Following a meeting with Plaid Cymru Chair Alun Ffred Jones and Chief Executive Gareth Chubb, Sheila Gewolb, Senior Vice President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews and Laurence Kahn, Chair of the South Wales Jewish Representative Council issued the following joint statement: “It is totally deplorable that there has been no sanction for […]
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Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has applauded a letter sent out to universities today by Secretary of State for Education Gavin Williamson, asking that they sign up to the international definition of antisemitism by the end of the year. Marie said: “We welcome this intervention by Secretary of State for Education Gavin […]
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Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has commended YouTube for removing the Nation of Islam from its platform. Marie said: We are pleased that YouTube has finally removed the Nation of Islam channel from its platform, a step we had urged them to take in meetings this year. Its removal – filled as […]
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The Board of Deputies of British Jews and Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel have written to Mendip Council, after the borough unanimously voted against adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism. The then Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Sajid Javid, wrote to all councils urging them to adopt the […]
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Conservative Party politicians have today backed the Board of Deputies’ proposals for combating hatred online, describing them as “common sense” and calling for the proposed measures to be “expedited as quickly as we can.” At the Board of Deputies’ first ever fringe event at Conservative Party conference, Robert Halfon MP, Victoria Atkins MP, Saqib Bhatti […]
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Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds has told a Board of Deputies meeting about online hate that Labour will be supporting new legislation to regulate social media companies. At the Labour Connected event, entitled, “How should we be combating online hate?’ Mr Thomas-Symonds said: “The platforms have been slow to act. The time has come where […]
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Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has applauded the Liberal Democrat Party for suspending its proposed candidate for Mayor of London after news broke that she had made previously made antisemitic comments. Marie said: “The antisemitic comments discovered to have been made by Ms Sidhu-Robb, one of the Liberal Democrats’ proposed candidates for […]
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Senior Vice President of the Board of Deputies Sheila Gewolb, Vice President Amanda Bowman and South Wales Jewish Representative Council Chair Laurence Kahn met with the leader of Plaid Cymru, Adam Price MS this week. They discussed the case of Plaid member Sahar Al-Faifi who has repeatedly engaged in antisemitic behaviour including promoting Rothschild conspiracy […]
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Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has called on YouTube to delete Wiley’s account after he began to use theplatform to continue his antisemitic rant. She said: “The Board of Deputies met representatives of YouTube yesterday and made it clear that we believed Wiley would soon be using their platform to spread the […]
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Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has reacted to Twitter’s decision to suspend the account of Wiley several days after his antisemitic rant started. Marie said: “It appears that Twitter has now suspended the account of Richard Cowie, or Wiley, six days after he began an extended antisemitic rant, and nearly all the […]
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Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has welcomed Facebook’s decision to delete the account of Wiley, the rapper who launched an extended antisemitic rant across social media last weekend. She said: “We are pleased that Facebook have completely removed Wiley’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, following our strong recommendation to them earlier today that […]
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Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has called on Facebook to remove the rapper Wiley from the platform immediately, following his extended antisemitic rant on social media at the weekend. Marie said: “We are aware that Richard Cowie – AKA Wiley – has continued his obsessive targeting of the Jewish community on Facebook, […]
