British Israel Group
The British Israel Group (BIG) is a pro-Israel advocacy group.
Contents
History
The organisation was founded in 2001 by lawyer Avi Lehrer.[1]
Activities
Israel Advocacy/Training Israel Advocates
According to the BIG website Lehrer founded the organisation because 'He was inspired to harness the knowledge of English-speaking ex Brits living in Israel and give them further training in public diplomacy in the cause of enhancing Israel's image.'[1]
The group has a mailing list and claims to have subscribers to its blog in more than ten countries world wide.[1]
Working with Christian Zionists
According to the organisation's website BIG works with Christian Zionist groups:
'BIG also works with the main pro-Israel Christian organisations offering talks, hospitality in Jewish homes and information to visiting groups.'[1]
In January 2003 the BIG organised a meeting between international Christian Zionist groups and BIG members.[2] More than 75 English speaking Jews and Christians were in attendance at the meeting held at the headquarters of the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem.[2] Representatives of Bridges for Peace, Christian Friends of Israel and the ICEJ were at the meeting.[2] Speakers at the event included Avi Lehrer, founder of the BIG, Bret Stephens, editor in chief of the Jerusalem Post. During his remarks Stephens commented that 'AIPAC (the America Israel Public Affairs Committee) doesn't deliver the votes for Israel... it's the Christian Coalition.'[2] He described Christian supporters of Israel as 'a huge reservoir of support' and stated that the Jewish community would be 'stupid to spurn, [Christian supporters of Israel] especially when we don't have so many friends and allies...'[2]
ICEJ executive director Malcolm Hedding also spoke at the event. He remarked that: 'God has been faithful to the Jews and Israel is a fulfilment of God's promise.'[2] Asserting Israel's rights to historic Palestine he commented that: 'No other people have had a 4,000 year engagement with this land'.[2]
Views
Criticism of UNRWA
In a memorandum submitted to the UK parliament's Select Committee on International Development, the BIG criticised the United Nations Relief Works Agency (which aids Palestinian refugees). Conceding that most of UNRWA's funding is used to help impoverished Palestinians the memorandum suggested that refugee status should be stripped from Palestinian refugees and that there was no need for a UN refugee agency operating in addition to the UN High Commission for Refugees. The BIG further recommended that the UK government should not fund the UNRWA:
- UNRWA defines all descendents of Palestinian refugees as refugees as well and tries to maintain their refugee status indefinitely. For this reason the UN maintains two parallel refugee organizations, one for Palestinians (UNRWA) and one for the rest of the world. Thus the refugee status of Palestinians is maintained indefinitely by UNRWA, thereby perpetuating the conflict rather than trying to solve it... For this reason alone, the UK should not provide funds via this organisation.[3]
Criticism of Palestinian and international NGOs
In the same memorandum the BIG recommended that the UK government should, 'as a general rule' support 'local committee' NGOs rather than those national in scope. The BIG also suggested that Oxfam and Christian Aid operations aiding Palestinians ought not to be funded:
- As a general rule, the "local committee" type of NGO is truly dealing with humanitarian aid in a specific area and should be supported. Those Palestinian NGOs that need to be reviewed more critically are those which are national in scope and headquartered in Ramallah. These range from being virtual arms of the PA to completely genuine aid organizations. A useful criterion in distinguishing which national-level NGO falls into which category is the readiness of that NGO to sign the USAID declaration that they do not divert any funds to terrorism (See "Palestine Media Watch" report in Appendix B for a partial list of those not prepared to sign). Lastly, the non-Palestinian NGOs such as Oxfam and Christian Aid are a relatively inefficient means of funding the local NGOs mentioned above. Oxfam for example lists among its partners a Palestinian organization that refused to sign this USAID declaration, and many of Christian Aids partners (listed on their website) are political organisations which spend the funds they receive on political propaganda instead of alleviating poverty, in a move that must surely place Christian Aid in violation of its charitable status.
- In summary, channeling UK funds though local Palestinian NGOs is the most efficient and effective means of alleviating poverty in the territories. However, the methods and organizations via which this aid is channeled to those organizations should be reviewed, and only apolitical organizations entrusted with this important task.[3]
People
Committee Members circa June 2015
Norman Cohen | Lola Cohen | Andrew Balcombe | Stuart Palmer | Hasja Palemer | Ian Solomon
Contact
Website: http://britishisraelgroup.weebly.com/
Contact Page: http://britishisraelgroup.weebly.com/contact.html
Blog: http://bigarticlesoftheweek.blogspot.co.uk/
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 British Israel Group Website About Us. Accessed 2 June 2015.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Judy Lash Balint, 'Op-Ed: Getting to Know You', Arutz Sheva 7, 29 January 2003, accessed 2 June 2015.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 UK Parliament Website Select Committee on International Development Written Evidence Memorandum submitted by the British-Israel Group (BIG). Accessed 3 June 2015.
