1391 – 31st October 2024

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Setting the stage for Jewish theatre, music and comedy P23

John Ware explores just how deep its Hamas roots go P20

Enough to make you sick

Pressure mounts on General Medical Council to FINALLY act as another doctor spews hate against Jews and Israel

The NHS and General Medical Council are being urged to investigate amid concern about hate-filled anti-Israel social media posts by health workers, as Jewish News revealed yet another case, writes Michelle Rosenberg.

Kingston Hospital says it has “taken action” after Jewish News brought its attention to a post by a senior doctor, Daniel Nava Rodrigues, who wrote that he hopes “every IDF soldier shoots him/herself in the mouth”.

Posting on Twitter/X on 23 October, the pathologist, who previously worked at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, also wrote: “Dead and/or su ering Israelis are the only thing that brightens the day lately.”

His posts are the most recent in a series of

shocking incidents uncovered since the Hamas atrocities of 7 October 2023, causing profound concern among the Jewish community and Jewish medical professionals.

Just weeks after the attacks, a survey found that 95 percent of UK Jewish health care professionals had noted a rise in the antisemitism they faced in the workplace.

Last week, Jewish News revealed a senior academic at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine had tweeted support for former Hezbollah terrorist leader Hassan Nasrallah by answering a social media call to post a Lebanese flag to indicate backing for him. Other cases include:

• A doctor at Northwick Park Hospital being removed

Continued on page 8

MOB AT THE GATES

Police were this week criticised for allowing anti-Israel protesters to verbally abuse visitors to an event at JW3 on Sunday, standing by as a mob hurled slurs including ‘baby killers’ and ‘Zionist dogs.’ Full story p2&3

£2M BUDGET BOOST FOR SHOAH STUDIES

Rachel Reeves paid tribute to survivor Lily Ebert in her budget speech yesterday as she committed a further £2million for Holocaust education, writes Lee Harpin. Delivering the first budget speech by a Labour government in 14 years, she singled out the work of the Holocaust Education Trust in the Commons. She said: “I would like to pay tribute to Lily Ebert, the Holocaust

survivor and educator who passed away aged 100 earlier this month.

“I’m today committing a further £2m for Holocaust education next year, so that charities like the Holocaust Education Trust continue their work to ensure that these vital testimonies are not lost and are preserved for the future.” Keir Starmer, sitting next to the chancellor, nodded as MPs voiced their approval for the announcement.

HET later said the extra funding was “fantastic news”.

In a post on X the charity added: “We are hugely grateful to the chancellor for recognising our work. We are at a crucial juncture as Holocaust survivors become fewer and frailer, and the importance of ensuring their testimony is preserved and accessible for generations to come cannot be underestimated. With the surge in antisem-

itism today and as the Holocaust moves from living history to history, this work is vital and urgent.”

Reeves said a £40billion increase in taxes was required in the budget after finding a £22billion “black hole” in public finances she claimed had been covered up by the Tories, which she warned would have persisted over the next five years without immediate action.

Daniel Nava Rodrigues

Mob menaces visitors at

Low initial police numbers and a delay in officers receiving permission to move an ugly anti-Israel demonstration to the opposite side of the road left the mainly Jewish audience arriving for a sell-out conference at the JW3 facing taunts of “genocide enabler” and “Nazis” on Sunday morning, writes Lee Harpin.

A capacity audience of around 650 people arrived for the Israel After October 7th conference at JW3 to be greeted to a demonstration by hostile anti-Israel activists who were allowed to gather directly outside the front entrance of the building on Finchley Road.

Others enaged in chants of “Zionist conference – shut it down” at the side enterance to the venue, which was used for the event, the second to be staged there by left-leaning Israeli newspaper Haaretz

Images posted on social media showed attendees to the all-day event, backed by groups including the New Israel Fund UK

UK BEGINNING TO SEE JEWS’ VIEWS DIFFER

There is “growing understanding” in the UK government that British Jews have a range of opinions on Israel, the conference was told.

Hannah Weisfeld, executive director of Yachad, told a panel event: “There are voices in the Jewish community in this country that

and Yachad, looking deeply distressed by the scenes, which continued for around an hour as people arrived for the event, which was ironically dominated by attempts to forge closer links between Israelis and Palestinians, and strong condemnation of the Netanyahu government.

Many attendees and speakers at the event also voiced support for the UK government to bring tougher sanctions against Netanyahu’s far-right coalition.

Jewish News can confirm that, despite claims made on social media, protesters had not arrived at the venue in response to a call from organisers to directly confront the community or a “Jewish building”.

Social media messages distributed to antiIsrael activists said the Haaretz conference would feature speeches from “war criminals” Tony Blair and former Israeli PM Ehud Olmert, and that the group. some of whom described themselves as “the resistance” should congregate outside JW3 at 8.45am.

But the initial low number of police officers outside the venue allowed the activists to come within a few metres of those arriving for the event.

It is understood that the Haaretz conference, and its potential for demos outside, had not been on the agenda at a meeting between communal organisations with the police the previous Tuesday.

On Sunday one protester was spotted with a gun tattoo on her arm, while others engaged in pro-Houthi chants.

Responding to the situation, and complaints from many arriving at JW3, reinforcements arrived at the Finchley Road venue before 10am, when the conference officially began.

Jewish News also understands there was never any threat to JW3 itself from the protests outside as the venue has robust security and is in regular contact with the Community Security Trust, among other organisations.

But there was an unfortunate delay before officers were given a Section 14 order by those in charge, giving them the power to move the

wants to see extremists inside Israel maligned and pushed aside.”

Her comments came as former Conservative Middle East minister Alistair Burt told the same panel that he believed former foreign secretary David Cameron was constrained over possible policy by figures in the Tory Party who had “strong ties to the state of Israel”.

Weisfeld spoke in support of measures taken by Keir Starmer’s government such as suspending weapons licences. She said sanctions should rely on “the principle of the rule of law, and use that lens to guide the decisions”.

Burt, who contributes to the Royal United Security Institute thinktank, said he believed the Tory government “made a mistake” by giving Israel “the sense it could do anything on settlements and “give a tick in the box to politicians who thought they could do anything”. He called for “settlement policy” by Israel to “come under greater scrutiny” through the use of further sanctions in the future.

Weisfeld also said Israel’s ambassador to the UK Tzipi Hotovely represented a clear “problem” for UK politicians.

OBJECTION TO USE OF TERM ‘GENOCIDE’

The use of words such as “genocide” in relation to conflict in the Middle East “undermines the seriousness of that term”, foreign secretary David Lammy has said.

Lammy made his assessment after Conservative MP Nick Timothy raised concerns about the intimidation of British Jews by protesters “again this weekend” who repeatedly used the term in chants outside the JW3 centre.

Timothy urged Lammy to take the opportunity to clarity to MPs that “there is not a genocide occuring in the Middle East.”

In response Lammy said “These are quite properly legal terms that must be determined by international courts. But I do agree with the honourable gentleman.

“Those terms were largely used when millions of people lost their lives in crisis like

Rwanda and the Second World War and the Holocaust. They way they are use now undermines the seriousness of that term.”

Timothy had earlier told MPs that he accepted that there was “much suffering” in Gaza, but that terminology such as “genocide” was “not appropriate” and was “repeated by protesters and law breakers”.

He criticised those, largely on the opposition benches, who choose to use the terms like “genocide” in relation to Gaza.

Many of those present hid their identity

David Lammy agreed its use was wrong

Hannah Weisfeld, left, and Alistair Burt

Public Order Act have been imposed on those protesting. One person has been arrested for criminal damage.”

Israeli woman whose parents have been kidnapped by Hamas in Gaza, and former JLC chair Sir Mick Davis also spoke at the event.

Several Palestinian speakers also addressed the audience and received a warm response.

Ex-PM Ehud Olmert and Dr Nasser al-Kidwa, a former Palestinian minister and a Fatah member, discussed their recent efforts to kickstart negotiations for a solution to conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.

protesters across the busy road closer to the Camden Arts Centre.

The Met later posted a statement on X, reading: “We are dealing with a protest outside a venue in Finchley Road NW3. Officers were quickly on scene and remain there.

“Conditions under section 14 of the

The conference itself was widely praised by those inside and included speeches from Lord Michael Levy, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert; Haaretz editor Aluf Benn, MKs Naama Lazimi and Ayman Odeh and a video address from former UK Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair.

Dr Sharone Lifschitz, the British-

The former Palestinian minister added: “We have to start accepting each other and accepting each other’s existence” which would conclude with two states within agreed 1967 borders.

He called for the public “on both sides to come up and give their support to the ideas proposed by us”. He added: “Secondly, some important relevant governments have to be supportive of these plans.”

• Editorial comment, page 18

Sir Mick – UK community should have say on Israel

Former chair of the Jewish Leadership Council

Sir Mick Davis has strongly criticised “the traditional view” of some com munal leaders who argue that UK Jews should refrain from taking a stance on Israeli politics.

Speaking at the Haaretz conference, Davis, a former CEO of the Conservative Party, noted: “The right wing of diaspora communities feel entitled and enabled to engage and be part of the Israeli social and political setup.”

political setup”, adding: “They have basically joined forces with the political right in Israel.”

Davis was appearing at a panel event on ‘Diaspora Jews and Israel’, chaired by the Institute for War and Peace Reporting’s Daniella Peled.

The former JLC chief said it was “entirely right” for right-wing diaspora leaders to “feel entirely vested and enabled to engage and be part of the Israeli social and

Israel’s existential threat was “entirely internal and not eternal”, Davis said.

The issue was not 7 October, 2023 he claimed, but “the relationship to the Palestinian people – the occupation is corrosive in every sense in Israeli society”.

Guardian columnist and co-host of the Unholy podcast Jonathan Freedland said people looked at what had been happening in Israel over the past year and coped by choosing a side.

One side was to say “all of this media bias, it’s Jeremy Bowen, it’s the BBC.”

But Freedland said “the hardest position” to take was one that thought two things at once … “there are appalling things going on in Israel right now, but that doesn’t mean this country, unique among the countries of the world, should stop existing”.

Lord Levy has conceded to having been “screamed at by people” in the community over UK government actions on the Middle East, but told the JW3 conference: “I can assure everyone in this room that the prime minister, foreign secretary and the whole team are not anti-Israel.”

In a poignant speech, Levy praised Keir Starmer, David Lammy and Middle East minister Hamish Falconer, saying they were all “determined to make a difference” and “all engaged” with trying to ensure the UK made a positive impact.

But he added: “Things will happen that we may not agree with. I’ve been lambasted, absolutely screamed at by people because of the things this government has done.”

The government, he said, was “for a secure state of Israel, but also for a Palestinian state where there can be dignity for Israel and for the Palestinians and for us Jews around the world to really feel proud about the country we love”.

Levy lamented the fact that the current deadly conflict in the region had resulted in a “divided Israel, divided world Jewry and divided world opinion on Israel”.

He said the past year, since the events of 7 October 2023, had been “horrendous for Israel and for all of us Jews.”

Speaking after Levy, Falconer referenced the controversial moves by the UK, including the partial arms export licence suspensions, and said: “I want to underline these decisions are based on our absolute commitment to international law. But they are also based on our continued belief in a two-state solution, however distant that may feel.”

On the UN Palestinian relief agency UNRWA, Falconer said the government was “appalled” some staff may have taken part in 7 October, but said the agency was the “only body able to deliver vital services to the people of Gaza” and to refugees in the region.

