Board of Deputies Community Briefing 7th November 2019 copy

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Tony Blair, who received a standing ovation from the audience, said: “Let me be frank, there is going to be a complete battle in the Labour Party because what has happened over these past years – particularly over antisemitism – is absolutely killing the party.” He added: “I think in this election there will be more people who look carefully in a non-tribal way – they will look carefully at the candidates in their constituency to a bigger degree than at any election I can remember.” However, he went on to say: “There are really good Labour MPs that are standing in this election. People I know, people I’ve worked with. People who have stood up very strongly on antisemitism in the Labour Party, and I want to see them supported.” On Israel, he said there was “a need to explain Zionism and the way Israel was created, and why it deserves support today… Israeli democracy is a real democracy”. Home Secretary Priti Patel, who proposed the loyal toast, paid tribute to the Board of Deputies. She said: “The Board of Deputies has been tireless in educating British society about Judaism, building interfaith bridges, defending the interests of British Jews, and confronting antisemitism in all its awful guises. Your work ranges from the level of individual communities and synagogues, right to the highest uncertainties over the General Election and Brexit; antisemitism going unchecked in the official opposition; far-right terrorist attacks on synagogues in the United States and Germany; obsessive criticism of Israel; or even risks to the UK’s supply of etrogs – it has never been more important to have a strong Board of Deputies, changing the narrative and leading the fight for our community." Marie also paid tribute to Tony Blair: “When Tony Blair was leader of the Labour Party – and, indeed, Prime Minister – there was not the slightest question about any of the big parties being tolerant of antisemitism. Tony Blair has long been a true friend of our community, and he continues to stand alongside us in our fight for justice. I know that he shares our horror that a creation of the last Labour Government, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, has launched a statutory investigation into whether the current Labour Party itself is institutionally antisemitic. When the dust settles after the election, I hope that the Party’s current – or future – leaders will learn from his example that things can – and, indeed, must – change." The dinner was also addressed by European Jewish Congress President Dr Moshe Kantor, Israeli Ambassador Mark Regev, Board of Deputies Chief Executive Gillian Merron and Senior Vice President Sheila Gewolb. Read the Daily Mail report here, the JC story here and the Jewish News's here. Let to right: Natasha Kaplinsky, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Tony Blair and Marie van der Zyl at this week's President's Dinner. Photos: Sam Pearce
Board of Deputies President: Chris Williamson must now be expelled by Labour 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 the correct one. However, this is not enough. Labour’s leadership must now stop dragging their feet and act immediately to expel from the party this disgraced politician who has baited the Jewish community for far too long.” Read the Evening Standard story here. Welcome for Select Committee call for Government to end two-child cap Following the Work and Pensions Select Committee’s call for the Government to end the two-child cap on welfare payments, Board of Deputies Chief Executive Gillian Merron said: “The Work and Pensions Select Committee is unambiguous in its recommendation that the two-child cap should be abolished, due to the flawed assumptions underpinning it, and the misery it creates in practice. We have been advocating this from the start and, having witnessed the hardship that it has created, are glad to see it recognised by the Select Committee. We call on parties aspiring to form the next government to pledge to scrap the cap with all due haste.” You can read the Select Committee’s full statement here. ACTIVITY REPORT INTERNATIONAL President Marie van der Zyl, Senior Vice President Sheila Gewolb, Vice President Edwin Shuker and Chief Executive Gillian Merron attended the European Jewish Congress Executive Meeting in London. Following EJC President Moshe Kantor’s introductory remarks, Marie welcomed the Executive, and introduced the discussion with Lord Mann, the UK Government's Independent Adviser on Antisemitism. Also discussed were the World Holocaust Forum 2020, updates from EJC affiliated Jewish communities, including an update on Hungary, the Ukraine, Denmark and Poland, and the EJC’s Task Force on religious rights. President Marie van der Zyl and International Relations Officer Talia Ingleby met American Jewish Committee Executive Director David Harris, and Associate Director of AJC Europe Julie Decroix, to discuss continued cooperation of the Board of Deputies with the AJC, and areas of common interest such as the global rise of antisemitism. Senior Vice President Sheila Gewolb and International Relations Officer Talia Ingleby represented the Board of Deputies at the Conference of European Rabbis Annual Award Ceremony for the Internet Entrepreneurs Competition 2019, at Bevis Marks Synagogue. International Relations Officer Talia Ingleby represented the Board of Deputies at a briefing by the Strategic Engagement Team at the Department of Exiting the EU.
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