It was with some shock that I learn the letter to the Monetary Occasions signed by 36 members of the Board of Deputies of British Jews (BOD) attacking Israel’s continued conflict in opposition to the Palestinians in Gaza. Though they make up just one in eight of the whole variety of deputies, it was refreshing to see this, given the unity with which the BOD normally helps Israel, a overseas state, no matter it does.
The letter was headed “As British Jews we will not keep silent on the conflict in Gaza”. The signatories argued that “Israel’s soul is being ripped out and we, members of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, worry for the way forward for the Israel we love and have such shut ties to. Silence is seen as help for insurance policies and actions that run opposite to our Jewish values.”
They steered that “probably the most profitable manner of bringing the hostages house and creating a long-lasting peace is thru diplomacy. By the top of the primary section of the second ceasefire and hostage launch deal, 135 hostages had been launched by negotiation, simply eight by navy motion, with at the very least three tragically killed by the Israel Defence Forces.”
They’re definitely proper on this. It’s also essential to say that the final hostages to be launched by Hamas and Islamic Jihad noticed freedom below the ceasefire settlement that Israel signed, however then violated. It continues to violate the settlement to at the present time, killing dozens of Palestinians, most of whom have been in search of shelter in tents with little safety from the weather and no safety from Israel’s US-made bombs.
While their most important focus within the letter was on liberating the Israeli prisoners of conflict (“hostages”), the truth that they acknowledged that Israel’s insurance policies run opposite to Jewish values was important.
This meant that they distanced the religion of Judaism from Zionism the political ideology.
The BOD has not previously distinguished faith from ideology on this manner.
“This most extremist of Israeli governments is overtly encouraging violence in opposition to Palestinians within the West Financial institution, strangling the Palestinian financial system and constructing extra new settlements than ever,” the group of deputies acknowledged, standing with the hostages and in opposition to the conflict. “We stand with them. We stand in opposition to the conflict. We acknowledge and mourn the lack of Palestinian life. We yearn for the ‘day after’ this battle when reconciliation can begin. As we mark the pageant of freedom [Passover] with so many hostages nonetheless in captivity, it’s our responsibility, as Jews, to talk out.”
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This acknowledgement is essential to me as a Palestinian within the UK as a result of fellow British residents from the Jewish group see the violence suffered by my individuals in Palestine by the hands of the nation they help as Jews and which claims to behave on behalf of all Jews. The occupation state clearly doesn’t truly try this, because the 36 signatories now discover themselves among the many numerous British Jews who’ve joined the pro-Palestinian demonstrations in London and different cities throughout the nation, forming the Jewish bloc, a lot of whom are pals who recognise and acknowledge the genocide and demand that that is “not in our identify”.
They’ve performed so regardless of being slandered by many pro-Israel teams as “the fallacious kind of Jew” or “self-hating Jews”.
How did the BOD react to this letter? Was it a wake-up name that inspired the opposite deputies to suppose once more about what their help for Israel is doing to their souls and Jewish values?
The reply got here in a tweet which didn’t fail to shock me: “Following complaints by Deputies and the general public, all 36 signatories to the letter within the Monetary Occasions are actually topic to a complaints process.” It added that the process would take at the very least 4 weeks.
The BOD Government additionally suspended the Vice Chair of the Worldwide Division for signing the letter and “and giving additional media interviews on it”.
Commenting on the letter, BOD President Phil Rosenberg, “As British Jews, we shouldn’t be commenting on what’s successfully an Israeli political matter.” And but the place of the BOD has at all times been extraordinarily shut and supportive of Israel in all issues, together with politics. Actually, Rosenberg stated on Instagram that, “It was good to see Israeli Overseas Minister @gideonsaar at the moment in London.”
Saar made an unannounced “personal” go to to London, the place he met the British Overseas Secretary and the Shadow Overseas Secretary. It is a man who’s a member of the intense far-right Israeli authorities which is committing conflict crimes, crimes in opposition to humanity, ethnic cleaning and genocide, in keeping with most human rights and support organisations, in addition to the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice. It’s imposing a blockade on Gaza, ravenous the Palestinians and denying the entry of support whereas persevering with to make Gaza unliveable to the extent that Palestinians who’re determined would go away if they may.
The place of the 36 deputies who signed the letter is, due to this fact, incompatible with pro-Israel organisations.
Such organisations are, by their blind help for Israel, performing in a fashion opposite to Jewish values.
I actually want that the place of the 36, which I welcome, may have been a turning level by prompting additional efforts to carry an finish to the horrible, ongoing genocide by Israel by saying merely that sufficient is sufficient. The occasions of seven October 2023 have been painful, however what has adopted is insufferable. That the way in which for the discharge of the remaining prisoners of conflict and the top of the homicide and destruction is thru speaking ought to be apparent. Hamas is now providing to launch all prisoners of conflict in alternate for an finish to the conflict and the rebuilding of Gaza.
For any peace to be sustained, Israel should finish its claims on Palestinian, Syrian and Lebanese land. That must also be apparent. Furthermore, the Palestinians should realise their professional rights to peace, freedom, equality and justice of their homeland. That can carry Israel safety and can be a long-lasting legacy to the horrible 18 months that Palestinians and Israelis have endured.
As for the 36 deputies, I say come and be a part of us on the subsequent demonstration in London, after we can be marking the anniversary of the 1948 Nakba. Why not be a part of the Jewish bloc of protesters? You may be greater than welcome.
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The views expressed on this article belong to the writer and don’t essentially replicate the editorial coverage of Center East Monitor.
