Largest British Jewish body suspends members for criticising Israel
The largest body representing British Jews has suspended five of its elected representatives for two years after they criticised Israel's conduct in Gaza.
In April 36 members of the Board of Deputies of British Jews signed a letter published in the Financial Times in which they strongly condemned Israel’s assault on the Palestinian enclave and its withholding of food and aid, which has left hundreds of thousands on the brink of starvation.
“The inclination to avert our eyes is strong, as what is happening is unbearable, but our Jewish values compel us to stand up and to speak out,” they wrote.
The letter asserted that "Israel's soul is being ripped out" by the war on Gaza.
"We stand against the war … it is our duty, as Jews, to speak out."
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Leaders of the board accused the 36 deputies of “misrepresenting our community” and launched disciplinary proceedings against them.
They have now all been found to have breached the Board of Deputies' code of conduct.
'We are a democratic organisation'
The findings of the investigation, released on Tuesday evening, said that "many media outlets, individuals and other community stakeholders initially understood [the letter] to be a statement of the board".
It said the code of conduct requires deputies not to misrepresent the board's position or bring the institution into disrepute.
The board's executive body sent a "notice of criticism" to 31 of the 36 signatories.
But it suspended five deputies from the board for two years.
The move comes after Daniel Grossman, a member of the board, resigned last month over what he described as the failure of its leaders to explicitly criticise “the Israeli government’s ongoing genocidal assault on Gaza”.
And in late April a former head of Israel’s Shin Bet security agency intervened in support of the members facing disciplinary action.
Ami Ayalon said the 36 board members were “true friends of Israel” who had “expressed the exact concerns and sentiments” as those voiced during weekly anti-government protests attended by thousands in Israel.
Ayalon, a former Israeli navy admiral and a longstanding critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said: “It is not easy to speak out and I commend them for their bravery. I know that they will now face a backlash. However, so many of us leading the struggle in Israel wish that more of our friends in the diaspora would follow their lead.”
The board has previously criticised the suspension of some arms export licences to Israel, and the withdrawal by the current Labour government of the objection against the prosecution of Israeli leaders at the International Criminal Court raised by the previous UK government.
Phil Rosenberg, the board's president, also said last month that it was a mistake for the British government to suspend free trade talks with Israel.
On Tuesday evening Michael Wegier, the board's chief executive, said: “We are a democratic organisation that welcomes debate, diversity and free speech. Managing diversity of opinion within our organisation depends on our code of conduct.
“That code ensures deputies do not create misunderstandings about the position of the board or its members, do not bring the institution into disrepute, and treat one another and the institution with respect.”
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