Latest news with #KennethStern
The Guardian
01-08-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
I spent decades at Columbia. I'm withdrawing my fall course due to its deal with Trump
Dear Acting President Shipman, I am writing you an open letter since you have seen fit to communicate the recent decisions of the Board of Trustees and the administration in a similar fashion. These decisions, taken in close collaboration with the Trump administration, have made it impossible for me to teach modern Middle East history, the field of my scholarship and teaching for over 50 years, 23 of them at Columbia. Although I have retired, I was scheduled to teach a large lecture course on this topic in the fall as a 'special lecturer', but I cannot do so under the conditions Columbia has accepted by capitulating to the Trump administration in June. Specifically, it is impossible to teach this course (and much else) in light of Columbia's adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism. The IHRA definition deliberately, mendaciously and disingenuously conflates Jewishness with Israel, so that any criticism of Israel, or indeed description of Israeli policies, becomes a criticism of Jews. Citing its potential chilling effect, a co-author of the IHRA definition, Professor Kenneth Stern, has repudiated its current uses. Yet Columbia has announced that it will serve as a guide in disciplinary proceedings. Under this definition of antisemitism, which absurdly conflates criticism of a nation-state, Israel, and a political ideology, Zionism, with the ancient evil of Jew-hatred, it is impossible with any honesty to teach about topics such as the history of the creation of Israel, and the ongoing Palestinian Nakba, culminating in the genocide being perpetrated by Israel in Gaza with the connivance and support of the US and much of western Europe. The Armenian genocide, the nature of the absolute monarchies and military dictatorships that blight most of the Arab world, the undemocratic theocracy in Iran, the incipient dictatorial regime in Türkiye, the fanaticism of Wahhabism: all of these are subject to detailed analysis in my course lectures and readings. However, a simple description of the discriminatory nature of Israel's 2018 Nation State Law – which states that only the Jewish people have the right of self-determination in Israel, half of whose subjects are Palestinian – or of the apartheid nature of its control over millions of Palestinians who have been under military occupation for 58 years would be impossible in a Middle East history course under IHRA. It is not only faculty members' academic freedom and freedom of speech that is infringed upon by Columbia's capitulation to Trump's diktat. Teaching assistants would be seriously constrained in leading discussion sections, as would students in their questions and discussions, by the constant fear that informers would snitch on them to the fearsome apparatus that Columbia has erected to punish speech critical of Israel, and to crack down on alleged discrimination – which at this moment in history almost invariably amounts simply to opposition to this genocide. Scores of students and many faculty members have been subjected to these kangaroo courts, students like Mahmoud Khalil have been snatched from their university housing, and Columbia has now promised to render this repressive system even more draconian and opaque. You have stated that no 'red lines' have been crossed by these decisions. However, Columbia has appointed a vice provost initially tasked with surveilling Middle Eastern studies, and it has ordained that faculty and staff must submit to 'trainings' on antisemitism from the likes of the Anti-Defamation League, for whom virtually any critique of Zionism or Israel is antisemitic, and Project Shema, whose trainings link many anti-Zionist critiques to antisemitism. It has accepted an 'independent' monitor of 'compliance' of faculty and student behavior from a firm that in June 2025 hosted an event in honor of Israel. According to Columbia's agreement with the Trump administration, this 'Monitor will have timely access to interview all Agreement-related individuals, and visit all Agreement-related facilities, trainings, transcripts of Agreement-related meetings and disciplinary hearings, and reviews.' Classrooms are pointedly NOT excluded from possible visits from these external non academics. The idea that the teaching, syllabi and scholarship of some of the most prominent academics in their fields should be vetted by such a vice provost, such 'trainers', or an outside monitor from such a firm, is abhorrent. It constitutes the antithesis of the academic freedom that you have disingenuously claimed will not be infringed by this shameful capitulation to the anti-intellectual forces animating the Trump administration. I regret deeply that Columbia's decisions have obliged me to deprive the nearly 300 students who have registered for this popular course – as many hundreds of others have done for over two decades – of the chance to learn about the history of the modern Middle East this fall. Although I cannot do anything to compensate them fully for depriving them of the opportunity to take this course, I am planning to offer a public lecture series in New York focused on parts of this course that will be streamed and available for later viewing. Proceeds, if any, will go to Gaza's universities, every one of which has been destroyed by Israel with US munitions, a war crime about which neither Columbia nor any other US university has seen fit to say a single word. Columbia's capitulation has turned a university that was once a site of free inquiry and learning into a shadow of its former self, an-anti university, a gated security zone with electronic entry controls, a place of fear and loathing, where faculty and students are told from on high what they can teach and say, under penalty of severe sanctions. Disgracefully, all of this is being done to cover up one of the greatest crimes of this century, the ongoing genocide in Gaza, a crime in which Columbia's leadership is now fully complicit. Rashid Khalidi Rashid Khalidi is the Edward Said professor emeritus of modern Arab studies at Columbia University and author of The Hundred Years' War on Palestine
