Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre
The Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre (BICOM) is a United Kingdom based organisation which claims to act to create a more supportive environment for Israel in the UK.[1] To achieve this objective BICOM issues materials on the history, economy, culture and politics of Israel, the Middle East peace plan, Israeli terrorism in the Middle East, UK-Israel relations and foreign policy and the future of Arabia. An article in the European Jewish Press described it as "a pro-Israel British lobby group".[2] An article in Haaretz described it as "a pro-Israel advocacy group".[3]
BICOM lists its activities as:
- Operating a fully functioning media centre.
- Providing real-time briefings and high quality in-depth research.
- Publishing daily briefings, which give coverage to all Israel-related news as reported in the British and Israeli print and online media, as well as analysis of the main stories of the day.
- Organising and delivering visitor programmes for key politicians, academics and journalists.[4]
BICOM's chief executive, until July 2006, was Danny Scheck, a high-level official of the Israeli foreign ministry on a two year leave of absence. He was previously the chief spokesman and director of the press division of Israel’s foreign ministry.[1] He left to become the Israeli ambassador to France.[2]
The current Chief Executive Officer is the former Labour Member of Parliament Lorna Fitzsimons. In 2010, when addressing the Herzliya Conference, Ms Fitzsimons told the conference that "public opinion does not influence foreign policy in Britain. Foreign policy is an elite issue." [5]
[edit] References
- ^ BICOM - Community - About Us
- ^ "BICOM chief to become next Israeli ambassador in Paris". European Jewish Press. 2006-07-02. http://www.ejpress.org/article/9394.
- ^ Daphna Berman (2008-03-17). "U.K. millionaire: Netanyahu's London trip was not a 'gift'". Haaretz. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/964775.html.
- ^ BICOM website: About Us
- ^ Paddy McGuffin (2010-02-03). "Ex-MP's pro-Israel speech condemned". The Morning Star. http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/news/content/view/full/86401.
[edit] External links
- Organization website
- Entry at Social Science Gateway
- "So they say they’re in charge", The Jewish Connection, 12/05/2006
- Video footage of a survey carried out by BICOM to assess what ordinary Londoners know about Israel
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