Labour Friends of Israel (LFI) is a parliamentary group affiliated to the Labour Party promoting support for a strong bilateral relationship between Britain and Israel. It also seeks to strengthen ties between the British and the Israeli Labour party.
Labour Friends of Israel supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with Israel recognised and secure within its borders and the establishment of a viable Palestinian state.
Founded in October 1957 at a public rally at the Labour Party Conference, it has developed into one of the largest special interest groups in the Labour Party, drawing wide support from Members of Parliament and Government Ministers. Labour Friends of Israel has a large membership, organised into local branches. Seeking to strengthen the bond between the British Labour Party and the Israeli Labor Party, it organises meetings in both the UK and Israel between senior figures. In 2003 it described itself as "a Westminster based lobby group working within the British Labour Party to promote the State of Israel".
In 2011 Labour Friends of Israel adopted a new strategy of becoming a wider membership organisation and operating under the slogan "Working Towards a Two-State Solution". In 2010 Jennifer Gerber, previously director of Progress, had been appointed Director, and in 2011 John Woodcock was appointed Chair.
The Labour Friends of Israel is a distinct organisation to the Jewish Labour Movement, the affiliated socialist society and successor to the UK's Poale Zion.
They have been described as "less unquestioning in its support of the Israeli government than the Conservative Friends of Israel". Between 2001 and 2009 they paid for more than 60 MPs to visit Israel, more than any other group.
The charitable Yigal Allon Educational Trust, founded in 1985 by former Prime Minister Harold Wilson, Ian Mikardo MP, Lord Glenamara and others, has supported Labour Friends of Israel.
David Abrahams - former Treasurer
Lord Archer of Sandwell
Sir Stuart Bell MP
Luciana Berger MP, Former Director of LFI
Tony Blair former MP and Prime Minister
Lord Janner of Braunstone Q.C. Former MP for Leicester West, Former President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews & Current Chair of the British Israel Parliamentary Group.
David Blunkett MP and former Home Secretary
Gordon Brown MP and former Prime Minister
Chris Bryant MP and former Minister for Europe
Stephen Byers former MP and Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
Wayne David MP
Andrew Dismore
Louise Ellman MP, Vice Chair of LFI
Derek Foster MP
Lord Foulkes MSP and former MP
Mike Gapes MP - former Vice Chair of LFI (2004)
Anthony Greenwood MP, first Chair of LFI (1957)
Andrew Gwynne MP, Chair of LFI (2010)
Fabian Hamilton MP
Joan Humble MP
Baroness Hayman
Barbara Keeley MP
Jane Kennedy MP - Chair (2007)
Ivan Lewis MP, former Vice Chair of LFI
Lord Macdonald of Tradeston
Denis MacShane MP
Jonathan Mendelsohn - former Chair of LFI (2002)
Alun Michael MP, former Leader of the Welsh Labour Party
Andrew Miller MP
Jim Murphy MP - former Chair of LFI (2001), former Secretary of State for Scotland
Dan Norris former MP
Nick Palmer MP
James Purnell former Chair of LFI, MP and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale
John Reid former MP and Home Secretary (2007)
Terry Rooney MP
Siôn Simon MP
Dari Taylor MP
Gary Titley MP
John Woodcock MP, Chair of LFI (2011)
Glenis Willmott MEP, Vice Chair of LFI
Lord Winston
Iain Wright MP, former Chair of LFI (2006)
Lord Young of Norwood Green
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