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The Israel lobby in the United Kingdom, also sometimes pejoratively called the “Jewish Lobby” and the “Zionist Lobby’, is defined as “the array of pro-Israel organisations in Britain”.

Debate

In 2002 John Pilger and Dennis Sewell detailed pro-Israel efforts of arms trader Shlomo Zabludowicz, allegedly a funder of the Britain-Israel Communications and Research Centre (BICOM) and of Conrad Black, the owner of the conservative British publications Daily Telegraph and Spectator, as well as the Jerusalem Post and his wife Barbara Amiel who they describe as "the enthusiastic Zionist columnist." They wrote "That there is a Zionist lobby and that it is rich, potent, and effective goes largely unquestioned on the left." However, they concluded "The truth is that the "Zionist lobby" does exist, but is a clueless bunch."

The London-based Jewish Chronicle reported in 2006 that the day after the Second Intifada by Palestinians began, fifty Jewish leaders met with the Israeli ambassador and “raised an initial £250,000 fund for pro-Israel lobbying and public relations.” It noted that "a debate goes on in the community’s upper echelons over whether Bicom should remain a mainly-behind-the-scenes player focussing on media or a more upfront pro-Israel lobby similar to the American Aipac...”

The British based Muslim group Muslim Public Affairs Committee UK (MPACUK), insists there is a "British Israel Lobby", stating in 2006 that "there are over 100 members of the Friends of Israel lobby in the Labour party alone. This gives them a very loud voice simply because they are active, each and everyone is giving and working for the good of their community." It insists the Israel lobby exists, stating: "We would like to apologise to all the Warmongers, Anti-Ceasefire camp, pro-war camp, anti-Islam camp, anti-Muslim camp, Zionists, Israel Supporters, terrorists, extremists, fascists, right-wingers, Neo-Cons, Tony Blair, well pretty much everyone who doesn't believe in the existence of the British Israel Lobby for exposing you for hijacking our countries foreign policy, which promotes hatred/war/injustice and who can forget the rejection of the ceasefire in Lebanon."

In 2007 the Oxford Union, a British private debating society, entertained the proposition: “This House believes the pro-Israeli lobby has successfully stifled Western debate about Israel’s action.” The debate, moderated by British journalist Tim Sebastian, featured professor Norman Finkelstein, journalist Alexander Cockburn, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk and British journalist David Aaronovitch. Two-thirds of students voted that the pro-Israel lobby stifles debate.

In a 2007 opinion piece about the publication of Steven Walt and John Mearsheimer's book The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy in Haaretz, Dave Rich, Deputy Director of Communications at Community Security Trust, a U.K. organization for the defense of British Jewry, contended: "The problem on this side of the Atlantic is that British politics lacks anything approaching the American system of openly declared political lobbies; a similar, AIPAC-style operation in Westminster would not just influence policy, it would also subvert fundamental democratic mechanisms." However, the BBC asserts that "many decisions made in the Houses of Parliament are made as a direct result of lobbying, the influencing of members' votes either by parliamentary colleagues, constituents or outside pressure groups." And that "nowadays, the term lobbying often refers more specifically to the work of private companies known as `lobbyists'." Rich concluded, "If there is a Jewish conspiracy, it is remarkably ineffective."

In 2008, in an article titled "New Israel lobby ‘not taking on Bicom’," the Jewish Chronicle reported that a new, yet unnamed London-based organisation would examine whether Israel received fair media coverage, but that it "would not compete with other Israeli lobbying groups such as Bicom, the Britain-Israel Communications and Research Centre, which seeks to present Israel’s case to journalists." Instead, it "would be keen to co-operate with communal organisations."

Criticism

Member of Parliament Baroness Jenne Tonge, who in 2003 charged the Israelis with apartheid and called for economic sanctions on and suspending arms deals with Israel, said in 2006: "The pro-Israeli lobby has got its grips on the western world, its financial grips. I think they've probably got a grip on our party." She later clarified her remarks, saying professors Walt and Mearsheimer's article "The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy" that appeared in the March 23, 2006 issue of The London Review of Books provided extensive research supporting her assertion that the "'Israel lobby' had a disproportionate voice in Anglo-American foreign policy."

In October, 2007 Amjad Barham, head of the Council of the Palestinian Federation of Unions of University Professors and Employees claimed that the "Israel lobby in the UK" was behind the University and College Union (UCU)'s decision to cancel the UK speaking tour of some Palestinian academics, and that they could "detect the not-so-hidden hand of the lobby in this latest episode of stifling debate on issues pertaining to Israeli policies and the complicity of the Israeli academy in perpetuating them."

In December 2007 a group of British academics and physicians including professor Mona Baker, psychiatrist Derek Summerfield and David Sedden of British Committee for Universities of Palestine wrote a letter to the Committee on Standards in Public Life, an advisory non-departmental public body of the British government. In it they claimed that the "Israel Lobby" - and specifically Friends of Israel - has "embedded itself in the British political establishment and at the very heart of government. Its stated purpose is to promote Israel’s interests in our Parliament and sway British policy." They charged that British Members of Parliament are "eating out of the Israeli government’s hand". According to Committee Chair Charles Ramsden, "It is very unlikely that this will come up on the agenda, because we deal with issues involving individuals."

See also

• Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland
• Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre
• Board of Deputies of British Jews
• Jewish Leadership Council
• Labour Friends of Israel
• Conservative Friends of Israel
• Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel
• British Committee for Universities of Palestine

References

1. Safire, William. Safire's New Political Dictionary: The Definitive Guide to the New Language, Random House, 1993, p. 120. “In Great Britain the "Israel lobby" is called, even more pejoratively, ‘the Jewish lobby’...”
2. David Aaronovitch, ‘Zionist lobby’ paranoia is growing (Jewish Chronicle) London Times, June 2, 2007.
3. ^ Dennis Sewell, A kosher conspiracy?, The New Statesman, January 14, 2002.
4. Rocker, Simon (May 12, 2006). "So they say they're in charge". London: The Jewish Chronicle.
5. "About MPACUK". United Kingdom: Muslim Public Affairs Committee (UK). April 16, 2006.
6. "See, There Is No Israel Lobby". United Kingdom: Muslim Public Affairs Committee (UK). September 23, 2006.
7. Johnny Paul,Oxford Univ. debate: 'Pro-Israel lobby has stifled Western debate, Jerusalem Post, May 4, 2007
8. ^ Rich, Dave (November 11, 2007). "'Israel Lobby' book may have sinister impact in U.K." Tel Aviv: Haaretz.
9. "Israel Lobby". London: BBC. December 22, 2007.
10. Josephs, Bernard. New Israel lobby ‘not taking on Bicom’, Jewish Chronicle, January 11, 2008.
11. Tonge, Jenne (June 23, 2003). "Time to get tough". Manchester: The Guardian.
12. Conger, George (November 28, 2006). "British baroness chastised for 'pro-Israel lobby' comments". Jerusalem: Jerusalem Post.
13. Barham, Amjad (February 10, 2007). "We will not be silenced". Manchester: The Guardian.
14. Josephs, Bernard (January 25, 2008). "New push to smear 'Israel lobby' MPs". London: The Jewish Chronicle.

External links

• British lobbyists
• Political pressure groups of the United Kingdom
• Zionism in the United Kingdom