100 years after the Balfour Declaration we see that Israel attempts to discreetly influence the British Governments policies. The international development secretary’s covert summer trip was a gift to Israelis who seek to influence British policy For the second time in less than a year, Israeli efforts to discreetly influence British policy has been disclosed. In January, the embassy official Shai Masot was caught in an al-Jazeera sting to “take down” politicians regarded as unfriendly to Israel. This time a bigger fish has been caught: the UK’s international development secretary, Priti Patel. Patel’s summer trip, organised with the head of the Conservative Friends of Israel lobby group, skipped all those protocols, despite a timetable that was highly orchestrated – including a reported visit to an Israeli field hospital in the occupied Golan Heights, which could have taken place only with both Israeli military and political clearance. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/nov/08/priti-patel-israel-trip-analysis-uk-foreign-policy So a senior British politician visits the occupied Golan heights whilst on "holiday" all facilitated by the president of Conservative Friends for Israel.This is the woman who reviewed funding for the Palestinians while it was investigated, but has 14 meetings with Israeli's not reported to the FO or Prime minister. She has rightfully been forced to resign. But what was she doing at these meetings and what was discussed? Will the spotlight now be turned onto Lord Polak, the man who organised these meetings, this vastly experienced politician would of known full well that she was breaking government guidelines. This week, one cabinet minister credited Lord Polak with running “the most effective lobbying operation at Westminster”, saying he had an “encyclopedic knowledge” of Conservative donors. CFI has given £377,994 to the Conservative party since 2004, mostly in the form of fully-funded trips to Israel for MPs, according to the Electoral Commission website. Directors of CFI have also given money directly to the Tory party, including direct donations to individual MPs, such as environmental secretary Michael Gove and former minister Robert Halfon. Deputy chairman Hilda Worth has given £176,150 to the party since 2004, while treasurer Stephen Massey has donated £119,050. https://www.ft.com/content/383e5caa-c4a2-11e7-b2bb-322b2cb39656 And the Jewish Chronicle suggest the Prime Minister may well of actually been aware and Patel is just the fall girl. https://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/no-10-knew-about-priti-patel-israel-meetings-1.447605 We seriously need to look at the influence of Israel on the Conservative Party and British policy, particularly when Israel is lobbying so hard for an attack against Iran possibly by British and US forces. Ironically could this be the final nail in May's government coffin and herald the arrival of Jeremy Corbyn, the most pro-Palestinian prospective Prime Minister for decades?
I already started a thread on this a few days ago. The result of that was simply abuse. Hope you do better. http://www.politicalforum.com/index...to-israeli-army-after-visit-to-israel.518387/
The place where investigations should be made is where they were not even when earlier this year we got information on the Israeli Embassy's direction and creation of groups like 'Conservative Friends of Israel' et al and people working from that Embassy also having positions so that they can influence Ministers in for instance Prime Ministers questions. The Al Jazeera videos for instance showed how one woman in collusion with the operative working from inside the Israeli Embassy worked to get a Minister at PM's Question Time to get the PM to agree how awful the kidnapping and killing of the three Israeli teens were which of course is a perfectly legitimate thing to have said, but to have added to this that he wanted the PM's assurance that the UK would be there with whatever Israel did in response - that is the Minister had been manipulated into making Cameron agree with Israelis attack on Gaza 2014 before it even happened. Of course also into the 'taking down of Ministers' The Jewish Chronicle rightly suggests this may cost the CFI influence. https://www.thejc.com/comment/columnists/stuart-polak-the-westminster-veteran-1.447570 I suggested this could well be the situation in the other thread I wrote...though not just the PM. The way Patel said that Johnson knew is just so self assured it is difficult to think she could be such a cold blooded liar....and yes, I know that she was lying about a whole lot more of what she was up to in Israel at that time but if she believed when she was that she had the backing of the Cabinet then she obviously will have thought she was in a different position. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/nov/03/priti-patel-held-undisclosed-meetings-israel Had you known about her cutting aid to the Palestinians? What is needed is a thorough investigation of both this and belatedly the issues brought up in the Al Jazeera videos earlier this year - otherwise the people of the UK need to understand that sovereignty is really a laugh and democracy too.....and bad as she was in Thatcher's time this would have been done, appropriate organisations disbanded and I suspect a lot of Israeli Diplomats sent home.
And ??? What Nation does NOT try to influence others? This is simply politics as usual at the State level.
