Northern Ireland Friends of Israel – welcome to our Website!

Shalom from Northern Ireland Friends of Israel!

Launched in March 2009, NIFI has already made a tremendous impact. Our aim is to put Israel’s case reasonably and fairly to the people of Northern Ireland.

We combine the support of political  leaders representing rival  parties with a strong grassroots following. Over 1,400 people have attended our first six speaker events  and many more from across Northern Ireland have registered their support. Christians and Jews, media people, academics, trade unionists and members of the public have attended our meetings, many of whom have travelled the length and breadth of NI to be with us. 

We were honoured to host the ambassador of Israel, HE Ron Prosor, in Belfast (seen above, meeting First Minister, Peter Robinson, and Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness). The deputy ambassador, Talya Lador-Fresher, spoke at our launch event at Stormont hosted by Robin Newton MLA.

We have also put Israel’s case to the local media and featured prominently in the Israeli press.

NIFI opposes demonisation of the world’s only Jewish state and believes boycotting the Middle East’s only democracy is wrong in principle and wrong in practice. We wish to promote positive engagement with all those who seek a just and lasting peace between Israel and its neighbours.

If you are interested in learning more about the many connections which exist between Israel and Northern Ireland, and what we stand for  and our activities, please read on…

Please use the tabs above to look at the following:

About: our Mission Statement launched at the Park Avenue hotel in May 2009.

Articles: an archive of our 10 most-read articles of 2009, by NIFI supporters.

Boycott: Why the Boycott Israel movement in Northern Ireland is wrong in principle and wrong in practice.

Conflict: Israel’s conflict with Hamas, essential points which can’t be ignored.

History: what is the Jewish people’s connection to the land of Israel?

Israel news in Northern Ireland – over 40 recent stories of strengthening spiritual, cultural and political connections between Northern Ireland and Israel, provided by NIFI supporters.

NIFI events: our future events.

NIFI in the news: links to media reports about NIFI.

NIFI’s Diary: our events so far!

NIFI Football auction - NIFI raises over £1,000 in an auction of signed football shirts from leading Premiership clubs in aid of cross community football in Northern Ireland and Israel. Our chosen charities are Soccer for Peace (Israel) and IFA endorsed cross community schemes in Northern Ireland.

For more stories and articles by NIFI supporters, please scroll below

and to be placed on our mailing list please contact us now at nifriendsofisrael@ymail.com

Many thanks for all your support,

Terry McCorran and Steven Jaffe (London), co chairs, NI Friends of Israel.

An Israeli in Belfast – letter in Belfast Telegraph, 6 Aug 2010

As an Israeli living in Belfast I feel increasingly intimidated by the  language and symbols of hate being used to condemn Israel. I am shocked that the Belfast Telegraph is contributing to an atmosphere of hate against me and fellow Israelis living and working here.
 
How else can you explain your headline that my nationality is “murderous” (“How Murderous Israel became EU’s protege”, Comment, 2nd August)? To say that some Israeli actions are wrong or even that they should be investigated for war crimes is to exercise free speech. To single out the Jewish state as “murderous” is racist.

Proclaim “murderous Arabs” and it doesn’t sound anything other than a slogan designed to cause outrage and offence, and I would be the first to condemn it.  Declare “murderous Israel” and it is simply adding to an accepted rhetoric of hatred which seeks to inflame anti-Israel and anti-Jewish bias.
 
Fellow Israelis here are intimidated at work and an attack upon them in a Belfast shopping centre is glorified on Youtube. When asked, I am scared to tell people where I come from. 
  
Who should we go to for help in the face of this demonisation and hatred?
 
I belong to a trade union which claims to protect the rights of foreign workers in Northern Ireland and does a good job in many cases . This union seems happy to include me as a Jew or even as an Israeli so long as I do not identify myself as a  ”Zionist”.

I have to be opposed to my people’s right to have a state which can exist in security.  Israel is deemed so illegitimate by my Union that it has a policy of Boycotting all goods and services from Israel.

