Page 2 - CUFI Update - Autumn 2016

1917 2017
Announcing #IAmBalfour - Declaring 100 years of Britain’s support for Israel
On 2nd November we marked 99 years since the signing of the Balfour Declaration and the launch of our year-long #IAmBalfour campaign, which provides people with an opportunity to declare their own support for Israel.
#IAmBalfour is asking supporters of Israel, like you, to put their name to an online declaration that will be presented to the UK Government and Israeli Embassy
in 2017. Whether you live in or outside the UK, this is an opportunity to make your own personal declaration of support for Israel and a irm the support Britain gave towards a Jewish homeland one hundred years ago.
The launch of #IAmBalfour follows recent calls from the anti-Israel lobby demanding that Britain apologises for its
role in establishing the modern state of Israel.
In September 2016, the Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas spoke at the UN General Assembly and declared that Britain should apologise for the Balfour Declaration. Then, in late October, a campaign for Britain to apologise was launched at a meeting in Parliament hosted by Baroness Tonge.
Throughout the year our #IAmBalfour campaign will be seeking to raise awareness and urge the UK Government to uphold its commitment to Israel and the Jewish people – without apology.
GET
INVOLVED Go to www.iambalfour.org to sign online.
Join thousands of pro-Israel supporters in signing the #IAmBalfour Declaration.
Combating anti-Semitism through #IAmBalfour
One of the most significant characteristics of the anti-Israel ‘Balfour apology’ campaign is that it is veiled anti-Semitism.
This was evident at the meeting hosted in Westminster by Baroness Tonge in October where a line was crossed repeatedly.
For example, an audience member who was given an opportunity to speak blamed the Jews themselves for the Holocaust. This abhorrent statement was seemingly applauded and agreed with by some of those in attendance. Fortunately this anti-Semitism did not go unchallenged and Baroness Tongue was subsequently suspended from the Liberal Democrats for her role in hosting the meeting.
To call for Britain to apologise is e ectively to deny the Jewish people’s historic right to their homeland.
Our #IAmBalfour campaign is also timely following UNESCO’s recent decision to remove the Jewish connection to Jerusalem’s holy sites.
This re-writing of history and blatant attempt to delegitimise Israel is something we cannot allow to go unchallenged.
This is why our #IAmBalfour campaign is so important and why standing with Israel is as important today as it was one hundred years ago.