JW3 conference I WAS SCREAMED AT, REVEALS LEVY ALAN DUNCAN ACCUSED OF ANTISEMITISM

Former Tory minister Sir Alan Duncan is again facing claims of antisemitism after suggesting party leadership contender Robert Jenrick’s pro-Israel stance may result from “family connections which have a Jewish link”.

Former foreign office minister Duncan, investigated but cleared by the Tories over further antisemitism claims in April, was questioned on the YouTube channel Palestine Deep Dive about his view on Jenrick.

He said: “Now this man is an extremist … he does not believe in any kind of two-state solution, although he says he does. He knows nothing about it. He takes his script entirely from the Conservative Friends of Israel and the Israelis, so he would be a disaster if he were leader of the Conservative Party.”

Duncan then gave his view on why he believed Jenrick was such a staunch supporter of Israel, adding he displayed “extremism born of ignorance”.

“But there’s also family connections which have a Jewish link,” added Duncan. “But just because someone’s Jewish doesn’t mean that they have to agree with Netanyahu.”

Jenrick, battling Kemi Badenoch to be the next Tory leader and whose wife is a Jewish Israeli, responded: “There’s a word for those that accuse politicians of being controlled by the Israelis because of Jewish family members.

“Sir Alan has already been investigated for antisemitism once. These views have no place in our party.”

The results of the Tory leadership vote will be known on 2 November.

Above and left, demonstrators on the pavement outside JW3 in Finchley Road during the Haaretz conference

Lord Levy at the JW3 conference

Sir Mick Davis

Hijab, jeans and gun tattoos

UK backs call for Israel to reverse UNRWA ban

The UK would consider taking action against Israel, including further suspension of arms sales licenses, if the Knesset decision to prevent the Palestinian aid agency UNRWA operating is implemented, a minister has confirmed, writes Lee Harpin.

International development minister

Anneliese Dodds repeatedly stressed the government’s “resolute” commitment to the international law as MPs lined up to condemn the move by Israel, which overwhelmingly backed  e ectively banning the main UN organisation working on the ground in Gaza.

Dodds pointedly added: “In terms of whether there are implications in regards to this issue, I refer to the recent decision we made in the House about the arms licensing regime.”

In September, the government announced it had susepnded about 30 arms export licences to Israel for use in Gaza over “international humanitarian law concerns.”.

MPs lined up to put pressure on the government to respond firmly to Israel’s decision on UNRWA, which although passed by the Knesset on Monday, will not be implemented for at least 90 days.

She told the Commons: “The prime minister has made clear we are gravely concerned about the passing of these bills, which risks making UNRWA’s essential work for Palestinians impossible, and jeopardises the entire humanitarian response in Gaza.”

Asked what immediate action the UK was taking on access to aid in Gaza, Dodds said the UK was using “every lever” to pressure the Israeli government on the situation.

She then stressed: “When it comes to sanctions, we get them under review... we have been very clear that the actions of those promoting illegal settlements and violence to the Palestinians in the West

Bank is completely unacceptable.  Finally, in terms of whether there are implications in regards to this issue, I refer to the recent decision we had in the House about the arms licensing regime.”

Dodds said foreign secretary David Lammy had received an assurance from his Israeli counterpart, Israel Katz, that the controversial move would not be enforced immediately.

She also told MPs that the UK did now have confidence the UNRWA was now attempting to reach the “highest standard of neutrality” after clear evidence was found of sta members links to Hamas and the 7 October attack.

Dodds said the UK had decided to restore funding, including £1m given to the agency to conduct reforms over its structures as detailed by a UN-commissioned report into its failings. She said she “discussed in detail” with UNRWA leaders herself the “need to take action” on the Hamas links “and rightly so”.

Later Dodds said she “strongly agreed” with Labour MP Peter Prinsley who spoke of the need for diplomacy to bring about an end to the war in the region and the release of the hostages still held in Gaza.

• John Ware, page 20

PM: I HAVE NOT USED THE TERM GENOCIDE

Keir Starmer has told MPs “I have never described what is going on in Gaza as genocide” after being pressured to do so by the Green Party’s co-leader, writes Lee Harpin.

During Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Carla Denyer asked Starmer: “How much more evidence does one need before calling out what is happening as a genocide and acting in line with the UK’s responsibilities as a signatory of the Genocide Convention?”

But following foreign secretary David Lammy’s refusal to use the term in reference to the Middle East conflict on Monday, Starmer made a similar point of not using the term banded around freely by pro-Palestine protesters to describe Israeli action in Gaza.

Denyer also asked the PM if he believed the move by the Knesset to block the work of the relief agency UNRWA represented “a breach of international law?”

In his response, Starmer stressed “all sides should

comply with international law”.

On Monday, Tory MP Nick Timothy urged Lammy to take the opportunity to clarity to MPs that “there is not a genocide occuring in the Middle East.”

Lammy said he believed it was up to the international courts and legal experts to determine genocides, adding he felt the “use of words like “genocide” in relation to conflict in the Middle East “undermines the seriousness of that term.”

The foreign secretary referred also to the genocides of the Holocaust and in Rwanda.

Bibi warned over West Bank financial collapse

Rachel Reeves this week put her signature to a letter sent to Benjamin Netanyahu warning one of his far-right ministers is close to causing the collapse of the banking system in the West Bank, writes Lee Harpin.

The UK chancellor is one of eight signatories of the letter, who also include Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

They are urging the Israeli prime minister to “take steps to decrease the risk of the economic collapse of the West Bank by extending the correspondent banking relationship by at least one year”.

The American news site Axios obtained a copy of the letter sent to Netanyahu, which notes Israel’s far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich has a deadline of today, 31 October, to approve a banking extension governing the West Bank.

It is understood Reeves shares the concerns of her fellow signatories that Smotrich could fail to sign the extension, a move they consider would lead to the potential collapse of the Palestinian Authority.

Reeves signed the letter alongside counterparts from Japan, Canada, the US, the EU, the Netherlands, Australia and France.

The message states: “We write to emphasize our fear that actions taken by some members of your government to deny the West Bank access to financial resources endangers Israel’s security and threatens to further destabilise the entire region in an already perilous moment.”

The signatories go on to warn if the authorisation is not extended, more than $13 billion in trade ties between Israeli and Palestinian banks would be threatened, and the already dire situation in the West Bank would be made worse.

They say donor funds needed to stabilise the Palestinian economy could also be disrupted. In order for the Smotrich decision to be overruled the Israeli cabinet, meeting on Sunday, would need to intervene.

Smotrich is believed to have made a series of demands from the Palestinian Authority to prevent money from the banks being channelled into terroism.

After obtaining a copy of the letter, Axios reported the American government of preisdent Joe Biden had also been working to ensure the demands listed are met.

Rachel Reeves signed a letter to Netanyahu

An UNRWA office in Gaza

Starmer with President Herzog

Backlash at boycott of Israeli publishers

by Jenni Frazer editorial@jewishnews.co.uk

Leading names in literature and entertainment – from the music world’s Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne to the French intellectual BernardHenri Lévy – have criticised an attempt by writers and workers to boycott Israeli-linked publishers, book festivals, literary agencies and publications that have not denounced Israel’s military actions following the Hamas and Hezbollah attacks of October 2023.

In a petition claimed to have been signed by more than 1,000 leading writers, supporters of the Palestine Festival of Literature and Fossil Free Books have called for a boycott of Israeli cultural institutions, saying that they are “complicit in genocide”. Among the signatories are the authors Sally Rooney, Arundhati Roy, Gillian Slovo, William Dalrymple, the Guardian columnist Owen Jones, the children’s author Michael Rosen and the actress Miriam Margolyes.

The signatories say they would avoid collaborating with institutions supporting “discriminatory policies and practices” or contributing to “whitewashing and justifying Israel’s occupation, apartheid, or genocide”.

Their letter, written on behalf of “writers, publishers, literary festival workers, and other book workers”, said they could not “in good conscience engage with Israeli institutions without interrogating their relationship to apartheid and displacement”.

But in both Britain and America, big names in publishing and entertainment were rebutting the boy-

cotters’ claims. Howard Jacobson, a Booker Prize winner, said he was “staggered” that the petition’s signatories could dream that they had a right to silence other writers. Lionel Shriver, another prizewinning author, said the letter sought to “intimidate all authors into withdrawing their work for consideration at Israeli publishing houses and refusing to participate in Israeli festivals”.

Thriller writer Lee Child said his fellow writers should not attack their Israeli counterparts “whose hearts are still in the right place”.

Jews in the publishing industry said it was perhaps too early to know what the knock-on effect might be of the boycott letter.

One said: “The idea of silencing writers is just unbelievable, and ludicrous. And there are writers, not just Jewish writers, who are speaking out against the call for boycott.”

But the individual added: “I think this will make people who already feel uncomfortable [in the literary world] even more deeply uncomfortable”.

A counter-letter, prepared by the Creative Community for Peace, notes that in the past year, there had been instances where “any Israeli and/or

Jewish author or festival that didn’t disavow Israel [was] being harassed and targeted for condemnation, with book readings being shut down, and authors being excluded from festivals”. In the past week, the organisation said, “a prominent trade publication refused to advertise a new book because it feared the word Israel in its title might upset its audience”.

Signatories of the counter-letter include Mayim Bialik, Sir Simon Schama, Simon Sebag-Montefiore, Nobel Prize winner Elfriede Jelinek, actors Debra Messing, Rebecca de Mornay, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and film and TV names Amy ShermanPalladino (creator of The Marvellous Mrs Maisel), Sherry Lansing, the former head of Paramount Pictures, and Gene Simmons, the Israeli-born lead singer of the band Kiss.

Lucy Abrahams, a Tel Aviv-based literary scout, told Jewish News that “even before [the boycott] letter, we’ve been having big problems this year. I’m in touch with an agency here in Israel who say they are about 30 percent down in business this year”.

She said she had had four different meetings recently in which people had expressed reluctance to

publish anything to do with Jews or Israel, saying it was “not the moment”. When she had challenged them because the books under discussion had nothing to do with the Israel–Hamas conflict, they still insisted that it was not the right time.

Abrahams discovered that “it was two specific people who were telling all the agents that their clients weren’t interested in such books”. Nevertheless, she added, there were more and more agencies “who are really pumping out a lot of books of a certain persuasion, only telling one perspective, very much against Israel’s narrative”.

She deplored a situation in which “it was just accepted that Israel should be boycotted. I think there should be outrage at the demonising of Israel, our ally, who did not start or want this war, while publishers have no such qualms about selling to Russia and China”.

Claudia Rubenstein, director of the Jewish Literary Foundation, said: “The proposed boycott of Israeli cultural institutions [deprives] people of the opportunity to engage in open discussion and debate, essential for any meaningful path forward”.

Chipping Barnet MP Dan Tomlinson has delivered his maiden speech in the Commons, praising the “warmth” shown to be him in the constituency by Jewish voters.

He has had to wait since July to deliver his maiden speech because of the large number of new MPs who were elected that month.

Speaking on Monday evening he said: “Let me say to people of faith in my constituency just how grateful I am for the warmth with which I have been received in churches, synagogues and mosques.

“In particular, I say to Jewish and Muslim residents that I will always stand with them against the antisemitism and the Islamophobia that I know has been on the rise in recent months and over the past year.”

MP TELLS OF BARNET’S WARMTH ROBINSON’S SENTENCE WELCOMED

The Board of Deputies has welcomed the jailing of English Defence League founder Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson.

He was sentenced to 18 months in jail on Monday for breaching a High Court order made in 2021 after admitting contempt for repeating false claims against a Syrian refugee. Mr Justice Johnson told Woolwich Crown Court on Monday that the activist’s actions “suggest that he regards himself as above the law”.

