Friends of Israel Initiative
Encyclopedia
The Friends of Israel Initiative (FOII) is an international effort, to "seek to counter the attempts to delegitimize the State of Israel and its right to live in peace within safe and defensible borders", initiated and led by former Prime Minister of Spain
and People's Party
leader José María Aznar
in 2010.
It was co-founded by twelve other international figures. They include Republican Party former United States Ambassador to the United Nations
John Bolton
, Forza Italia
's former President of the Italian Senate Marcello Pera
, former President of Czech Republic Václav Havel
, Peru’s former President Alejandro Toledo
, and British Conservative Party peer, former First Minister of Northern Ireland and Nobel Peace Prize
winner David Trimble
.
On 19 July 2010 a launch event was held at the British House of Commons
, hosted by the Henry Jackson Society
and Robert Halfon
MP.
in July 2011 at Beit HaNassi
in Jerusalem. The delegation included former Spanish Prime Minister José Aznar, former US Ambassador to the United Nations
John R. Bolton
, and founder of Rhone Group
Robert Agostinelli
and Noble Peace Prize laureate Lord David Trimble
. The President held a working meeting with FII and presented an overview of the on situation in Israel
and the region at large.
According to the Mexican newspaper El Financiero, the purpose of the initiative is to "reaffirm Western values," "work in favor of recognizing the right of Israel to exist," and counteract "anti-Semitic criticism" of Israel. According to ABC News, the initiative is founded on the conviction that "The campaign against Israel corrodes the international system from within, beginning with the United Nations."
José María Aznar states that FOII is non-Jewish in nature and not linked to the Israeli government, and only non-Jews can become a members of the board. Aznar believes that if Israel were to disappear, Europe would then be directly confronted by radical Islam elements.
The initiative was founded by:
Friends of Israel Initiative has been funded by a dozen private donors from Spain, America, Israel, France, Italy and Britain. It has a working budget of almost £1 million a year.
Prime Minister of Spain
The President of the Government of Spain , sometimes known in English as the Prime Minister of Spain, is the head of Government of Spain. The current office is established under the Constitution of 1978...
and People's Party
People's Party (Spain)
The People's Party is a conservative political party in Spain.The People's Party was a re-foundation in 1989 of the People's Alliance , a party led and founded by Manuel Fraga Iribarne, a former Minister of Tourism during Francisco Franco's dictatorship...
leader José María Aznar
José María Aznar
José María Alfredo Aznar López served as the Prime Minister of Spain from 1996 to 2004. He is on the board of directors of News Corporation.-Early life:...
in 2010.
It was co-founded by twelve other international figures. They include Republican Party former United States Ambassador to the United Nations
United States Ambassador to the United Nations
The United States Ambassador to the United Nations is the leader of the U.S. delegation, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. The position is more formally known as the "Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations, with the rank and status of Ambassador...
John Bolton
John R. Bolton
John Robert Bolton is an American lawyer and diplomat who has served in several Republican presidential administrations. He served as the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations from August 2005 until December 2006 on a recess appointment...
, Forza Italia
Forza Italia
Forza Italia was a liberal-conservative, Christian democratic, and liberal political party in Italy, with a large social democratic minority, that was led by Silvio Berlusconi, four times Prime Minister of Italy....
's former President of the Italian Senate Marcello Pera
Marcello Pera
Marcello Pera is an Italian philosopher and politician. He was the President of the Italian Senate from 2001 to 2006.-Career:...
, former President of Czech Republic Václav Havel
Václav Havel
Václav Havel is a Czech playwright, essayist, poet, dissident and politician. He was the tenth and last President of Czechoslovakia and the first President of the Czech Republic . He has written over twenty plays and numerous non-fiction works, translated internationally...
, Peru’s former President Alejandro Toledo
Alejandro Toledo
Alejandro Celestino Toledo Manrique is a politician who was President of Peru from 2001 to 2006. He was elected in April 2001, defeating former President Alan García...
, and British Conservative Party peer, former First Minister of Northern Ireland and Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
winner David Trimble
David Trimble
William David Trimble, Baron Trimble, PC , is a politician from Northern Ireland. He served as Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party , was the first First Minister of Northern Ireland , and was a Member of the British Parliament . He is currently a life peer for the Conservative Party...
.
On 19 July 2010 a launch event was held at the British House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
, hosted by the Henry Jackson Society
Henry Jackson Society
The Henry Jackson Society is a non-partisan association. The society's goals include the promotion of "democratic geopolitics". The society is named after after Henry M. Jackson, the late Democratic Senator from Washington State...
and Robert Halfon
Robert Halfon
Robert Henry Halfon is a British Conservative politician. He is the current Member of Parliament for Harlow, and was first elected at the 2010 general election.-Early life:...
