Jewish groups, led by the Zionist Federation, are to mount a protest this weekend against the UK’s support for the United Nations resolution demanding that Israel stops building settlements in the Occupied Territories.
The ZF is calling for supporters to “come and stand against the UNcredible”, with the organisation labelling Britain’s vote for the resolution as an “endorsement of UN bias”.
The rally is planned to take place at 2pm at a location in London, on Sunday.
A spokesman for the ZF said that 300 people were expected to attend. Colonel Richard Kemp, a former UK commander in Afghanistan and a strong supporter of Israel, is due to speak.
Other speakers will include Jonathan Arkush, president of the Board of Deputies, Simon Johnson of the Jewish Leadership Council and Paul Charney, the chairman of the Zionist Federation.
UK communal leaders have expressed their concern at the UK’s role in promoting the resolution, which called on Israel to cease building settlements in “Palestinian territories occupied since 1967”.
Stephen Pack, President of the United Synagogue, called on US members to write to their local MPs to express support for Israel in the wake of the UN vote.
In a statement from Mr Arkush last week, the Board of Deputies leader condemned the resolution as “destructive to peace because it encourages Palestinians to believe that they can maintain their refusal to come to the negotiating table.”
He also said he was “deeply disappointed that the UK government failed to take the honourable course of exercising its power to veto a biased and unbalanced resolution."
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