Conservative Friends of Israel

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Conservative friends of Israel is one of the most active lobby groups in Westminster, 80% of all Conservative MP’s are members[1].

Relations with David Cameron

According to a report in the Jewish Chronicle:

a small but influential group of Jewish Conservative officials and politicians were... key players in Mr Cameron’s campaign for the leadership. Among them was party treasurer Howard Leigh. Other senior figures around the leader include Oliver Letwin, head of policy [and] former shadow Home Secretary and shadow Chancellor. Although he is popular with Jewish Tories, Mr Cameron’s criticism of Israel’s actions in Lebanon sparked doubts – voiced particularly by Tory donor and former party treasurer Lord Kalms. 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.[2]

David Cameron CFI Speech 2009

David Cameron was the main speaker at the Conservative Friends of Israel annual lunch on the 18 June 2009.[3]. Cameron neglected to mention that six months prior to his speech, Israel began a 23-day bombardment of Gaza that led to the deaths of around 1,400 people including hundreds of children[4]. Not only did David Cameron neglect to mention the “operation cast lead” bombardment of Gaza but he described how “Israel strives to protect innocent life – Hamas target innocent life” .[5] and the Conservative Party leader emphasised the need for the Palestinians to relinquish the use of violence arguing that:

“for the Palestinians themselves, their obligations are clear: Prove you are a reliable negotiating partner. Bring order to your own society. And renounce violence completely” .[6]

Meeting with American Jewish Committee

In 2006, the American Jewish Committee (AJC) reported on a meeting with the Conservative Friends of Israel in 'an effort to strengthen AJC’s ties to British Jewry'.

The AJC report states that:

'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[7].

People

Parliamentary Group

Officers Of CFI

Vice Chairmen

Hon Secretaries

Vice Presidents

CFI Executive Board

CFI Staff

Contact

  • Address: 45B Westbourne Terrace, London W2 3UR
  • Tel: 020-7262 2493
  • Fax: 020-7224 8941
  • E-mail: info@cfoi.co.uk
  • Website: http://www.cfoi.co.uk

Notes

  1. ↑ Peter Oborne, Inside Britain’s Israel Lobby, Channel 4 Dispatches, 16-November-2009, Viewed 02-January-2010
  2. ↑ Bernard Josephs and Leon Symons, Special report: Team Cameron’s big Jewish backers, The Jewish Chronicle, 13 October 2006, p. 3
  3. ↑ David Cameron, SPEECH BY CONSERVATIVE PARTY LEADER DAVID CAMERON TO THE CONSERVATIVE FRIENDS OF ISRAEL ANNUAL LUNCH HELD IN LONDON ON THURSDAY 18TH JUNE 2009, Conservative Friends of Israel, 18-June-2009, Accessed 02-January-2009
  4. ↑ Harriet Sherwood, Childhood in ruins, The Guardian, 17-December-2009, Accessed 02-January-2009
  5. ↑ David Cameron, SPEECH BY CONSERVATIVE PARTY LEADER DAVID CAMERON TO THE CONSERVATIVE FRIENDS OF ISRAEL ANNUAL LUNCH HELD IN LONDON ON THURSDAY 18TH JUNE 2009, Conservative Friends of Israel, 18-June-2009, Accessed 02-January-2009
  6. ↑ David Cameron, SPEECH BY CONSERVATIVE PARTY LEADER DAVID CAMERON TO THE CONSERVATIVE FRIENDS OF ISRAEL ANNUAL LUNCH HELD IN LONDON ON THURSDAY 18TH JUNE 2009, Conservative Friends of Israel, 18-June-2009, Accessed 02-January-2009
  7. ↑ American Jewish Committee London Jewish Community Greets AJC President Update 236, 20th December 2006. Accessed 21st August 2008
  8. ↑ Nissan Ratzlav-Katz, Conservative Friends of Israel at UK Political Conference, Arutz Sheva, 22 January 2008.
  9. ↑ Nissan Ratzlav-Katz, ibid.
  10. ↑ Etgar Lefkovits, UK MPs call for Europe-wide campaign to pressure Red Cross concerning Schalit, Jerusalem Post, 9 November 2008.
  11. ↑ About Us, CFI website, version dated 8 Aug 2007, accessed in web archive 7 Oct 2009
  12. ↑ About Us, CFI website, version dated 6 May 2008, accessed in web archive 7 Oct 2009
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