Millions flow from Israeli lobbies to fund a quarter of UK MPs: Report
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In an exclusive report, Declassified unveils the comprehensive list of British MPs who have received financial contributions from pro-"Israel" lobbyists.
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Former UK ministers Robert Jenrick and Theresa Villiers visit "Israel". (Photo: Facebook via Declassified UK)
Around 180 of the 650 MPs in Britain's last parliament received funding from pro-Israeli lobby groups or individuals throughout their political careers, Declassified UK revealed on Wednesday.
This group includes 130 Conservative MPs, 41 Labour MPs, and three Liberal Democrats.
Additionally, three members of the DUP, two independents, and Reform's sole MP are also on the list.
The total donations from pro-Israeli groups, individuals, and Israeli institutions exceed one million pounds.
Collectively, these politicians undertook over 240 funded trips to "Israel", costing more than half a million pounds.
Some of these trips included visits to the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and a few were co-sponsored by organizations not affiliated with the Israeli lobby.
Notably, 15 MPs accepted funding to travel to "Israel" during the ongoing Gaza genocide.
Huda Ammori, co-founder of the direct action network Palestine Action, said as quoted by Declassified, “Accepting funding from a lobby group on behalf of the perpetrators of genocide should immediately bar anyone from standing as an MP.
“To see how politicians continue to travel to Israel and engage with the genocide lobby explains why our government continues to defy international law by facilitating Israel’s war crimes,” Ammori added.
It is worth noting that the complete list of MPs was made available by Declassified, 47 of whom are not seeking re-election.
No MPs from the Scottish National Party, Sinn Fein, Plaid Cymru, SDLP, Alba, Greens, Alliance, or the Workers Party received hospitality or funding from the lobby, as per the list.
80% of Tory MPs affiliated with CFI
One of the primary financiers is Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI), a parliamentary group that does not disclose the origins of its funding.
Approximately 80% of Conservative MPs are affiliated with CFI. Over the past decade, it has sponsored more overseas trips for MPs than any other political donor in the UK.
Declassified recently uncovered that CFI has financially supported 118 sitting Conservative MPs for trips to "Israel" on 160 occasions, contributing over £330,000 towards these visits.
Additionally, the organization maintains close ties with Whitehall and arranges private briefings for ministers.
Labour Friends of Israel (LFI), another parliamentary group with undisclosed funding sources, boasts approximately 75 MPs as supporters or officers.
The organization recently took down the roster of its parliamentary supporters from its website, but it can be accessed here.
LFI has funded trips to "Israel" for 32 of Labour's current MPs since their initial election, providing over £64,000 for these visits.
David Mencer, formerly associated with LFI and David Lammy's campaign for London mayor, now serves as a spokesperson for the Israeli government.
Additional visits to "Israel" have been sponsored by Liberal Democrats Friends of Israel and Northern Ireland Friends of Israel.
Many of these trips are jointly financed by the Israeli Foreign Ministry, indicating a close level of collaboration with the Israeli government. More than 40 MPs have accepted funding from Israeli state institutions.
Other pro-"Israel" lobbying organizations that have supported MPs' visits to "Israel" include the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the Australia-Israel Cultural Exchange, Elnet UK, the Jewish National Fund, and the National Jewish Assembly.
Pro-'Israel' Influence on Labour and Conservative MPs
Labour and Conservative MPs have also received funding from individuals directly affiliated with pro-Israeli lobbying organizations.
This includes Trevor Chinn, a prominent pro-"Israel" lobbyist who has financially supported eight members of Keir Starmer's frontbench, including his deputy Angela Rayner, shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves, shadow foreign secretary David Lammy, and shadow health secretary Wes Streeting.
Chinn contributed £50,000 to Starmer's Labour leadership campaign, with the donation only being disclosed after Starmer's victory.
Gary Lubner, a new major donor to the Labour Party, "is a pro-Israel businessman whose company benefited from South African apartheid," as reported by Electronic Intifada.
Last year, he contributed £4.5 million to the Labour Party, with £350,000 allocated to the offices of Lammy, Reeves, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper, and newcomer MP Keir Mather.
Other donors to Labour MPs include David Menton, a former director of the Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre (BICOM), and Red Capital, a private company owned by former LFI chairman Jonathan Mendelsohn.
Several individuals affiliated with CFI, such as Trevor Pears, Michael Lewis, David Meller, and Lord Kalms, have also made donations to senior Conservative figures.
However, not all MPs who have received funding from pro-"Israel" organizations or individuals have been uncritical of the Israeli government's policies. Some MPs have refrained from accepting such funding for many years.
On this issue, Hil Aked, author of the book Friends of Israel: The Backlash Against Palestine Solidarity, said as quoted by Declassified: “These sizable donations may illustrate the Israel lobby’s ‘influence’ or merely that many British politicians have pro-Israel positions and are happy to take pro-Israel money.
“Either way, it’s clear that much of the British political elite remains in bed with the Zionist movement even as Israel perpetrates an ongoing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza," Aked added.
“Just as our government continues to arm Israel against the will of the British public, these groups’ close ties to the Israeli government and dire lack of transparency about their funding highlight the way Israel’s brutal settler-colonial violence also exposes our own democratic deficit,” he concluded.
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