ABC News
14-07-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Antisemitism definition's lead drafter has a message for Australia
Australia's Special Envoy on Combating Antisemitism Jillian Segal is standing by a definition of antisemitism that underscores her calls to cut funding to universities, arts bodies, and public broadcasters that fail to combat hate. Opponents of the definition, outlined by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), say it would prevent legitimate criticisms of Israel and suppress free speech. Among the critics is the lead drafter of this very definition, Kenneth Stern, who says the definition has now been weaponised.
The Guardian
11-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Australia must combat antisemitism, but not simply defer to demands of some voices
Australians should be appalled by the rise in antisemitism, including arson, vandalism, assaults, abuse and threats. Every person in our country has the human right to live free from fear, racism and discrimination. Many positive steps have already been taken to address it. Some measures have gone too far, like the New South Wales government's law criminalising protest outside places of worship and disproportionate, blanket bans on certain protests in universities. Australia's special envoy to combat antisemitism, Jillian Segal, also goes too far in some ways, and not far enough in others in her recently released plan. Segal's plan goes too far in urging the widespread adoption of the definition of antisemitism prepared by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) in 2016. The definition itself is innocuous enough, essentially addressing bias or hatred towards Jews. Eleven examples are then given to illustrate it. There are three key problems with the IHRA approach. Firstly, it was intended to be a non-binding monitoring and awareness raising tool, not an operational definition for disciplining staff or students, cutting funding to universities or arts institutions, censoring the media or excluding immigrants – strategies which appear similar to the Trump Administration's. It is too vague and broad to operate as a binding instrument of enforcement and punishment. Even its key drafter, Kenneth Stern, opposed its use as a legal or regulatory tool, including in universities. Secondly, the IHRA approach is not consistent with human rights and excessively infringes on legitimate freedom of expression. International law allows free speech to be limited where a person incites violence, or national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence. United Nations human rights mechanisms and the world's leading human rights NGOs, such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have rejected the IHRA approach. The real problem lies in some of the examples given to illustrate the IHRA definition, which the special envoy wants adopted in Australia even though they are not part of the definition. Many of the examples are not usually problematic, such as inciting violence, harmful stereotypes, collectively blaming Jews, Holocaust denial and 'blood libel' tropes. Even these can still be misused, as where mention of 'intifada' or wearing a kaffiyeh scarf as a symbol of resistance, regardless of context, is interpreted as violently antisemitic. Other examples – particularly because of how they are weaponised against critics of Israel in practice – are controversial. Example 7, denying Jewish self-determination or claiming that Israel is a racist endeavour, can be invoked to silence, for example, legitimate discussion of a plural 'one state' solution to the conflict or lawful chants like 'from the river to the sea'. It can also be weaponised to crush critique of how Israel purports to exercise self-determination over land that does not belong to it, as well as Israeli practices of racial segregation or apartheid and religious nationalism. Example 8 refers to applying double standards by requiring of Israel behaviour not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation. This example clearly conflates criticism of Israel with racism against Jews and does not necessarily have anything to do with antisemitism, although in some cases it could do so. It is also often a red herring. Israel is not generally expected to behave differently to other democracies. It is expected to respect the same international legal standards as other democracies. The unique nature of Israel's near-60 year occupation of Palestine, unresolved human rights issues stemming from its foundation in 1948 (including refugees, property and compensation), and the severity of Israel's violations of international law – Israel's choice – are what makes it a