I appeal to all people here who have strong views on the Middle East, whether they support Israel or the Palestinian: learn something about the other side’s fears and concerns and accept the complexity of the situation. 
 
I recognise Israel has faults. Growing up in Israel I was positively encouraged to express my criticsm of Israeli governments and policies which I didn’t support.

I am a proud Israeli and a proud Jew. However, because of the atmosphere I face here in Belfast I can’t sign this article with my name.
 
ISRAELI 

BELFAST

We are delighted to see this letter has received very strong support on the Belfast Telegraph website and elsewhere. 
 

Anne Frank + You – NIFI Reception

 

STOP PRESS: Standing room only at  NI Friends of Israel reception to welcome the Anne Frank + You exhibition at  Mossley Mill – over 270 attend.

The Mayor of Newtownabbey, Paula Bradley, welcomed NIFI to the Mill.

Gillian Walnes MBE of the Anne Frank Trust UK, spoke about Anne’s legacy and the work of the trust amongst young people, in prisons,  and amongst the community generally to combat racism and bigotry. She explained how the hopes, dreams and fears of a Jewish girl in Europe in the 1940s challenge us to consider our own moral values today.

Minister of Culture, Nelson McCausland MLA, spoke of his longstanding interest in the history of the local Jewish community and the wider lessons of the Anne Frank story for all those who valued democracy and freedom.

Those attending this NIFI event included MLAs, councillors, good relations officers from neighbouring boroughs, clergymen and academics. They listened to a performance of Jewish and Israeli music. They then viewed the powerful exhibition itself which is on display at  Mossley Mill until the end of September.  For more info on the exhibition please contact Newtownabbey BC on 028 9034 0063. (Photos: Joe Cohen)

Lehitraot – Farewell to Ambassador Zion Evrony

The Jewish community in the Republic of Ireland and Christian supporters of Israel said farewell to departing ambassador Zion Evrony at an event in Dublin.

Farewell: Zion Evrony says Shalom

Guest speaker was Stephen Moutray, member of the Northern Ireland Assembly, who delivered a farewell message from First Minister, Peter Robinson. Stephen said that many people in Northern Ireland understood “what the Israeli people are going through as they face the deadly threat of Hamas terrorism.”

Ambassador Evrony was an outstanding representative for Israel in an often hostile environment. The ambassador said one of the most disturbing memories of his time in the Republic was seeing a sack of potatoes under police guard at an Irish supermarket because they were believed to be Israeli. However, the ambassador could point to a growing trading relationship between Israel and the Republic of Ireland which amounts to over 400m euros a year.

We in NIFI were very grateful when Ambassador Evrony came north to address a 160 strong audience at our meeting in Coleraine. We wish the Ambassador and wife Rita every success and look forward to welcoming the in-coming ambassador  to our events in Northern Ireland.

The farewell gathering in Dublin, organised by Irish Christian Friends of Israel, was attended by over 200 people and raised over 3000 euros for the Ambassador’s chosen charity, the Jerusalem Centre for the Blind. (Photo: Paddy Monaghan)

Remembering Gilad Shalit – 4 Years in Captivity, not forgotten

Gilad - 19 years old when abducted.

The campaign to free Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier held hostage by Hamas and denied all human rights since he was abducted on 25 June 2006, has secured backing from senior Northern Irish politicians on a cross community and cross party basis.

David Simpson MP for Upper Bann was amongst a group of Ulster MPs who signed a petition calling for Shalit to be released.

Speaking after signing the petition, Mr Simpson said, “It is a scandal that the Hamas regime should have held this innocent young man hostage for so long”.

“In all of the voices raised to condemn Israel recently it was interesting to note that not one rushing to condemn Israel had a word to say about Gilad Shalit. I and my colleagues are pleased to support the campaign for his release”

The Belfast Newsletter pointed out: “Hamas has refused requests from the Red Cross to visit Shalit”.

