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The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
British Jewish leaders call for rapid increase in Gaza aid
The UK's largest Jewish organisation has called for a 'rapid, uninhibited, and sustained increase in aid through all available channels' in Gaza in a rare implicit criticism of the Israeli government. The Board of Deputies held an emergency meeting on Tuesday evening amid growing horror among British Jews at the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with children malnourished and starving and desperate parents being killed as they try to secure food for their families. In a statement issued after the meeting, Phil Rosenberg, the board's president, said the Israeli government's recent moves to allow limited aid into Gaza in response to mounting international pressure was 'long overdue'. He said: 'The suffering we are witnessing in the Gaza Strip demands a response. The new measures announced by Israeli authorities to address the humanitarian crisis are essential if long overdue. 'We need to see a rapid, uninhibited, and sustained increase in aid through all available channels, and we need to see all agencies cooperating in this endeavour. As we have been saying for months, food must not be used as a weapon of war, by any side in this conflict.' Rosenberg's statement came a month after the board took disciplinary action against 36 elected representatives who signed an open letter that was strongly critical of Israel's actions in Gaza. Five of the 36 were suspended for two years. Before Tuesday's emergency meeting, dozens of deputies had written to the board leadership saying it must appeal to the Israeli government to 'end this suffering'. Their letter said: 'Nothing could be more damaging to the British Jewish community than staying silent in this moment.' Last week, Marie van der Zyl, a former president of the board, wrote: 'Hunger and human suffering, on this scale, are incompatible with the core values of our faith.' In an article in Jewish News, she called for 'urgent action to alleviate the conditions affecting civilians in Gaza'. She added: 'This is not a time for silence. It is a time for compassion.' More than 400 rabbis from around the world, including Jonathan Wittenberg, the leader of Masorti Jews in the UK, and other leading UK rabbis, called on the Israeli government to cease its 'callous indifference to starvation'. Their letter warned that 'the Jewish people face a grave moral crisis', adding: 'We cannot condone the mass killings of civilians, including a great many women, children, and elderly, or the use of starvation as a weapon of war'. Under the headline 'Jewish moral clarity means saying: Enough', an editorial last week in the Jewish News, one of the two main Jewish news outlets in the UK, said the war in Gaza must end now. The co-leaders of Progressive Judaism said in an open letter last Friday the 'deepening humanitarian catastrophe' in Gaza was 'not in our name, and not in line with the Judaism we teach, live and pass on'. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Rabbi Charley Baginsky and Rabbi Josh Levy said: 'This is not just a political moment, it is a moral and religious one.' In his statement, Rosenberg said the board supported a two-state solution but the UK government's plan to recognise a Palestinian state without a negotiated agreement 'risks putting gestures ahead of substance'. The board's 'primary concern regarding the government's announcement is to avoid empowering or rewarding Hamas, or giving it incentives to continue evading a ceasefire'. The statement added: 'It is clear that our community overwhelmingly rejects the appalling rhetoric and unacceptable proposals from some Israeli ministers, particularly in relation to the forced displacement of Gazans, as well as the intolerable violence perpetrated by extremist settlers in the West Bank, all of which are in complete contradiction to our values.' The war in Gaza was taking a toll on Israeli citizens and the UK Jewish community, 'including through the unacceptable proliferation of hatred and discrimination directed at Jews in this country'.
The National
23-07-2025
- Climate
- The National
Teenager rescued after being stranded on rock surrounded by jellyfish
Lifeboat crews from RNLI Thurso were scrambled following being alerted to a report of a young male who was stranded on a rock and cut off by the tide near Brough harbour, east side of Dunnet Head, on Monday at around 6:15pm. Volunteers launched the Taylors, an all-weather lifeboat stationed in Thurso, which arrived at the scene at around 6.35pm where they launched a Y boat manned by two crew members. The lifeboat crews said they located the youngster who was stranded on the rock surrounded by deep water and was unable to swim to the shore due to 'a large number of jellyfish'. READ MORE: British Jewish body calls for broadcaster James O'Brien to be 'taken off air' Crews were able to rescue the youth and checked him over before passing him into the care of Coastguard teams who were waiting on the beach. A post on the Thurso RNLI Facebook page said: 'This was the first solo shout for coxswain Rob Frost, a full-time RNLI CAM (Coxswain afloat Mechanic). A relief coxswain/mechanic that provides cover for RNLI stations around the UK coastline. 'This was also the first shouts for volunteers Neil Leslie as mechanic and crew member Rebecca Lynch. 'This successful rescue is a reminder to folk to check their surrounding when going into water and be aware of rising tides. Thankfully on this occasion folk on the shore were aware that the youth was in the water.' The lifeboat returned to Scrabster at 7.30pm was refuelled and made ready for service.
