"During our time we have not only met a lot of people, we've seen a lot of the country. We've been all the way down to the border with Gaza, and yesterday we were in the West Bank talking to Palestinians as well as Israelis about the big question of the Israel-Palestinian conflict... Our trip has been somewhat overshadowed by the fact that midway through it we learnt of the tragic death of Shimon Peres. I was lucky enough on my last visit to Israel with CFI, now over 20 years ago, to meet Shimon Peres, and I remember what an extraordinary man he was. The trip has been a fascinating experience and certainly I think has increased the understanding of myself and all of my colleagues about the situation of Israel today."
− Former Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, Rt. Hon. John Whittingdale OBE MP, September 2016 Delegation
"Save A Child's Heart is a charity that is very close to my heart because not only was I a nurse before I became an MP, but also I had congenital heart disease as a child myself, and so I know the difference that medical treatment can make. We met with the children today and their mums and their carers, some before surgery and some after, and this is an amazing thing that this Israeli charity is doing, making such a difference to young children who would never have this opportunity in their own countries. It really reflects the whole few days that we've had in Israel where we've seen lots of examples of where Israel is helping their neighbours, whether it's in Palestine and in other parts of the world as well."
− Maria Caulfield MP, September 2016 Delegation
"This has been a fantastic week in Israel with the CFI. I've learned so much about this country, about the dynamics between Palestinian and Israeli perspectives. We've met politicians, we've met journalists, we've been to the West Bank, we've been to the border with Gaza, we've seen civil society organisations. We get lots of emails as MPs from both sides of the fence as it were, on this issue. What CFI have done is put together a really effective programme of events and meetings, which gives us an opportunity to ask really tough questions, but leaves us at the end of the week with a clear understanding of the way forward...to understand both sides with a greater degree of depth and real knowledge. I would like to thank the CFI for the opportunity to be here this week, it's one that I wouldn't have missed for the world. I hope that many more colleagues will choose to come to Israel in the weeks and months ahead. I think that it's something you really need to do if you're going to speak with intelligence and authority on this subject."
− John Glen MP, September 2016 Delegation
"Prior to the CFI trip, I had been to Israel as a businessman and as a tourist - but I had never previously had the opportunity to focus on the political and security issues that face all Israelis and Palestinians. The visit was extremely well organised and, significantly, included discussions with people from all sides of the political spectrum. It convinced me that the desire for peace in the region is very strong, despite the obvious challenges."
− Communities and Local Government Secretary, Rt. Hon. Sajid Javid MP, May 2012 Delegation
"I stand here this evening very proud to say that I am a Conservative friend of Israel. I have been to Israel with one of the CFI trips in 2007… That visit really opened my eyes to the challenges Israel faces on a day-to-day basis in terms of security but also in terms of the enormous economic opportunities that exist for the relationship between Israel and the UK."
− Former Work and Pensions Secretary, Rt. Hon. Stephen Crabb MP, 2007 Delegation
"Visiting Israel gave me more than just an insight into the political situation. Watching the television news in the UK you get no sense of quite how vibrant, cosmopolitan and multicultural Israel is... I am very grateful to have had this opportunity. The conversations that CFI facilitated with political and military officials, academics and other figures from both the Israeli and Palestinian side was very impressive and greatly enhanced my knowledge of the region. I would thoroughly recommend such a visit to any parliamentarian, regardless of their current views on the situation in the Middle East."
− CFI Officer, Oliver Dowden MP, November 2014 Delegation
"The visit to Israel and the West Bank with CFI was a winning combination of being informative, educational and enjoyable. Having set myself the goal of really getting to grips with understanding the Israel/Palestine issue over the course of a year, I found that the places we went to, the people we met and the issues we discussed on the CFI visit were all exactly the right ones and I am struggling to think how the trip might have been improved. To my mind, the CFI visit was a perfect introduction to understanding the hugely complicated issues that surround Israel and its neighbours."
− Philip Hollobone MP, May 2012 Delegation
