Veteran Tory calls for pro-Israel peers to be ‘removed from Lords’
Sir Alan Duncan accuses Lord Polak and Lord Pickles of 'exercising the interests of another country'
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Sir Alan Duncan has renewed his attack on the Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI) organisation, calling for the group’s senior officials Lord Polak and Lord Pickles to be “removed from the Lords” for “exercising the interests of another country.”
Speaking to LBC radio the former Conservative MP claimed CFI had “been doing the bidding of Netanyahu”.
Duncan also condemned Israel over it’s war against Hamas in Gaza following the October 7th atrocity claiming:”It is that land theft, that annexation of Palestine, that is the origin of the problem ”
Continuing his attack on Conservative life peer Lord Polak, CFI’s honarary president, and Lord Pickles, the pro-Israel group’s parliamentary chair in the Lords, Duncan said:”They’re the Laurel and Hardy who should be pushed out together”
“It’s slightly improved by the removal by Robert Jenrick and Suella Braverman.”
Duncan, who previously accused CFI of preventing him becoming middle east minister under Boris Johnson in his political diaries, also continued to attack pro-Israel Tories in Thursday’s LBC rant.
He claimed former home secretary Suella Braverman “does not believe settlements are wrong, nor do Michael Gove, Oliver Dowden.”
Duncan also called for Priti Patel to be reinvestigated over her infamous 2017 trip to Israel, where she held undisclosed meetings with ministers.
He added:”We still don’t know who paid for her [Patel’s] trip to Israel.”
Turning his attention to security minister Tom Tugendhat he said:”If you read about Tom Tugendhat… how can you have a Security Minister who does not believe in International Law, I think he should be sacked.”
'We should stop arms sales immediately.'
'What Israel has been doing for years is wrong.'After aid workers were killed by an Israeli airstrike, ex-Foreign Minister Sir Alan Duncan tells @NickFerrariLBC the support of a 'total catastrophe' in Gaza is 'morally unacceptable'. pic.twitter.com/k6RIgFMkQB
— LBC (@LBC) April 4, 2024
Asked about calls for ban arms sales to Israel in response to its conduct in the war against Hamas in Gaza, Duncan said: “We should stop arms sales immediately. Anything in support of what is becoming a total catastrophe in Gaza is morally unacceptable.
“And what we have to accept is that it’s not just what they are doing now that is wrong, it’s what Israel has been doing for years that is wrong because the Israel Defence Force does not follow international law, it has been backing and supporting illegal settlers in the West Bank who steal Palestinian land.
“It is that land theft, that annexation of Palestine, that is the origin of the problem which has given rise to the Hamas atrocity and the battles we are seeing.
“The trouble is that there are people at the top of our own politics who refuse to condemn the settlements and therefore are not supporters of international law.”
Duncan stood down ahead of the 2019 General Election when he was Minister of State for Europe and the Americas, having made numerous controversial statements on Israel – particularly in relation to Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
In 2011, while serving as International Development Minister, he described Israel’s security barrier as a “land grab,” also accusing Israelis of stealing water from Palestinian communities.
A CFI spokesperson said:”CFI is not affiliated to any political party in Israel.
“We enjoy cordial relations across the political spectrum in Israel. We support the Conservative government in its aim of a two-state solution and a peaceful resolution in the Middle East conflict.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
