Jews or only émigrés?
Following earlier criticism of the Ben Uri’s strategic plans, it was interesting to note David Glasser’s reply (Letters, November 16), which, perhaps not surprisingly, is accompanied by a full-page advertisement showing some of their acquisitions of Jewish art over the years.
Mr Glasser recommends that we visit their strategic plan in order to resolve any misconceptions. The Strategic Plan (consisting of 24 pages and 6,524 words) appears to contain the word Jewish only three times. In each case it is used within the context of émigré art in general.
Clearly, the Ben Uri, for whatever misguided reason, have decided to adopt a new thrust and mission statement — to concentrate on émigré art. It is, however, misleading of them to suggest this can take place without diluting the original objective of promoting Jewish art and artists
Regretfully, the Ben Uri cannot have it both ways — it is either an organisation to support and promote Jewish art and artists or an entity focusing on émigré art.
I suspect that, under the new regime, they may have thrown the (Jewish) baby out with the bathwater.
Arthur Oppenheimer
Hove
Speak up for cast-outs
On the 80th anniversary of Kristallnacht this month, a Jewish group set out to commemorate, at Speaker’s Corner, the massacres suffered by Jews in Arab countries.
Some 20 Islamists chanting “Khaybar, khaybar ya Yehud” — recalling Muhammad’s 7th century Khaybar massacre of Jewish tribes — shouted down the group and forced them to abandon their vigil.
This event was shocking but not surprising. The oppression of Jews in Arab countries throughout the centuries has long been a dirty little secret. Pre-Israel relations between Jews and Muslims have been romanticised as “happy and peaceful” coexistence. In truth, subordinate Jews had few rights, suffered sporadic violence and survived only by the grace of benevolent rulers.
Seventy years ago, as seven Arab countries went to war with Israel, Jews in the Arab world were scapegoated as Zionists. Bombings and massacres in Libya, Egypt and Morocco claimed hundreds of lives.
Two sets of refugees arose out of the Arab war with Israel. But the expulsion and dispossession of all but 4,500 Jews remains an unresolved human rights issue. Today the main threat comes from Islamists, like those at Speaker’s Corner, who would deny our existence and gag us.
This November, together with others around the world, my organisation, Harif, is commemorating the victims of Arab and Islamist antisemitism with special events.
In the face of intimidation and threats, we call on British Jews to play their part in ensuring that Jews from Arab lands are not forgotten. Tell their story at every turn, write to your MP, complain about media omissions and distortions, demand justice for the 850,000 Jewish refugees. We will not be silenced.
Lyn Julius
Harif, the UK Association of Jews from the Middle East and North Africa
Giving in to ‘blackmail’
Qatar’s recent largesse, and Israel’s acquiescence in facilitating same by passing funds to Hamas, has all to do with acceding to blackmail and will do no more than perpetuate the violence both internally and externally carried out by this terrorist organisation.
Hamas has now launched a disproportionate response of over 450 rockets in 24 hours following the exposure of a covert exercise carried out within Gaza by the IDF.
We are all aware that this escalation of hostilities and Israel’s response is possibly a step into the unknown. However, those Israelis living on the periphery of Gaza must receive the upmost protection.
As there has now been a decision to accept and initiate another period of calm (no longer can these moves be taken seriously) the government is neglecting its duty. Following this cessation there is likely to be repeat terrorist action perpetuated by Hamas in this war by stealth, proving that this government, by passing the buck, is leaving it to a future generation to deal with an enemy who wishes nothing less than Israel’s destruction.
This can be called appeasement by any other name.
To act in haste is now a requirement as the luxury of repenting in leisure might unfortunately in the future not be an option for many.
Stephen Vishnick
Tel Aviv
Unwelcome guests
I have read with some dismay about decisions taken by the Board Of Deputies to invite senior figures from Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party to recent events.
Both Emily Thornberry, who was given a seat at the top table at the recent Board President’s Dinner, and Angela Rayner, who is now invited to the forthcoming annual Chanukah celebration, have taken clear political decisions to serve as members of Mr Corbyn’s top team.
As a result, how either of them can be deemed to be friends of Britain’s Jewish community is beyond me.
If the Board wishes to be viewed as in anyway representative of the community they claim to represent, they need also to reflect their political viewpoint.
Survey after survey has shown support for a Labour Party led by Mr Corbyn is now at its lowest ebb within the community.
President Marie van der Zyl must surely now explain how handing out party invitations to his political supporters represents challenging, as she claims it does, the rampant antisemitism under his tenure.
Gary Boam
London NW6
Out of sight slaughter
Spare a thought for the hundreds of chickens who have just been slaughtered for Mitzvah Day — a wonderful day dedicated to righteous action: “…on Sunday at the East London Mosque… Jewish and Muslim communities will come together to make 1,000 portions of chicken soup to feed London’s homeless and needy” (JC November 16).
That city-wide mass slaughter happens out of sight and mind for most — as many such events do in both our animal and human world.
As a youngster, I used to bring such bodies home on public transport from our local abattoir. While waiting, I heard the helpless, vociferous squawks and cries of palpable terror from penned-in chickens and cows about to be dragged to their death.
We are often advised to take our children to farms and other sites to see the real source of our food. Do we ever take them to the abattoir for this purpose?
Modern psycho-biology is increasingly revealing the surprising cognitive and emotional sensitivities of animals, bringing them ever nearer to our own humanity. And they also have their own unique abilities to which we aspire.
Encouragingly, our younger generations, helped by the development of alternative food options and more caring conservation measures, are showing us how to have with them a more companionable and humane relationship.
Dr Stanley Jacobs
London SW18
Gone West
Israeli politicians were recently outraged by Airbnb’s decision to stop listing properties in the West Bank. Israeli Culture Minister, Miri Regev, responded by announcing that Israel would seek to legally challenge this. Why would this succeed when no other country or body recognises Israeli sovereignty in the West Bank? This is merely one example of how delusional Likud has become.
Avi Moshe
Higher Blackley M25
Still not gay enough
It is now 51 years since homosexual acts between consenting males in England were (partially) decriminalised and 15 since the abolition of Section 28, which had decreed that state schools “shall not promote the teaching of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship”.
So it is dispiriting to read that many people, some of them in charge of children’s education, view homosexuality as unacceptable. In some schools, hapless children, of all sexualities, are taught that same-sex love is an “abomination”.
Spare a thought, please, for the tortured self-hatred of an LGBT child subjected to this kind of teaching -- and possibly to sanctioned bullying by their peers.
Why should “religious freedom” be permitted to trump child welfare?
Vera Lustig
Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
Italian colonial policy
I read with interest your article about the exhibition in Rome of Mussolini’s racial laws (JC, November 16). Little known or mentioned are the same laws implemented in the Italian colony of Libya.
The Jewish community there was subjected to racial laws, and later concentration camps in the desert and even deportation to Bergen Belsen.
The Shoah didn’t confined itself to Europe. After el-Alamein, when the remnant of the community returned to the cities, they were destitute. Their homes and businesses were taken over by the local Arabs and the result was that most of them left Libya.
Today, there are no Jews in Libya.
Nitza Sarner
London NW8