The Board said: “This past summer we saw how such lies can lead directly to hideous consequences on the streets of our country.”

It added that the verdict “sends a message to all that spreading falsehoods and hatred will not be tolerated in our country”.

Badenoch and Jenrick write to CFI

Tory Party leadership contenders Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch have renewed their attacks on the government’s stance on Israel in letters sent to Conservative Friends of Israel, writes Lee Harpin.

In comments that echoed those made at a recent CFI hustings event in central London, Badenoch wrote that “we stand on the edge” of Labour “reversing” the UK’s strong relationship with Israel built by the previous Conservative government.

Jenrick, a former immigration and communities minister, said the Keir Stamer government has already “demonstrated that they prioritise appeasing sectarian extremists over standing with our allies like Israel”.

While the two former minis-

ters have exchanged personal barbs ahead of the 2 November deadline for party members to cast their votes on the next Tory leader, the two CFI letters showed that both held similar staunchly pro-Israel views. Badenoch, who was business and trade secretary under the last government, pledged: “If I am leader

of the Conservative Party, we will continue to strengthen our ties with Israel and root out the tragic resurgence of antisemitism in the UK. We will be true to our values.”

She claimed the current government risks “turning the UK against our free, democratic ally: making ourselves, Israel, and Jewish people around the world less safe”.

Jenrick said: “I will always stand with you as friends and colleagues and look forward to continuing to work with and support CFI.”

He pointed to his actions in support of Israel: “In government, I tabled anti Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions legislation to stop local councils boycotting Israel. I successfully campaigned to proscribe

Hamas and Hezbollah and I revoked visas for supporters of Hamas.”

Jenrick said he regarded being sanctioned by the Iranian regime “as an honour”.

Returning to the new government he added: “Israel has a right to defend itself and we must reject Labour’s suspension of arms export licences to Israel for use in Gaza. We must staunchly oppose UK involvement with UNRWA when time and again they are linked to Hamas.”

Both candidates expressed alarm at rising levels of antisemitism.

“We have seen people in this country use their views on Israel as an excuse to display antisemitism,” said Badenoch. “We have seen this at protests on our streets and we see

this in our universities. Those who glorify terrorism and celebrate the massacre of Jews have no place on our streets.”

Jenrick added: “Jewish people in the United Kingdom have faced abuse and intimidation because other Jews, thousands of miles away, have been murdered. This fact must shame us. I will never be cowed from calling out the antisemitic alliance between the far-left and Islamists in this country.”

At a CFI hustings earlier this month, the two candidates outlined their visions for the future in separate Q&A sessions chaired by CFI honorary president Lord Polak. Voting closes today and the winner is announced on 2 November.

Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch wrote separately to the Tory group

Critics of the boycott move: Bernard-Henri Lévy, Lionel Shriver, Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne, and Simon Schama

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NHS doc hopes for IDF suicides

Continued from page 1 for posting antisemitic comments online.

• A UK doctor urging Gazans to ‘fight and die in dignity’ after 7 October.

• The temporary suspension by NHS England of GP Dr Wahid Shaida, who led a branch of now-banned Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir.

• Dr Asif Munaf, a former Apprentice contestant, being suspended by the GMC after offensive remarks about Israel, Zionists, Hindus and women

• Moorfields Eye Hospital looking into a staff member’s Palestine badge.

• The chief executive of Central and North West London Foundation Trust apologising to the Antisem-

itism Policy Trust following the publication of a message advising members against attending professional antisemitism training.

A leading London GP told Jewish News: “We have seen a huge surge in UK General Medical Council-registered doctors blatantly expressing escalating hate against Jews and Israelis without proportionate responses from professional bodies and the law. This hate talk undermines the public’s trust in the medical profession. It strikes fear in Jewish and Israeli members of staff and vulnerable patients.”

In reviewing comments and re-posts by Daniel Rodrigues, who

received his PhD from the Institute of Cancer Research, Jewish News uncovered two where he uses the

inverted red triangle, a symbol recognised as representing support for the activities of Hamas.

In his X profile, he says that a retweet or reposting of content represents his endorsement.

Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust told Jewish News: “Comments of this kind are totally unacceptable and in line with our trust policies we have taken action.”

It hospital did not state what that action was.

The Royal College of Pathologists told Jewish News: “These posted comments are abhorrent.”

The GMC told Jewish News it was aware of the concerns and that it will investigate “serious concerns that suggest patient safety and the public’s confidence in doctors may be at risk”.

15 YEARS FOR FAR-RIGHT EXTREMIST

A man who encouraged terrorism in “harrowing and graphic” online posts and claimed he was a “genuine unhinged threat to society” has been jailed for 15 years.

Gabriel Budasz posted extreme right-wing material on social media under different usernames and encouraged audiences to

direct action against others, a court heard. The 24-year-old, who was born in Poland but who lived in Weston-superMare, Somerset, also posted “step by step instructions” on how to make explosives from household objects.

Judge Brian Forster, passing sentence at Winchester Crown Court last

week, told the defendant: “You also posted on Twitter: ‘To any current or future state agents investigating me: I meant everything I said and more. I am a genuine unhinged threat to you and your society. I’m going to build a bomb.’”

The court heard that Budasz broadcast the lives-

tream recorded by Brenton Tarrant on the day he shot dead 51 people at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in March 2019. Budasz commented: “Isn’t it beautiful? He’s murdering all of them.”

Judge Forster said: “During your internet exchanges, you said things such as ‘Kill the n******, kill

the Jews, kill the political leaders’.” During his trial, Budasz, who has autism, said the videos he posted online were meant to be funny. A jury found him guilty of one count of dissemination of a terrorist publication and four counts of encouraging terrorism after a 14-day trial earlier this year.

Gabriel Budasz: jailed

The Kingston Hospital doctor says ‘dead Israelis’ brighten his day

7/10 praised as ‘beautiful’ at ‘family event’ at ExCel

The 7 October Hamas attack was praised as “just so beautiful” at a “peace and unity” festival at one of London’s top exhibition centres, writes Michelle Rosenberg.

Iranian Press TV presenter Latifa Abouchakra also described the atrocities in which terrorists killed 1,200 people and took 250 hostages as “a biblical battle between good and evil” at the Islamic Global Peace and Unity event at the London ExCel Centre, organised by the Islam Channel.

Abouchakra, who posted a video of herself on 7 October praising Hamas and calling Israeli hostages “prisoners of war” and “members of the occupation forces”, was one of several guest speakers openly condoning Hamas at the “family event”, which was exposed by investigative reporter David Collier.

She added: “Until 7 October, citizens of the world had lost hope in their individual power. Until you look at Palestine… and you want to cry… it’s just so beautiful. You see a largely refugee popula-

tion – who have been under occupation – sieged by land, air and sea for over 16 years – and they could strike at the heart of the most advanced army in the world, with homemade machines, no less.”

Ben Jamal, head of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, told the audience: “Israel has no right to defend itself… it is the Palestinian people that have a right to resist – including, as enshrined within international law, through armed resistance.“

Also present was British scholar Fatima Barkatulla, who on 8 October 2023, said: “This Palestinian uprising is 100% legitimate.”

Former prime minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamad, who has described Jews as “hooknosed” and claims the Holocaust is exaggerated and Israeli academic Ilan Pappe, who said 7 October is being used by Israel as a pretext to pursue genocide, also took part.

On its website, the Islamic Global Peace and Unity festival describes itself as “a beacon, illuminating the richness of Muslim lifestyle, culture and business on a global scale”.

The event took place between 19 and 20 October at London Excel in Newham.

A spokesperson for CST said:

“It is essential that the organisers of conferences such as this ensure that they do not provide a platform to anybody who has expressed antisemitic views or support for terrorism and violence in the past, or who is likely to do so at their event.”

It added that it would be “irresponsible and reckless for any mainstream speakers, organisations or venues to be involved in an event where any such person may be speaking. CST urges all respectable, mainstream organisations connected to this event, including the venue itself, to review their procedures to ensure that any such mistakes cannot be made in future.”

An episode of Big Brother has been edited following concerns raised about a contestant’s T-shirt that symbolised the erasure of Israel.

Ali Bromley, a London-based psychologist, wore the T-shirt on the ITV2. It had a watermelon, with the colours of the Palestinian flag, in the shape of Israel.

A spokesman for Big Brother said: “Big Brother does not allow any personal items into the house that could be deemed harmful. We regret that the implications of this particular item of clothing were not fully understood in our bag checks or prior to broadcast of [Tuesday’s] show.

“We apologise to any viewers who have been o ended by the broadcast and assure viewers that Big Brother was unaware of the implications of the image.”

It is understood the Tuesday episodes of Big Brother and Big Brother Late & Live were edited to remove the footage of Ali wearing the top.

Footage of the Islamic Global Peace and Unity gathering in London

Ali Bromley wears the watermelon T-shirt

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Police officer sacked for ‘appalling’ antisemitism

A Metropolitan Police officer has been sacked for posting offensive tweets about Jewish people and non-Muslims.

Pc Ruby Begum was found to have committed gross misconduct after she admitted to posting discriminatory language such as “dirty Zionists. Hell is waiting” while serving as a special constable.

The 29-year-old also admitted using the term “kuffar” to refer to nonbelievers, using a shortened version of Pakistani and making offensive comments about the 11 September 2001 terror attacks.

Around 25,000 posts were made between 2013 and 2019 under the Twitter username @ruby_beee, a disciplinary panel was told.

Begum denied gross misconduct and said her comments – which she agreed

could be deemed discriminatory – were simple misconduct and a final warning would be a sufficient outcome.

But the panel said they found her posts “appalling”, “derogatory” and “abusive” and told the defendant her actions amounted to gross misconduct and dismissed her without notice.

Chairwoman Evis Samupfonda said: “(The posts) are derogatory and abusive, and also show a lack of tolerance for others who do not share the same characteristics as Ms Begum. “It falls far below the standard of professional behaviour for police officers… (The tweets) are racist, discriminatory and intolerant.”

Ms Samupfonda later described the comments as “so vile that members of the public could not be confident

A non-Jewish school with a large percentage of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds has hailed the “extraordinary” impact of ORT UK’s mentoring schemes in creating lifechanging opportunities for its students, writes Justin Cohen.

La Sainte Union School is among 13 Jewish and non-Jewish schools across the UK to benefit from the charity’s mentoring and employability programmes ORT JUMP, which this year reached around 1000 students.

At ORT UK’s annual dinner, which raised over £400,000, LSU’s careers support manager Hilary Tait said: “The impact on students has been extraordinary. I see it in their personal state-

they would be treated fairly” and said the panel rejected the idea they were the result of “immaturity” and were instead born out of “deep seated personal beliefs”.

Begum gained widespread recognition in 2020 after a photo of her facing down anti-lockdown protesters in London went viral.

ments; I see it in their demeanour. They know how to present themselves; they know how to go into a formal setting. There’s so much value.

“We’ve been serially let down by those in power with funding cuts. We’re working with the most vulnerable kids and you’ve never asked for a penny.”

In a powerful address to the 230 guests before delivering a toast to the King, she added that it “breaks our heart at LSU” to witness the turbulent period British Jews were enduring.

Hundreds of mentors from the worlds of law to tech and media to policing are matched to teenage mentees each year to explore the careers that interest them.

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CFI NAMES KC AS ITS NEW CHAIR

posting the tweets, adding: “I was silly. It was almost 10 years ago and I’ve developed a lot through the police.”

She later said: “It looks bad on paper and I can see how immature I was… I made a mistake which I’m sorry for.”

But in 2021, a Mail On Sunday article revealed her posts on Twitter.

