In an article published in the Jerusalem Post this week, CFI Chairman, Rt. Hon. Sir Eric Pickles MP celebrated Israel’s success as a “bastion of democracy” and the UK-Israel relationship, following a CFI parliamentary delegation to the country.
During last week’s visit, Sir Eric planted a tree at Yad Kennedy Memorial in the Aminadav Forest in Jerusalem, in honour of his knighthood and to recognise his dedication and support for the Jewish people and the State of Israel.
CFI presented Sir Eric with the gift following his knighthood in February 2016, stating that in his honour, a garden of trees will be planted by the Jewish National Fund (JNF) in Jerusalem. Sir Eric said of the gift: “I look forward to visiting my own little piece of Israel for many years to come”.
In his article, Sir Eric wrote: “The Jewish state has achieved a seemingly impossible amount in its young life. If more countries had set out to build modern democratic states and invested in their people and futures, the world would be a more prosperous and peaceful place”.
Sir Eric highlighted that the CFI trip coincided with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the US to meet President Donald Trump. Sir Eric said: “Let me be clear: any option other than a two-state solution risks threatening the Jewish, democratic nature of the State of Israel”.
Describing the visit, Sir Eric said: “the extensive itinerary took us from meetings with high-tech incubators in Tel Aviv, all the way to Sderot on the Gaza border (which has the unfortunate reputation as the “bomb shelter capital of the world”) and Ramallah in the West Bank”.
Sir Eric highlighted that the CFI trip coincided with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the US to meet President Donald Trump. Sir Eric said: “Let me be clear: any option other than a two-state solution risks threatening the Jewish, democratic nature of the State of Israel”.
Emphasising how CFI and many MPs have called for the UK to allocate more aid to peaceful coexistence projects, Sir Eric described the delegation’s visit to Beit Issie Shapiro – “a charity providing cutting-edge services to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities”.
Sir Eric said BIS’s: “Sindian Center in the Arab Israeli town of Kalansuwa is the first early intervention centre in the Arab sector in Israel”, and that the centre “regularly brings Arab and Jewish Israeli families together”.
Click here to read Sir Eric’s article in full.
