Make no mistake Friends of Israel represent a powerful coalition of political Zionist lobby groups in the UK that have succeeded in shaping UK Foreign policy in favour of Israel. 

Zionism as a political movement had the principal goal of securing a Jewish homeland in Arab Palestine.  By 1948, the Zionist lobby, with UK's support, succeeded in its mission and the state of Israel was created.  Ever since then the Zionist Lobby has worked hard to ensure that Israel is supported and championed in UK mainstream political parties. For many decades, the Zionist Lobby succeeded in drowning out all opposition to Israel.  Three brutal bloody wars in Gaza in less than a decade where Israel has mercilessly pounded a defenceless civilian Palestinian population has not dented support for Israel  The UK Zionist lobby remains all powerful.

Without a doubt the UK Conservative party is where the Zionist lobby has exercised and shaped UK foreign policy towards Israel.  The  starting point of the close relationship between the Zionist Lobby and the Conservative party dates back to the infamous Balfour Declaration where a UK government minister, Arthur Balfour,  promised to facilitate the setting up of a Jewish state in British controlled Mandate Palestine.  That objective realised, the Zionist Lobby has tightened its grip on the Conservative party to ensure slavish uncritical support for Israel continues to this day. 

Astonishingly as reported by Jewish Voices for Peace, some 80% of Tory MP’s are members of Conservative Friends of Israel. (CFI)  To become a Cabinet Minister in a Conservative Government it is expected that membership of Conservative Friends of Israel is on the CV resume.  Without a doubt CFI enjoys the unique position of being the most powerful lobby group in the UK which acts in the interest of a foreign power, namely Israel.  CFI and the Conservative Party are inextricably linked not only through a shared political ideology but also through financial funding.

Most commentators ranging from pro to anti Israel supporters concur that CFI is as Channel Four Dispatches pointed out: "beyond doubt the most well- connected and probably the best funded of all Westminster lobbying groups". CFI finances yearly visits to Israel ensuring that British MP’s are indoctrinated into the pro Israel narrative.  In addition, CFI bankrolls the Conservatives  nationally in the form of huge political donations to the party as well as funding local Conservative MP’s. 

Information regarding funding of individual MP’s is documented in the Parliamentary Register of Interests which all MPs by law must publicly disclose.  Details on the massive donations channelled by CFI to the Conservative Party nationally is not in the public domain, though widely reported in the mainstream; donations have extended to millions of pounds.

The Channel Four Dispatches programme reported how the CFI channels donations to the Conservative Party and that well over £10 million pounds has been raised over the last eight years. Needless to say the CFI disputed the figures and has repeatedly criticised and trashed the documentary.  Dispatches also made reference to how David Cameron before becoming Prime Minister accepted a £15,000 donation from Poju Zabludowicz, a Finnish billionaire who chairs Bicom (the Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre). Zabludowizc has also donated £50,000 to Conservative Central Office.  That the Conservative Party has received mouthwatering donations from the Zionist lobby would explain why the party is opposed to a cap on UK party donations. William Hague had  also received tens of thousands of pounds from CFI board members upon becoming Shadow Foreign Minister.

We should also mention the powerful "All-Party Britain-Israel (APBI) Parliamentary Group” registered with the UK Parliament.  The previous long standing chair was Baron Greville Janner who has been accused of serious child sex abuse allegations which the Leicestershire police are currently investigating.  Pending long standing child abuse allegations against Greville Janner, the APBI has only in December 2014 appointed Louise Ellman, Labour MP as Chair. 

Louise Ellman attends every single debate on the Palestine/Israel question and has never uttered one word of condemnation or criticism of Israel. Indeed such is Louise Elman’s devotion to Israel that she has refused to condemn  Israeli Jewish settlements in the West Bank even though these are deemed illegal under international law.

A not uncommon utterance in the Conservative circle of MP’s, Cabinet Ministers and Prime Ministers in the Conservative party are to never cease proclaiming a passionate and unshakeable belief in Israel.  David Cameron has gone one step further in stating that nothing could break the friendship between Israel and the UK.  Margaret Thatcher it should also be remembered was a passionate advocate and stalwart for the state of Israel, using every opportunity to lavish praise on Israel as the only so called democracy in the Middle East.  The Channel Four Dispatches programme states that at least half of the Conservative shadow government in 2009, currently part of the Coalition government, are members of the Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI)

Even in today’s  current coalition government the CFI can call on the Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer,  George Osborne, the Foreign Secretary, Phillip Hammond  including the ex Foreign secretary  William Hague, the Home Secretary,  Theresa  May, the Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, the Northern  Ireland Secretary,  Therese Villers and the Culture Secretary,  Sajid Javed a  Muslim Pakistani cabinet minister  as committed Friends of Israel .

The scale of influence of CFI on Conservative party policy is nowhere more apparent  than in the last Israel onslaught on Gaza Strip where the current coalition government headed by David Cameron refused to call Israeli actions in Gaza: “disproportionate”. Israel we were repeatedly told by Cameron had a legitimate right of self defence.  No such right of self defence was ever extended to Palestinians where over 2,200 civilians were murdered in Gaza , including over 580 children. The bond between Israel and the Conservative Party is unshakeable and unbreakable. Very few in the Conservative party would ever dare criticise Israel. With the exception of Nicholas Soames, a Tory Grandee, CFI has, lock, stock and barrel, secured the Conservative party for Israel.

Tamara Taylor, Senior Correspondent, Medhaj News, London