These included a series of derogatory remarks about Jewish people, saying: “Dirty Zionists. Hell is waiting” and “Zionists have no heart”.

Begum had previously told the panel she had “transformed” as a person since

Actress Miriam Margolyes referring to Oliver Twist’s fictional character Fagin as ‘Jewish and vile” was not antisemitic, according to the BBC.

The 83-year old Harry Potter star, who is Jewish, caused outrage with her comments to Kirsty Wark on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row on 13 August.

The panel said they rejected her claims of immaturity as “she was an adult and a serving police officer”, noting she underwent two rounds of equality and diversity training, in 2014 when joining as a special constable and in 2016 when becoming a full-time constable.

Ms Samupfonda said: “(Pc Begum) posted inappropriate comments after undertaking repeated training in equality and diversity.

“There is little doubt she breached the standards of professional behaviour expected for police officers.”

MARGOYLES

When Wark asked Margolyes to mention a memorable Charles Dickens character from her childhood, she replied: “Oh, Fagin without question. Jewish and vile”, adding: “I didn’t know Jews like that then. Sadly, I do now.”

Broadcaster and antisemitism campaigner Jonathan Sacerdoti submitted a formal protest to the BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit (ECU), which rejected the complaint, saying the most “natural understanding’ of the remark was that it referred “vile” to Fagin and the attributes which made his character stereotypical.

The BBC said the “unexpected comment” should have been challenged and “we have taken swift action to remove it from the programme and it is no longer available”.

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Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI) has appointed a new chair to lead the parliamentary group.

Jeremy Brier KC, a former Parliamentary candidate for the Conservative Party, takes over from Hilda Worth, who has been part of CFI for more than a decade.

Worth served as vice-chair between 2010 and 2022 and as chair from November 2022.

She said: “Following the general election, it is time for a change in leadership of CFI. As we go forwards and rebuild in opposition it is an exciting time to take a new cohort of MPs and colleagues to Israel, to build and consolidate the friends we have in the Parliamentary party and the whole Conservative Party.

“I am delighted that Jeremy will be able to lead this new chapter. We all know how crucial support from the Conservative Party is for Israel during these difficult and uncertain times”.

Brier praised Worth for her “wonderful job in what were very testing times”, and with new party leadrership and Israel facing new challenges, he was “delighted to be able to continue to play a leading role in this organisation”.

Sacked by the Met for hateful comments – Pc Ruby Begum

Miriam Margolyes

How Trump and Harris differ [and agree] on Israel

One week before the US election, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have both tried to use Israel as a wedge issue: Trump saying the country will not exist in two years if he loses and Harris’ campaign calling his rhetoric on Israel antisemitic, writes Ron Kampeas.

Trump and Harris do disagree on a range of Israel-related topics, from how Israel should fight its battles to their starkly different visions of America’s role in the world. But there are also key issues where they agree.

Both Harris and Trump support Israel’s multi-front war against a range of terrorist adversaries, from Hamas in Gaza to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Both want the war in Gaza to end soon. Both want to expand the normalisation deals between Israel and its neighbours.

Neither is a big fan of the phrase “two-state solution.” And, in an especially notable patch of common ground, both want to move on from the Obama-era nuclear deal with Iran.

Their disagreements tend to appear in the fine print of those policies, and in the style with which they deliver their message; and

each candidate has given pro-Israel voters reasons for pause: Trump has taken a turn toward isolationism, while Harris has made efforts to appease critics of Israel in her party.

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Trump says Israel’s security depends on him. Harris vows to safeguard the alliance.

The two candidates both pledge to support Israel, but characterise that support in different ways. Trump’s promise is wrapped up in his persona and Harris hews to the traditional language of valuing the US’ alliances.

pledge to always ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself,” she said then.

Tom Nides, a surrogate for the campaign who served as President Joe Biden’s ambassador to Israel, said Harris’s support would make it easier for Israel to make its own decisions.

“If you’re Israel and you’re making a determination of what you should do, to know that the Americans have got your back, that’s pretty important,” he said. “They’re very vulnerable, and they need our help, and we’re going to help them.”

Both nominees want a quick end to the war. Harris tends to cast her vision for the war’s end in terms of sympathy to both its Palestinian and Israeli victims — an attempt to bridge the divide in her party.

“I am working to ensure it ends, such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realise their right to dignity, freedom and self-determination,” she said in a call with Jewish leaders during the High Holy Day season, a formulation she has repeated across her campaign stops.

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In an interview last week with Al Arabiya, a Saudi-owned channel, Trump said he would be able to achieve peace in the Middle East based on the respect he commands and relationships he has built there.

“I want to see the Middle East get back to peace and real peace, but a peace that’s going to be a lasting peace, and that’s going to happen,” he said. “I think the election is going to make a big difference, but I was respected over there, and [had] great relationships with so many.”

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Trump has, for months, also advocated for a prompt end to the war. In March, he said, “You have to finish it up and do it quickly.” He’s repeated versions of that call in the months since.

“I did encourage him to get this over with,” Trump said at an August press conference, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “It has to get over with fast.”

Harris has focused her Gaza policy on seeking a ceasefire. Trump has cast an end to the war as Israel’s decision — though he’s also said he’d like negotiations.

Harris surrogates said she shares Israel’s goal of degrading Hamas and Hezbollah, but her push for a ceasefire in Gaza has come while Netanyahu has vowed to continue the war.

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He has said Israel’s future also depends on his success. Speaking to the Israeli-American Council in September, Trump styled himself as Israel’s “protector” — and said the country would cease to exist if Harris wins the election — a repeated prediction that has made Jews across the political spectrum uneasy.

Each candidate has given pro-Israel voters reasons for pause: Trump has taken a turn toward isolationism, while Harris has made efforts to appease critics of Israel in her party.

“If we continue down our current path, with four more years of Kamala, Israel will be faced not just with an attack, but with total annihilation,” he said.

“And I hate to say it so much, it’s total annihilation. That’s what you’re talking about. You don’t have a protector. You have a big protector in me.”

And Harris, mindful of her pro-Palestinian constituents, has also expressed sympathy for the tens of thousands of civilians killed and injured in the war — and called on Israel to allow more aid to enter Gaza.

“Israel must urgently do more to facilitate the flow of aid to those in need,” she said last week. “Civilians must be protected and must have access to food, water, and medicine. International humanitarian law must be respected.”

Harris has spotlighted the experiences of Israeli hostages as well as victims of the attack. She’s made a point of highlighting sexual violence during the attack, screening a documentary on that topic at the White House in June.

Harris has emphasised the longstanding alliance between the U.S. and Israel. On the anniversary of the 7 October attack this year, she and her Jewish husband Doug Emhoff marked the anniversary of Hamas’ attack by planting a pomegranate tree at the vice president’s residence, a symbol of the alliance’s permanence.

“On this solemn day, I will restate my

“We cannot look away and we will not be silent,” Harris said ahead of the screening. “My heart breaks for all these survivors and their families and for all the pain and suffering from the past eight months in Israel and in Gaza.”

Trump frames the end of the war in terms of Israel winning, though he hasn’t detailed what victory might entail. He has ridiculed Harris’ ceasefire calls as a constraint on Israel.

Former US president Donald Trump in New Jersey in August and vice-president Kamala Harris in Milwaukee the same month. Americans go to the polls next Thursday

Board creates five top roles

For the first time in its 264-year history, the Board of Deputies has an equal number of men and women on its executive after internal elections, writes Jenni Frazer.

Together with five honorary o cers elected in May – president Phil Rosenberg, senior vice-president Adrian Cohen, vice-president Andrew Gilbert, vice-president Jeremy Michelson and treasurer Ben Crowne – five women have joined the ranks, representing various denominations across the community.

Sheila Gewolb, a former senior vice-president of the Board,

becomes chair of its regional council.

Harriett Goldenberg becomes vice-chair of the International Division. A psychotherapist, she repre-

sents the Liberal Jewish Synagogue.

member of Haringey’s Multi-Faith Forum and deputy for Muswell Hill United Synagogue, becomes vice-chair of the Security, Resilience and Cohesion Division.

Education specialist Naomi TerBerg, who represents West London Synagogue on the Board, becomes vice-chair of the Communities and Education Division.

Claire Morland, a new deputy for Golders Green United Synagogue, becomes vice-chair of the Finance, Fundraising and Organisation Division. She has headed up executive remuneration for several leading UK and multinational businesses.

Judith Prinsley, a leading

The new elections came in the wake of the Board’s Gender Equality Plan, released last month, which called for work to encourage gender balance in the organisation and specifically in the Executive Committee.

IMMANUEL HEAD STEPS DOWN CHAI’S BEREAVEMENT GROUP

Jewish cancer support organisation Chai has launched a bereavement group aimed at young people who have lost a parent after an unprecedented increase in the number of individuals under 50 seeking support and more young people a ected by cancer in the family.

The initiative is designed to support individuals aged 20-45 by o ering them a safe and understanding environment to discuss their experiences of losing a parent.

The group addresses various topics

including using appropriate language to explain to children a loved one’s diagnosis or the emotional struggle of life milestones such as marrying without the presence of a parent.

Chai Cancer Care chief executive Lisa Steele said since October 2023, the charity’s wider group therapy sessions had seen a significant increase in participation, with 12 percent of attendees under the age of 30 and 26 percent under 50 facing “one of the most challenging times of their lives”.

Immanuel College head teacher Dr Millan Sachania is stepping down after a decade of service in a series of roles including sixth form director in 2003, deputy head from 2007 and head master since 2022.

After successfully leading Immanuel through its recent Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) inspection, Dr Sachania will leave before the start of the 2025/26 academic year, with second master Daniel Endlar stepping in as acting head.

Dr Sachania said: “It has been a privilege to lead Immanuel having prepared the school for a full inspection, a challenging process in light of the new inspection framework, stabilising the sta body, strengthening and renewing the senior leadership team, maintaining and improving public-examination results and placing us on the local and national map.”

From left: Sheila Gewolb, Harriett Goldenberg, Claire Morland, Judith Prinsley and Naomi Ter-Berg

Dr Millan Sachania

Kristallnacht VR project

One of the world’s most prominent Holocaust survivors, Munich-based Charlotte Knobloch, has taken part in a project for the Claims Conference to mark the anniversary of Kristallnacht, writes Jenni Frazer.

Dr Knobloch, 92, leads the viewer through an extraordinary mixedreality story, part film, part personal narrative, part graphic re-creation of her childhood home.

Though she was only six during the events of 9 and 10 November 1938, the attacks on Jewish homes and properties left cruel memories that have stayed with her throughout her long life.

The New York-based Claims Conference has devised the film in partnership with the USC Shoah Foundation, Meta, Makemepulse – a virtual reality company – and UNESCO.

Kristallnacht, says the Claims Conference, was “pivotal” to the Holocaust, and the film traces the events of that night with Dr Knobloch as the guide.

A spokesperson for the conference said: “While this project has been in the works for quite some time, it has become incredibly timely — showing

what happens when words of hate turn to actions. This is how it starts. With words of hate, it becomes easier to take action. The reactions of most German civilians signalled to the Nazi regime that the German public was ready for more radical measures.”

Dr Knobloch was born in 1932 in Munich. She eloquently recounts the night of 9 November 1938, when she walked through the terrifyingly volatile streets with her father.

The Claims Conference commissioned the USC Shoah Foundation and immersive technology company makemepulse to create a sensitive and evocative mixed-reality experience animating her memories in a powerful, minimalist way.