The motion was proposed by Rev William McCrae MP and seconded by, amongst others, Mark Durkan of the SDLP. Amongst those signing are Ian Paisley Jr., Jeffrey Donaldson, Margaret Ritchie and Nigel Dodds.

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In the meantime, a protest on behalf of Gilad Shalit has been staged in Belfast City centre. Hundreds of leaflets were handed out. Amongst those attending was Nelson McCausland MLA.

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A Northern Irish singer, who lived in Israel for nearly a decade, has recorded a song for Gilad Shalit and his family, to mark the fourth anniversary of his capture which took place on 25 June 2006.
 
Jim Clint worked as a maintenance manager at a hostel in Tel Aviv. Today back in Northern Ireland he is an educator for a Christian community which celebrates the Jewish origins of their faith. 
 
“Like everyone else I watched with horror the story of the Gaza flotilla and the on-going conflict between Jews and Arabs”, Mr Clint explains, “I have witnessed myself the aftermath of suicide bombing. I couldn’t help thinking that in all the waves of critiscism which is engulfing Israel at the moment no one was saying anything about a young Israeli in Gaza, deprived of every human right, and facing the most awful threats if his kidnappers don’t get their way”.
 
“I wanted Gilad’s family to know that in a far away country like Northern Ireland there are people who have not forgotten Gilad and pray for his return to his family. Like millions of others around the world, I want to give the Shalit family encouragement and hope”.
 
Jim has his own recording studio at home and has sung to over 500 people at two recent meetings of Northern Ireland Friends of Israel. “My proudest moment was leading Hatikvah at Belfast synagogue at a NIFI meeting at which over 300 attended.”

Thanks to Jerusalem resident Elchanan Berkovitz, Gilad Shalit’s family have listened to Jim’s song. Several thousand Israelis and supporters around the world have watched Elchanan’s Youtube video on Gilad which features Song for Gilad from Northern Ireland

 

Song for Gilad (Take a Little Time) - please click on the link OVER 9,000 VIEWERS FROM ISRAEL AND AROUND THE WORLD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTaJDrNCGLY

Let us stand together with our voices as one,
Crying out for freedom for this special son.
We cannot be silent nor turn away
So take a little time to pray…for Gilad.

Y

Statement from NI Friends of Israel

NIFI deeply regrets all loss of life in the Arab-Israel conflict (including, without qualification, the loss of life on the lead ship of the Gaza flotilla). NIFI’s aim is to encourage all parties in  Northern Ireland to contribute towards securing a genuine and lasting peace in the Middle East.
 
Being a friend of Israel doesn’t require anyone to hold that Israel can do no wrong. But equally the waves of misinformation engulfing Israel at the moment, particularly in the local media, cannot go unanswered. Subject to the results of a full investigation, we ask you to consider the following “media facts” 

 

Media fact number one: the people on the Gaza flotilla were “peace activists”.

 

Fact: Yes, many are. But on the lead boat, where all the violence occured, there were many Islamic militants who were bent on violent confrontation with Israel.

 

Evidence: the attached video shows “peace activists” from the flotilla chanting ‘death to the Jews’ and seeking martyrdom  in the war against Israel. Note how this is presented positively on Arab TV. But when did you see this being reported in the western media?

  
Prior to departure, the ‘peace activists’ sing about killing Jews  

 

Media fact number Two: the Gaza flotilla was concerned with bringing humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza and the Israelis wished to block the aid from getting through. 

 

Fact: the Israelis repeatedly stated that if the aid was brought to an Israeli port for checking it would be sent in to Gaza.

 

 

Evidence: the attached clip shows an Israeli officer making exactly this offer. The response from the Gaza flotilla is “Negative. We are going to Gaza”. Confrontation with Israel was more important than humanitarian aid getting in to Gaza.

 

 

 The Israeli Navy addresses a ship nearing the Gaza shore, offering it to dock at the Ashdod Port and transfer its supplies under the ship’s crew’s supervision. The ship refused to comply. 

 

 

Media fact number three: “Peace activists” have been reported as saying that the Israelis fired at them wildly and that what took place was a premeditated massacre.

