Northern Ireland Friends of Israel

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The Northern Ireland Friends of Israel (NIFI)was launched in March 2009.

History

NIFI was co-founded by Steven Jaffe, the Belfast representative on the Board of Deputies of British Jews, and Unison trade unionist Terry McCorran.[1][2]

NIFI launches at Stormont on 12 March 2009. Among the speakers were Northern Ireland First Minister Ian Paisley, Lord Steinberg, Board of Deputies president Henry Grunwald and Talya Lador-Fresher of the Israeli Embassy.[3]

Aims

Steven Jaffe described NIFI's aims as follows:

"The NIFI are dedicated to fostering better relations between Northern Ireland and Israel," Jaffe said. "We want to make sure Israel has a fair airing in the local media, a major issue in the UK, and we want to engage meaningfully with anyone committed to a peaceful resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict."
"There are many parallels between the Northern Ireland peace process and that in the Middle East. The differences are key in addressing that conflict," he added. "This isn't just a Jewish initiative."[4]

People

Publications, Contact, Resources and Notes

Notes

  1. Maya Spitzer, Ian Paisley launches Northern Ireland Friends of Israel, Jerusalem Post, 18 March 2009.
  2. Joe Cohen, Israel discovers many friend in Ireland, Jewish Chronicle, 19 March 2009.
  3. Joe Cohen, Israel discovers many friend in Ireland, Jewish Chronicle, 19 March 2009.
  4. Maya Spitzer, Ian Paisley launches Northern Ireland Friends of Israel, Jerusalem Post, 18 March 2009.