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The Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Jewish Leadership Council and the Community Security Trust have today written to Twitter and Facebook to demand answers as to why the two social media giants allowed the rapper Wiley to broadcast “unadulterated hatred” on Twitter and the Facebook-owned Instagram platforms last weekend. In the letters to […]
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Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has reacted to the storm of antisemitic abuse posted by rapper Wiley, with little or no intervention from the social media platforms, despite pleas to delete his posts. Marie said: “We in the Jewish community were appalled to see Wiley’s anti-Jewish racist rant carry on for hour […]
Read more >>>Board of Deputies Senior Vice President Sheila Gewolb has called for a prominent Plaid Cymru member to be excluded from the party permanently following her false claim that the American police officers responsible for the deaths of African Americans were trained by Israel. Sahar Al-Faifi had previously been suspended from the Party after a number […]
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SNP MP John Nicholson yesterday challenged Monica Bickert, Head of Product Policy and Counterterrorism at Facebook, on the social media channel’s refusal to remove a post making light of the death of George Floyd. Mr Nicholson, who was questioning Ms Bickert as part of an investigation by the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Sub-committee on […]
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The Board of Deputies of British Jews has announced a public meeting in Parliament to discuss the far-right extremism, entitled ‘HATE ON THE MARCH: How should the Jewish community respond to the rise of the far right?’ On the panel to discuss the situation will be the David Lammy MP; Political Commentator Ayesha Hazarika; Dr […]
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Board of Deputies of British Jews President Marie van der Zyl has reacted to today’s stabbing attack on the Muezzin at Regent’s Park Mosque during prayers. Marie said: “Horrific news of a stabbing at Regent’s Park Mosque. Our hearts go out to the Muezzin, his family and the Muslim community, and we pray for his […]
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Board of Deputies Vice President Amanda Bowman has applauded Tower Hamlets Council’s decision to cancel an event at the Shadwell Centre on Holocaust Memorial Day, organised by the militant organisation, Stand Up to Racism. Amanda said: “One of the proposed speakers at a planned Holocaust Memorial Day event in a Tower Hamlets council venue has […]
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Board of Deputies Vice President Amanda Bowman has condemned BBC International Correspondent Orla Guerin for linking the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to a report on the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Amanda said: “In an otherwise moving report on the experiences of a Holocaust survivor, Orla Guerin’s attempt to link the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to the […]
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Senior Vice President Sheila Gewolb has welcomed the Government’s decision to ban the Hizballah in its entirety. Sheila said: “We welcome this important step by the Treasury. Hizballah’s genocidal intentions are clear. Keeping their flags off our streets and their financial assets frozen is vital in making the world a safer place.” https://twitter.com/BoardofDeputies/status/1218157875467640834
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Board of Deputies of British Jews President Marie van der Zyl said: “Tackling antisemitism must be a central priority of Labour’s next leader. To that end, it was a good start to see five of the six leadership candidates and three of the five deputy leadership candidates adopting the #TenPledges on tackling anti-Jewish racism that […]
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Today, the Board of Deputies is publicly releasing its Ten Pledges (attached), identifying the ten key points we believe Labour needs to sign up to in order to begin healing its relationship with the Jewish community. Following Jeremy Corbyn’s four years in office, during which time antisemitism in the party became a matter of great […]
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Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has condemned Port Vale footballer Tom Pope’s comments on Twitter in which he used antisemitic conspiracy theories. Marie said: “Tom Pope’s comments on social media about Rothschild control of all banks in the world shows that he subscribes to the notorious antisemitic conspiracy theory that the Rothschild […]
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The Board of Deputies has reacted to reports that a 13-year-old boy was physically attacked and subjected to antisemitic abuse on a bus in North London. A spokesperson said: “This unprovoked racist assault is sickening. The vile individual who perpetrated this attack must be arrested and subjected to the full force of the law.”
