Miliband tells UJIA that Britain ‘won’t duck’ Iran’s nuclear threat

Foreign Secretary David Miliband paid a warm and emotional tribute to the Anglo-Jewish community on Wednesday, along with a trenchant warning that Iran’s nuclear ambitions were “a challenge that Britain will not duck” for the sake of stability for Israel and the whole of the Middle East.

The Foreign Secretary was the guest of honour at UJIA’s annual patrons’ dinner, held in the Foreign Office’s Locarno Rooms, where, he reminded guests, the seven Locarno Treaties had been signed in December 1925.

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Father told he can challenge JFS ruling

The father who was refused a judicial review of the admissions policy of JFS by a High Court judge has been told he can appeal against the decision.

Mr Justice Munby gave the man known as E — against whom he ruled two weeks ago in a 72-page judgment — permission to challenge his ruling and take his fight to win a place for his 11-year-old son at the Kenton school to the Court of Appeal.

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Cemetery worker settles race claim

A Jewish cemetery worker is due to receive an out-of-court settlement from the United Synagogue following a dispute over racial discrimination.

Peter Sollosi, who worked for the US as part of its burial society, had claimed that non-Jewish workers were paid more than him to work at Christmas.

The case was due to be heard by an employment tribunal next week, but the parties have now resolved the matter and agreed to a settlement.

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Youth group bans teenager with OCD from its Israel tour

The Federation of Zionist Youth is being threatened with legal action after telling a 16-year-old boy that he could not attend its summer Israel tour.

Ryan Lipman, who suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), was told less than two weeks before the trip that he would not be able to attend because of his medical condition.

He had already taken part in the orientation activities, and was due to leave this week.

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Minister pledges to fight hate

A government minister committed financial backing this week to help combat antisemitism.

Jim Murphy, minister for Europe, made his pledge at the launch of a new London-based think-tank dedicated to combating the growth of antisemitic discourse and discrimination.

Mr Murphy said the government would fund the European Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism through the Department for Communities and Local Government.

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A bomb? No, a load of rubbish

Barnet police carried out a controlled explosion near the Community Security Trust’s head offices in Hendon, North-West London, this week when a CST employee reported seeing a suspect package while travelling to work.

The suspicious-looking suitcase had been left on Harmony Way, off Brent Street, on Tuesday morning. Police were called to the scene, where a cordon was put in place around Victoria Road and Brent Street and a controlled explosion was carried out.

However, the suitcase was in fact a bag of rubbish.

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Wagamama and wireless: students to get a kosher upgrade from UJS-Hillel

UJS-Hillel is opening a landmark new student centre in London to meet the growing needs of Jewish students.

The centre — a 4,000 sq ft state-of-the-art premises on the corner of Euston Road and Upper Woburn Place — will replace the existing Hillel House site on Endsleigh Street, which has been sold to University College London for an undisclosed sum.

There are around 1,500 Jewish students in London. The new centre, scheduled to open in September, will aim to engage an increasing number of students in communal activities.

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Scholar slams UCU for bias

A Shakespearean scholar from Anglia Ruskin University is the latest member to resign from the University and College Union over its policy calling on academics to review links with Israeli institutions. In a letter to the union, Professor Sarah Annes Brown wrote: “I am not Jewish, have no links with Israel, and don’t support all of its actions and policies. However I… don’t wish to belong to a union which singles out one country for such insistent scrutiny.”

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The key findings of the commission

Numbers

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Bloggers refuse to apologise over ‘evil Jew’ libel threat

A popular political website is refusing to back down in the face of a threat of libel action from an Islamist activist who denies having referred to an “evil Jew”.

Harry’s Place, the left-of-centre blog, has engaged top lawyers Mishcon de Reya to defend it against a claim from Mohammed Sawalha, the president of the British Muslim Initiative.

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