UK pushes for two states 'by September'

The Board of Deputies has asked for a meeting with Foreign Secretary William Hague amid concern that the UK government holds Israel responsible for the deadlock in the Middle East peace process and is

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Wineman's olive branch in Israel row

Board of Deputies president Vivian Wineman has offered to meet signatories of a petition calling on the Board to declare support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

More than 1,000 people signed an online letter after Deputies last month rejected a resolution in support of two states which had been proposed by its executive.

The petition was organised by Hannah Weisfeld, who is planning the launch of a new Israel campaign group inspired by the American J Street.

Ms Weisfeld said the signatories included many "professional and lay leaders of our community".

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JLC trip: hackles rose

Ironically, the Board of Deputies leaders had never intended its position on Israel to become a matter of controversy. They had agreed Sunday's debate largely in response to deputies champing at the bit to express their opinion of the outspoken criticisms of Israeli policy made by UJIA chairman, and JLC executive committee chairman, Mick Davis two months ago.

Mr Davis's intervention served only to increase suspicions among some deputies that the JLC was pursuing an independent foreign policy which undercut the role of the Board.

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Deputies hardly covered in glory

Two months after Mick Davis's comments rocked the community, the Board of Deputies finally found time to discuss the fallout and landed itself in a pickle entirely of its own making.

With ill-feeling about the role of the JLC and general unease over Vivian Wineman's stewardship, there was always the potential for Sunday's Israel debate to spill over into wider squabbling.

Many deputies are erudite political and business leaders, but too many are out of touch with the modern world and vastly overestimate the Board's influence at home and abroad.

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Deputies' bloody Sunday?

It is two months since UJIA chairman Mick Davis took the community by surprise with the vehemence of his critique of the Israeli government. He said that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu lacked the courage to advance the peace process, described some Knesset bills as offensive and warned that Israel faced becoming an apartheid state if there were no two-state solution.

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Board say no to Hassassian address

Vivian Wineman, the president of the Board of Deputies, has rejected a proposal to invite the Palestinian Authority's UK envoy, Manuel Hassassian, to address the organisation.

Board treasurer Laurence Brass had urged Mr Wineman to "grasp the nettle" and extend an invitation to Professor Hassassian. But Mr Wineman said: "We will not be inviting him. I am opposed and I believe the overwhelming majority of the executive are opposed as well." He said it would be "doubly inappropriate at this stage in the peace process with talks stalled for the Board to be hosting him".

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'Claims' criticism rejected

The Board of Deputies has dismissed complaints about a critical report into the Claims Conference, the international body which distributes compensation to Holocaust survivors.

Julius Berman, the conference's chairman, said the Board had not given them a chance to comment on the report before publishing.

But Jon Benjamin, the Board's chief executive, said the main findings had been sent to the New York-based conference in summer, and a copy of the final document was given a week before publication earlier this month.

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