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Board of Deputies of British Jews Vice President Amanda Bowman has urged political parties to take action against news MPs who have been found to have made anti-Jewish comments. Amanda said: “We view with great concern the past conduct of a number of newly elected members of the House of Commons: “Apsana Begum (Labour, Poplar […]
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The Board of Deputies has condemned Baroness Tonge for her comments following the General Election results on Friday morning. A spokesperson said: “We stand behind the 90 peers who are urging Baroness Tonge to give an unqualified apology following her latest antisemitic trope of blaming Labour’s election defeat on ‘the pro-Israel lobby’. She should also […]
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Board of Deputies Vice President Amanda Bowman has responded to remarks made by Labour candidate for Birmingham Hall Green, Tahir Ali at a meeting this week. Amanda said: “At a hustings event in Birmingham Hall Green last week, Tahir Ali, the Labour candidate, claimed that cases of antisemitism from Liberal Democrats and Conservatives had not […]
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Board of Deputies Senior Vice President Sheila Gewolb has reacted to the decision of the French National Assembly to adopt the internationally recognised definition of antisemitism. Sheila said: “We warmly welcome the French National Assembly’s adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism. It will bring invaluable clarity and consistency in understanding prosecuting contemporary antisemitism, which […]
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Board of Deputies Vice President Amanda Bowman has commented on the news that the University of Bristol has adopted the internationally recognised definition of antisemitism: She said: “Bristol University has taken an important first step towards protecting Jewish students, academics and staff in adopting the IHRA definition of antisemitism in full. The definition, with its […]
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Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has responded to the claim of Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn, made at his party’s Race and Faith Manifesto launch, that antisemitism “will not be tolerated whatsoever” under a Labour Government. Marie van der Zyl said: “Most in our community will find it impossible to trust Jeremy Corbyn […]
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Board of Deputies Vice President Amanda Bowman has commented on the news that University College London adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism: She said: “UCL has taken an important step towards protecting Jewish students, academics and staff in adopting the IHRA definition of antisemitism. After a long process, it is promising to see the full […]
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Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has condemned statements made by the Conservative candidate for Leeds North East, Amjad Bashir. Marie said: “We are extremely concerned at the language used by Amjad Bashir, the Conservative candidate for Leeds North East, who described British Jews travelling to Israel and returning as ‘brainwashed extremists’, blaming […]
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Senior Vice President Sheila Gewolb has condemned the desecration of Jewish graves in Denmark. Sheila said: “The desecration of up to 80 graves in a the 200-year old Jewish cemetery in Denmark over this past weekend, on the anniversary of Kristallnacht, is another example of the worrying and dangerous growth of antisemitism throughout Europe. We […]
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Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has condemned a graffiti attack in Canvey island, Essex, after cars and garages in the area were branded with swastikas. Marie said: “This is an appalling hate attack, presumably aimed at Canvey Island’s flourishing Jewish community. Hopefully the police will be able to identify and prosecute the […]
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Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has reacted to the decision By Labour’s ruling National Executive Council not to allow Chris Williamson MP to stand for election as a Labour candidate in his Derby North constituency. She said: “The NEC ruling to bar Chris Williamson MP from standing again in Derby North is […]
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Former Prime Minister Tony Blair last night told a packed Board of Deputies of British Jews President’s dinner that antisemitism in Labour was “absolutely killing the party”. Mr Blair was in conversation with broadcaster Natasha Kaplinsky at a central London location in front of an audience of more than 400. Also attending were Home Secretary […]
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Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has condemned an attack on Chatham Memorial Synagogue cemetery in Rochester, Kent. Marie said: “This disgraceful antisemitic vandalism will cause huge upset to the families of those buried in the cemetery and to all right-thinking people. The low lives who perpetrated this hateful attack should face the […]
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President of the Board of Deputies Marie van der Zyl has reacted to the decision of longstanding Labour MP Louise Ellman to resign from the party. Marie said: “This is a damning indictment of Labour. Louise Ellman has been a devoted member of the party for over a half a century. With yet another Jewish […]
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Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has condemned a gun attack which has killed two people in the German city of Halle. Marie said: “This is an appalling far-right motivated murder perpetrated on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year for Jews, against innocent worshippers as well as diners in a kebab […]
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On the eve of Labour’s annual party conference, Board of Deputies of British Jews President Marie van der Zyl has spoken of her “deep” concerns over the party’s continuing failure to banish anti-Jewish racism. Marie said: “I have deep and ongoing concerns about Labour going into their Party Conference. Since the last party conference, Labour […]
