Return to Election 97 Main PageAs one of the largest interest groups in the Labour party, LFI has been instrumental in bringing the Labour party and the Jewish community together and is committed to facilitating ongoing dialogue between the party and the Community
For further information please contact:
Director: Nick Cosgrove
Assistant
Director: Mandy Schuman
Labour Friends of Israel
BM LFI
London WC1N 3XX
Telephone: 0171 222 4323
Fax: 0171 222
4324
Email Lfi1@dircon.co.uk
Chairman: Norman Hogg
Campaign
Chairman: Michael Ziff
This guide has been published in consultation with the relevant front bench policy teams by LFI.
Labour Friends of Israel is happy to provide speakers on these issues, or further briefing material.
Contact Nick Cosgrove, Director of LFI, for more information
Labour welcomes the progress that has been made by Israel and the Palestinians to implement the Israel/PLO Declaration of Principles agreed in 1993. We recognise the courage shown by leaders on both sides to transform relations in the region by putting aside confrontation and embarking on the road to peace. The redeployment from Hebron was a bold step forward and a confirmation of the desire of the majority of Israelis and Palestinians to keep the peace process moving forward.
Labour will continue to build healthy economic and cultural ties with Israel and as part of this we strongly supported the ratification of the Association Agreement between the EU and Israel earlier this year.
Britain also has strong links with the Palestinians and Labour supports continued efforts to develop the Palestinian economy. A recent IMF report recorded that, since Oslo, Palestinian unemployment has nearly doubled while per capita income has fallen 20%. The peace process will be undermined if ordinary Palestinians feel that they have no stake in its success. Labour will work to ensure that the European Union continues to deliver much needed economic assistance to the Palestinians and, while recognising Israel's security concerns, we will urge the Israeli government to continue to ease the closure on the West Bank and Gaza.
Labour is fully committed to the peace process and supports the courage and determination of leaders in the region to move it forward. In government, we will continue to support endeavours towards a comprehensive settlement that gives peace with security and with justice to the peoples of the region.
Labour is committed to tackling racism and xenophobia wherever they may appear. Our aims and values, set out in Clause IV of the party constitution, commit us to working for a just society which promotes equality of opportunity and delivers people from the tyranny of poverty, prejudice and the abuse of power.
It was Labour that passed the 1965, 1968, and 1976 Race Relations Acts, which provide some of the strongest protection against racial discrimination in Europe. And it was Labour that set up the Commission for Racial Equality. We will continue to review the effectiveness of this legislation and look at ways in which laws affecting Britain's ethnic communities could be usefully improved in line with a changing society.
We will continue to work with and support the Commission for Racial Equality in its statutory duty to help enforce anti-discrimination legislation and to promote equality of opportunity and good relations between people of different racial groups.
Labour will put victims at the heart of the criminal justice system. Labour believes that action is needed in this area to send a strong message that racial hatred will not be tolerated.
Labour will make a fresh start on immigration and asylum policy.
It will help to tackle some of the root causes of illegal immigration to Britain and also uphold Britain's obligations under international law (for example, the 1951 UN Convention on Human Rights) by ensuring that every asylum application is given full and individual examination and that there is an effective right of appeal.
Labour aims to make our immigration and asylum procedures far more efficient. It will regulate unlicensed immigration advisors who waste large amounts of tax payers money and extend our commitment to the family to our immigration and asylum procedure
| "For the last two years there has been a debate in Europe as to
whether we can legislate to make it a crime against those in Europe who deny
that the Holocaust occurred.... Jack Straw made it clear that Labour will
support the creation in Britain of an offence, of Holocaust denial. We need it
because the best way to make sure that it never happens again is to make sure
that we never forget what happened....."
Robin Cook MP, Labour Friends of Israel fringe meeting, Labour Party Conference, September 1996 |
Mike Gapes MP for Ilford South initiated a Ten Minute Rule Bill in the House of commons in 1997, making it an offence to deny the Holocaust. The Bill completed the Committee Stage, despite the Government's lack of support.
The bill makes it a criminal offence to claim, whether in writing or orally, that the policy of genocide against the Jewish people committed by Nazi Germany did not occur.
This has wide support in the Labour party which has a general commitment to, wherever possible, using European wide legislation on issues like antisemitism.
The bill states that any words, behaviour or material which purport to deny the existence of the policy of genocide against the Jewish people and other similar crimes against humanity committed by Nazi Germany ("the Holocaust") shall be deemed to be intended to stir up racial hatred."
It is intended for amending the 1986 Public Order Act.
Whilst the Labour Party believes it is important to recognise and respect the religious traditions of both the Jewish and Muslim communities, we also believe that it is vitally important to ensure that animals are slaughtered under the most humane conditions.
Labour has met with Jewish Leaders, and in the process of meeting Muslim leaders. While we prefer the opinion, shared by the RSPCA and FAWC (Farm Animal Welfare Council), of pre-stunning, we also respect the view of religious minorities and the importance of this issue which is often central to their religious beliefs. We will continue to seek the co-operation of the religious communities to achieve the highest welfare standards at slaughter.
Labour welcomes and encourages the improvements in the handling and treatment of animals during religious slaughter. It should be emphasised that such improvements have been made with the co-operation of the religious communities.
Labour will resist plans to coerce religious communities into abandoning religious freedoms.
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