|
Thousands Stand With Israel at Trafalgar Square rally
Thousands of people gathered at Trafalgar Square on Sunday for a Stand With Israeli rally supported by the Board of Deputies, the Israel Embassy and many community organisations.
Speakers included Lord Pickles, the government’s post-Holocaust envoy, Bury South MP Christian Wakeford and Israeli Government spokesperson Eylon Levy. Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, sent a video message to the rally, thanking King Charles, the Government and the opposition for their support.
After the event, Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl said: “It was deeply inspiring to see thousands of people in Trafalgar Square, Jews and non-Jews alike, united in their solidarity with Israel and the hostages who have been held in captivity in Gaza for 100 days. We stand with Israel and we all pray for a peaceful future.”
Photo: (left to right) Jewish Leadership Council Chair Keith Black, Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl and Board of Deputies Chief Executive Michael Wegier
Read more
|
|
|
|
Political update
We are delighted to introduce a new section of the Community Briefing, focusing on items of political relevance to the Jewish community.
- Today, Parliament – both the Commons and the Lords - will be debating the ratification of the proscription of Hizb-ut-Tahrir as a terrorist organisation, as announced by the Home Secretary earlier this week. The Board of Deputies, along with other Jewish communal organisations, strongly supports this move by the Government. We are also pleased that His Majesty’s Opposition has made it clear that they will support this proscription measure. We have also provided a briefing for a number of Parliamentarians who are interested in speaking in these debates.
Hizb-ut-Tahrir has operated in the UK for a number of decades. It was arguably at its most influential in the early 2000s, when it was unquestionably at the centre of a rise in Islamist thinking and rhetoric, particularly on university campuses. The National Union of Students (despite its own less than exemplary record) banned Hizb-ut-Tahrir at that point from participation in any campus related activity under its aegis.
It was at a Hizb-ut-Tahrir demonstration post-October 7th that chants of “Jihad” were heard. As we know, there was widespread anger with the response from law enforcement regarding such chants. The Government’s response here suggests a determination to take on certain particularly insidious aspects of the “anti-Israel” movement. That is a welcome step forward in getting to grips with some of the hate we have seen on our streets in recent days. There is of course more to be done – and other organisations which deserve such proscription. We and others will continue to work closely with all major political parties to help achieve this.
- Late last week, a Backbench Business Debate was held regarding the possibility of introducing a British Jewish History Month in the UK, echoing similar initiatives in the US and a number of other countries.
The Board strongly supports this, and is pleased to be working very closely with Nickie Aiken, MP for Cities of London and Westminster, who called for the debate (and thanked us in the Commons for contributing information towards her speech). We will be moving forward on this initiative shortly, and hope to work closely with a range of different organisations within our community to create something which showcases both our history in this country and the contributions we have made.
|
|
|
Westminster Vigils for hostages continue
The Board of Deputies held two further vigils outside Parliament this week to ensure that the plight of the hostages in Gaza is kept firmly in the minds of the public and politicians in Parliament.
The vigils - which are being held on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons - are taking place while Parliament is in session. If you are able to join us, please sign up via our website at the link below.
Read more
|
|
|
|
|
The Board of Deputies Jewish Living Experience Exhibition, designed to educate non-Jewish children and adults about the Jewish way of life, opened this week at Bromley Reform Synagogue. Pictured (left to right) are Synagogue Chair Michelle Brooks Evans, Mayor of Greenwich Dominic Mbang, Synagogue Vice Chair Linda De Lange and Board of Deputies Education Officer Anna Silver.
|
|
War in Israel
President Marie van der Zyl and Chief Executive Michael Wegier attended a meeting with representatives of the International and British Red Cross to discuss the hostage situation.
Education
Chief Executive Michael Wegier, Director of Education and Community Engagement Dawn Waterman and Deputy Sheila Gewolb attended a meeting with Hounslow Council to discuss the circumstances around the postponement of the Jewish Living Experience Exhibition.
Education Officer Anna Silver (see photo above) attended the launch of the Jewish Living Experience Exhibition at Bromley Reform Synagogue. She also gave a teacher training session using the exhibition. The exhibition will be at the synagogue for two weeks with many school groups booked to visit the exhibition as well as the synagogue.
Political
Director of Public Affairs Daniel Sugarman and Parliamentary and International Affairs Officer David Robinson met with Nickie Aiken, MP for Cities of London and Westminster, following her Backbench Business Debate in the House of Commons which called for a Jewish History Month. The Board of Deputies will be working closely with Nickie, her team and relevant Government Ministers as plans for a JHM develop.
Labour Party
President Marie van Der Zyl, Vice President Amanda Bowman, Treasurer Michael Ziff, Director of Public Affairs Daniel Sugarman, Parliamentary and International Affairs Officer David Robinson and a number of Deputies attended the Jewish Labour Movement Conference.The Board of Deputies had a stall at the conference with information about our work.
London
The London Jewish Forum held a community meeting in Camden with the Jewish community, police and council on Monday. Co-chairs Adrian Cohen and Andrew Gilbert attended.
The London Jewish Forum attended the first meeting of the year with Sophie Linden, Deputy Mayor of London for Policing and Crime, to raise policing issues on behalf of the Jewish community. These meetings are bi-monthly.
London Jewish Forum Director Daniella Myers attended a meeting with Metropolitan Police from Northwest BCU (Brent, Harrow and Barnet). This is a forum where Jewish issues and concerns can be raised directly with the Metropolitan Police.
London Jewish Forum Director Daniella Myers met London Assembly Member Leonie Cooper as well as attending the Charedi Woman’s Health Alliance's first meeting of the year.
|
|
|
Copyright © 2024 Board of Deputies. All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you subscribed on our website, or because you are a deputy or designated under-35 observer of the Board of Deputies. If you would like to unsubscribe from this newsletter, please click here.
|
|
|
|