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Westminster City Council is currently considering plans for a National Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre to be sited next to Parliament. This is a project of huge significance to our country, our community and the victims of this unparalleled evil and their families. Siting the memorial next to our Parliament at the heart of our […]
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Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has today sent a letter to the Shadow Cabinet, members of the Parliamentary Labour Party and Labour’s National Executive Committee with detailed steps as to how Labour can begin to rid itself of anti-Jewish racism, following Panorama’s devastating exposé of the crisis within the party last week. […]
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The Board of Deputies has sent a complaint to the Guardian following the publication of a letter in the paper purporting to be written by “prominent members of the Jewish community in the UK and abroad”. The Guardian was misleading and inaccurate in its description of the signatories, some have been suspended or expelled from […]
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Following reports of a screening in London of Homelands, a ‘documentary’ by Katie Hopkins and former Ukip MEP Janice Atkinson on the “Islamification of Europe”, Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has commented: “This vile Muslim-baiting film should never have seen the light of day. Shame on those who hosted and promoted such an […]
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Responding to reports that Chris Williamson has been readmitted to the Labour Party, Board of Deputies Vice President Amanda Bowman said: “This is an utter disgrace. Despite years of baiting the Jewish community – calling antisemitism allegations ‘proxy wars and bullshit’, actively supporting people suspended and expelled from the party for antisemitism, attacking the Board […]
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Board of Deputies Vice President Amanda Bowman has reacted to news that Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle will be hosting a representative of an antisemitic Yemenite military group in Parliament. Amanda said: “Hosting an organisation in the Houses of Parliament whose official slogan includes the phrase ‘death to Israel, curse the Jews’ is utterly unacceptable. Lloyd […]
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Board of Deputies President has sent a letter of complaint to Head of BBC News Fran Unsworth expressing deep concern over the corporation’s reporting of the antisemitic social media postings of Abdullah Patel, who was allowed to ask a question in the Conservative Party leadership debate. Marie wrote of Mr Patel’s tweet. “The tweet is […]
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Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has applauded the Church in Wales for their adoption of the international definition of antisemitism. She said: “We are pleased to see that the international antisemitism definition is gathering pace in the faith communities. Following the Church of England’s adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition […]
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Board of Deputies Senior Vice President Sheila Gewolb has condemned the decision of the Cambridge Union to host Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. Sheila said: “The decision by Cambridge University Union to host Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, a notorious antisemite who has made no secret of his distaste for Jews and Israel, is deeply disheartening. “By inviting this […]
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Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has reacted to reports in The Times that Labour MP Rupa Huq is facing official complaints over anti-Jewish racism from former employees. Marie said: “If true, this would be a damning indictment on MP Rupa Huq, especially in the context of Labour’s wider ongoing antisemitism scandal. We […]
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The Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Jewish Leadership Council and the Community Security Trust have issued a joint statement following the election of Lisa Forbes as MP for Peterborough. “Before Lisa Forbes was elected, the Board of Deputies, JLC and CST commented that we were fed up of hearing that Labour opposes antisemitism […]
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Board of Deputies Vice President Amanda Bowman has welcomed the decision of YouTube to ban Holocaust denial from its platform. Amanda said: “In an era of fake news and extremism, countering the spread of false truths and conspiracy theories has never been more important. For a long time, we have advocated to YouTube and other […]
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Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has reacted to a tweet by George Galloway’s in which he wrote that Tottenham’s defeat in the Champions League final meant “no Israel flags on the cup”. Marie said: “We would like to thank Tottenham Hotspur FC for calling out the ‘blatant antisemitism’ in George Galloway’s tweet. […]
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Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has called for the expulsion of Labour NEC member Peter Willsman, following his latest antisemitic outburst. Marie said: “Peter Willsman – a man who should have been suspended for anti-Jewish statements last year – has not only denied antisemitism in the Labour Party but has resorted to […]
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Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has reacted to the decision of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission to launch an a formal investigation to determine whether the Labour Party has unlawfully discriminated against, harassed or victimised people because they are Jewish. She said: “We welcome the decision of the Equalities and Human […]
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Board of Deputies Senior Vice President Sheila Gewolb has reacted to an attack on Argentinian Rabbi Elyahu Shaman. Sheila said: “The violent assault on Rabbi Elyahu Shaman, who is also a cantor at a synagogue in the Buenos Aires neighbourhood of Palermo, has deeply upset us. It’s not the first time that the Argentinian Jewish […]
