CFI takes nine MPs on first Israel visit since lockdown

The Conservative Friends of Israel group have taken a delegation of nine MPs to Israel and the Palestinian Authority – many of whom were elected in the 2019 and were visiting the region for the first time.

Delegates included Nickie Aiken the MP, for Cities of London and Westminster, Lee Anderson the MP for Ashfield and Wrexham MP Sarah Atherton.

The itinerary, on the first CFI delegation since before the pandemic,  featured a series of high-level meetings with Israeli politicians, journalists, entrepreneurs and academics, as well as strategic briefings and visits to organisations that promote peaceful coexistence.

The delegation also travelled to the West Bank, meeting Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh in Ramallah and visiting the first Palestinian-planned city in Rawabi.

The Conservative MP for Brecon and Radnorshire, Fay Jones, reflected on the visit saying: “It has been an absolutely eye-opening trip, particularly today as we’ve met with the Israeli Defense Forces who have been talking us through Hamas’s capabilities and what they do to keep people safe here”

“We’ve been in a moshav… really quite close to the border with Gaza and they have been telling us how they live their lives under the constant threat of rockets and mortar.”

In Jerusalem, the group toured the security barrier and paid a moving visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial, laying a wreath in memory of the victims of the Holocaust.

Former Westminister Council leader Aiken said the delegation had been “a really fascinating trip to understand both sides of this conflict”.

“She emphasised the importance of understanding “both sides of the argument and to listen and to hope that we can bring peace finally to this wonderful part of the world”.