Conservative Friends of Israel

British parliamentary group

Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI) is a British parliamentary group affiliated to the Conservative Party, which is dedicated to strengthening control over business, cultural and political ties between the United Kingdom and Israel, as well as between the British Conservative Party and the Israeli Likud party.

It was founded in 1974 by Michael Fidler, the Conservative MP for Bury and Radcliffe.[1] The current Parliamentary Chairman is Stephen Crabb and current Honorary President is Stuart Polak, Baron Polak. [2]

In 1995 Conservative politician Robert Rhodes James called it "the largest organisation in Western Europe dedicated to the cause of the people of Israel".[3] By 2009, according to the Channel 4 documentary Dispatches – Inside Britain's Israel Lobby, around 80% of Conservative MPs were members of the CFI.[4] In 2013, the Daily Telegraph's chief political commentator, Peter Oborne, called CFI "by far Britain's most powerful pro-Israel lobbying group."[5]

## Activities

[edit]

The group's 2005 strategy identified the following areas of activity: supporting Israel, promoting the British Conservative Party, fighting terrorism, combating antisemitism, and promoting peace in the Middle East.[6] According to their website, "over two-thirds" of Conservative MPs were members of Conservative Friends of Israel in 2006.[7] In 2007 the Political Director stated it had over 2,000 members and registered supporters.[8] In 2009, at least half of the shadow cabinet were members of the group according to a Dispatches documentary.[9]

Their website states the opinion that it is one of the fastest growing political lobby groups in the UK.[10] According to the Dispatches documentary, between 2006 and 2009 the CFI funded more than 30 Conservative parliamentary candidates to visit Israel.[9]

In 2012 CFI reconstituted itself as a private company limited by guarantee.[11]

### CFI annual business lunch

[edit]

On 30 January 2006, David Cameron, then newly elected Conservative leader, addressed the CFI annual business lunch whose audience included half of the Conservative Parliamentary Party. As part of his speech, he stated "I am proud not just to be a Conservative, but a Conservative friend of Israel; and I am proud of the key role CFI plays within our Party. Israel is a democracy, a strong and proud democracy, in a region that is, we hope, making its first steps in that direction."[12]

Former Conservative party leaders Iain Duncan Smith[13] and Michael Howard[14] have addressed the CFI lunch.

The MP Sajid Javid has also made business lunch speeches which have been positively received by the CFI, with The Jewish Chronicle even reporting Javid as a future Prime Minister.[15]

## Donations

[edit]

The Dispatches documentary claimed members of the group and their companies have donated over £10 million to the Conservative party between 2001 and 2009. The group called this figure "deeply flawed" saying that they have only donated £30,000 between 2004 and 2009 but that members of the group have undoubtedly made their own donations to the party. Dispatches described the CFI as "beyond doubt the most well-connected and probably the best funded of all Westminster lobbying groups".[4][9]

## Members of CFI

[edit]

In 2014, CFI stated that 80% of Conservative MPs were members.[16]

In alphabetical order, members of Conservative Friends of Israel include:

* Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom[17]
* Graham Brady MP[18]
* Alistair Burt MP[19]
* David Cameron[16]
* James Clappison[20]
* Stephen Crabb MP – CFI's Parliamentary Chairman in the House of Commons, 2017[21]
* Steve Double
* Iain Duncan-Smith MP[22]
* Lord Hague of Richmond[23]
* Robert Halfon MP[24]
* Lord Harrington[24]
* Lord Kalms[25]
* Sajid Javid MP
* Stuart Polak, Baron Polak
* Priti Patel MP[26]
* Lord Pickles – CFI's Parliamentary Chairman in the House of Lords as of 2023[27][28][21]
* Sir Malcolm Rifkind[29]
* Sheryll Murray
* Greg Smith MP
* Theresa Villiers, MP[30]
* Philip Hollobone MP

## See also

[edit]

* Conservatism portal
* Politics portal
* United Kingdom portal
* Israel portal

* Israel lobby in the United Kingdom
* Labour Friends of Israel
* Labour Friends of Palestine & the Middle East
* Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel
* Northern Ireland Friends of Israel
* European Friends of Israel
* Friends of Israel Initiative
* Conservative Friends of Russia
* Conservative Friends of the Chinese