MP.
Support & Growth
The Friends of Israel Initiative met with President Shimon PeresShimon Peres
GCMG is the ninth President of the State of Israel. Peres served twice as the eighth Prime Minister of Israel and once as Interim Prime Minister, and has been a member of 12 cabinets in a political career spanning over 66 years...
in July 2011 at Beit HaNassi
Beit HaNassi
Beit HaNassi , also known as Mishkan HaNassi "Presidential Residence" is the official residence of the President of Israel. It is located in the Talbiya neighborhood of Jerusalem, Israel.-History:...
in Jerusalem. The delegation included former Spanish Prime Minister José Aznar, former US Ambassador to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
John R. Bolton
John R. Bolton
John Robert Bolton is an American lawyer and diplomat who has served in several Republican presidential administrations. He served as the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations from August 2005 until December 2006 on a recess appointment...
, and founder of Rhone Group
Rhône Group
Rhône Group is a private equity firm, specializing in mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, and partnerships with particular focus on European and Trans- Atlantic investments...
Robert Agostinelli
Robert Agostinelli
Robert Frank Agostinelli is an American businessman and investor and the chairman and the co-founder of the Rhône Group, the private-equity and financial advisory firm...
and Noble Peace Prize laureate Lord David Trimble
David Trimble
William David Trimble, Baron Trimble, PC , is a politician from Northern Ireland. He served as Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party , was the first First Minister of Northern Ireland , and was a Member of the British Parliament . He is currently a life peer for the Conservative Party...
. The President held a working meeting with FII and presented an overview of the on situation in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and the region at large.
Purpose
The declared purpose of the initiative is to "seek to counter the attempts to delegitimize the State of Israel and its right to live in peace within safe and defensible borders". It uses the slogan "Stand for Israel, Stand for the West". It also campaigns against Iran, in particular in relation to its potential development of nuclear armaments.According to the Mexican newspaper El Financiero, the purpose of the initiative is to "reaffirm Western values," "work in favor of recognizing the right of Israel to exist," and counteract "anti-Semitic criticism" of Israel. According to ABC News, the initiative is founded on the conviction that "The campaign against Israel corrodes the international system from within, beginning with the United Nations."
José María Aznar states that FOII is non-Jewish in nature and not linked to the Israeli government, and only non-Jews can become a members of the board. Aznar believes that if Israel were to disappear, Europe would then be directly confronted by radical Islam elements.
Principles
The Friends of Israel are based on the following principles:- Israel is a modern, flourishing Western country with a liberal democratic political system operating under the rule of law, with a right to be treated as such.
- Israel's right to exist should not be questioned.
- Israel, as a sovereign country, has the right to self-defense.
- Israel is an ally of the west against terrorism and defender of the Judeo-Christian cultural and moral heritage, and thus "Israel’s fight is our fight".
- The key to ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflictIsraeli-Palestinian conflictThe Israeli–Palestinian conflict is the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. The conflict is wide-ranging, and the term is also used in reference to the earlier phases of the same conflict, between Jewish and Zionist yishuv and the Arab population living in Palestine under Ottoman or...
is for the Palestinians to recognize Israel as the legitimate national homeland of the Jewish people, and then good faith negotiations have a chance of achieving success. - The spread of Islamic fundamentalismIslamic fundamentalismIslamic fundamentalism is a term used to describe religious ideologies seen as advocating a return to the "fundamentals" of Islam: the Quran and the Sunnah. Definitions of the term vary. According to Christine L...
and jihadismJihadismJihadism is a term to describe the renewed focus on armed jihad in radical Islamic fundamentalism....
and the prospect of a nuclear IranNuclear program of IranThe nuclear program of Iran was launched in the 1950s with the help of the United States as part of the Atoms for Peace program. The support, encouragement and participation of the United States and Western European governments in Iran's nuclear program continued until the 1979 Iranian Revolution...
are threats existential for the state of Israel as for the rest of the western world.
Founders
- José María AznarJosé María AznarJosé María Alfredo Aznar López served as the Prime Minister of Spain from 1996 to 2004. He is on the board of directors of News Corporation.-Early life:...
, former Prime Minister of SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... - George WeigelGeorge WeigelGeorge Weigel is an American author, and political and social activist. He currently serves as a Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Weigel was the Founding President of the James Madison Foundation...
, Senior Fellow Ethics and Public Policy CenterEthics and Public Policy CenterThe Ethics and Public Policy Center is a Washington, D.C.-based conservative advocacy group. Formed in 1976 by Ernest W. Lefever, who was its president until 1989, the group describes itself as "dedicated to applying the Judeo-Christian moral tradition to critical issues of public policy."Since... - Robert AgostinelliRobert AgostinelliRobert Frank Agostinelli is an American businessman and investor and the chairman and the co-founder of the Rhône Group, the private-equity and financial advisory firm...
