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Times
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Times
Inside the Gaza row splitting the British Jewish board
When Phil Rosenberg became president of Britain's largest Jewish representative body, he vowed to become a 'unifying figure' and stressed that he was 'not frightened' by the community's diverse views on difficult issues, including Israel. Under his leadership, he pledged that the Board of Deputies of British Jews would proudly echo every corner of the community as it grappled with the fallout of the October 7 attacks. 'I'm not scared to speak to people on my right or on my left, because I often find, genuinely, you learn something from people, if you listen,' he told Jewish News after his appointment last May. • British Jewish leaders condemn Netanyahu's Gaza offensive Almost a year later, however, the board is facing an unprecedented challenge amid signs
The Independent
25-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Is the secret ownership of the Jewish Chronicle stifling criticism of Netanyahu?
More curious goings-on at the Jewish Chronicle, the only paper in British history, so far as I can see, where we are not allowed to know who owns it, or why. This cloak of secrecy led to five of its best columnists to walk out last year – and is now raising questions about the attitude of its new editor. The story begins with a group of Israeli heroes – nearly all of them former heads of intelligence, military or security agencies – deciding that enough was enough. Together, they penned a punchy advertisement criticising the policies and behaviour of Bibi Netanyahu and placed it in two leading Israeli newspapers. It caused quite a stir. The assorted former generals, admirals, prime ministers and police chiefs then decided that the advertisement should be seen by a wider international audience. Donors paid to place the text in the Times, where it ran on April 17 (page 19) – and in the Jewish News, where it appeared alongside a parallel advertisement from Israeli families whose loved ones had been caught up as hostages of Hamas. So far, so normal. The Jewish Chronicle, which prides itself on being the main conduit for Jewish opinion in the UK, initially seemed happy to run the advertisement. But at the last moment, it was pulled. A senior account manager at the JC apologised for refusing it, explaining the editor 'is not comfortable running it.' Now – and I'm sorry to be so basic about this – it is generally understood that advertisements do not reflect the views of a news organisation. That is their whole point. Suitably labelled, they can promote washing up liquid, cars, luxury holidays or political views, and no half-discerning reader would mistake the content as representing the opinion of the editorial side of the business. Editors can, and very occasionally do, reject advertisements if they are misleading or offensive. But this advertisement is clearly the opinion of 18 people who are supremely qualified to speak on the subject of Israel 's security. So, something else must be going on in this particular case. I spoke to one of the signatories, Admiral Ami Ayalon, who headed the Israeli internal security service, Shin Bet, from 1996 to 2000. A former member of the Knesset, he is the recipient of Israel's highest decoration, the Medal of Valour. No armchair woke lefty, he. He said he and his colleagues felt impelled to draft and sign the advertisement out of a conviction that the behaviour of Netanyahu 'is becoming a major and immediate threat to the security and identity of Israel as a Jewish democracy.' The retired security chiefs – they included former heads of the Mossad, the IDF, the police and military intelligence as well as ex-prime minister Ehud Barak – initially placed the advertisement in two Israeli newspapers, Yedioth Ahronoth and Israel Hayom. Even the latter, which was initially financed by the late American casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson and is considered friendly to Netanyahu, had no qualms about accepting it. Ayalon considered that the text had a considerable impact because it was signed by a group of leaders who, together, had more than 800 years of security service. He and his co-signatories badly wanted it to be read by the broader Jewish diaspora. 'Israel is the only country that belongs, not only to its citizens,' said Ayalon. 'It is a state for all Jewish people. Jewish communities abroad sometimes do not understand what we are facing.' 'Jews are paying the price of the policy of our government when we kill tens of thousands of Palestinians. I meet many youngsters in England or America, and they are asking questions. I think it's very important for Jewish communities to understand that there are people who do not support government policy.' The text of the advertisement does not pull its punches. It accuses Netanyahu of some responsibility for strengthening Hamas and thus for the terrible events of 7 October 2023. 