Stuart Roden, the chairman of Israeli venture capital firm Hetz Ventures, has donated over half a million pounds to the Labour party before the UK’s general election, according to Declassified. His contributions amount to £570,000, which were reported to the Electoral Commission after Rishi Sunak announced the snap poll.
Roden is part of a group of pro-Israel businessmen in the UK who have supported Labour financially, including Gary Lubner, who contributed £900,000 to the party recently. Roden, along with former Israeli soldiers at Hetz Ventures, has funded a Zionist educational program in Britain propagating a positive image of the Israel Defence Forces.
Hetz Ventures, established in 2018 by Roden, is a key investor in early-stage Israeli startups. The company is based in Tel Aviv and was co-founded by Roden, ex-Conservative party chairman Lord Feldman, and former Israeli special forces soldier Judah Taub. The leadership team at Hetz has strong military backgrounds and has shown support for the Israeli “war effort” in Gaza.
I-gnite
Roden also leads a Zionist educational initiative called I-gnite, aimed at facilitating discussions about Israel and antisemitism in the UK. The program, chaired by Dana Brass, presents content on various topics related to Israel, including apartheid, colonialism, genocide, and occupation.
Labour’s Warchest
Roden has now donated over £1 million to Labour since 2023, supporting the party directly as well as shadow ministers Bridget Phillipson and Lisa Nandy. The significant contributions from pro-Israel businessmen like Roden and Lubner surpass the funding received from trade unions, indicating a shift in Labour’s financial backing.
Andrew Feinstein, an independent candidate, criticized Keir Starmer for accepting donations from pro-Israel lobbyists, expressing concern over potential biases in addressing issues like Gaza. He urged for transparency in political funding to ensure representatives prioritize constituents over wealthy donors.
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