivan, of the Edinburgh Friends of Israel. This was the first of a series of lucky chances which culminated in my aliyah in October of that same year, 1987. My plan was to stay in a Tel Aviv hotel for two weeks after the Friends had returned to Edinburgh, and try to find a suitable flat. But before the end of the tour, in fact on the last evening, at the farewell party sponsored by the Zionist Organization in the Windmill Hotel in Jerusalem, my second lucky chance occurred. I was introduced to and warmly welcomed by Uzi and Daniella Shilon. Uzi is a well known lawyer. His family has been settled in Israel for four generations. He and his charming wife speak excellent English with a faintly familiar accent which they acquired during two years spent in Glasgow, where Uzi worked in the Jewish Agency as a "shaliach", or middle-man between Scotland and Israel (the literal translation would be, I suppose, "emissary"). They had made the journey from Ramat-Gan to Jerusalem on purpose to meet some of their Scottish friends at the Windmill Hotel party, and they were destined to become my best friends in Israel. [6]
  • 1996 - TRIBUTE TO JOHN AND IRENE EIVAN 'Following the service at the Synagogue on Erev HaAzmaut, a large gathering from the Community, with members of the Edinburgh Friends of Israel Association, met in the Community Hall. Wine, cake and biscuits were served. Once everyone was seated, Hazel Cosgrove gave a speech of appreciation of John and Irene Eivan's achievements since founding the Edinburgh Friends of Israel in 1971, and thereby furthering an interest in different facets of life in Israel: cultural, archeological, historical, and pertaining to nature. The EFI also enabled its members to participate in a practical way by contributing to projects such as tree planting, a playground in Nazareth Illit, and Alyn Hospital for severely physically handicapped children in Jerusalem. John Eivan then made a speech in EFI, reply in which he announced that the together with the Edinburgh Hebrew Congregation, had contributed a sufficient number of trees (1,000) to enable a grove to be planted in EFI's name . This grove is at Allon HaGalil - further trees can still be planted. He also confirmed that just over £1,000 had been donated for the playground and that there would be a plaque at the playground to acknowledge this gift. John Association, explained along that with the other Friends of Israel Associations worldwide, could not continue because the Foreign Ministry in Israel had cut the budget of their External Relations Department in Jerusalem so that they were no longer able to co-ordinate and supply travelling lecturers and literature. Hazel Cosgrove then presented John and Irene with an attractive engraved silver salver as a token of the thanks and appreciation of the Association and the Community. Musical entertainment was provided by Bill Simpson on the clarinet and Esti Sheinberg on the piano. Esti also led those present in the singing of modern Israeli songs. A very enjoyable evening was brought to an end by some enthusiastic dancing by some of those present. NOTE : Fund-raising events for the Alyn hospital for handicapped children will continue through the Scottish Friends of Alyn Group. See report on page 18. Dorothe Kaufmann.[7]
  • 1997 - President The Earl of Balfour. Hon Sec. Mrs I. Eivan 4 Afton Terr. T.:031-552 2860.[8]
  • 2000 - No listing in the Jewish Year Book.


Data on the formation of the Facebook group for Edinburgh Friends of Israel.

Second iteration

  • 2015 - Creation of Facebook group

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Jewish Chronicle, 24 December 1971, p. 5.
  2. ↑ The Jewish Year Book, 1973, p. 119.
  3. ↑ The Jewish Year Book, 1981, p. 127.
  4. ↑ The Jewish Year Book, 1983, p. 124.
  5. ↑ The Jewish Year Book, 1993, p. 157.
  6. ↑ Eva Erdelyi After nearly half a century in Edinburgh Aliyah at 75 plus, Edinburgh Star, No. 5. March 1990
  7. ↑ The Edinburgh Star, 1996. https://www.edinburghstar.info/downloads/pdf/star-25.pdf
  8. ↑ The Jewish Year Book, 1997, p. 131.
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