The British Friends of Israel (BFI) is calling on British Jews to write letters to their MPs urging them to support Israel’s efforts to defeat Hamas and combat rising anti-Semitism in Britain.
The non-profit organisation is concerned about the Labour Party’s promises to restore funding to UNRWA and recognise a State of Palestine.
The BFI website states that “writing to politicians is an important way to raise awareness of issues and bring about policy change,” adding that this is particularly important in the current climate where “many of the loudest voices at the moment are pro-Palestinian and even pro-Hamas.”
The organisation, which was set up “by a small group of concerned British citizens” in the wake of the October 7 attacks, is urging MPs to consider several points in their pre-written letter, which can be used as a template for anyone wishing to write to their local MP.
The letter asks for assurances that MPs will “continue to support the Israeli military action until it has achieved its objectives of freeing the hostages and displacing Hamas.” It also points to the involvement of UNRWA staff in the October 7 attack, which raises concerns about the resumption of financial support to the agency.
It also demands that the government not recognize a Palestinian state as long as Hamas “refuses to recognize the State of Israel, rejects Israel’s ceasefire terms and refuses to release the hostages.”
The letter concludes by calling on MPs to “vocalise their support for British Jews and condemn anti-Semitism in the strongest possible terms”, citing a poll by the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism which found that 48 per cent of British Jews have considered leaving the UK because of anti-Semitism.