 

 

Fact: the Israeli troops boarded woefully unprepared for the violent lynching that awaited them. The first soldiers on board were equipped with paint ball guns and were prepared only for minimal or peaceful resistance.

 

 

Evidence:take a look for yourself at the attached video and decide which version is correct. Is lynching using metal bars the action of “peace activists”?

  
      Close-Up Footage of Mavi Marmara Passengers Attacking IDF Soldiers

 

The real aim of many behind the flotilla is to secure unrestricted access of supplies to the Hamas regime in Gaza. This regime is paid for and armed by Iran and its charter commits it to all out jihad to destroy Israel.

 

 

Iranian missiles already smuggled into Gaza put one million Israelis in the line of fire. Longer range missiles would bring Tel Aviv into range. If this is allowed to happen Hamas will provoke another war with Israel which will bring further death and destruction to both Jews and Arabs.

 
There are many genuine peace campaigners involved in the Gaza flotilla – including Irish ones. But they must explain why they are associating with a protest where lead members call for ‘death to the Jews’, and which aims to give Hamas unrestricted ability to import missiles from Iran – spelling disaster for Israelis and Palestinians alike.  

  
Real progress towards peace will come when Hamas recognises Israel’s right to exist and commits itself to a permanent peace. Israel withdrew from Gaza completely in 2005 and this should have been the first step towards a viable and prosperous Palestinian state. Why this didn’t happen is the real issue. NIFI calls upon Northern Irish political parties and the media to address this fundamental point - why Hamas chose missiles and futile assaults over building a state – and shock, horror, its not all the fault of Israel.

 

Northern Ireland Friends of Israel

www.nifi.org.uk

2nd June 2010

Over 200 gather in Belfast to protest Boycott – 1 March 2010

 

 

 

Statement by Northern Ireland Friends of Israel:

On Monday 1 March over two hundred supporters of Northern Ireland Friends of Israel turned out to protest against the Boycott Israel campaign being waged by several trade unions in Northern Ireland.

  

NIFI co chair Terry McCorran spoke out against the campaign which has seen calls to ban the Israeli football team from playing in Belfast and to picket the Leonard Cohen concert because the singer was also performing in Tel Aviv. He also condemned the harrassing of Israeli workers at Castlecourt shopping centre in Belfast last year  and the intimidation of shoppers and staff at Marks and Spencer. McCorran spoke in a private capacity as his union UNISON has a resolution in place to boycott Israel as does the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance.

  

Guest speaker Eric Lee from Trade Union Links with Israel and Palestine explained what the Boycott campaign was all about, who supports it and who opposes it, why it is a bad idea and how it can be countered. He argued that positive engagement with both sides was the best way to support  peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

  

Reverend Chris Hudson, who served as a full-time union official for over 18 years and was a leading member of the anti-apartheid movement in the Republic of Ireland, said it was “a big lie” to describe Israel as an apartheid state. Referring to the recent decision of the town council at Carrickmacross, County Monaghan, to tear out the page from the welcome book signed by the Israeli ambassador, Hudson asked: “what exactly is the Jewish community in Ireland to make of that? The ambassador of no other country on this earth would be treated that way”.

 

“This meeting marks a first organised stand against the boycott of Israel in Northern Ireland” Steven Jaffe, NIFI co chair, remarked, “and the fact that we had standing room only at our meeting indicates this issue is deeply divisive. The vast majority of our supporters are not Jewish. In Northern Ireland of all places we know that dialogue, however difficult, is the only way forward towards peace, not sterile and negative boycotting”.

 

 

STOP PRESS! Over 280 attend NIFI’s lecture on Anti-Semitism and Israel – for a report  go to Israel Events in Northern Ireland.

Anti-semitism slammed: Anthony Julius with MP Nigel Dodds and Lord Bew at NIFI meeting.