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By Sheila Gewolb I was honoured to be part of a small group of Jewish community leaders, (there were only six of us), to accompany Chelsea FC on a trip to Boston to play New England Revolution last week. This was a joint initiative between Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and his counterpart Robert Kraft, owner […]
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Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has reacted to the Hamas rocket attacks against Israel over the weekend. She said: “We utterly condemn the terrorism of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, who have fired 450 rockets in to Israel from Gaza so far. Our hearts go out to the family of Moshe Agadi and […]
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Board of Deputies Vice President Amanda Bowman has reacted to the disturbing series of revelations about Brighton and Hove Labour Party which have emerged this week. Amanda said: “We stand in solidarity with the Jewish community in Brighton and Hove in light of the series of disturbing revelations about the Brighton and Hove Labour Party. […]
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Responding to the Sunday Times story on Labour’s antisemitism cover up, Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has called on Labour to open up its processes to scrutiny by the Jewish community. She said: “The Sunday Times investigation shows that our demands to root out anti-Jewish racism have been treated with utter contempt. […]
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Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has reacted to Home Secretary Sajid Javid’s announcement on increased security for places of worship. She said: “We welcome the Home Secretary’s announcement today on the increased Places of Worship Protective Security Fund and further security training for mosques. “The Government should take every possible step to […]
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Board of Deputies Senior Vice President Sheila Gewolb has reacted to the terrorist shooting which has claimed the lives of two Israelis. She said: “Terrorism has claimed more civilian lives. I am deeply saddened to hear that Rabbi Achiad Ettinger, a father of 12 from the settlement of Eli, died of his injuries on Monday, […]
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Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham told a Board of Deputies meeting in Manchester on Sunday that he hoped the Labour Party has finally understood that antisemitism needs to be dealt with decisively. Speaking to a full meeting of the Board of Deputies at Manchester Town Hall, Mr Burnham, who received a standing ovation, said: […]
Read more >>>Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has reacted to the news that the Equalities and Human Rights Commission is considering launching a formal investigation into antisemitism in the Labour Party. Marie said: “This proposed independent investigation confirms what the Jewish community has known for a long time: that the Labour leadership has a […]
Read more >>>Board of Deputies Senior Vice President Sheila Gewolb has reacted to an attack on the Argentinian Chief Rabbi during a break-in at his home in Buenos Aires. Sheila said: “The violent attack on the Argentinian Chief Rabbi Gabriel Davidovich at his home has deeply shocked us. It’s not the first time that the Argentinian Jewish […]
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Reacting to the announcement of the Government’s move to proscribe antisemitic, terrorist organisation Hizballah in its entirety, Marie van der Zyl, President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Jonathan Goldstein, Chair of the Jewish Leadership Council and David Delew, Chief Executive of the Community Security Trust, said: “We welcome the Home Secretary’s move […]
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An exhibition which focuses on Albanian Muslims’ efforts to save Jews in the Holocaust was put on display at yesterday’s Board of Deputies meeting. The Yad Vashem exhibition, entitled ‘Love Your Neighbour’, was show in the presence of Albanian Ambassador Qirjako Qirko, giving Deputies from around the country the opportunity to discover about the acts […]
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Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl and Jewish Leadership Council Chair Jonathan Goldstein have reacted to the Parliamentary Labour Party’s motion setting a deadline for the Labour leadership over antisemitism. In a statement, they said: “We welcome the decision of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) this evening to set a deadline to hold […]
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Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has applauded Labour MPs who have demanded answers from the party leadership on its record on antisemitism. Marie said: “We fully support the Labour MPs in calling the leadership to account on their record on tackling antisemitism within the party. Since the Enough is Enough campaign was […]
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The article by Lee Harpin in today’s Jewish Chronicle – “Board of Deputies nearly backed Islamophobia definition ‘decisively influenced’ by controversial group” – is concocted from a mixture of innuendo, half-truths, and outright falsehoods. Innuendo: “Board of Deputies nearly backed Islamophobia definition ‘decisively influenced’ by controversial group” In line with other communal bodies including the […]
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The Board of Deputies has condemned a series of antisemitic scrawlings featuring the words “Jew Ghetto” which were discovered on Monday morning at different locations in the village of Shenley in Hertfordshire. A spokesperson said: “The residents of Shenley should not be subjected to this disgusting antisemitism. We hope the perpetrator is identified and subjected […]
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The Board of Deputies has welcomed the decision of Islington Council to ban Gilad Atzmon from playing with the Blockheads on council premises. A spokesperson said: “We welcome this decision by Islington Council. We have been in contact with the council about Gilad Atzmon’s history and we believe this to be the right call.”