'Netanyahu is … propelling Israel to catastrophe – harming the security of the state, damaging its democratic regime and its institutions, and leading Israel to a dictatorship.' The text goes on to call for a state commission of inquiry; the immediate return of hostages under a ceasefire agreement; and an agreed date for elections. Ayalon was astonished that The Jewish Chronicle should have rejected this text. 'I still keep asking myself, 'Why?'' In Israel, he said, it would be unthinkable for the ownership of a newspaper to be secret. 'No, no, no … No way, no way. There's no way to get permission to publish a full newspaper without knowing exactly who is behind it.' 'I almost said 'this is your problem in England,' but I have to admit that I feel it is our problem as well. The Jewish Chronicle represents a Jewish voice, or at least they pretend to represent a Jewish voice. We Jews depend on each other, so I can't say it's only your problem in England.' I asked someone involved in placing the advertisement in three British publications why they thought the JC had rejected it. They suggested that the paper's secret ownership might be a factor. This brings us back to IPSO's very relaxed attitude to the JC and its lapses in editorial standards over the years. You will remember the press regulator declined to launch an inquiry in 2022, partly because the IPSO's chair, Lord Faulks, was reassured by the paper's new owners, not that there is any evidence that he knew who they were. This month, Lord Faulks once again said he would not look any further into the JC's editorial standards after the paper published what seems to have been a planted story which dovetailed with Netanyahu's priorities in Gaza. One of his reasons was that the paper had a new editor. I approached the editor, Daniel Schwammenthal, to see whether he would elaborate on why he did not feel 'comfortable' running the advertisement. He replied: 'As the relatively new editor of a newspaper that serves Britain's Jewish community, I am wary of having our pages used by factions in Israeli politics to fight their domestic battles,' he said. 'This is not a ban; it's a matter of me exercising editorial judgment on a case-by-case basis – and that includes political advertising. 'This particular advert made no reference to Britain and seemed to have been lifted directly from the Israeli press. I certainly don't wish to cause offence to anyone, but I make no apology for my decision.' It would be good if, in time, the new editor could offer an update on the JC's proposed switch to a form of charitable trust, which seems not to have happened. It would also be illuminating to know who has overall oversight of the JC's editorial standards. And, of course, it would be even better if Mr Schwammenthal decided it's ultimately untenable for an editor to be complicit in the secrecy over who's been paying the bills. In resigning from the paper for which both he and his father had written for so many years, the columnist Jonathan Freedland said: 'Too often, the JC [Jewish Chronicle] reads like a partisan, ideological instrument, its judgements political rather than journalistic.' Lord Faulks, the press regulator, appears to see no problem in any of this, even if Israel's most decorated military and intelligence top brass do. IPSO has decided to adopt the stance of a nodding dog. How long before MPs, who were so exercised over the question of who could be allowed to own the Telegraph, start asking questions?
Daily Mail
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Teaching union faces legal action over appointment of firebrand leader amid anti-Semitism row as Jewish member says 'he doesn't represent us'
A teaching union is facing legal action over the appointment of a firebrand boss who is also embroiled in an anti-Semitism row. Matt Wrack, a hard-Left Jeremy Corbyn ally, was appointed uncontested as the General Secretary of the NASUWT despite being a former fireman with no teaching experience. Now lawyers have launched an application for an injunction to have the decision rescinded. They are acting on behalf of another would-be candidate, Neil Butler, who they say was unfairly blocked from standing against Mr Wrack. At the same time, critics rounded on Mr Wrack yesterday for comments he made in 2016 about anti-Semitism in the Labour party under Corbyn's leadership. He called the crisis 'the so-called furore about so-called anti-Semitism', implying it was part of an attempt to weaken Corbyn. Luke Akehurst, Labour MP for North Durham, called his appointment 'disappointing'. He told the Jewish News: 'I hope Mr Wrack does not drag the NASUWT into militancy aimed at undermining a Labour government or into… visceral anti-Zionism.' Russell Langer, director of communications at the Jewish Leadership Council, added: 'Jewish teachers who are members of the NASUWT will be rightly concerned by a general secretary who played a leading role in downplaying anti-Semitism in the Labour Party. 