target of accountability efforts, including lawful boycott, divestment and sanctions. Abstract definitions operate in the real world. The vaguer they are, the more they are susceptible to being instrumentalised for political goals. The United Nations human rights mechanisms, including my own, have documented the heavy repression of pro-Palestine speech, protests and organisations in western democracies, including the US, UK, Germany, France and Australia. Personally, I have seen academic conferences and colleagues self-censoring for fear of falling foul of vague and overly broad policies and disciplinary procedures on antisemitism and protest. In some ways the pendulum has swung too far in the wrong direction. It has not been helped by orchestrated campaigns by pro-Israel advocacy groups to smear and bully Israel's critics, including through aggressive lawfare, and destroy their reputations and livelihoods. The IHRA approach is divisive and controversial, including among Jews. This alone makes its adoption counter-productive, because it can never build the consensus necessary to unify national efforts to effectively combat antisemitism. There are better definitions available, including the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism. Separately, Segal's plan does not go far enough because in identifying the 'drivers' of antisemitism, it simplistically blames 'extremist ideologies', as if these mysteriously appeared out of thin air. There is no mention of a totally misguided but nonetheless structural driver of antisemitism – fury at Israel's profound violations of international law in Gaza. The upsurge in antisemitism in Australia clearly correlates with the 21 months of violence since the atrocious Hamas attack on Israel of 7 October 2023. People did not just inexplicably and without context decide to become more antisemitic in that period. Israeli violations can never justify blaming and attacking Jewish Australians and do not help Palestinians. But the special envoy's plan will never be effective if it tackles only the symptoms and refuses to acknowledge let alone address a key driver. The government must act in the best interests of all Australians when combating all forms of racism, including to defend free speech and human rights, and not simply genuflect to the incessant, excessive demands of some Jewish voices. Ben Saul is Challis chair of international law at the University of Sydney and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counter-terrorism
The Advertiser
11-07-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Envoy rejects anti-Semitism plan's free speech concerns
Concerns that a sweeping plan to tackle anti-Semitism will stifle legitimate criticisms about Israel have been dismissed by the government-appointed envoy who authored the report. Recommendations in a report from Australia's Special Envoy to Combat Anti-Semitism Jillian Segal are being considered by the federal government as it examines ways to combat a surge in discrimination against Jewish Australians. But contention has emerged over the report's recommendation to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of anti-Semitism. Some detractors - including the original author of the definition Kenneth Stern - argue it conflates anti-Semitism with criticism of Israel and Zionism. Jewish Council of Australia executive officer Max Kaiser labelled the report a "blueprint for silencing dissent", and his organisation said the emphasis on surveillance, censorship and punitive control over funding were "straight out of Trump's authoritarian playbook". Ms Segal said those criticisms misunderstood the definition. "The train has moved on, if I might put it that way, and Kenneth Stern has been left behind," she told ABC Radio National on Friday. "The definition in its own terms clearly says if Israel is criticised, that's absolutely fine, and indeed so many Israelis are criticising the policies of their own government. But if you are calling for the elimination of the state of Israel, then that is anti-Semitic." Ms Segal said the Jewish Council of Australia was a very small group that did not represent Jewish Australians. Other Jewish groups, including the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council and the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, called for the plan to be adopted in full. While it suggests embedding Holocaust education into school curricula and strengthening legislation against hateful conduct, the report also recommends terminating or withholding funds from universities, broadcasters and cultural institutions that fail to address anti-Semitism. It also suggests deporting and cancelling the visas of immigrants who have been involved in discrimination against Jewish people. Ms Segal said universities needed to ensure campuses were safe spaces for all people, including Jews. "There are hotspots where we have some entrenched, I would say anti-Semitism, but I would say hatred, and we need to tackle those areas specifically, like universities," she said. National Union of Students president Ashlyn Horton questioned the way widespread student encampment protests were portrayed. "Conflating actual anti-Semitism with criticism of Israel is a massive, massive concern," she told AAP. "Most student activists who have been part of the Palestine movement have never actually been anti-Semitic ... it is just students who are concerned about the genocide in Gaza and their universities' involvement in