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The Board of Deputies of British Jews has welcomed the announcement by the universities regulator, the Office for Students (OFS), that it is adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Definition of Antisemitism. This is the result of a series of engagements between the OFS and the Board of Deputies that has also involved the […]
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Board of Deputies Vice President Amanda Bowman has reacted to antisemitic chanting by Chelsea fans at their match against Hungarian team Vidi last night. Amanda said: “We commend Chelsea FC’s prompt intervention following antisemitic songs sung by a section of Chelsea supporter’s at the club’s Europa League game in Hungary. This disgraceful behaviour must be […]
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Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has reacted to antisemitic rhetoric used in a pro-government magazine in Hungary: ‘She said: ‘Tonight we voice our support for the Hungarian Jewish community. We are deeply concerned about the antisemitic rhetoric used in Hungary. The image of Andras Heisler, head of the Federation of Hungarian Jewish Communities […]
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Board of Deputies Vice President Amanda Bowman has called the Labour Party’s announcement that it has dropped its disciplinary investigation into Ian Austin MP, “long overdue”. Amanda said: “The announcement that the Labour Party has dropped its ill-judged investigation into Ian Austin MP over comments he made to party Chair Ian Lavery about its failure […]
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Board of Deputies Vice President Amanda Bowman has condemned the election of Stephen Marks, who has denied Labour has a serious problem with antisemitism, to the Labour disciplinary body which deals with alleged cases of antisemitism. Amanda said: “The election of antisemitism denier Stephen Marks to Labour’s National Constitution Committee seems to be part of […]
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Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has reacted to comments made by Turkish President Erdogan about businessman George Soros. Marie said: “We are very concerned about the comments made by Turkish President Erdogan who called George Soros an ‘infamous Hungarian Jew’ and accused him of being behind the historic protests in Turkey in […]
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Board of Deputies Vice President Amanda Bowman has reacted to news that the Metropolitan Police has launched a criminal inquiry into allegations of antisemitic hate crimes within the Labour Party. Amanda said: “This comes as no surprise to us. There is a deeply embedded culture of antisemitism in parts of the Labour Party and Jeremy […]
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Close to 500 people from Jewish, Muslim and Christian communities crowded into JW3, London’s Jewish Community Centre last night to hear Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, British Home Secretary Sajid Javid, communal and interfaith leaders speak at a vigil for the 11 members of the Jewish community brutally murdered in Pittsburgh on Saturday. Mayor of […]
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Board of Deputies of British Jews President Marie van der Zyl has condemned the appalling attack on innocent worshippers at a synagogue in the United States. She said: ‘Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and families of the innocent worshippers gunned down in cold blood at a Pittsburgh synagogue. It is particularly […]
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Gillian Merron, Chief Executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said: “The Board of Deputies welcomes the decision by the Leader’s Committee of London Councils to recommend adoption the full International Holocaust Remembrance Association definition of antisemitism with all its examples. We have found the London Councils umbrella body to be constructive allies […]
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Board of Deputies Vice President Edwin Shuker has renewed support for the planned Holocaust Memorial in London. This follows a letter from a group of Jewish peers voicing concerns about the scheme. Edwin said: “We continue to welcome the planned Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre as a fitting testament to the evils of unchecked racism […]
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Board of Deputies Senior Vice President Sheila Gewolb has condemned Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad for his latest antisemitic outburst. Sheila said: “Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad is a purveyor of antisemitic and antiquated tropes. While the rest of Malaysia is moving forward, he makes it look like the country is moving backward, which is a […]
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Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has responded to Jeremy Corbyn’s speech today to the Labour Party conference by calling for action from the Labour Leader. Marie said: “Jeremy Corbyn’s words mean nothing until Labour takes the necessary steps to deal with antisemitism in its ranks. Words have long ceased to be enough. […]
