National Jewish Assembly to merge with We Believe in Israel

The group’s aims were advocating for Israel, fighting antisemitism and defending Jewish life in the UK. With a formal “assembly-style” structure, it had 800 paying members and monthly speaker events.

But in its first year, the associated company made a loss of £93,251, according to its accounts. Mond, its sole director, told the JC at the time that the NJA was “perfectly solvent” and was financially secure enough to "continue for the foreseeable future”.

Under the merger, which Mond said was effective from today, the NJA will combine its operations with We Believe in Israel, whose director, Catherine Perez-Shakdam, is expected to welcome the decision.

Writing to members earlier this week, Mond said: “After more than three and a half years in this role, I feel the time is right for me to step down and allow the NJA to enter its next phase of development, effective December 31, 2025.”

This “new phase,” Mond went on, “requires stronger, broader and deeper resources and reach.”

He said he had approached We Believe in Israel, “and we have agreed that NJA's new phase of growth will be more effective if combined within WBII.

“The WBII and NJA teams will start working together and will deploy their respective activities in a synergistic and coordinated way to increase the reach and impact of the combined organisation.”

Mond said he was “convinced that this move will not only ensure the continuity of the NJA but allow it to achieve more and with greater impact.”

Previously headed by Luke Akehurst, now a Labour MP, We Believe in Israel states on its website that its mission is “to impress on all people that Israel has an undeniable and legitimate right to exist and thrive”.