weapons manufacturing. "Spinning it in this way of 'the encampments were anti-Semitic, we need to crack down on all freedom of speech now' is absolutely the wrong approach." While there were some cases of anti-Semitic individuals, Ms Horton said student unions were often the first to crack down. First Nations, Palestinian, Arab and Muslim communities would be disproportionately harmed by the plan, the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network warned. Walkley-award winning journalist Jan Fran said Israel had killed nearly 200 people in Gaza since Tuesday, along with ordering Palestinians into what experts labelled an "internment camp". "If the anti-Semitism envoy's plan stifles criticism of Israel for these actions, particularly at public broadcasters and in media organisations broadly, then we are headed down a very dark path," she told AAP. Ms Segal's report found threats, vandalism and physical violence against Jewish Australians tripled between October 2023 and September 2024. She and other envoys around the world had been working with social media platforms to stamp out hate, she said, adding that artificial intelligence was a potential answer to eliminate hate from the platforms without impinging on free speech. Universities Australia committed to considering the report's recommendations. Concerns that a sweeping plan to tackle anti-Semitism will stifle legitimate criticisms about Israel have been dismissed by the government-appointed envoy who authored the report. Recommendations in a report from Australia's Special Envoy to Combat Anti-Semitism Jillian Segal are being considered by the federal government as it examines ways to combat a surge in discrimination against Jewish Australians. But contention has emerged over the report's recommendation to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of anti-Semitism. Some detractors - including the original author of the definition Kenneth Stern - argue it conflates anti-Semitism with criticism of Israel and Zionism. Jewish Council of Australia executive officer Max Kaiser labelled the report a "blueprint for silencing dissent", and his organisation said the emphasis on surveillance, censorship and punitive control over funding were "straight out of Trump's authoritarian playbook". Ms Segal said those criticisms misunderstood the definition. "The train has moved on, if I might put it that way, and Kenneth Stern has been left behind," she told ABC Radio National on Friday. "The definition in its own terms clearly says if Israel is criticised, that's absolutely fine, and indeed so many Israelis are criticising the policies of their own government. But if you are calling for the elimination of the state of Israel, then that is anti-Semitic." Ms Segal said the Jewish Council of Australia was a very small group that did not represent Jewish Australians. Other Jewish groups, including the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council and the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, called for the plan to be adopted in full. While it suggests embedding Holocaust education into school curricula and strengthening legislation against hateful conduct, the report also recommends terminating or withholding funds from universities, broadcasters and cultural institutions that fail to address anti-Semitism. It also suggests deporting and cancelling the visas of immigrants who have been involved in discrimination against Jewish people. Ms Segal said universities needed to ensure campuses were safe spaces for all people, including Jews. "There are hotspots where we have some entrenched, I would say anti-Semitism, but I would say hatred, and we need to tackle those areas specifically, like universities," she said. National Union of Students president Ashlyn Horton questioned the way widespread student encampment protests were portrayed. "Conflating actual anti-Semitism with criticism of Israel is a massive, massive concern," she told AAP. "Most student activists who have been part of the Palestine movement have never actually been anti-Semitic ... it is just students who are concerned about the genocide in Gaza and their universities' involvement in weapons manufacturing. "Spinning it in this way of 'the encampments were anti-Semitic, we need to crack down on all freedom of speech now' is absolutely the wrong approach." While there were some cases of anti-Semitic individuals, Ms Horton said student unions were often the first to crack down. First Nations, Palestinian, Arab and Muslim communities would be disproportionately harmed by the plan, the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network warned. Walkley-award winning journalist Jan Fran said Israel had killed nearly 200 people in Gaza since Tuesday, along with ordering Palestinians into what experts labelled an "internment camp". "If the anti-Semitism envoy's plan stifles criticism of Israel for these actions, particularly at public broadcasters and in media organisations broadly, then we are headed down a very dark path," she told AAP. Ms Segal's report found threats, vandalism and physical violence against Jewish Australians tripled between October 2023 and September 2024. She and other envoys around the world had been working with social media platforms to stamp out hate, she said, adding that artificial intelligence was a potential answer to eliminate hate from the platforms without impinging on free speech. Universities Australia committed to considering the report's