, founder of Rhone GroupRhône GroupRhône Group is a private equity firm, specializing in mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, and partnerships with particular focus on European and Trans- Atlantic investments... - Alejandro ToledoAlejandro ToledoAlejandro Celestino Toledo Manrique is a politician who was President of Peru from 2001 to 2006. He was elected in April 2001, defeating former President Alan García...
, former President of PeruPeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.... - Václav HavelVáclav HavelVáclav Havel is a Czech playwright, essayist, poet, dissident and politician. He was the tenth and last President of Czechoslovakia and the first President of the Czech Republic . He has written over twenty plays and numerous non-fiction works, translated internationally...
, former President of Czech RepublicCzech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest.... - Marcello PeraMarcello PeraMarcello Pera is an Italian philosopher and politician. He was the President of the Italian Senate from 2001 to 2006.-Career:...
, former President of the Italian SenateItalian SenateThe Senate of the Republic is the upper house of the Italian Parliament. It was established in its current form on 8 May 1948, but previously existed during the Kingdom of Italy as Senato del Regno , itself a continuation of the Senato Subalpino of Sardinia-Piedmont established on 8 May 1848... - David TrimbleDavid TrimbleWilliam David Trimble, Baron Trimble, PC , is a politician from Northern Ireland. He served as Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party , was the first First Minister of Northern Ireland , and was a Member of the British Parliament . He is currently a life peer for the Conservative Party...
, former First Minister of Northern IrelandNorthern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
and winner of the Nobel Peace PrizeNobel Peace PrizeThe Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who... - Andrew RobertsAndrew RobertsAndrew Roberts is an English historian and journalist.-Background:Roberts was born in London, England, the son of Simon from Cobham, Surrey, and Katie Roberts...
, historian - John R. BoltonJohn R. BoltonJohn Robert Bolton is an American lawyer and diplomat who has served in several Republican presidential administrations. He served as the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations from August 2005 until December 2006 on a recess appointment...
, U.S. Ambassador - Carlos BusteloCarlos BusteloCarlos Bustelo served as the Spanish Minister of Industry from 1979-1980.At the time Bustelo entered the cabinet, Spain was emerging from the Franco years and economic development had to contend with what Bustelo called, "the crushing mental inertia," inherited form the old regime.-Books:*...
, former Spanish Minister of Industry - Fiamma NirensteinFiamma NirensteinFiamma Nirenstein is an Italian politician, journalist and author. She is a member of Silvio Berlusconi's conservative coalition government and is Vice-president of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Italian Chamber of Deputies...
, Vice President of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Italian Chamber of DeputiesItalian Chamber of DeputiesThe Italian Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Parliament of Italy. It has 630 seats, a plurality of which is controlled presently by liberal-conservative party People of Freedom. Twelve deputies represent Italian citizens outside of Italy. Deputies meet in the Palazzo Montecitorio. A... - George WeidenfeldGeorge WeidenfeldArthur George Weidenfeld, Baron Weidenfeld, GBE is a British publisher, philanthropist, and newspaper columnist. He was born in Vienna, Austria.Weidenfeld attended the University of Vienna and the city's Diplomatic College...
, publisher and member of the House of LordsHouse of LordsThe House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
Organisation and funding
FOII is headquartered in Madrid, but also has a British arm registered as a charity.Friends of Israel Initiative has been funded by a dozen private donors from Spain, America, Israel, France, Italy and Britain. It has a working budget of almost £1 million a year.
See also
- Labour Friends of IsraelLabour Friends of IsraelLabour Friends of Israel is a lobby group promoting support within the British Labour Party for a strong bilateral relationship between Britain and Israel. It also seeks to strengthen ties between the British and the Israeli Labour party...
- Conservative Friends of IsraelConservative Friends of IsraelConservative Friends of Israel, abbreviated to CFI, is a British parliamentary group affiliated to the Conservative Party and dedicated to strengthening business, cultural and political ties between the United Kingdom and Israel. CFI is an unincorporated associationIt was founded by the late...
- Northern Ireland Friends of IsraelNorthern Ireland Friends of IsraelNorthern Ireland Friends of Israel is a group dedicated to fostering better relations between Northern Ireland and the State of Israel. It was launched by the deputy ambassador of Israel, Talya Lador-Fresher, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews Henry Grunwald and former First...
- European Friends of IsraelEuropean Friends of IsraelEuropean Friends of Israel is a European lobby organization for Israel. It was established in September 2006, where 300 MEPs and national MPs took part in an opening ceremony...