The British Board of Jewish Deputies has applauded the British government’s pledge to spend 3 million Pounds over the next three years to support Israeli-Palestinian coexistence programs.
Board of Deputies Vice President Marie van der Zyl said that this initiative "will foster co-existence through the development of trust and mutually beneficial exchange.”
“In that light, last year the Board of Deputies has already started its own initiative, 'Invest in Peace,' which supports these projects in UK faith communities in partnership with Churches Together Britain and Ireland. Significant Government funding and civil society initiatives will help the UK contribute to making peace one of our proudest exports to the region,” said van der Zyl,
Middle East Minister Alistair Burt said in announcing the pledge that “this UK support will help Israelis and Palestinians work together to achieve tangible improvements in their lives and build understanding between people on both sides of the conflict.”
Labour Friends of Israel, which had been lobbying for such a disbursement, praised the plan, saying that The government now needs to ensure co-existence work reaches its full potential by supporting the campaign for an International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace.”