100 years has flown by! It is also the Centennial of WW1 -- the biggest mistake in world history. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balfour_Declaration
The issue is not with the Israeli government. Obviously they can try anything they want. The issue is in keeping British Democracy free from foreign interference. Imagine for instance if Russia had tried any of this in the US.
I am surprised that you changed the subject to Russians. Israelis are all over Wash DC influencing US policy. You could have more easily stayed on point.
Did not see your thread Alexa. sorry. A thorough investigation is needed into how a senior diplomat can possibly have 14 meetings with a foreign power including the Prime Minister and not inform the government. What was she doing in those meetings? If May was aware and denied it, then it must surely be the end of her government?
They were simply trying to force the British out of Palestine as quickly as possible, if ever there was going to be a Zionist state, then was the time.
The only thing I am aware of her doing was to agree to give 'aid' to the Israeli army apparently for helping 'refugees' in the Golan Heights. I did skim something last night which was saying that this has brought British 'aid' giving into disrepute and people will be looking more closely at it. According to Gilos this is not in the Golan Heights as we used to know them but further in, in an area Israel did not have prior to the Syrian War. Obviously the UK cannot give aid to the Israeli army working in the Golan Heights as we do not recognise the Golan Heights as belonging to Israel and having seen Israelis wars on our tv's the British people would not agree to giving aid to that army. As far as the medical facilities being for 'refugees' all I have heard and I think it has been acknowledged on this forum that it is isis type the fighters (rebels) who the Israelis give medical help to in the Golans. I am suggesting the two things are related, that is the information which was brought out in the Al Jazeera videos and this. You did see them? That would also go with the sort of thing Patel had been up to like holding back aid for the Palestinians - that is I am suggesting this sort of orientation was already there...and also is related to corruption over donations. Now for our National Sovereignty Corbyn was trying to get an investigation done after the AJ videos came out but May would have none of it even though the MP who they were discussing 'taking down' because he was sympathetic to the Palestinians belonged to her own Party. This also spreads into the Labour Party so is in no way just the Tories. I am hoping Corbyn who obviously was involved in none of this and the other opposition Parties will put sufficient pressure on for that inquiry. May is a very lame duck anyway.... how do you think this could be proved if they have all decided to keep quiet. I think you have to begin with the information brought forth by the Al Jazeera - that anyway is where good investigators would begin so I guess the important thing is to get an enquiry going.
It is nice to have a convenient war like WW1 which has proven clearly to be a big mistake by all its participants even the USA. If you want to read more about it pick up a copy of "To End All Wars" by Adam Hochschild.
While it has become increasingly clear that Viet Nam was as a big mistake by France and by the USA, it sucked various US Presidents into growing involvement starting with Truman, and including each of their successors up to Gerald Ford who finally had the strength to back down from reinsertion when North Vietnam finally invaded the South in 1975.
Another article concerning this by the Jewish Chronicle. They seem to be trying to gauge the waters and accept that Patel following after the Al Jazeera Videos is a knock for CFI. However they eventually come to the conclusion that some Tories need their help to keep their seat so imagine all will be well. They then go on to Labour Friends of Israel which they think is doing very well....before finally deciding maybe they need to keep a low profile for a little while. The Patel affair points to a murky future for Israel's supporters in the UK I'd say not a good time to go to war as far as Britain is concerned.
Hell I never knew the US had this The Friends of the Israel Defence Forces - hmmm the Israeli embassy staff and CFI has some way to go with doctrinating us, still having to make do with getting their message disseminated through the various Friends of Israel. You ask what Patel was hoping to gain and remember she was accompanied by a top Conservative Friend of Israel so they will have been working together. The gain they saw was possibly to get the UK supporting the IDF through creating British Friends of the Israel Defence Forces. I have suspected for a while the intent is to get us working more like the US. It may have been effective with our politicians, until Corbyn but unlike the US I do not think it has had much influence on the general population. What the heck are the Americans doing collecting money and supporting the military of a foreign country. Reminds me of when they were doing that for the IRA.
Now in respect to the post you did not answer but instead spoke about the CGG, answer the reason for this Margot https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houthis Why did the man who according to you then join the people who were apparently the reason he stepped down. Why did the previous President of Yemen who apparently of his own free will stepped down then go bringing a large section of the Yemin army and join the people he was apparently fighting and instead help them to take over a large section of the country. Explain that Margot.
Saleh had an elementary school education and had been ruler for over 30 years. Opposition forces attacked the palace and he was burned. http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/08/world/meast/ali-abdullah-saleh-fast-facts/index.html
