Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre
Encyclopedia
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. To achieve this objective BICOM issues materials on the history, economy, culture and politics of Israel, the Middle East peace plan, Arab 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". An article in Haaretz
described it as "a pro-Israel advocacy group".
BICOM lists its activities as:
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.http://ejpress.org/article/9394 He left to become the Israeli ambassador
to France
.http://www.eurojewcong.org/ejc/news.php?id_article=513
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."
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
based organisation which claims to act to create a more supportive environment for Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in the UK. To achieve this objective BICOM issues materials on the history, economy, culture and politics of Israel, the Middle East peace plan, Arab 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". An article in Haaretz
Haaretz
Haaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
described it as "a pro-Israel advocacy group".
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.
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.http://ejpress.org/article/9394 He left to become the Israeli ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.http://www.eurojewcong.org/ejc/news.php?id_article=513
The current Chief Executive Officer is the former Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Lorna Fitzsimons
Lorna Fitzsimons
Lorna Fitzsimons is a British politician. A member of the Labour Party, she served as a Member of Parliament representing the constituency of Rochdale from 1997 to 2005.-Early life:...
. In 2010, when addressing the Herzliya Conference
Herzliya conference
The Herzliya Conference, hosted by the Interdisciplinary Center at Herzliya, is Israel's center stage for the articulation of national policy by its most prominent leaders, including the Israeli President, the Prime Minister, the IDF Chief of General Staff, and the leading contenders for high...
, Ms Fitzsimons told the conference that "public opinion does not influence foreign policy in Britain. Foreign policy is an elite issue."