She said: “Being part of this hightech experience gives me great pride. There are fewer survivors every year who can share their memories of the Holocaust, and knowing that the lessons they have to share will last beyond any of us, gives me hope for the future and makes me feel that those lessons will not be lost.”

The Inside Kristallnacht project depicts the November pogroms featuring Dr Knobloch in dual roles: as

the narrator of her own story, and as the subject of an interview in which users are able to relive her experience while also asking questions she will respond to in real-time.

The project took months to create and required Dr Knobloch to be filmed answering scores of potential questions, a lengthy process which would be difficult for many, let alone a survivor in her nineties.

When viewers of the film have

questions, they can engage in an interactive Q&A with Dr Knobloch that uses natural language processing technology in which her prerecorded answers are matched with the questions. These answers cover diverse topics about Charlotte Knobloch’s experience during Kristallnacht, her family and the Holocaust in general.

Users can wear a headset to experience this project. They are transported to Munich of 1938, and are

guided by Charlotte herself through her very own harrowing memories of that pivotal night.

Gideon Taylor, president of the Claims Conference, said: “This level of technology isn’t just giving a powerful experience – it provides learning opportunities that can reach an audience in a very personal way.

“Allowing individuals to feel as though they are on the street in the aftermath of Kristallnacht enables them not just to learn about what happened at the onset of World War II, but to understand it in a very immersive way.

“This is the kind of education we need to reach future generations who will be far removed from the experience of hearing the first-hand testimonies of survivors.”

The virtual reality project integrates real-life footage, photographs, music, and other audio of Kristallnacht, as well as meticulously researched historical context, into the hand-drawn world of Dr Knobloch’s story with artwork created by immersive technology.

• Find Dr Knobloch’s experience at insidekristallnacht.org

92-year-old Charlotte Knobloch shares her memories of Kristallnacht

Editorial comment and letters to the editor

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

VOICE OF THE JEWISH NEWS

Why was the mob allowed so close?

Sunday’s intimidating scenes outside JW3 were a reminder of our community’s vulnerabilities. Hostile protesters gathered on the doorstep of a prominent Jewish space to disrupt a conference aimed at fostering Israel-Palestine dialogue. It was a display of hate-fuelled aggression that could easily have got out of hand.

Serious questions arise about the hour between 9am and 10am. During this period roughly 150 protesters swarmed the front gate and the side of the building, shouting obscenities including “baby killers” and “Zionist pigs” at tearful visitors. Why was there such a long stretch of time without intervention, leaving the venue’s admirable private security exposed?

Police were conspicuously absent until after 10am, when they finally attended in sufficient numbers to move the demonstration a safe distance away.

Jewish News understands that the Board of Deputies, London Jewish Forum and CST met with the police earlier in the week, but that security around Sunday’s event was not on the agenda. The right to demonstrate must, of course, be protected. But how on earth were these people allowed within touching distance of attendees?

Operations Manager Alon Pelta 020 8148 9693 alon@jewishnews.co.uk

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Find UNRWA alternative

I cannot stomach the hypocrisy of a peace and aid agency that has been proven not only to have supported Hamas but has also on numerous occasions colluded and taken part in many heinous activities.

Alongside these nefarious acts it also promotes through its school curriculum anti-Israel, anti-Zionist and antisemitic teachings.

We know a future with Hamas ruling Gaza is impossible. Likewise, UNRWA has proven time and again it is of similar ilk and must, like the UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres, be labelled “persona non grata”.

Stephen Vishnick, Tel

Aviv

I support the call for a boycott of UNRWA, as recent findings highlight profound concerns regarding its operations in Gaza. Proof of UNRWA employees’ complicity with Hamas underscore a structural issue in the organisation. When humanitarian aid risks being exploited by violent groups, continued support becomes counterproductive, inadvertently sustaining extremist elements rather than helping vulnerable populations. The international community must reconsider its reliance on UNRWA, seeking a transparent alternative to meet humanitarian needs in a manner that upholds peace.

Mr S Heckter,

By email

JW3 NEEDED BETTER PROTECTION

I’m outraged by the lack of adequate police protection for our community during the conference at JW3 on Sunday. It is unfathomable that protesters were allowed to gather directly at the entrance of a Jewish community centre, shouting hateful slogans at attendees. This is not just about an event being disrupted; it’s about the failure to ensure that our community members could enter safely, without enduring a barrage of hostility.

The fact that the police only increased their presence and moved protesters across the street after things had already escalated shows a troubling

delay in taking action. This was a well-publicised event, sold out to people coming together for peaceful dialogue, featuring both Israeli and Palestinian speakers working toward coexistence.

Allowing protesters to intimidate those arriving at JW3 is a failure to protect us from rising antisemitism and hostility.

We have been told repeatedly that antisemitism has ‘no place’ in our society, but empty reassurances are no longer enough. Our community deserves robust and proactive protection.

Sid Garbinger, By email

NON-JEWS ARE ON YOUR SIDE

Over the last 20 years, particularly the months since 7 October, I have been increasingly worried at the level of antisemitic opinion, behaviour and protest in our country.

I’m not a Jew (for what it’s worth I’m of Irish -French Catholic descent), but I want to tell every British Jew that there are millions of us fellow citizens who are horrified at the demonisation and misrepresentation of Jews and Israel.

Israel is a democratic, pluralist ally and the UK

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must always be a safe home for Jews and their families.

Many of us feel helpless in the face of the disgusting level of implicit and explicit anti-Israel and anti-Jew behaviour in the media and on the streets.

Please help us to support our fellow Jewish citizens perhaps by advertising and promoting organisations and events to which non-Jews can contribute.

Michael Moran, By email

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Opinion

UNRWA’s Hamas roots – how deep do they go?

JOHN WARE INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER

Last week, the IDF announced it had eliminated Hamas Nukhba commander, responsible for the massacre of Nova music festival goers hiding in a bomb shelter.

Seven times Mohammad Abu Itiwi and his men tossed a grenade into the shelter and each time it was heroically thrown back. On the eighth attempt, Itiwi succeeded in killing some of his unarmed prey.

His blood lust still unsatisfied, several more grenades were thrown in, the fuse time getting shorter until there was a second explosion.

Itiwi’s sadistic work left 16 dead. Others mutilated and dazed were driven o to Gaza in a truck.

Itiwi also worked for UNRWA, like many UNRWA sta ers who either participated in 7 October or cheered on the result on social media. It’s impossible to say exactly how many but evidence suggests it is an uncomfortably large number.

Given that UNRWA staff are drawn from a population roughly half of which supports Hamas, this is unsurprising.

And yet, on Tuesday on the BBC Martin Gri ths, until July the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian A airs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said “no evidence was provided” by Israel about “complicity by some UNRWA sta ” on 7 October.

First, that is quite simply factually incorrect. In August, the UN’s O ce of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) said it had fired nine UNRWA sta ers for being complicit.

Second, the evidential threshold Gri ths appeared to be citing for a “conviction” – as he termed it – of active complicity was “court ready”, implying the evidence the UN required had to be beyond reasonable doubt.

If so, this was an unrealistically high threshold for assessing the scale of UNRWA’s neutrality problem in the face of so much published evidence in recent years of support for Hamas in the social media of sta – many of them teachers.

UNRWA has wilfully ignored this evidence, most of it submitted by an organisation called UN Watch. Its stand is avowedly anti-UNRWA, but its evidence has been forensic and appears to be well supported.

Nor does the OIOS seem to have shown willingness to investigate Israeli data indicating that 1,650 of UNRWA’s sta are members of

Hamas with a further 485 who are members of Hamas or other Palestinian military factions.

This is surely reprehensible given that UNRWA had not enhanced its vetting of sta by screening them properly against national or regional terrorism lists – even though UNRWA acknowledged participation in Hamas would be a serious violation of regulations.

Gri ths also said the recent review of UNRWA’s neutrality compliance regime by the ex-French foreign minister Catherine Colonna concluded UNRWA was “much, much better on neutrality than almost any other UN agency”.

Except that some of the most blatant neutrality breaches in Gaza happened under that same preeminent neutrality compliance regime. Like the Hamas command centre complete with its computer server farm and living quarters built under UNRWA’s HQ a decade ago.

Sta seem to have known this but a “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” appears to have prevailed because in 2014, part of the HQ parking lot began to sink. “No one talked about what was causing the collapse,” a former

DATA INDICATES AT LEAST 1,650 UNRWA STAFF ARE MEMBERS OF HAMAS ❝

UNRWA o cial told the Wall Street Journal, “but everyone knew.” If that wasn’t enough of a clue, then what about UNRWA’s electricity bill? It must have been going through the roof because Hamas was getting its power directly from UNRWA’s grid. And computer server farms are hungry beasts.

Then there’s UNRWA’s 284 schools providing education to half of Gaza’s pupils. Yes, there had been improvements in textbooks, but not enough. Glorification of violence, antisemitic narratives, portraying Palestine violence as heroic, references to “Zionist occupation”, maps not showing Israel, dehumanising portrayals have still been present according to the German-based George Eckert Institution, respected by both the EU and UK as reliable scrutineers of Palestinian textbooks.

Just as obviously unjustifiable in

terms of basic humanity (let alone an act of PR insanity) is Monday’s decision by a large majority of the Knesset to ban UNRWA within 90 days from operating in Israel or East Jerusalem, and also from having any contact with UNRWA. UNRWA says this amounts to collective punishment of Palestinians because it handles the vast majority of aid distribution in Gaza together with Palestinian Red Crescent. Outlawing UNRWA will heavily curtail this since the agency relies on agreements with Israel to operate, particularly moving aid through checkpoints between Israel and Gaza. However managerially incompetent and ideologically skewed UNRWA may be, surely the last thing Gazan civilians need is even more obstacles to getting vital aid. And the last thing Israel needs is yet deeper international isolation.

Enough horrific scenes have emerged from Gaza even for Israel’s supporters to see it’s become a living hell. Israel’s closest ally, the US (State Department) has emphasised the government needs to do “much more” to facilitate aid into the strip.

Benjamin Netanyahu counters that Israel will work with international partners to ensure aid is sustained. Really? It’s not as if alternative ways of supplementing UNRWA haven’t already been sought these “many, many, many, many months” past says Gri ths. On this at least, he’s is surely right.

My point is there is a valid debate for the Knesset to have about UNRWA’s future – and whether its history, constitution and ethos is compatible with the long-term reconstruction and

stabilisation of Gaza, eventually co-existing peacefully alongside the world’s only Jewish state, however illusory that may seem right now. But to go further at this point in the war by summarily cutting o UNRWA’s legs when so many Palestinians are literally on their knees is unconscionable.

Meanwhile, there’s plenty to debate about UNRWA’s future. The agency emphasises it was “established (in 1949) to provide assistance pending the implementation” of UN Resolution 194 in which “the Right of Return is enshrined...”

Gri ths resurrected this on Tuesday by stressing that closing down UNRWA would be the “new way to end the aspirations of the Palestinian people” because UNWRA “is the precise companion created to support the right to return in the future of the Palestinian people towards a two-state solution.”

How helpful to achieving peace is the continual indoctrination of the idea that Palestinians have an inviolate right of return to Israel when everyone knows the demography if taken to its logical conclusion? It scarcely strikes the neutral posture that UNRWA insist it so rigorously observes –like so much of UNRWA management’s politically charged language.

The net e ect of UNRWA’s Palestinian advocacy down the decades is reinforcement for the ideology that the UN is as responsible for today’s fifth generation of Palestinian “refugees” just as much as back in 1948. Remember Hamas Politburo member Mousa Abu Marzook’s chilling rebuke to Gazan civilians who wanted to be allowed to shelter

from the fighting in the tunnels?

