Conservative Party leader David Cameron
צילום: AP
British film criticizes Jewish lobby
Channel 4 program claims pro-Israel organizations have donated millions of pounds to Conservative Party in recent years, have tremendous amount of influence on its senior members
Jewish organizations in Britain have a tremendous amount of influence on the Conservative camp and have donated more than £10 million ($16.7 million) to its members, claims a film scheduled to be broadcast on the kingdom's Channel 4 on Monday.
According to The Guardian newspaper, the film scrutinizes the activities of the powerful but little-known Pro-Israel lobby, which looks set to see its influence increase if the Conservatives win the next election.
The program-makers describe the CFI as "beyond doubt the most well- connected and probably the best funded of all Westminster lobbying groups".
At least half of the shadow cabinet, they say, are members of the Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI).
According to The Guardian, the program also describes how Conservatives leader David Cameron allegedly accepted a £15,000 ($25,053) donation from Poju Zabludowicz, a Finnish billionaire who chairs Bicom (the Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre). Zabludowizc, the film reveals, has business interests in an illegal West Bank settlement. He also gave £50,000 to Conservative Central Office. Zabludowicz said his contributions were "a matter of public record".
Conservatives MP William Hague allegedly accepted personal donations from CFI board members totaling tens of thousands of pounds after being appointed shadow foreign secretary. More than £30,000 ($50,106) from CFI supporters went to the campaign funds of members of Cameron's team who were first elected in 2005, the film claims, using publicly available information.
The program-makers say that while this is legal, it is not well-known, The Guardian reported.
CFI: Film deeply flawed
Inside Britain's Israel Lobby rejected the claims, saying that donations to the Conservative party "from all CFI members and their businesses add up to well over £10m over the last eight years". CFI has disputed the figure and called the film "deeply flawed".
CFI Director Stuart Polak told The Guardian the figure of more than £10 million was not supported by any facts. "It is fictitious, misleading and damaging to the reputation of CFI and its supporters," he said.
"CFI as an organization has donated only £30,000 since 2005. Each of these donations has been made transparently and publicly registered. In addition to this £30,000, it is undoubtedly the case that some of our supporters have also chosen, separately, to donate to the party as individuals."
According to one of the film makers, "Two years ago a controversial study by American academics Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer explored the influence of the Israel lobby over US foreign policy. But Britain's pro-Israel organizations have been subjected to far less scrutiny."
Hague fell out with CFI after describing Israel's 2006 attack on Lebanon – in retaliation for a Hezbollah raid – as "disproportionate" and allegedly faced threats to withdraw funding from Lord Kalms, a major Tory donor and CFI member, the film reports.
"The pro-Israel lobby is the most powerful political lobby," Michael Mates, a Conservative MP and privy councillor, told the film-makers. "There's nothing to touch them."
According to the film, CFI has also flown over 30 Tory parliamentary candidates to Israel on free trips in the last three years.
Sir Richard Dalton, a former British diplomat who served as consul-general in Jerusalem and ambassador to Libya and Iran, said: "I don't believe, and I don't think anybody else believes these contributions come with no strings attached."
Britain's Channel 4 is known for its provocative content, which has included criticism against Israel more than once. Last Christmas, the channel chose to air a taped greeting from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in addition to Queen Elizabeth's traditional address.
