10 OPINION
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OPINION
23 DECEMBER 2021
The opinions on this page do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper
Some things don’t change OPINION PIECE BY ROBERT FESTENSTEIN Six years ago, I wrote an article in The Times of Israel about Israel’s (now former) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In it I explored the idea that despite all the cries that he and he alone was the reason there was no peace, was in fact nonsense. What comes as some support for this idea is that Mr Netanhayu’s replacement Naftali Bennett appears to be getting the same treatment. Frankly, this comes as no surprise. What is a surprise, and an unwelcome one at that, is the growing noise coming from small groups of Jews in the UK complaining about Israel. What is unwelcome is not the complaints themselves, but the determined cries that these people are representative when there is no basis at all for such an assertion. A recent motion passed at the Union of Jewish Students annual conference called on the union to “ensure representation on panels and at events for the 40 percent of Jews in the UK, including many Jewish students, who do not identify themselves as Zionist”. It is not at all clear whether that 40%
holds up to scrutiny. Probably not, given the established difficulties in tracking down non-affiliated Jews and canvassing their views. The attack on Zionism has not been limited to students. The head of the Zionist Federation in the UK has openly stated that he will not attend a meeting where the Israeli Ambassador is in attendance due to her comments concerning the Reform Movement. The comments it should be said were made before her appointment as sovereign representative of the State of Israel. The fact that there is a distinction between the office and the office holder has been ignored. So what is it about Israel and Zionism that organisations or their officers which traditionally have been staunch supporters are now turning away? It is difficult to reach one answer. The pandemic has given greater reach to online messages in lieu of face to face meetings, so that the noise generated by these messages is disproportionate to the numbers involved. In the same way I don’t accept the 40% figure in relation to non-Zionist Jews, I also don’t accept that members of those organisations affiliated to the Zionist Federation would refuse to attend a meeting with the Israeli Ambassador. The noise though is significant, since
it is that noise that certain communal bodies listen to when picking a path to follow. The Board of Deputies have maintained a stunning silence on the identity of those people who attacked the bus carrying Jewish children on their way to a Chanukah event. They were swift to accept the apology from Azeem Rafiq in relation to anti-Semitic remarks made some years ago but have done nothing to examine why it was he made the remarks in the first place. Too uncomfortable I am sure, to formally recognise that an ethnic minority might hold anti-Semitic views, and that those views are being handed down to their children. So, what has 2021 shown us. Firstly that for Israel, much has stayed the same. The prospects of peace are as far away now as they were in 2015. All that has changed is the identity of the person responsible. Secondly, that sadly, what used to be some sort of consensus amongst the Jewish communal leaders is breaking down and that is very serious. The great benefit of there being some sort of agreement across the board is that when representations are made to Government which are claimed to be on behalf of the community this is largely true. Should this stop being the case, the ability of the
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leadership to largely speak with one voice will disappear. We have already seen gaps appearing. The Campaign Against Anti-Semitism brought their complaint about the Labour Party without the support of the Board of Deputies. Judging by the statements made by the Board at the time of the Corbyn leadership, if it were not for the CAA, no formal complaint would have been made. What has not changed are the constant attacks on Israel and right to Jewish self-determination. If ever there was a time for a consensus it is now. The noise needs to be recognised for what it is – posturing by unrepresentative groups and people seeking the limelight. There needs now to be something substantive and supportive in favour of Israel and Zionism so that 2022 becomes the year when we can say we are proud to be Zionists. Robert Festenstein is a practising solicitor and has been the principal of his Salford based firm for over 20 years. He has fought BDS motions to the Court of Appeal and is President of the Zionist Central Council in Manchester which serves to protect and defend the democratic State of Israel.