The tunnels were for fighters, not civilians he said. “These tunnels are meant to protect us from the airplanes. We are fighting from inside the tunnels. Everybody knows that 75% of the people in the Gaza Strip are refugees, and it is the responsibility of the UN to protect them.”

Despite having been the de facto government of Gaza for almost 20 years, Hamas evidently regarded the nuts and bolts of government to be UNRWA’s responsibility.

Another matter for legitimate debate is why UNRWA insists on paying its 13,000 Gaza sta in US dollars, which requires them to turn to Hamas-a liated moneychangers to receive the local currency (Israeli shekels) they need to be able to make purchases. Hamas takes a 15-25% cut of all money changed.

Thus, for years, UNRWA has indirectly generated millions of dollars of additional income for Hamas which presumably helped build up its military wing to almost half the size of the British army prior to 7 October. For all these reasons (and several others too lengthy to list), it’s easy to see why Knesset members believe that 7 October has moved the UNRWA debate on from whether it is capable of reform, to whether it should continue to exist at all.

It cannot be right for the UN to continue to be associated with an agency that has grown to become as much a part of the problem as a solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. The status quo cannot prevail.

• Read the full version of this column at

Danny Danon, Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, discusses UNRWA’s links to Hamas

1

INTERFAITH IN GARDEN

Forty people mucked in for an interfaith gardening project at Canons Park Rose Garden to celebrate Mitzvah Day. Those who helped to weed, rake, sweep, clear, and tidy overgrown flower beds included members of Stanmore & Canons Park Synagogue, Mosaic Liberal Synagogue, Kenton Swaminarayan Hindu Temple, St William of York Roman Catholic Church, Harrow Interfaith and the Friends of Canons Park, as well as Bob Blackman MP, and councillors Ameet Jogia and Kantilal Rabadia.

2

RAINBOW SHABBAT

Finchley Reform Synagogue celebrated diversity, inclusion and the spirit of Sukkot as it welcomed Raymond Zachary, aka Miss Livinya Karr, for a Rainbow Shabbat. The event highlighted the importance of creating safe spaces in the Jewish community. Cantor Zoe Jacobs said the opportunity to host Zachary was “a gift” for FRS, adding: “As both Raymond and Livinya, they shared beautiful, deeply personal stories of growing up as a young, queer Jew, navigating school bullies and gender norms, as well as what it means to step on to the bimah and lead a community.”

3

ALYTH CELEBRATION

More than 350 community members and local dignitaries marked the completion of building expansion works at North Western Reform Synagogue, in Golders Green. The Mayor of Barnet, Tony Vourou; Sarah Sackman MP and Jeremiah Anderson, Bishop of Edmonton, joined Alyth’s rabbis to celebrate with a special Mincha service, followed by an opening ceremony, affixing the mezuzah, Havdalah, and a reception.

Name: Alexander Klein

Date of birth:

31 October 1924

Place of birth: Vienna

Where do you live now? Where did you live before?

I live at Signature, at Hendon Hall care home.

I was born in Vienna. I had to leave there in 1939 to go to Brussels, and then on the Kindertransport to London and finally to Manchester, where I lived until 2009, when I moved to London to be near my children and grandchildren.

What was your occupation before retirement?

I volunteered to join the RAF at the age of 18, to give something back to the country that had taken me in. I worked as a Morse code operator stationed in France and Holland. On my return to Manchester, I sold doormats and Pac-A-Macs; shortly after, my brother and I set up a small business with £1,000 and just a few sewing machines in a church in Salford, manufacturing men’s casual wear. This grew into a successful business employing more than 100 people, called Klein Bros Ltd. It

traded for over 25 years until it was sold to British Rail in 1984, when I retired at the age of 59.

Were/are you married? If so for how long and to whom?

I was married to my late wife Joan for 59 years. We got married on 21st July 1963, at the Upper Berkeley Street [West London] Synagogue in London, after a long courtship of more than 10 years. Joan sadly passed away at the age of 93.

Manchester, I sold doormats dren

What do you consider your proudest achievement?

Walking 85km alone from Cologne to Verviers to escape Nazi Germany in February 1939, at 14 years of age.

Do you have children, grandchildren or even greatgrandchildren?

I have two lovely daughters, Michelle and Diane. I am

a grandfather to four beautiful granddaughters: Claudia, Sophia, Chloe and Olivia. In March this year I also became a great-grandfather to Lucas, my first greatgrandson.

If you could offer a piece of advice to everyone today, what would it be? Remember, life is not a dress rehearsal; enjoy each and every day... family is everything!

A look

Political cartoons Israeli companies love London

Poppy Shulman chats to the founder of the Jewish Fringe Festival, opening today, and suggests the shows to see

Now in its fourth year, Tsitsit – the Jewish Fringe Festival – has an important role to play. Not only is it an essential platform to stage the work of Jewish performers, it is a much-needed lifeline to support Jewish creatives. But it almost didn’t happen.

Founder and director Alastair Falk explains: “When the tragic events of 7 October happened last year, we thought long and hard about whether we should cancel the 2023 festival. In the end we decided it was right to display strength and not be cowed by what was happening. We cut out all the live music and comedy and just featured events that were appropriate, namely performances celebrating some aspect of Jewish community and life.

“We never thought that a year later war would still be waging, the hostages would not be home and that the tragic situation in Israel and Gaza would be continuing. Once again we had to discuss whether or not the festival should go ahead. The consensus, when we talked to Jewish creatives, was that they wanted Tsitsit to happen in 2024. They said it had to continue because to cancel it would be wrong and that now, more than ever before, they felt they needed a stage. A place where they could proudly say they were Jewish without encountering problems.”

In response to what is happening in the Middle East, Alastair decided this year to open up the festival to different types of performances, including a selection of thoughtful plays and more reflective work than in the past.

Of course Tsitsit is not just about helping Jewish creatives - it is also about letting lovers of Jewish performance see new and exciting work, and there is a diverse range of shows.

Perhaps the jewel in the crown is the marking of anniversaries of two theatre greats, Jack Rosenthal and Wolf Mankowitz, on Sunday 17 November at JW3. Tea

announced our theatre residencies earlier this year we were inundated with applicants. We have built up a reputation and are a recognised brand that Jewish theatre creatives respect. This is what we want to build on - to take that trust and ensure we achieve our goals.”

Jack’s TV, film and theatre work including Barmitzvah Boy

theatre work

The Evacuees. “Jack is a supreme example of a deeply Jewish writer with a unique view on humanity,” says Alastair. “Many people do not realise the huge contribution he made, not only as a playwright, but also in his scriptwriting for television - for example in penning hundreds of episodes of Coronation Street.

“We are also be staging two of Wolf Mankowitz’s short comic plays to mark the 100th anniversary of his birth – It Should Happen To A Dog and The Mighty Hunter. Wolf was a contributing writer on James Bond films as well as a talented playwright.”

based director, dramaturg and producer Adam Lenson has his own show, Is It Too Late Now To Say I Am Sorry, about the regrets that haunt you.

The Mute Messiah is inspired by a Yiddish short story but brought up to date in a play about negotiating the benefits system.

And playwright Meryl O’Rourke’s Thrown By Giants is a fascinating true story about her mother’s and grandmother’s experiences in the women’s internment camp on the Isle of Man.

Music lovers can hear jazz star Barb Jungr’s special take on Leonard Cohen’s and Bob Dylan’s songs, and for people who like a little bit of everything there is cabaret with the Kitchen Quartet.

Previous festivals have featured acts from all over the world but Tsitsit 2024 focuses solely on UK-based creatives. “Many Jewish people in the UK theatre world have voiced a feeling of unease and it was only right to let them have the opportunity to perform. They may not be experiencing open discrimination but some have told us they find it harder to interest venues in their shows because Jewish work can be perceived as something that could attract adverse publicity. This is wrong for so many reasons and it is denying audiences the chance to see great work”.

Shows are staged at JW3, the Arts Depot, the Libra Café in Camden, Actors East in Dalston and the White Bear Theatre in Kennington.

“Although Tsitsit 2024 is Londoncentric, we are in talks with other fringe festivals across the UK about there being a designated Tsitsit section at their events,” says Alastair. “This would mean innovative, brilliant Jewish theatre could be seen on stages across the country by totally new audiences.”

 For details and how to book visit tsitsitfringe.org

The free theatre streaming website screensaver.co.uk will be showing a selection of recordings when the festival is over

With Jack is an afternoon celebrating the life of Jack Rosenthal 20 years after he died – with special guests including his wife Maureen Lipman and daughter Amy Rosenthal, who will be sharing anecdotes and featuring clips from

Performances on o er range from the joyous yet haunting melodies of the Buenos Klezmer group to Joyfully Jewish, a trilogy of three new Jewish plays presented by the Echoes Theatre Company founded by Rachel Ga n Fidler, who says: “When people watch the plays we want them to remember what they love about being Jewish.”

17 November at JW3. celebrating the life of Jack of three new Jewish the Echoes Theatre who says: “When people

The London-

plays over and over again,” says with ideas and Tsitsit is there to and provide a platform for their work. We know Fringe works – when we

Among Tsitsit’s key pillars are investing in developing new work and helping Jewish performers to reach far wider audiences. “We are not about staging the same old plays over and over again,” says Alastair. “There are amazing creatives with incredibly innovative ideas and Tsitsit is there to welcome and support them and provide a platform for their work. We know the concept of a Jewish Fringe works – when we

Barmitzvah Boy and The Evacuees

Barb Jungr: sings Bob Dylan

Smother is a new comedy

Alastair Falk, founder

Tea with Jack – Jack Rosenthal Adam Lenson

Wolf Mankowitz

Maureen Lipman and daughter Amy Rosenthal

Kitchen Quartet play on 23 November

A drawing is worth a thousand words

Jenni Frazer finds a book on cartoons related to Britain, Israel and Palestine tells us much about our own history

Sometimes the great political cartoonists can create, in a simple drawing and caption, the most intelligent commentary on the issue of the day. Such cartoons are often funny – to the same degree as they are savage – and get to the essence of a gaffe more speedily than the thousands of words accompanying them.

One thinks of some of the hideous and scatalogical manifestations of Boris Johnson, a cartoonist’s dream, or the merciless depiction of John Major with his underpants over his trousers, the latter an image first created by Steve Bell, but which became so pervasive as to be the defining view of Major’s premiership.

For present-day readers the cartoons don’t need much explanation as we are familiar with the protagonists and the political issues. But as a way of learning about history, a deep dive into contemporary commentary is necessary.

In his delightful and informative new book Drawn To The Promised Land, Dr Tim Benson, Britain’s leading authority on political cartoons, walks the reader by the hand as he explains the background behind scores of cartoons from 1917 to 1949. For this book is a specific look at the fractured history of the Jews and their ultimately successful attempt to re-establish their foothold in the land of Israel, while being thwarted by the Great Powers and, particularly, the British Mandate of Palestine.

example, who later became famous as the man who drew the definitive Winnie The Pooh. Or American cartoons by Theodore Geisel, another artist who achieved world fame as Dr Seuss, the author and illustrator of well-loved children’s books.

Some of my favourites, however, are from long-defunct newspapers and by men – for some reason they are all men – who did not become household names. But, good heavens, are they sharp.

Take, for example, George Whitelaw in the Daily Herald , in June 1945. We see a British ex-squaddie outside parliament, looming over a tiny figure clutching a paper on which is written “Anti-Jewish Plan”.

This, it turns out, was the mercifully now-forgotten Tory MP for Peebles, Captain Archibald Ramsay.

Benson tells us that he had wanted to “reintroduce the medieval Statute of Jewry, which was repealed in 1846.