The National
23-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
Calls for LBC's James O'Brien to be 'taken off air'
The listener's comments came after O'Brien had criticised the mainstream UK media for focusing on Bob Vylan and Kneecap's comments at the Glastonbury Festival instead of reporting on Israel's war on Gaza. In a short clip shared to social media by LBC, O'Brien reads out the listener's message where he comments that he is doing so as he is 'fascinated by objectivity'. READ MORE: Doing the right thing for Gaza would gain the SNP more support O'Brien read the short statement from the listener Chris which said: 'I do think it's worth saying that these warped views are not just an Israeli problem. 'My wife was brought up Jewish and at Shabbat school in a leafy Hertfordshire town she was taught that one Jewish life is worth thousands of Arab lives, and that Arabs are cockroaches to be crushed. 'Whilst young children are being taught such hatred and dehumanisation, undoubtedly on both sides' He added: 'As Chris points out – then they will always be able to justify death and cruelty, and it does indeed start young. 'There is a danger perhaps that we only ever hear one side of the dehumanisation and propaganda processes.' Following the post on social media where O'Brien reads out the listener's message, a Campaign Against Antisemitism spokesperson described the comments as 'a modern blood libel on national radio', Meanwhile, the Board of Deputies of British Jews have called for him to be removed by LBC. In a statement, Andrew Gilbert, vice president of the board, said that reading out the message was 'demonising' the British Jewish community during a time antisemitism is at 'terrifyingly high levels' in the UK. He wrote: 'We are urgently seeking a meeting with senior executives following the completely unacceptable and highly offensive comments made by James O'Brien on his LBC show today. 'Broadcasting such a transparent falsehood and demonising the British Jewish community, at a time when antisemitism in this country is at terrifyingly high levels, must have clear consequences. 'LBC should apologise, and take Mr O'Brien off the air.'
Channel 4
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Channel 4
‘Outrageous' to blame world leaders for Israeli embassy deaths
Before Prime Minister Netanyahu made his statement, we spoke to Labour Peer Lord Levy – a leading voice in the British Jewish community. His cousin Emily Damari was taken hostage by Hamas on October 7th and released this January. He has condemned the Israeli government's assault on Gaza and has come out in support of the British government's move to suspend trade talks with Israel. We asked him, if as a member of the Jewish community, he feels increasingly unsafe?