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Barberis, Peter; McHugh, John; Tyldesley, Mike (1 January 2000). Encyclopedia of British and Irish Political Organizations: Parties, Groups and Movements of the 20th Century. A&C Black. p. 49\. ISBN 978-0-8264-5814-8.
2. ^ Harpin, Lee (14 May 2018). "'Hamas are manipulating Gaza citizens', says leading Tory MP as scores die". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
3. ^ Peter Oborne (12 December 2012). "The cowardice at the heart of our relationship with Israel". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
4. ^ a b "Dispatches: Inside Britain's Israel Lobby". Channel 4. 16 November 2009.
5. ^ Oborne, Peter (27 November 2013). "Iran nuclear deal: ill-informed friends of Israel are refusing to face facts". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
6. ^ CFI INFORMED Magazine, Second Edition (PDF), Conservative Friends of Israel, February 2007, p. 3, archived from the original (PDF) on 29 May 2008, retrieved 29 May 2008
7. ^ Conservative Friends of Israel – About Us Archived 26 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine
8. ^ Robert Halfon (27 September 2007). "Introducing the CFI". ConservativeHome. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
9. ^ a b c Black, Ian (16 November 2009). "Pro-Israel lobby group bankrolling Tories, film claims". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 16 November 2009.
10. ^ "Home".
11. ^ "Companies House WebCHeck – CONSERVATIVE FRIENDS OF ISRAEL LIMITED". Companies House. Company No. 08114952. Archived from the original on 29 December 2008. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
12. ^ CFI INFORMED Weekly Briefing (PDF), Conservative Friends of Israel, 3 February 2006, archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2006, retrieved 25 May 2006
13. ^ Duncan Smith: Israel has the right to defend itself against terrorists Archived 20 July 2006 at the Wayback Machine, Conservatives.com, 10 December 2001
14. ^ "Howard Speech to the Conservative Friends of Israel, at the Savoy Hotel, London". Conservatives.com. 6 December 2004. Archived from the original on 12 December 2004.
15. ^ "Muslim Tory MP: After Britain, Israel is best". The Jewish Chronicle. 13 December 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
16. ^ a b "About CFI". Conservative Friends of Israel. Archived from the original on 2 August 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
17. ^ "Ministers "will change" war crimes arrest law". Jewish Chronicle. 8 July 2010.
18. ^ "Altrincham and Sale West: Election 2010". Jewish Chronicle. 29 April 2010.
19. ^ "UK: Evangelical Christian appointed new UK Middle East Minister". The Muslim News. 15 May 2010. Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
20. ^ "History". .cfoi.co.uk. 5 September 1989. Archived from the original on 9 August 2011. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
21. ^ a b "In Jerusalem Post CFI Parliamentary Chairmen announce plans to take UK-Israel relations forward". Conservative Friends of Israel. 6 July 2018.
22. ^ "Cameron's Cabinet: Who are they?". Retrieved 15 May 2011.
23. ^ "William Hague's Schmooze with the Jewish News". Totally Jewish. 25 March 2010. Archived from the original on 6 April 2010.
24. ^ a b "Ministers lose seats in the East". East Anglia Daily Times. 7 May 2010.
25. ^ Black, Ian (16 November 2009). "Pro-Israel lobby group bankrolling Tories, film claims". The Guardian. London.
26. ^ "About Conservative Friends of Israel". cfoi.co.uk. Archived from the original on 9 August 2011. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
27. ^ "About CFI". Conservative Friends of Israel. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
28. ^ "Eric Pickles to lead MPs' delegation to Israel". Jewish Chronicle. 24 July 2015.
29. ^ "Rifkind elected as Kensington MP". Jewish Chronicle. 7 May 2010.
30. ^ Sloan, Alaistair. "Ed Miliband will back Israel". Middle East Monitor. Archived from the original on 5 July 2015. Retrieved 13 April 2015.

## External links

[edit]

* Conservative Friends of Israel – Official site

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