9 minute read
Opinion
from Issue 229
OPINION PIECE BY ANDREW M ROSEMARINE
Scapegoating Roman Abramovich is common in the UK Government and UK media now. This is hypocritical, unprincipled, and against British, Ukranian and the Russian People’s interests. At a time of war, peace initiatives must not be hindered. Abramovich says he is trying to intervene. He should be helped, not hampered.
I opened and ran the Moscow branch of what is now one of the world’s largest law firms in the 1990s (Eversheds), and have followed his career closely (though I have never met him or worked for him.) Allegations of kleptocracy and of purchasing influence must always be considered with all due seriousness. But Abramovich appears to be among the best of the oligarchs, and an inappropriate primary target for scapegoating, even if he has done bad things. English law rightly prides itself on the principle of “innocent, until proven guilty,” and that should apply to all.
Abramovich is the most charitable of the oligarchs (according to Bloomberg in 2013), and has donated over $4 billion to Russian, UK, Israeli and Jewish charities, (according to tribuna.com). He was praised in our High Court for his transparency about his own role in the corrupt Russian economy during Yeltsin’s reign (when Western firms exploited Russia too, and made little serious attempt to help democratization.) In Russia, his previous governorate thrived through his assistance. In the UK, he helped finance free meals for 78,000 vulnerable and sick during covid, and helped Israeli Palestinian peace initiatives through sport.
The UK is sadly awash with money taken by corrupt and violent individuals and regimes, from which UK political parties and politicians continue to benefit. Many businessmen worldwide, and in the UK, have grown fat through improper conduct, and have found ways of escaping justice.
But there is no concrete evidence in the public domain, or known to me, either of any support by Abramovich for Putin since his occupation of the Crimea, nor of any violence ever perpetrated by this oligarch. Indeed Abramovich, in character, pledged to give the proceeds of the Chelsea sale to victims of the Ukraine war.
Apart from his name being poisoned in the UK, he appears now to have been actually poisoned for helping Peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
Rashi tells us individuals are judged by how they compare to others in their society. Indeed Parashat Noach describes Noah as “ a righteous man for his generation.” Abramovich is better than many in business and politics internationally, and he deserves a more balanced media coverage. Now, when he is trying to stop the War in Ukraine, it is against all our interests for him to be victimized.
Roman Abramovich
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
Andrew M Rosemarine is an international commentator and lawyer, and runs a commercial law office.
FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK
BY YOSSI SAUNDERS
TERROR ATTACKS POST REB CHAIM
Last week I wrote about the death of Reb Chaim Kanievsky and the tangible loss for world Jewry. Within a few days of his passing there has been several terror attacks with 11 people tragically killed in Israel.
I have heard people say previously why do some rabbis bother to sit and learn Torah all day? I explain to them that Torah achieves many things spiritually that you may not be able to see physically. In the same way that physical actions have an effect so do spiritual ones. Physically if a person goes to the gym, the muscles will be more developed. Spiritually if Torah is learnt, it provides physical protection.
It is clear to see. When Saddam Hussein fired scud missiles into Eretz Yisroel, Jews were running to the bomb shelters. Once when the sirens went off, Rebbetzen Batsheva Kanievstky urged her husband to run to the bomb shelters. Harav Chaim calmly told her that no missiles would fall upon Bnei Berak as there was too much holiness in the city due to all the Torah learned. Indeed, this was the case, and not a single rocket fell upon the city.
Just how many Jews and other people were saved by the 18 hours per day of hardcore Torah study that Reb Chaim learned we will never know however, what is sadly clear to see if that the protection of his non stop Torah learning has now gone.
I remember a few months ago in Daf Hayomi, in tractate Moed Katan we learned that the footsteps of a person will take him where he or she needs to go to die.
We saw that tragically this week. Rabbi Avishai Yhezkel, 29, was a teacher who was out walking his two-year-old son in his pushchair to try and get him to sleep. He was on the phone to his brother when he said he could hear shooting and warned him to stay indoors. He died a hero, bent over his baby’s pushchair to save his son’s life.
36-year-old Yaakov Shalom, the son of a prominent Syrian Rabbi in Bnei Berak was simply driving his car when it was shot and he was then shot at point blank, slaughtered in his own vehicle, leaving behind 5 children to his grieving wife.
Shirel Abukarat, a French Jew from Netanya, joined the IDF six months ago. She had made Aliyah in 2006 after her family were scared of Muslim extremists in France, yet she was shot dead getting off a bus in Hadera.
