Board of Deputies refuses to bow to demands to condemn proposed annexation

“We don't take sides in Israeli politics and we don't take sides in British politics.”

Mrs van der Zyl said the Board would be issuing a clarification to stakeholders later this week on their stance over this and other issues involving the Israeli government.

But she said she welcomed receiving letters and petitions expressing a variety of views on the Israeli government's plans for the Jordan Valley region of the West Bank.

Addressing shul members via Zoom and YouTube on Tuesday evening, Mrs van der Zyl said: “It's something where the community has different views - but we are going to continue to affirm the importance of a negotiated two-state solution.”

She added: “There really is a high degree of unity across the community about the importance of Israel to our Jewish identities. People from different perspectives are variously calling on us to either support or oppose annexation. Our view is with the community so divided, the best we can do is try to hold the community together.”

Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday declared an end to security cooperation with Israel and the United States, citing the imminent threat of Israeli annexation.

The PA president has threatened to stop such cooperation several times before and it was unclear what his declaration would mean in practice.

Hampstead's Synagogue's online Where Are We Now? broadcast attracted a large audience. JC editor Stephen Pollard is a speaker in the same series of discussions on how Covid-19 is imapcting one the community on June 4th at 8pm.