"New global Jewish conversation” ....The Rules ...

Jonathan, if we knew the actual wording of the petition, we might be able to comment on why legal action was threatened. Perhaps the wording was a bit splenetic. can we see the wording so as to judge for ourselves?
By the way, more than 1000 people signed a petition calling on the president of the Board of deputies to reject the silly vote against the two-state solution. He's agreed to a meeting, too.

This issue is symptomatic of the malaise within the UK's Jewish Community, unlike the USA who have a properly funded and professional advocacy to push Israels cause and defend the Jewish students on Campus, here in the UK we do not.
Our so-called leadership depends on how "deep your pockets are", and we have a self-elected clique operating in this role.
Since when did philanthropy and generosity equal political lobbying competence and knowledge?

Jon, did you note the internal contradiction of your post? In the US they rely on "a properly funded and professional advocacy", while in the UK it "depends on how "deep your pockets are"." WHo does the properly funding in the US? Those with deep enough pockets.
And in the US, too, it's a self-elected clique which runs the show -- the Bronfmans, Lauders, Foxman, Honrein etc. No one elected them.
And that's why there's a JStreet.
Giving yourself points is so naff.

The petition is in the process of being taken down. I do not intend to link to it here but it is easy enough to find, using 'google'.

Jon your comment is bang on the nail. Of course Davis -also the Chair of the key JLC committee - is unelected, by contrast with my own position. Both my Board position and my ZF position are elected.

But financial muscle - not democratic legitimacy - is what counts - how appalling

Joe, the difference between the advocay in the US and the UK, is this, you are right the Bronfmans etc provide the money, but they employ professionals to do the job!

Jonathan, having read the petition, and assuming it hasn't been edited, you are besmirching those who do support Israel and think Mick Davis is absolutely right to suggest that Israel, while not an apartheid state now, will definitely slide that way if it does not disengage itself from the occupied territories.

Jon, in Britain PR professionals are employed too. We have Bicom, the ZF and I know of one who has the same surname as your good self.

When philanthropists start making policy it is inevitably a disaster. As Jon says, policymaking is a professional job.

I am 'besmirching' no-one

For a communal leader to use the 'apartheid' language of our enemies is an obscene outrage.

For a communal leader to suggest that Israel will become an 'apartheid' state betrays ignorance of both Israel and apartheid.

But he's right, Jonathan. If Israel does not disabuse itself of the notion that it can remain a democratic and Jewish state while still holding on to the occupied territories, and thereby having more non-Jews than Jews under its rule, then it will become either an apartheid state or not a Jewish democracy. Either way, it won't last.
So yes, Mick is absolutely correct to point this out.
And yes, Netanyahu is a coward because his idea of doing something is kicking it into the long grass and hope to hell that no one notices.

No he is not right, he is absolutely wrong. All the relevant points can be brought out in the proposed debate.

http://thejc.com/news/uk-news/46726/ujia-chair-threats-sue-over-resignat...