recommendations. Concerns that a sweeping plan to tackle anti-Semitism will stifle legitimate criticisms about Israel have been dismissed by the government-appointed envoy who authored the report. Recommendations in a report from Australia's Special Envoy to Combat Anti-Semitism Jillian Segal are being considered by the federal government as it examines ways to combat a surge in discrimination against Jewish Australians. But contention has emerged over the report's recommendation to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of anti-Semitism. Some detractors - including the original author of the definition Kenneth Stern - argue it conflates anti-Semitism with criticism of Israel and Zionism. Jewish Council of Australia executive officer Max Kaiser labelled the report a "blueprint for silencing dissent", and his organisation said the emphasis on surveillance, censorship and punitive control over funding were "straight out of Trump's authoritarian playbook". Ms Segal said those criticisms misunderstood the definition. "The train has moved on, if I might put it that way, and Kenneth Stern has been left behind," she told ABC Radio National on Friday. "The definition in its own terms clearly says if Israel is criticised, that's absolutely fine, and indeed so many Israelis are criticising the policies of their own government. But if you are calling for the elimination of the state of Israel, then that is anti-Semitic." Ms Segal said the Jewish Council of Australia was a very small group that did not represent Jewish Australians. Other Jewish groups, including the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council and the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, called for the plan to be adopted in full. While it suggests embedding Holocaust education into school curricula and strengthening legislation against hateful conduct, the report also recommends terminating or withholding funds from universities, broadcasters and cultural institutions that fail to address anti-Semitism. It also suggests deporting and cancelling the visas of immigrants who have been involved in discrimination against Jewish people. Ms Segal said universities needed to ensure campuses were safe spaces for all people, including Jews. "There are hotspots where we have some entrenched, I would say anti-Semitism, but I would say hatred, and we need to tackle those areas specifically, like universities," she said. National Union of Students president Ashlyn Horton questioned the way widespread student encampment protests were portrayed. "Conflating actual anti-Semitism with criticism of Israel is a massive, massive concern," she told AAP. "Most student activists who have been part of the Palestine movement have never actually been anti-Semitic ... it is just students who are concerned about the genocide in Gaza and their universities' involvement in weapons manufacturing. "Spinning it in this way of 'the encampments were anti-Semitic, we need to crack down on all freedom of speech now' is absolutely the wrong approach." While there were some cases of anti-Semitic individuals, Ms Horton said student unions were often the first to crack down. First Nations, Palestinian, Arab and Muslim communities would be disproportionately harmed by the plan, the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network warned. Walkley-award winning journalist Jan Fran said Israel had killed nearly 200 people in Gaza since Tuesday, along with ordering Palestinians into what experts labelled an "internment camp". "If the anti-Semitism envoy's plan stifles criticism of Israel for these actions, particularly at public broadcasters and in media organisations broadly, then we are headed down a very dark path," she told AAP. Ms Segal's report found threats, vandalism and physical violence against Jewish Australians tripled between October 2023 and September 2024. She and other envoys around the world had been working with social media platforms to stamp out hate, she said, adding that artificial intelligence was a potential answer to eliminate hate from the platforms without impinging on free speech. Universities Australia committed to considering the report's recommendations. Concerns that a sweeping plan to tackle anti-Semitism will stifle legitimate criticisms about Israel have been dismissed by the government-appointed envoy who authored the report. Recommendations in a report from Australia's Special Envoy to Combat Anti-Semitism Jillian Segal are being considered by the federal government as it examines ways to combat a surge in discrimination against Jewish Australians. But contention has emerged over the report's recommendation to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of anti-Semitism. Some detractors - including the original author of the definition Kenneth Stern - argue it conflates anti-Semitism with criticism of Israel and Zionism. Jewish Council of Australia executive officer Max Kaiser labelled the report a "blueprint for silencing dissent", and his organisation said the emphasis on surveillance, censorship and punitive control over funding were "straight out of Trump's authoritarian playbook". Ms Segal said those criticisms misunderstood the definition. "The train has moved on, if I might put it that way, and Kenneth Stern has been left behind," she told ABC Radio National on Friday. "The definition in its own terms clearly says if Israel is criticised, that's absolutely fine, and indeed so many Israelis are criticising the policies