While all eyes were on the news from this week’s Labour Party conference the Conservative Friends of Israel parliamentary group has announced a new line-up, and a new Parliamentary Chairman.
Stephen Crabb MP was named as the chairman of the group, which is dedicated to strengthening the UK’s business, cultural and political ties with Israel. The news was announced via a tweet.
Mr Crabb said: “I’m excited and honoured to become CFI’s new Parliamentary Chairman in the House of Commons, particularly in this special Balfour centenary year. The UK-Israel relationship is stronger than ever, and CFI plays an important role in this. I am very much looking forward to building on the great work of my predecessors and strengthening the UK-Israeli bilateral relationship”.
Other senior members of the grouping were named as Theresa Villiers, Jon Howell and Andrew Percy.
BREAKING: @CFoI announces new Parliamentary Group, led by @SCrabbPembs https://t.co/ODVHfOz6oA pic.twitter.com/tGfPZdD6vD
— CFoI (@CFoI) September 27, 2017
Mr Crabb has previously served as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and Secretary of State for Wales under David Cameron and is currently MP for Preseli Pembrokeshire. He has said that he is a Christian who believes in the practical value of prayer and feels the church should play an active role in community life.
After a visit to Israel in 2007 he told the JC: "As a Christian, I have always felt a very close affinity with the Holy Land. It was a delight to see places that I had learned about during my own childhood at Sunday school and in the pages of the scriptures we were encouraged to read."
Look out for a major interview with Stephen Crabb in Friday’s JC.
