Pro-Israel group Labour Friends of Israel (LFI) has unveiled Jon Pearce, MP for High Peak in Derbyshire, as its new parliamentary chair.

Pearce, who was elected in July’s general election, said: “After 14 long years in opposition, this is a moment of great hope for LFI. A chance to work with a Labour government to help make Britain and the world safer, less divided, more prosperous.

The new MP, 47, who is not Jewish, described the timing of his appointment as “a moment of great challenge. As we approach the anniversary of the October 7 pogrom, the hostages remain in Hamas’s hands, the torment of their families is ongoing, and the terrible suffering of Israelis and Palestinians continues.”

Pearce, who was an employment lawyer before being elected to parliament, said LFI would be working to promote the two-state solution and peacebuilding between Israelis and Palestinians: “I believe there’s rarely been a more important time for the shared ambitions of LFI and our new Labour government: to work towards two states for two peoples, promote peacebuilding between Israelis and Palestinians, strengthen regional security and prosperity, enhance the relationship between Britain and Israel, and fight anti-Zionist antisemitism.”

New Labour Friends of Israel chair Jon Pearce MP. Credit: UK Parliament

The Derbyshire MP said he was “sickened by the surge in antisemitism we’ve seen on the streets of Britain since October 7.”

He continued: “It is utterly intolerable. We mustn’t accept that Britain is a country where Jewish places of worship are protected by security guards; Jewish pupils can’t wear their uniforms on the way to school; and antisemites feel free to intimidate Jews by chanting for Jihad, glorifying Hamas’ crimes, and comparing the state of Israel to those who sought to annihilate European Jewry less than a century ago.”

He succeeds Steve McCabe the former MP for Birmingham Selly Oak, who stood down from Parliament before the last general election.

As a parliamentary candidate, he visited Israel on a LFI-organised trip in July last year. One of LFI’s key functions is to take delegations of British MPs, peers, parliamentary candidates and ordinary party activists on visits to Israel and the Palestinian territories.

LFI’s director, Michael Rubin, told the JC: "I am delighted to welcome Jon as the new chair of LFI. I look forward to working with him, the wider Labour parliamentary party and ministers to deliver Keir Starmer's commitment to a government which is pro-Israel, pro-Palestine and pro-peace.”

He paid tribute to Steve McCabe for “his outstanding leadership of LFI in the last parliament. Steve's support for our work was principled, unwavering, and hugely respected and appreciated."