Conservative Friends of Israel

Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI) is a British parliamentary group affiliated to the Conservative Party, which is dedicated to strengthening 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.^[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]

^ 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.
^ Harpin, Lee (14 May 2018). "'Hamas are manipulating Gaza citizens', says leading Tory MP as scores die". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
^ Peter Oborne (12 December 2012). "The cowardice at the heart of our relationship with Israel". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
^ "Dispatches: Inside Britain's Israel Lobby". Channel 4. 16 November 2009.
^ 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.

[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.

[jc-20180514-2] Harpin, Lee (14 May 2018). "'Hamas are manipulating Gaza citizens', says leading Tory MP as scores die". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 14 May 2018.

[telegraph-20121212-3] Peter Oborne (12 December 2012). "The cowardice at the heart of our relationship with Israel". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 8 January 2013.

[Dispatches-4] "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.

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