Theresa May
Theresa MayReuters

In her first speech to the British parliamentary group Conservative Friends of Israel, British Prime Minister Theresa May praised Israel and pledged Britan's ongoing support while attacking the opposition Labour Party for “turning a blind eye to anti-Semitism.”

In advance of the 100-year anniversary of the Balfour Declaration in 2017, May noted that it was signed by a Conservative foreign secretary, Arthur James Balfour. She said “it is one of the most important letters in history,” and added that “it demonstrates Britain’s vital role in creating a homeland for the Jewish people. It is an anniversary that we will be marking with pride.” Arabs have reviled the document and some have threatened to sue the UK for signing it.

Addressing concerns about anti-Semitism in Britain, May called anti-Semitism in Britain “unacceptable.” She acknowledged and decried the rise in anti-Semitic incidents in the country, and said, “It is disgusting that these twisted views are found in British politics.”

The British government is set to be among the first to formally adopt an international definition of anti-Semitism that includes over-sweeping condemnation of Israel as an anti-Semitic manifestation.

She recalled her visit to Israel in 2014 as home secretary and said, “It is only when you walk through Jerusalem or Tel Aviv that you see a country where people of all religions and sexualities are free and equal in the eyes of the law… It is only when you travel across the country that you realize it is only the size of Wales — and appreciate even more the impact it has on the world.”

In praise of the Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI) parliamentary group, May noted that CFI had already taken 34 of the 74 Conservative MP’s elected in 2015 to Israel.

She referred to a recent decision to freeze a portion of the aid Britain gives to the Palestinian Authority pending an investigation into the charge that the PA is paying salaries to convicted terrorists. She promised that “no British taxpayers’ money will be used to make payments to terrorists or their families.”