Daily Mirror
04-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
WW2 veteran's plea ahead of VE Day after seeing concentration camp horror firsthand
As a young British Jewish soldier Mervyn Kersh was 'on a mission' when he joined up in World War II but nothing could prepare him for the horrors he saw and wants the world to remember Heroic veteran Mervyn Kersh fears his 'memories are fading' as the 80th anniversary of VE Day approaches and he is urging the British public to remember those who died in World War II. 'It is important to remember, to make sure we don't forget, if we don't remember they will do the same again,' the veteran warns But the 100 year old told The Mirror t here are some things he will never forget, such as meeting the survivors at Belsen concentration camp in Germany after it was liberated. Nothing could prepare Mervyn for the unbearable horrors he saw as a young British Jewish soldier in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps. He went to Belsen first for a week, talking to the people who were able to walk and come out of camp. He was not allowed in because of Typhoid. 'They were all in their striped uniform, they were all very emaciated, their arms just bones,' he described. "A lot of the inmates released were very ill, most of them couldn't move. You couldn't tell their age because of their looks. In two weeks, many thousands died after the liberation. ' The camp was liberated on April 15, 1945, where 60,000 starving people were found after 100,000 had died there. A week later, desperate former Belsen captives who were able flooded Hanover railway station, desperately seeking news on loved ones. 'Those who could, walked to Hanover station, it was the railway hub of Germany and they were hoping to meet someone who knew something about their own families. They didn't talk about what happened to them, they only spoke about the future. I'd ask 'what was it like' and they'd say; 'No! Tomorrow.' Mervyn recalls. 'A lot of them had been marched to Bergen-Belsen from other camps and anyone who'd dropped out was shot. So they just had to carry on. So they were used to walking. They were all in their striped uniforms. They were made to see it as a uniform of shame. When I saw them their despair had turned to hope. The war had ended, they knew it.' Mervyn was desperate to help the survivors so used his chocolate rations. 'The British Army issued us with a bar of chocolate and 50 cigarettes a week,' he said, explaining how he swapped his cigarettes for more chocolate because he didn't smoke. When I took them out of my pockets and showed them, their faces lit up as I gave it to them. Their faces lit up so much I thought 'I must get more'. 'So every day I went round the camp, round the barracks, collecting to take them more. I had about 30 or 40 with me when I went afterwards. They came up and took the chocolate, saying 'thank you', and they went off. Their faces lit up. They hadn't seen chocolate for years. And if they're like me, they love chocolate.," he said, as he points to chocolate on display around his kitchen. As he sits stroking one of his two beloved cats, at his lovely home in north London, Mervyn said: 'Years later I was told chocolate is the worst thing you can give to someone who is starving, it could kill them. I wondered what happened to them and I still do.' Soon after these horrifying scenes, Mervyn was on a train heading away from the misery. The train was 'sealed' because of the ongoing threat in Germany. The Germans had armed youngsters and told them to shoot at any allied soldiers they saw after they were overrun, so the trains were boarded up. The lights were dimmed for the same reason.' As a result Mervyn explained: 'I had nothing to do so I just slept. I slept for 36 hours to get to Bruges. ' When he emerged from the gloomy train, Mervyn could hear music and saw people dancing in the streets. He was told: 'The war's over. Germany's surrendered'. 'I'd slept through the whole of VE Day,' he said. 'I must have been the last in Europe to hear the war was over. I was a bit disappointed not to be present when it did actually end. ' But Mervyn immediately joined in the giant party: 'I danced around even though I can't dance. So I joined them for about an hour or so, and then I think I carried on to get a boat back to the UK.' Once back in the UK he headed straight home to Brixton Hill, South London and knocked on his mum's door. He recalled: 'I'd been in Egypt for six months and of course it was very hot and I was stripped to the waist most of the time and I also lost a lot of weight. I was seven stone when I came home. So I knocked on her door unexpectedly, my mother thought I was coming the next day. She came to the door and said, 'Can I help you?' As if I was a stranger. I said 'It's Mervyn'. I'm your son.' I was surprised she didn't recognize me.' Other relatives were at his family home still celebrating the end of the war, so once again Mervyn joined the party. For decades now Mervyn has devoted his life to sharing his memories of World War II. Some of them refuse to fade for the D-Day veteran, such as meeting fellow Jews who had lived in terror in Nazi occupied France. There was a Jewish service and those in hiding appeared clearly 'emotional'. Meryvn explained: ' One of them had been in an attic, the other one said he'd been in a wardrobe. He didn't come out of a wardrobe in four years". Then he said he vividly recalls when he crossed into Germany turning from 'liberators' to "conquerors" with the British troops . 'I saw the German officers were very very scruffy and dirty, half dressed. A lot of them didn't have their hats on with jackets open, very slovenly at that stage I suppose they were trying to hide. I took pride in telling them I was Jewish. 'Ich Bin Jude' and watched their faces. They were amazed. There were thousands of them going back behind the lines. I don't think they'd ever met a Jew, just knew what they'd been told." He points out: 'This is why it's important to find out for yourself. To ask questions and not believe everything you're told." Mervyn, who was awarded the Legion d'Honneur by the French, said because he was Jewish he joined the army on a 'crusade' and that continues as he devotes his time to sharing his story around the world. 'There used to be millions of British troops left but now they think there's 200. I intend to be the last man standing.'
