The Board of Deputies of British Jews missed a possible turning point

It was with some surprise that I read the letter to the Financial Times signed by 36 members of the Board of Deputies of British Jews (BOD) attacking Israel’s continued war against the Palestinians in Gaza. Although they make up only one in eight of the total number of deputies, it was refreshing to see this, given the unity with which the BOD usually supports Israel, a foreign state, whatever it does.

The letter was headed “As British Jews we can no longer stay silent on the war in Gaza”. The signatories argued that “Israel’s soul is being ripped out and we, members of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, fear for the future of the Israel we love and have such close ties to. Silence is seen as support for policies and actions that run contrary to our Jewish values.”

They suggested that “the most successful way of bringing the hostages home and creating a lasting peace is through diplomacy. By the end of the first phase of the second ceasefire and hostage release deal, 135 hostages had been released through negotiation, just eight by military action, with at least three tragically killed by the Israel Defence Forces.”

They are certainly right on this. It is also important to mention that the last hostages to be released by Hamas and Islamic Jihad saw freedom under the ceasefire agreement that Israel signed, but then violated. It continues to violate the agreement to this day, killing dozens of Palestinians, most of whom were seeking shelter in tents with little protection from the elements and no protection from Israel’s US-made bombs.

Whilst their main focus in the letter was on freeing the Israeli prisoners of war (“hostages”), the fact that they acknowledged that Israel’s policies run contrary to Jewish values was significant.

This meant that they distanced the faith of Judaism from Zionism the political ideology.

The BOD has not in the past distinguished religion from ideology in this way.

“This most extremist of Israeli governments is openly encouraging violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, strangling the Palestinian economy and building more new settlements than ever,” the group of deputies acknowledged, standing with the hostages and against the war. “We stand with them. We stand against the war. We acknowledge and mourn the loss of Palestinian life. We yearn for the ‘day after’ this conflict when reconciliation can start. As we mark the festival of freedom [Passover] with so many hostages still in captivity, it is our duty, as Jews, to speak out.”

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This acknowledgement is important to me as a Palestinian in the UK because fellow British citizens from the Jewish community see the violence suffered by my people in Palestine at the hands of the country they support as Jews and which claims to act on behalf of all Jews. The occupation state clearly does not actually do that, as the 36 signatories now find themselves among the countless British Jews who have joined the pro-Palestinian demonstrations in London and other cities across the country, forming the Jewish bloc, many of whom are friends who recognise and acknowledge the genocide and insist that this is “not in our name”.

They have done so despite being slandered by many pro-Israel groups as “the wrong type of Jew” or “self-hating Jews”.

How did the BOD react to this letter? Was it a wake-up call that encouraged the other deputies to think again about what their support for Israel is doing to their souls and Jewish values?

The answer came in a tweet which did not fail to surprise me: “Following complaints by Deputies and the public, all 36 signatories to the letter in the Financial Times are now subject to a complaints procedure.” It added that the procedure would take at least four weeks.

The BOD Executive also suspended the Vice Chair of the International Division for signing the letter and “and giving further media interviews on it”.

Commenting on the letter, BOD President Phil Rosenberg, “As British Jews, we should not be commenting on what is effectively an Israeli political matter.” And yet the position of the BOD has always been extremely close and supportive of Israel in all matters, including politics. In fact, Rosenberg said on Instagram that, “It was good to see Israeli Foreign Minister @gideonsaar today in London.”

Saar made an unannounced “private” visit to London, where he met the British Foreign Secretary and the Shadow Foreign Secretary. This is a man who is a member of the extreme far-right Israeli government which is committing war crimes, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing and genocide, according to most human rights and aid organisations, as well as the International Court of Justice. It is imposing a blockade on Gaza, starving the Palestinians and denying the entry of aid while continuing to make Gaza unliveable to the extent that Palestinians who are desperate would leave if they could.

The position of the 36 deputies who signed the letter is, therefore, incompatible with pro-Israel organisations.

Such organisations are, through their blind support for Israel, acting in a manner contrary to Jewish values.

I really wish that the position of the 36, which I welcome, could have been a turning point by prompting further efforts to bring an end to the terrible, ongoing genocide by Israel by saying simply that enough is enough. The events of 7 October 2023 were painful, but what has followed is unbearable. That the way for the release of the remaining prisoners of war and the end of the murder and destruction is through talking should be obvious. Hamas is now offering to release all prisoners of war in exchange for an end to the war and the rebuilding of Gaza.

For any peace to be sustained, Israel must end its claims on Palestinian, Syrian and Lebanese land. That should also be obvious. Moreover, the Palestinians must realise their legitimate rights to peace, freedom, equality and justice in their homeland. That will bring Israel security and will be a lasting legacy to the terrible 18 months that Palestinians and Israelis have endured.

As for the 36 deputies, I say come and join us at the next demonstration in London, when we will be marking the anniversary of the 1948 Nakba. Why not join the Jewish bloc of protesters? You will be more than welcome.

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