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Board vice-president's attack on JLC prompts open warfare

February 23, 2012 13:50
Davis: we may pull the financial plug on the Board

By

Simon Rocker,

Simon Rocker

2 min read

An extraordinary row over who leads British Jewry broke out this week after the senior vice-president of the Board of Deputies, Jonathan Arkush, launched a scathing attack on the Jewish Leadership Council.

He was applauded by many deputies when he told a Board meeting on Sunday: "The JLC is unelected, it's unaccountable and it is therefore unacceptable to the community for it to hold itself out as exercising political leadership of our community."

His explosive comments brought swift condemnation from JLC chairman Mick Davis, who warned of repercussions, and from Mr Arkush's fellow Board officers.

Vice-president Jerry Lewis called for his resignation, while treasurer Laurence Brass said that Mr Arkush should consider "whether he wants to seek re-election as a vice-president" after his "intemperate outburst".