Community leaders endorse new fund for Middle East peace

The chief executives of Anglo-Jewry’s two core representative bodies have strongly endorsed a new campaign by Labour Friends of Israel to launch a fund for Middle East peace.

Gillian Merron of the Board of Deputies and Simon Johnson of the Jewish Leadership Council have backed LFI’s campaign, which is to open an International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace”.

In a statement of support, Ms Merron and Mr Johnson say: “While direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority are currently stalled, this is no excuse for the world to stand idle”

Instead, they say: “We should be investing now in the kind of grassroots people-to-people projects which bring together Israelis and Palestinians and promote the values of peace, coexistence and reconciliation which will be needed to underpin any future political progress. We are pleased to support LFI’s campaign in support of an International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace, which will help boost this much-needed on the ground, civil society work”.

The two communal leaders call on the government to support the LFI initiative and use its influence in international fora to help bring this fund to fruition.