The statute made the wearing of a yellow star compulsory and denied Jews social intercourse with Christians.

Ramsay’s motion said the statute ‘protected His Majesty’s subjects from Jewish extortion and exploitation’”.

Whitelaw’s caption read simply: “For This I Fought Hitler?” To a British readership just waking up to the horrors of the Holocaust, this must have resonated. To a present-day reader, aware of the conspiracy theories abounding on social media. there is a disturbing resonance, too.

Szyk, who had fled Europe and settled in New York in 1940, “contributed a steady stream of anti-Nazi cartoons” for the New York Post

But there is a wonderful Vicky cartoon captioned “A camel’s all lumpy, and bumpy, and humpy”, showing a sweating British foreign secretary Ernest Bevin being told by the United Nations: “Go on, now YOU ride him,” as he views the twin humps labelled “Jews” and “Arabs” of a camel called Palestine.

Sometimes Benson provides contemporary political commentary from newspapers other than the cartoons he shows. An October 1945 cartoon, for example, is by another Jewish cartoonist, Eric Godel, in America’s PM magazine. It shows a figure representing ‘western civilisation’ telling what is presumably a Jew behind barbed wire that “we’ll do everything possible to save your life”. But the man says: “It’s not just my life that’s at stake, it’s also your soul.”

To accompany this, Benson quotes a Daily Dispatch report about Dr Alexander Altmann, communal rabbi of Manchester and Salford, protesting at the “shocking” living conditions of displaced Jews who had been liberated in Europe. “These unfortunate human beings have been liberated, but for them there is no liberation,” Dr Altmann wrote. Benson tells us that Dr Altmann’s own parents were murdered in Auschwitz. I did not know this: in my home, he was known mainly as one of the rabbis who married my parents.

Two completely artificial figures stand out in these cartoons — the metaphorical creations of Uncle Sam for the United States and John Bull for Britain. Both Sam and John appear in numerous drawings, used by the cartoonists to denote the national feelings of both countries. Sometimes Benson even offers us Uncle Sam and John Bull in consultation.

Another recurring theme used by many of the cartoonists is the story of King Solomon and his attempt to define the real mother of a baby by decreeing that the infant should be sawn in half and each half given to the two squabbling women –styled, often, as Arabs and Jews – trying to claim him. The horror-stricken real mother gives up her claim after Solomon’s ruling: but it’s hard, looking from today’s perspective, to see any such solution applied now.

There are gems in this collection: drawings in Punch by Ernest Shepard, for

Some of the most provocative cartoons are by Jewish artists such as Berlin-born Victor Weisz, better known as Vicky, who drew for the Spectator and eventually the News Chronicle after being interned on the Isle of Wight when war broke out in 1939. Benson makes the shrewd point that when it came to attacking the British government over its “closed-door” policy to the remnants of European Jewry trying to get into post-war Palestine, the Jewish cartoonists became more reticent, as they did not want to appear special pleaders, focused on only one issue.

But that was in Britain: cartoonists in America, even when, like Arthur Szyk, they came from Europe, were much more outspoken.

Benson tells us that Szyk believed that “all cartoonists should speak out against Nazi tyranny”. He quotes Szyk, whose mother died in a camp in Poland in 1942, writing: “An artist, especially a Jewish artist, cannot be neutral in these times.”

The truly striking thing about this book — which Benson has dedicated to his great-great-grandfather, Peysach Czyzyk, “who was orphaned at the age of three as a result of a Russian pogrom” — is the numerous cartoons that echo the present day. Perhaps one of the most striking images is a cartoon from July 1946, drawn by Leslie Illingworth and published in the Daily Mail

It was printed just after the news of the bombing of Jerusalem’s King David Hotel by right-wing Jews. Illingworth shows us, among the rubble, two British soldiers carrying a stretcher on which there is a cloth bearing the words “World Sympathy Zionism”. It could not be closer as an image to the picture of Israeli soldiers taking a stretcher with the body of the Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar out of the rubble of Rafah.

A picture is worth a thousand words, it is often said. On this reading, Tim Benson has done us a great service, breaking down a complicated and still-disputed history into more easily assimilated images. Such a smart book.

 Drawn To The Promised Land, A Cartoon History of Britain, Palestine and the Jews 1917-1949 by Tim Benson is published on 28 November by Halban at £14.99

Eric Godal draws for America’s PM magazine

George Whitelaw’s cartoon from June 1945

By the American Theodore Geisel (Dr Seuss)

Dr Tim Benson

By Vicky, the Berlin-born Jew Victor Weisz

Hope begins at home

Myisrael supports myriad organisations, one of which ensures people have a safe place to live

For the past 16 years, Myisrael has been identifying small causes doing amazing work supporting vulnerable communities all over Israel. These causes go through a rigorous due diligence process, and once ‘adopted’ become part of the Myisrael family, benefiting from donations, mentoring and advice from the team to help improve their infrastructure.

One of Myisrael’s causes is Building Hope, which makes urgent repairs to dilapidated homes that are not fit for purpose. Often they have dangerously exposed electrical wiring, no running hot water, broken windows and doors, infestations and mould.

Recently, Building Hope was contacted by the welfare department in Rishon Lezion about an

older woman, Dalia, who lived in a completely dysfunctional home. It was falling apart; the buildup of rubbish and debris caused the stench to be so bad that she had to move out. But she had nowhere to go, and started causing problems in the community as she tried to move from place to place. Dalia, now in her eighties, was homeless up until 10 years ago. Eventually the welfare department found her an apartment which wasn’t in great condition to begin with, and over the years had deteriorated. Dalia rejected any offers of help from social workers, but eventually Building Hope was called in and given access. The team installed a new kitchen and toilets, repaired the bathroom, the floors, leaks, broken cupboards and doors. They put in a new drain system and rewired the electrics where the wires were dangerously exposed.

One of Building Hope’s amazing social workers will visit to check on Dalia and connect her with organisations that will furnish her house with essential items and appliances to make her home feel truly complete.

Repairs to a home are so much more than cosmetic. They take away the shame that goes with an inhabitable home. They show that there are people who care, who want to help improve your life. And the involvement of the social worker means that the help, support and care continue long after the repairs are made.

Since the war started, Building Hope has continued to make repairs to homes in need, but has also spent a lot of time repairing shelters in the North, to protect civilians from the bombardment of rockets from Lebanon.

Building Hope is currently repairing shelters in older

apartment buildings that have one communal shelter in the basement rather than individual safe rooms. The team are helping hundreds of children, parents and families because each shelter hosts at least 10-15 families.

For years these cities didn’t need shelters, and repairing them seemed unimportant - until suddenly, it became critical.

Building Hope is fixing doors and windows that were rusted and didn’t close. Some of the shelters were so flooded that they had to pump out water and replace the water tanks so the toilets would function. It is repairing lighting, fixing electrical wiring and securing rails so that people can access the shelter safely.

In the past three weeks, Building Hope has made repairs to 28 communal bomb shelters in the North. Prior to that, it repaired 41 shelters and still has 37 on the waiting list. That number grows daily.

 Myisrael supports more than 18 other causes: myisraelcharity.org

JLE steps up for thousands of young Jews looking to connect after 7 Oct

“A safe space. A place I can call my Jewish home. My home base for learning, growing and knowing what it means to be a member of the Jewish people”.

When you ask the students and young professionals that flock to its Golders Green centre and campus hubs what the JLE means to them, these statements are what you are most likely to hear. And now, more than ever before in its 40 year history, the JLE is playing the central role in providing the meaning, inspiration and sense of Jewish identity for thousands of young Jews in the wake of the tumultuous events of the past year.

One of those young professionals is James, 26, who found his way to the JLE after being the victim of an antisemitic attack.

“I grew up in a very secular and loving household and only went to a Jewish school for my final 2 years of schooling. I then went to a small university with an even smaller Jewish community. Over my 4 or so years there, I lost touch with the Jewish community and kind of trundled through life focusing on work.”

“In 2021 I was the victim of a violent antisemitic attack by an Islamic extremist who told me that he was looking to kill a Jew. Thankfully I was able to escape and I’m here

to tell the tale, but you can imagine that the attack made a huge impact on me. I began to wonder what it means to be Jewish and decided to find Jewish organisations that would be accepting of my secularism but connect me with Judaism. And that’s how I found my way to the JLE. From the moment I walked through the doors, I felt at home.”

For James, the JLE has became a safe haven, and as he told a recent JLE fund raising dinner at Kensington Palace where he spoke eloquently about his journey, the JLE is an amazing community of support where he says that he now feels that he can embrace his Judaism and grow in his knowledge and practice in a non-Judgemental environment.

Joining James at the podium at the Kensington Palace was Lorene whose story reflects that of so many of the JLE’s participants since October 7th. Lorene grew up as a secular Jew in Paris and as a successful cosmopolitan lawyer, she considered herself to be fully integrated in a world that did not have a strong emphasis on Jewish identity. All that changed on October 7th.

“I can’t tell you how many people that I thought were my friends that disappeared on that day”she said when we asked her about her experiences post that tragic day last year.

“I was left to process the horrific attacks whilst also realising that the friendships and social circles that I had invested in with all my heart had now completely abandoned me because I was Jewish. I was left alone. Isolated. Heartbroken.”

Thankfully, Lorene had a place to turn to and it was her connection with the JLE that gave her the comfort, inspiration and power to emerge from those dark days with a new sense of Jewish pride and a connection to the community.

“A new found love of Judaism was born inside of me. From the delicious shabbat meals with new friends, the hours spent speaking to the wonderful Rebbetzen CohenArazi who was there for me every step of the way, and the meaningful classes I attended, I was able to turn the corner and begin living a vibrant Jewish life.”

Lorene’s JLE journey culminated in an exceptional volunteering trip to Israel with the JLE where she was able to complete the circle and truly find her Jewish voice once more. Lorene and James’ experiences reflect just some of the countless young Jews that have been enriched, nurtured and inspired by walking into the JLE since October 7th. They represent just some of the thousands of

participants who regularly attend the educational and social programming at the JLE.

We asked Rabbi Benjy Morgan, CEO of the JLE, what he felt was the biggest change since the events of October: “More than ever before we are seeing many young Jews walking into the JLE who are looking to belong to a community that o ers connection, spiritual nourishment and the feeling of being a safe space together with fellow Jews.”

• The JLE is running its “Stepping Up For The Future” campaign this Sunday and Monday as it continues working to secure the future of the community’s young Jews

MARCHING STANDINGTALL

SUNDAY 17TH NOVEMBER | PARADE BEGINS 2PM | THE CENOTAPH, LONDON SW1

REGISTER NOW AND SAVE THE DATE TO JOIN AJEX AT THE CENOTAPH AS WE REMEMBER.

In the wake of the October 7th anniversary, we reflect on the ongoing fight against antisemitism. Together, we will honour the thousands of Jewish servicemen and women who fought for our freedom, ensuring their legacy continues to inspire us today.

United as British Jews in pride and purpose, we march not only to Remember, but to actively stand against hatred and discrimination. Veterans, individuals, families and community groups of all ages are welcome to stand tall with us in solidarity. Together, we honour the past and pledge to shape a future free from antisemitism.

The Ceremony will be led by Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, KBE. If you are a Parade regular or newcomer, be sure to register to participate. To secure your spot to march book your ticket by Friday 8th November at www.ajex.org.uk

To support the Parade as a spectator from the East Whitehall Pavement no booking required. Please allow enough time to arrive at the event as there will be a high level of security provided by CST and the Police.