'At a time where Jewish teachers are dealing with a frightening rise in anti-Semitism in the workplace they deserve a union leader who will prioritise their welfare.' One Jewish member of NASUWT said: 'Wrack's appointment is genuinely frightening. He does not represent us.' It is understood there are 1,000 Jewish teachers in the NASUWT, which has previously been seen as a politically moderate union. Mr Wrack was selected by the NASUWT's Left-wing national executive as their preferred candidate after he failed to get re-elected for his previous role leading the Fire Brigades Union. Under NASUWT rules, anyone hoping to run against him – and force an election – would need the support of 25 local branches. It is understood Mr Butler, the NASUWT's national officer for Wales, set about gathering this support but was blocked because he was not a union member. This is despite him being a teacher and member for three decades, before giving up his membership to serve as staff for seven years. Mr Wrack's supporters say no rule exists to stop non-members standing, and in addition they claim the union ignored legal advice that he was unfairly blocked. Wrack would be the first leader in the NASUWT's history never to have been a qualified teacher or lecturer. He has previously been criticised as 'overly combative' by ministerial sources, due to his penchant for strikes. Daniel Pearn, a teacher and NASUWT member, told The Guardian: 'We know that [Matt Wrack] has never been a teacher, and for a teacher-led union that doesn't sit right with me. 'I feel that the person who goes to speak for us, and for our working rights, should be a teacher. 'In the past we've had general secretaries who have been in the profession, one way or another, as teachers or lecturers. 'It feels like a really odd appointment to me.'
Telegraph
01-04-2025
- Telegraph
British mother and daughters hit and killed by Audi in New York
A British mother and her young daughters were killed in New York after an Audi ploughed into them as they walked home after visiting a synagogue. Natasha Saada, 34, who grew up in Mill Hill, north London, and her daughters Diana, eight, and Deborah, five, were fatally struck just after 1pm on Saturday. Ms Saada's four-year-old son, Philip, was critically injured in the accident on Ocean Parkway in Midwood, Brooklyn. Miriam Yarimi, 32, who runs a wig-making business, was driving an Audi sedan when her car hit a Toyota Camry before colliding with the family and flipping over, a New York Police Department spokesman said. Ms Yarimi has been charged with a series of offences, including three counts of second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. She has also been charged with four counts of assault, reckless driving and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. The bodies of Ms Saada and her two daughters, who were part of the Orthodox Jewish community, were flown to Israel and buried on Monday in Jerusalem. Rabbi Yitzchak Schochet, of Mill Hill Synagogue, attended the funeral with Ms Saada's parents. He told Jewish News: 'The whole community is grief-stricken. Natasha grew up in Mill Hill and is fondly remembered by many. 'They are a beautiful family and we are all mourning along with them.' Pictures from Ms Yarimi's Instagram account show her travelling the world dressed in designer clothes. In one post, she is seen posing with a blue Audi which has the personalised number plate reading 'WIGM8KER'. The Toyota Uber driver, 63, and his passengers – three boys aged four, five and 12, and a 35-year-old man – were taken to NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn and are in a stable condition, police said. 'On Saturday, March 29, at approximately 13:03 hours, police responded to a 911 call of a motor vehicle collision in the vicinity of Ocean Parkway and Quentin Road within the confines of the 61st Precinct,' an NYPD spokesman said. 'Further investigation by the highway district collision investigation squad determined a 32-year-old female was operating a 2023 Audi A3 travelling northbound on Ocean Parkway at the intersection of Quentin Road when she collided with a 2023 Toyota Camry operated by a 63-year-old male travelling westbound on Quentin Road. 'The 2023 Audi A3 continued on Ocean Parkway, striking four pedestrians who were crossing Ocean Parkway from west to east in a pedestrian crosswalk. 'EMS transported the pedestrians to Maimonides Medical Centre, where subsequently the females were pronounced deceased. The [boy] remains in critical condition.' Eric Adams, the New York mayor, described the accident as 'a tragic accident of Shakespearean proportions'. Jessica Tisch, the NYPD commissioner, said Ms Yarimi was driving with a suspended licence and had a record of dozens of traffic violations. 'Speed certainly may have been a factor,' she said. 'This was a horrific tragedy caused by someone who shouldn't have been on the road.' According to online records, the Audi driver had a record of more than 93 traffic violations, which included 20 speeding tickets and more than $10,000 in fines. Pictures from the crash show the Audi flipped over, its bumper detached and front door crumpled. A police investigation into the crash is ongoing.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kate Middleton Has Emotional Reunion with Holocaust Survivors She Previously Photographed at Memorial Event
