Dear Sir,

A few weeks ago, I, together with my lay leadership, wrote to the Israeli Ambassador to the UK to express our concern for the increased intimidation of Progressive Jews in Israel. I am appalled that there seems to be an increasing number of incidents culminating in last week's attack on the New Israel Fund as being the cause of the Goldstone report, with a vicious personal attack on the New Israel Fund president and former deputy Knesset Speaker Naomi Chazan.

Our Congregation, its lay leaders and Rabbis are utterly committed to the State of Israel. We are proud of Israel's democratic processes and were heartened when in a Times Leader earlier this week, it was expressed reworking the words of Amos Oz: "Israel does behave considerably better than other Middle Eastern countries, even when it is behaving badly." We therefore ask that you personally and immediately take every step possible to stop the witch-hunt against NIF and Israel's internationally-respected human rights groups.

This is not a matter of politics. This is a matter of the basic rights of freedom of speech, dissent, and conscience that allow Israel to proudly call itself a democracy to the rest of the world. Israel must not emulate Iran and China, and sink to the level of its worst enemies, in responding to baseless, vicious and extremist attacks..

Shabbat Shalom,