By Candice Krieger candicekrieger@googlemail.com

WHY UK IS TOP CHOICE FOR ISRAELI COMPANIES

The London Stock Exchange now lists 22 Israeli-related companies on its main market, with a combined market capitalisation of about £8.8bn

n increasing number of Israeli companies are turning to the London Stock Exchange as their gateway to international investors, says Michal Freeman-Shor, head of primary markets Israel at the institution.

AThere are now 22 Israeli-related companies listed on the exchange, with a combined market capitalisation of about $11.5bn.

Collectively, they have raised $2.42bn through IPOs and $5.78bn through follow-on equity capital, underscoring the exchange’s growing appeal to Israeli firms.

One such company, Plus500, which was admitted initially to London’s growth market AIM in 2013, raised $75m, and transferred to its main market five years later.

Since its IPO, it has returned to the market six times, raising a total of $861m, and its market cap has increased from $200m to $2.5bn.

Other companies that are being traded publicly in London include Playtech, Evoke (formerly 888), MTI Wireless Edge, Plaza Centres, XLMedia and Windward.

So what is it about the UK, and London in particular, that is so appealing to Israeli firms?

Freeman-Shor, who joined the exchange in 2023, says: “London has always been an attractive city for Israeli companies and now even more so.”

She explains: “London is Europe’s largest capital market with a deep pool of liquidity and international investors. The London Stock Exchange is also the only European exchange in the global top 10 for equity capital raised so far

this year. Investors in the UK understand international companies and are interested in them. This is a big positive for Israeli companies”.

“In addition, in July this year the biggest reforms to the UK listing rules in 40 years were introduced by the FCA, making London’s Main Market more accessible and attractive than ever before.

“This includes changes to the requirements for historical financial information, broadening the possible use of dual-class shares, providing a simpler route to dual listings for international listed companies and making it easier for companies once listed to raise more capital and execute significant mergers and acquisitions.”

Jonathan Morris, partner at BCLP, expects that London “will continue to be attractive to many Israeli and Israeli-related companies considering an IPO, particularly as these ‘once in a generation’ capital markets regulatory reforms take e ect.”

He adds: “London also has easier access to capital and liquidity than the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange and lower barriers to entry than the US markets, as well as greater opportunities for index inclusion.

“It should also be borne in mind that securities litigation is far more common in the US than the UK, so increasing the legal risk associated with an IPO.”

The London Stock Exchange is Europe’s most active equity market, with $24bn raised in London through IPOs and FOs in 2024 so far.

This is more than three times the total raised in Europe’s next biggest exchange, in Frankfurt.

According to data provided by the LSE, London proportionately has more international companies than any other major exchange at 36 percent, followed by the Nasdaq (20 percent) and Singapore (18 percent).

Freeman-Shor, who is based in Tel Aviv and comes to London about once a month, says the London Stock Exchange has several advantages over the US for Israeli companies looking to list, including a diverse investor base (60 percent of the investor base that invests on the exchange is international, compared with 15-20 percent in the United States), greater flexibility for early investors to sell shares in the IPO, lower listing costs and less litigation risk.

“And when you look at who actually buys the

Israeli companies, disproportionately, it’s actually UK investors. UK investors want to invest in Israeli tech. People are very excited about it.” Born in Israel, Freeman-Shor studied law in the UK and returned to her native country in 2021 after nearly three decades in England. Before joining the London Stock Exchange, she was general counsel at an international investment group and held several senior corporate finance legal positions in England, including, most recently, at Shoosmiths.

During these years, she represented companies, funds and investors on a wide range of corporate transactions, including those involving capital markets, private equity, venture capital, M&A and takeovers with particular focus on cross-border transactions.

Despite the challenges of the past years, Freeman-Shor remains optimistic about the future of business ties between the UK and Israel. A recent report by the UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT) positioned Israel among the top 10 countries for foreign direct investment projects in the UK, per capita, in 2023-2024, among European countries.

According to the DBT inward investment results report, 19 Israeli companies either established a presence in the UK or expanded their existing activities across a range of sectors including fintech, healthcare and cyber security, among others.

“We have seen an increasing number of Israeli companies choosing to establish a presence in the UK. The UK is a leading global financial centre, with the biggest capital-raising venue in Europe. It is an easier market to penetrate than others because it is usually based on meritocracy, so if you are a good company, it doesn’t matter where you come from, you can truly make a di erence and access both UK and international investors.

“Having some of your workforce in the UK is also a form of risk management, making sure the company can function well during times of economic or geopolitical volatility.

“The UK continues to be a gateway to Europe, the flight between the UK and Israel is short and there is just a two-hour time di erence, which makes it very attractive for Israelis who want to keep in touch with their families and their local o ces.”

Michal Freeman-Shor, of the London Stock Exchange

Participants in an Israel Tech Innovation Day held at the London Stock Exchange

MAKING SENSE OF THE SEDRA

In our thought-provoking series, rabbis, rebbetzins and educators relate the week’s parsha to the way we live today

BY RABBI ALEX CHAPPER BOREHAMWOOD AND ELSTREE SYNAGOGUE

We pray and hope for a rainbow

For over a year, hundreds of people have gathered every Friday morning, in all weathers, to call for the release of the hostages held in Gaza. Organised by a small but dedicated group of volunteers, the vigils are held at the Boulevard in Borehamwood.

Banners and photos of the hostages are displayed, British and Israeli flags are waved as the crowd hears from di erent guest speakers. When Sir Oliver Dowden MP attended the vigil, he said: “Let us never forget the 1,200 people murdered in the horrific attack of October 7, including one from our own constituency of Hertsmere [Jake Marlowe], and 101 people being cruelly being held hostage.”

He added: “Their captors call themselves Hama. We should always call them exactly what

they are: terrorists. For the hostages and their families these have been long, dark days, and it is our duty, together, as friends of Israel, as supporters of freedom, to sustain the flame of hope, keeping those hostages’ names and stories alive, pressing constantly for their swift release and praying for their safe return.”

In this week’s parsha, Noach, following the flood God says: “I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall serve as a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.”

Why did God choose a rainbow to be a symbol of his promise not to destroy the world again with a flood? Chizkuni explains that just as the rainbow does not change its consistency, although it reflects both water and fire and provides a greater variety of light than any other phenomenon, water and fire do not act as mutually destructive as they normally do in nature. Therefore, its very appearance is a reassurance that rain will never again be a precursor to the destruction of humanity.

SOUTH HAMPSTEAD UNITED SYNAGOGUE

RABBINIC COUPLE

The midrash views this passage dealing with the rainbow homiletically. The Hebrew kashti (my bow) is related to hekesh (likeness or comparison). It is as if God said: “My rainbow is a reminder of my image when it appears in the cloud.”

We can also read the word kashti as ‘my straw’, which indicates that just as straw - the pedicel of a fruit - is necessary but subordinate to the fruit itself, it is necessary at times for such secondary matters to become visible.

Humans possess both an invisible essence, the soul, and a visible peripheral shell, the body.

The words “it will be when I place my straw in the clouds” are like God saying: “When I fuse the physical with the spiritual, then this rainbow will become visible on earth”.

The message to humankind is that the invisible spiritual forces we call the soul must become manifest in the body. This is the meaning of the words “the rainbow will become visible in the cloud”. The cloud is the curtain that divides

WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUNG FAMILIES, YOUNG PROFESSIONALS & YOUTH

between our body and soul and the rainbow is the call to us for our soul to become manifest. By continuing to pray for the release of the hostages and keeping their memory alive we hope to see the rainbow.

South Hampstead United Synagogue is a large and dynamic community with approximately 1,700 adult members of all ages and across the religious spectrum.

As our Rabbinic Couple, you will work closely with the Senior Rabbinic Couple, our professional team and lay leaders, to deliver inspirational leadership to the younger cohorts of our community. We are seeking enthusiastic and vibrant candidates who can demonstrate strong leadership skills and who will be excited by the role. You will focus predominantly on increasing engagement with, and developing stronger provision for, our younger families, young professionals as well as overseeing youth and children’s programming thereby enhancing their Jewish journey within the community. The roles will encompass communal activities, pastoral duties, and lifecycle events.

We are looking for outstanding applicants to fill these new roles. This is a superb career development opportunity for an up-andcoming Rabbinic couple to work with the growing number of young people and families in our community.

The successful candidates will be expected to have relevant experience and enthusiasm to take on a significant communal position, building on the strong foundations we already have.

As our Rabbinic couple, you will be integral to helping us map out the future path of our community.

For more information and to apply please scan the QR code or visit: www.theus.org.uk/jobs

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: SUNDAY 1ST DECEMBER 2024

The United Synagogue is committed to safeguarding and promoting the safety and welfare of children and vulnerable adults. Successful applicants will be required to provide a self-disclosure once shortlisted and subject to an enhanced DBS check within the recruitment process. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

Oliver Dowden MP speaks of the hostages

Progressive Judaism

LEAP OF FAITH

BY RABBI JORDAN HELFMAN OAKS LANE REFORM SYNAGOGUE

have their stories of Cable Street, as do a few institutions still around today.

On 7 October this year, the Progressive Jewish communities of Essex and East London came together for a commemoration service. One of the most challenging parts of the event was reflecting on how our Jewish identity has become more intense and more hidden since that terrible day in 2023. This is something we, understandably, are all struggling with, especially as protests again wind their way through the streets of London.

An answer might come from the way our community acted during the most famous protest in the Jewish community, the Battle of Cable Street.

We stood up to adversity, and Jewish identity shifted from an insular sense of being ‘well behaved’ to being a place of audacious inclusivity. Many families, including my own,

The story of Progressive Judaism can be told through the Settlement Synagogue. Founded by Basil and Rose Henriques out of the youth clubs they ran, it held the honour of being the only community to be a liated to both the Liberal and Reform movements. Through a series of mergers and name changes, it’s what we know today as Oaks Lane, my synagogue.

In researching the book she co-wrote with Tony Kushner, Remembering Cable Street, Nadia Valman presents a letter Rose Henriques wrote to mothers just after the battle, which ends with a circular titled What the Jewish Woman and Girl Can Do to Combat Antisemitism

The answer, according to Rose, is to “give by their whole lives, both at work and socially, the impression to their non-Jewish friends of being loyal English gentlewomen of the Jewish faith”. When I presented this concept to our synagogue’s teens, Rose’s children of today, they told me it spoke to them and their aspirations.

Rose’s call was that of the Jewish establish-

ment trying to avoid Jew-baiting, and Jews being seen as a violent lower-class mob, easily drawn into a fight.

Yet ‘the street’, the younger generation, was di erent. The children of Cable Street found the best defence against antisemitism was to join with the diverse community around them.

We know that this was true among the club’s younger members. Some were secretly

A stimulating series where our progressive rabbis consider how Biblical figures might act when faced with 21st-century issues

meeting, raising money for the day’s Communist cause, the Spanish Civil War. One member is quoted anonymously as saying: “Food for Spain we used to do. All from the club. Henriques never knew about it… he’d go mad.”

Scholars such as Benjamin Lammers mark this moment as a generational shift in Jewish identity, from a “passive, almost hidden, Jewishness” to an “inclusive Englishness” that celebrates the diverse participant base in the Cable Street confrontation.

Every time a protest winds its way through the streets, it tests us, and the hiding resumes. We need the strength at least to be Rose’s children, who were respectful and incredibly proud of their Judaism.

And we can push further, and be the Children of Cable Street. We can be audacious and continue to do interfaith work and work across communities, learning the stories of immigration from other cultures and people.

We can create an image of an English Jew that would have made the diverse group on Cable Street proud.

Joining in: the Battle of Cable Street

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