of their own government. But if you are calling for the elimination of the state of Israel, then that is anti-Semitic." Ms Segal said the Jewish Council of Australia was a very small group that did not represent Jewish Australians. Other Jewish groups, including the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council and the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, called for the plan to be adopted in full. While it suggests embedding Holocaust education into school curricula and strengthening legislation against hateful conduct, the report also recommends terminating or withholding funds from universities, broadcasters and cultural institutions that fail to address anti-Semitism. It also suggests deporting and cancelling the visas of immigrants who have been involved in discrimination against Jewish people. Ms Segal said universities needed to ensure campuses were safe spaces for all people, including Jews. "There are hotspots where we have some entrenched, I would say anti-Semitism, but I would say hatred, and we need to tackle those areas specifically, like universities," she said. National Union of Students president Ashlyn Horton questioned the way widespread student encampment protests were portrayed. "Conflating actual anti-Semitism with criticism of Israel is a massive, massive concern," she told AAP. "Most student activists who have been part of the Palestine movement have never actually been anti-Semitic ... it is just students who are concerned about the genocide in Gaza and their universities' involvement in weapons manufacturing. "Spinning it in this way of 'the encampments were anti-Semitic, we need to crack down on all freedom of speech now' is absolutely the wrong approach." While there were some cases of anti-Semitic individuals, Ms Horton said student unions were often the first to crack down. First Nations, Palestinian, Arab and Muslim communities would be disproportionately harmed by the plan, the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network warned. Walkley-award winning journalist Jan Fran said Israel had killed nearly 200 people in Gaza since Tuesday, along with ordering Palestinians into what experts labelled an "internment camp". "If the anti-Semitism envoy's plan stifles criticism of Israel for these actions, particularly at public broadcasters and in media organisations broadly, then we are headed down a very dark path," she told AAP. Ms Segal's report found threats, vandalism and physical violence against Jewish Australians tripled between October 2023 and September 2024. She and other envoys around the world had been working with social media platforms to stamp out hate, she said, adding that artificial intelligence was a potential answer to eliminate hate from the platforms without impinging on free speech. Universities Australia committed to considering the report's recommendations.
The Guardian
12-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Kenneth Stern obituary
My father, Kenneth Stern, who has died aged 96, came to the UK in 1939 as a 10-year-old refugee from Nazi Germany, and in later life played a key role in fostering relations between the place of his birth, Hamburg, and his adopted home of London. He lived a stone's throw from Marble Arch in central London for more than half of his life, but it was not until retirement that he became more involved in local affairs, largely through the circumstance of acquiring a dalmatian, William, whom he walked through Hyde Park. Subsequently he became a member of the London Diocesan Synod of the Church of England and chairman both of the Hyde Park Estate Association (1995-2000) and of the Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens (2000-05), helping to raise the latter's membership from 250 to 1,000. Born into a middle-class non-observant Jewish family in Hamburg, he was the second son of Ilse (nee Schoening) and Walter Stern. Always adaptable, once in the UK he learned English quickly (although, as someone once observed, he 'lost his German accent and never quite found an English one'), and converted to Christianity. After attending Uppingham school in Rutland, he went to Oxford University in 1949 to read law at Worcester College, afterwards becoming a member of Lloyds of London and working as an insurance broker alongside his father at Bleichroeder Bing until retiring in the mid-1970s. Keen to acknowledge the strong links that for centuries had existed between London and Hamburg, Michael Savory, the 2004 Lord Mayor of London, tasked Kenneth with arranging for a delegation from Hamburg to take part in the Lord Mayor's Show of that year. The move was a great success, and the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce continued to take part in the show for a number of years, while various lord mayors were invited to the Hamburger Morgensprache, an annual festival dinner descended from the 13th-century business meetings of the same name attended by Hamburg merchants living and working in London. Kenneth loved London and Hamburg in equal measure, visiting his birthplace frequently and only stopping when ill-health made all foreign travel impossible. It was a source of pride and joy to him when in 2014 the senate of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg presented him with the Silver Portugaleser, one of its highest awards, for his services in fostering links between the cities. His marriage to my mother, Elizabeth (nee Benett), ended in divorce. He is survived by me.