Ambassador Evrony: Northern Ireland and Israel

 March 5, 2010 International Herald Tribune

From Ireland to Israel

By ZION EVRONY, Israel’s ambassador to the Irish Republic

During a recent trip to Northern Ireland, one theme that dominated all of my conversations was encapsulated in the words “Who would have believed…?”

From Donaghadee to Israel – with a heart

Originally from Donaghadee, Laura Kafif does not have to search around for job satisfaction. 

Fourteen years ago the former hairdresser and part owner of a salon in Bangor left Northern Ireland for a new life in Israel with her Israeli husband Boaz. 

When her own son was safely off to nursery school, Laura volunteered with Save a Child’s Heart (SACH), an Israeli charity, which brings thousands of children from around the world to Israel in order to carry out life-saving heart surgery unavailable  in their own countries. 

Terry McCorran in Israel: straight talking on the Boycott

Terry McCorran Co Chairman of NIFI reports on his recent visit to Israel

 

 

 

 

Meeting with Jerusalem workers

 

On the 1^st of November this year I had the privilege of joining the Trade Union Friends of Israel (TUFI)  Delegation to Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Sadly, due to the Boycott of Israel by my own trade union, Unison (which includes a boycott of TUFI - TUFI were banned from having a stall at this year’s UNISON conference), I had to go in a Personal Capacity unlike other members of the delegation who went as representatives of their trade unions. The up side of this was it made me more determined to find out the truth about Boycotts, and whether it was possible for Israelis and Palestinians to live and work together in peace.

The truth it turns out in my opinion is much different from what the World Media and some Trade unions tend to make out. And when people told me you couldn’t compare what has happened in Northern Ireland to what is happening in Israel I felt maybe you couldn’t, there are certainly many differences, but in one vitally important aspect they are wrong. Speaking to Jews and Arabs, both Muslim and Christian, in Israel I found out one thing that the vast majority of them had in common with people in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. They want PEACE, they want to go to work and then go home to their families.

 

Our guide for the trip was Avital Shapira-Shabriow from the Israeli trade union movement, the Histadrut, who set up a very well organised and high-level trip. During our visit we met government Minister Itzhak Herzog (Welfare Minister) , a man whose father, the late President Herzog, was born in Belfast. We also met the Jerusalem Municipality Employees Committee; the Chairman of the Jerusalem Labour Council (Danny Ben-Sherrit); a member of Tony Blair’s Quartet Department (Ben Scott Rule); the Histadrut Chairman Mr Ofer Eini; the Acting Governor of Nablus, Anan Atteereh, and Mr Shaher Sae’d (General Secretary of the Palestinian trade union movement, the PGFTU) among many others. We travelled from Sderot, a town on the Gaza border in the south, which has suffered thousands of missile attacks by Hamas, to Haifa in the north, which has a large Jewish and Arab population, living and working side by side. 

 

 

 

Terry presenting the Belfast plaque to Salan Halvey of Sderot municipality

Missiles on Sderot - one of scores fired after the ceasefire

 

I guess for me, as a Trade Unionist the big question was BOYCOTTS. At a meeting with the General Secretary of the PGFTU I asked two very straight forward and to me very important questions: 

1.      Do the PGFTU want a Boycott of Israel? (Answer from Mr Sae’d: No and it has never been discussed by the PGFTU) 

2.      Do you want a Boycott of goods from the Israeli settlements on the West Bank? (Answer from Mr Sae’d:  While I do not agree with the “Illegal Settlements” and protest against them, I could NOT ask for people to BOYCOTT them as 30,000 Palestinians work in them or for companies which produce goods from them, and to BOYCOTT them would harm the very people I represent and would deprive them of a means to support their families). 

 

 

 

Palestinian trade unionists: "the Boycott is not on our agenda"

I left Israel and the Palestinian Authority realising that rather than Boycotting people and goods we should help and support the vast majority of  people of the region by encouragement and engagement with all those seeking a peaceful resolution. I also left knowing one day soon I will go back, and, through NIFI and my work in the trade union movement, I will do all I can to support the people of Israel and Palestine who want peace.

 Terry McCorran