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Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl today ‘noted with disappointment’ that Conservative Party MEPs have voted in defence of Hungary’s far-right government of Viktor Orban. She said: “As we have stated previously, we are very alarmed by the messages at the heart of Orban’s election campaign, including his comments about ‘Muslim invaders’, calling […]
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Board of Deputies of British Jews President Marie van der Zyl has reacted to the adoption of the internationally recognised definition of antisemitism by the Church of England. She said: “We applaud the decision by the Church of England bishops to formally adopt the full IHRA definition of antisemitism. The adoption of the definition in […]
Read more >>>Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl said: “I would like to express my thanks to the Archbishop of Canterbury for his important intervention in advance of Rosh Hashanah, saying that the Church of England should adopt the IHRA Definition of antisemitism. This moral leadership is warmly welcomed by our community and is a […]
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Board of Deputies of British Jews President Marie van der Zyl has responded to the adoption of the internationally recognised definition of antisemitism by the Parliamentary Labour Party. She said: “We would like to thank the Parliamentary Labour Party which has adopted the full International Holocaust Remembrance Holocaust Alliance definition of antisemitism with all of […]
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Board of Deputies of British Jews President Marie van der Zyl said: “The decision by the National Executive Committee to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of Antisemitism in full with all of its illustrative examples had to be the right call. It is very long overdue and regrettable that Labour has wasted […]
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Board of Deputies Vice President Amanda Bowman has condemned the election of Peter Willsman to Labour’s NEC. She said: “The election of Peter Willsman to Labour’s NEC following his reprehensible comments about Jews is deeply concerning.” “This has not been helped by Labour’s appalling attitude to tackling prejudice, as evidenced by Jeremy Corbyn failing to […]
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Board of Deputies Chief Executive Gillian Merron has written to Labour Party General Secretary Jennie Formby, informing her of the essential steps the party needs to take in order to deal with the antisemitism crisis. The letter is a reply to Ms Formby’s own letter “outlining the Labour Party’s recent actions to tackle antisemitism”. In […]
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The Board of Deputies has reacted to the decision of the Jersey Government not to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism. A spokesperson said: “We have raised this with the Jersey Government and we intend to discuss with them the importance of adopting the IHRA definition. We would urge them to listen […]
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In this piece published in the New Statesman, Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl and Jewish Leadership Council Chair Jonathan Goldstein remind Jeremy Corbyn that inaction in the face of racism is complicity https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/staggers/2018/08/jeremy-corbyn-must-remember-inaction-face-racism-complicity
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Post Sabbath, Jewish organisations can now respond to Jeremy Corbyn’s ill-timed and ill-conceived Guardian article on Labour’s antisemitism problem. Once again Mr Corbyn, of all people, has chosen to lecture Jews on antisemitism. His Guardian piece repeats much of his previous Evening Standard article, published the day we met him to explain our concerns. In […]
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Marie van der Zyl, President of the Board of Deputies, said: “Even by Labour’s low standards, the last few days since the unprecedented joint banner headline by our community’s leading newspapers have been utterly shameful. “Shadow Cabinet members are lining up to oppose the leadership’s position on the IHRA antisemitism definition; one Labour councillor […]
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“The decision taken by the NEC today to adopt a watered-down definition of antisemitism will be regarded with a mixture of incredulity and outrage by the overwhelming majority of the UK’s Jews. The suggestion that they will now consult with the Jewish community is an insult, given the complete lack of meaningful consultation up until […]
Read more >>>Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl and Jewish Leadership Council Chair Jonathan Goldstein have responded to Labour’s newly approved code of conduct on antisemitism. They said: “It is for Jews to determine for themselves what antisemitism is. The UK Jewish community has adopted in full the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance Definition of Antisemitism, […]
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