Kate Middleton's warm way was on display at a ceremony commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day and the 80th anniversary of the Auschwitz-Birkenau liberation. On Jan. 27, the Princess of Wales, 43, joined Prince William at a London service honoring Holocaust Memorial Day on what doubled as the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp. The event was Princess Kate's first engagement since announcing Jan. 14 that she is in remission, and the royal reunited with two Holocaust survivors that she previously photographed for an exhibit marking the 75th anniversary of the Auschwitz liberation. The Princess of Wales voiced her joy to see Steven Frank and Yvonne Bernstein, who both lived through the Holocaust as children and previously posed for photos Kate took at Kensington Palace, unveiled in 2020. "I want to give you a big cuddle," Princess Kate told Frank, 89, when she saw him again on Jan. 27, the Daily Mail reported, and wrapped him in a hug. Related: Kate Middleton Makes Last-Minute Appearance with Prince William at Poignant Event: 'It's Good to Be Able to Be Here' According to the outlet, Frank thanked the princess for giving him a Christmas card and they spoke about his family. Princess Kate had another huge hug for Bernstein when she saw her on Jan. 27, and sat down to chat beside her. "[It is] such a treat for me [to see] an old friend," the Princess of Wales told Bernstein, 87, who gently touched Kate's face. Kate also had a tactile way with other survivors she spent time with, and laughed when one man paid her a compliment. According to the Daily Mail, Robert George Berkowitz said, "William is the luckiest man in the world to have you!", to which Kate giggled and relayed, "I will tell him that!" The Prince and Princess of Wales first spent time with Holocaust survivors at the event to hear their personal stories, and then moved to a ceremony. There, Prince William, 42, delivered a reading and the couple lit candles to honor all lives lost in the Holocaust and other genocides. Holocaust Memorial Day honors the six million Jewish people who were murdered during the Holocaust, as well as the millions killed under Nazi persecution and later genocides around the world. The annual commemoration's Jan. 27 date is timed to the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland, and Princess Kate previously picked up her camera to photograph Frank and Bernstein for the 75th anniversary. The Princess of Wales has a well-documented photography hobby, and took individual pictures of the Holocaust survivors with their grandchildren for the "Generations: Portrait of Holocaust Survivors" exhibit before Holocaust Memorial Day in 2020. The display was organized by the Holocaust Memorial Trust, Jewish News and Royal Photographic Society (which Kate back as patron) and unveiled at the Imperial War Museums in London in 2021 after a pandemic delay. Related: King Charles Makes History with Emotional Visit to Auschwitz for Holocaust Memorial Day: 'A Sacred Moment' Frank previously told PEOPLE that Princess Kate is "quite talented" and used a Canon camera with tripod to photograph him with his granddaughters, Maggie and Trixie. "She transmitted it to a screen on a monitor, and she would be looking at the monitor at the same time to see if everything was right. She took quite a lot of photographs," he said then. The survivor, who helps keep the history of the Holocaust alive by sharing his story of surviving the Theresienstadt concentration camp in what is now the Czech Republic, praised Princess Kate and Princes William for helping to keep Holocaust history in younger generations' minds. "Both she and Prince William have been extremely interested in the Holocaust and the Memorial Day. William has been in the press with Holocaust survivors and his father [King Charles] is patron of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust. There is an interest particularly in letting people know what happened, getting their testimony and passing it along to other generations," Frank said. "It started with Princess Diana walking through the minefields," Frank said in reference to the impact that Prince William's late mother had in using her royal spotlight to illuminate important issues. "They are genuinely interested in what we are doing and the Holocaust Memorial Trust and what we are trying to do for the younger generation." Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! King Charles traveled to Poland on Jan. 27 for the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, becoming the first British monarch to visit the site of the former concentration camp. A royal source described his visit as a "a deeply personal pilgrimage for the King — paying tribute both as man and monarch." Read the original article on People
