By, Marcus Dysch
2 min read
ByMarcus Dysch, Marcus Dysch
Jeremy Corbyn has been invited to speak at Labour Friends of Israel’s reception at next week’s party conference in Brighton.
It is traditional for the party’s leader or spokesman on foreign affairs to address the event. Mr Corbyn has a long history of anti-Israel activism.
His office has yet to respond to the invitation. Shadow Foreign Secretary Hilary Benn is due to speak at the LFI event.
LFI chair Joan Ryan MP said: “I have written to Jeremy and invited him to our reception at conference. It’s the start of a process. What I will do over the coming weeks and months is have open dialogue with the party’s new leadership. The invite is the beginning of that process. It’s not a one-off – I’ve also asked for a meeting with him.
“It’s good that we are opening this dialogue. It would be wrong to turn away. There’s no reason to believe dialogue is not welcome. We have an open door and we will go through it with all our good and strong arguments.”
Ms Ryan said Labour’s long-held support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would underpin LFI’s approach to Mr Corbyn’s leadership.
Asked whether the new leader would appear at the reception, she admitted: “I don’t know.”
Next Tuesday evening’s event will be preceded by a discussion, co-hosted with Bicom, on the possibility of a two-state solution to the conflict.
Speakers are due to include MP Mike Gapes, defeated election candidate Sarah Sackman, and Knesset member Erel Margalit.
Ms Ryan said she was confident in LFI’s position and remained positive about its prospects.
“I don’t say life will be without its difficulties,” she said. “When you are involved in issues like trying to play your part in seeking peace in conflict situations it’s always going to be difficult and there will be people with a different view.
“But we have people in the party who give strong support. Our deputy leader [Tom Watson] is vice-chair of Trade Union Friends of Israel, so that’s helpful. I’ve spoken to a lot of MPs who may well be members of Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East, but believe strongly in a two-state solution.”
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign will hold a fringe event on Sunday with a panel discussion on helping Labour devise pro-Palestinian policies. Speakers are due to include anti-Israel backbench MPs Cat Smith and Grahame Morris.
The group said there was “the opportunity to develop Labour Party policy so that it truly supports Palestinian human rights”.
Next Monday, Mr Benn is expected to discuss Britain’s approach to Palestinian issues at another PSC event.
At the weekend Mr Corbyn resigned from his position as chair of the Stop the War Coalition, the hardline anti-Israel group which he had helped lead for the past four years. He had been involved with the group since it was set up in 2001.
