Board of Deputies cuts suspensions of two members involved in FT Gaza War letter

Philip Goldenberg (Courtesy)[Missing Credit]

Five of the 36 received more severe sanctions on the grounds that they had helped to promote the letter. They were initially barred from the Board for two years, but three were given the option of having their suspension reduced to six months if they made an apology.

Subsequently, the full suspensions for four of the five were reduced on appeal from two years to 18 months.

The letter, which claimed that Israel’s soul was “being ripped out”, ignited controversy within the community with some Orthodox synagogues threatening to quit the Board if the authors were not sanctioned. But Progressive rabbis rallied to the defence of the signatories, saying they had been “principled and brave” and criticising the suspensions as “disproportionate”.

Goldenberg said this week: “I am glad the process has now been completed. It has revealed many procedural flaws and the Board should learn lessons from these flaws.”

He and Stone, who are both members of the Board’s finance, fundraising, and organisation division, will be able to return from December 24

The Board’s appeal panel had found an “inadvertent error” in the original investigation of the complaints against the signatories but agreed that the code of conduct had been breached.