However, hard as it is we must take a deep look at those who were saved. There is footage online of the terrorist trying to shoot other people point blank, but his gun malfunctioned allowing them to run off or cycle away.
Special forces ‘happened’ to be eating in a restaurant near the scene and were able to kill both terrorists who had over 1100 bullets on them, many knives and had planned a mass hostage taking.
As my former high school Rebbi, Rabbi Tomlin said, to our class trip at the gates of Auschwitz; “we must remember that even though it looks like complete chaos, everybody who died, only died at the exact time that they were supposed to, not one millisecond before. Additionally, all the people who were supposed to survive, did so.”
Let us take comfort that G-d above controls the world and let’s pray to Hashem to help us and to help all of Israel and world Jewry from this wave of murderous Arab terror.
WEST END TRAVEL
I must say a huge Mazel Tov to my Uncle David and Cousin Jeremy Segel of West End Travel, who are this week celebrating the company’s 50th anniversary. Since launching in 1972, they have grown into one of the leading independent travel companies in the UK.
They specialise in Israel, the Jewish Market, Corporate Travel, Group Travel and Sports and Media on a worldwide basis. The company are also proud to have been consistently voted by Business Travel World in their top 50 UK Agents for the past 15 years.
Their 50-year happy client base includes illustrious names such as the BBC and Northern Ireland’s football team and they enjoy excellent relationships with EL AL, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic as well as all the major hotel chains in Israel. Raise your glasses and wish them, Aunty Gilly and all the family l’chaim this Shabbat!
Paperweight Perspective How we’ve adapted to Covid-19
BY LEONIE LEWIS MBE, TRUSTEE PAPERWEIGHT TRUST
Charities have been at the sharp end of the Covid-19 crisis. From NHS charities working hard to support burnt-out hospital workers, to domestic abuse hotlines experiencing spikes in call rates, to food banks supporting millions of families through the worst recession on record. And they have been doing all this while shifting face-to-face support services online, with little to no preparation time, at the same time as thousands of fundraising events have been scrapped and charity shops have closed across the UK.
COVID-19 compromised the health, mental health and livelihoods of individuals and families, causing more people than ever to reach out to charities for help and support. Many are still relying on this help as they navigate their way back to normal. Coupled with this, is the increased financial pressure that third sector organisations are facing and it’s no surprise that many charities are struggling to meet this increased demand for their services.
According to the Charity Commission research, 90% of charities experienced some form of negative impact as a result of the pandemic and 60% of charities saw a loss of income. Of those surveyed 62% anticipated some level of threat to their charity’s financial viability in the next 12 months.
Despite this, charities witnessed overwhelming demand for their services, and many adapted the ways in which they worked and raised funds; many expect this to continue as society and the economy work to recover.
Paperweight, as a communal advice service, has seen demand explode even further as furlough was withdrawn and the cost of living surges. Not only were we trying to respond to clients seeking advice regarding redundancy and universal credit, but these challenges have been exacerbated by the significant social upheaval faced by many individuals contacting or referred to our charity, including domestic abuse and mental health challenges, as well as isolation from their regular social networks and support.
Additionally, much of Paperweight’s work moved online or via the telephone and clients and trained volunteer advisors, caseworkers, were concerned this would have an adverse effect. It didn’t!
In the course of its rapid development since inception 10 years ago, Paperweight is constantly breaking new ground, with its focus on the provision of community support for the disenfranchised, to those lost “in the system” and to those at their wits’ end. We offer free and confidential pro-active solutions utilising 160 trained caseworkers to provide guidance and assistance with debt issue, benefit applications and appeals, family law matters, LPAs, probate, advocacy and tackling all manner of bureaucratic obstacles and administrative pitfalls.
Paperweight helps people when they are at their most vulnerable – after a bereavement, in the middle of a family breakdown or perhaps a person who is disabled and is struggling to get the benefits they’re entitled to.
As this year progresses, there will be new, additional needs related to the long-term effects of the pandemic – everything from poverty to isolation, educational inequalities and mental health, as well as people living with ‘long-Covid’. We at Paperweight are ready to help.
Debt-negotiating, courtattending, benefits-advising, law-guiding, tribunalaccompanying, hand-holding, rights-advocating, landlordchallenging and people-empowering.
Your situation may involve any of these tasks, and more. Whatever your administrative, legal or financial problems, our 200 caseworkers, based in London, Manchester and Gateshead, have the expertise to help. And it’s all free of charge. To access our services or to make a donation to support our work, call 0330 174 4300 or visit paperweight.org.uk
