5 min read
West Bank settlements
Last week, in a riposte to the declared intentions of several western democracies to recognise a Palestinian State in September, Israel's finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, announced that Israel would build 3,500 housing units in the E1 Settlement Project, designed to split the West Bank into two, and as such, would be seen as a significant threat to the viability of a Palestinian State, and therefore a two-state solution.
Mr Smotrich may yet come to regret this decision. As an example of the Law of Unintended Consequences, the Palestinian reaction may be to accept that the two state solution is now dead and buried, and so the only solution would be the one-state, the single binational state, which was once much spoken about in Palestinian and and anti-Zionist circles, but which had fallen out of favour whilst the two-state solution was still an option. Mr Smotrich wants to annex the West Bank to Israel, but most certainly would not agree to offer the three million inhabitants Israeli citizenship.
People on both sides of the debate tend to discuss a Palestinian State as if either it should come into existence next week, or never happen at all. Perhaps a more realistic view is that it must happen at some point in order to keep Israel a Jewish and democratic state, yet cannot happen at this juncture, or at any time in the near future when it could pose a threat to Israel. It is up to the Palestinians to prove in time their state can live in peace beside Israel, and at the same time it is incumbent on Israel not to take actions that will render this impossible.
Martyn J.Wolff
NW4
Hostage march
There were any number of biblical texts on peace and reconciliation to which Rabbi Baginsky could have referred, but instead she chose to be deliberately provocative expressly giving support to a particular Israeli political faction; which clearly most at the vigil on Sunday 10th August considered was giving support to the likes of Starmer; contradicting many previous speakers, such as the relatives of the hostages, and the inspirational NZ Maori pastor just before; and deviating from the unconditional call for the release of the hostages. So however regrettable the incident may have been, the adverse reaction was understandable, and keeping silent unnatural.
So I consider rabbis like Charlie Baginsky have done a great disservice not just to the cohesion of the Jewish community, but also to those who have up to now felt more at home spiritually in progressive synagogues, by their assumption that their congregations also share their own particular views on the best ways of handling the ongoing tragedy. Having been a member for just over 50 years at the Liberal Jewish Synagogue, I have not renewed my subscription this January. I was concerned that I would have to totally give up any synagogue membership, but fortunately I have found a new progressive synagogue, which is not part of the overall organisation whose congregations Rabbi Baginsky, and her colleagues, have purported to represent.
While I had no particular connections with Israel not having any relatives there, having never visited or previously wished to do so, although my wife who is not Jewish would have liked to do so; since this all started we have participated in about a dozen marches and vigils asking for the release of the hostages and opposing anti semitism; starting with the first major rally in Trafalgar Square on 22 October 2023. Apart from the Hyde Park event not once has there been any mention in the bi weekly emails from the LJS of any of the marches and vigils we have attended.
Especially I would mention that organised by Campaign Against Anti Semitism on the 8th December 2024, and supported by a lot of organisations also from other denominations, where the rabbis tried to justify their omission in an email 5 days later that members of the LJS may not have wanted to be associated with an event where Israeli flags were displayed, leaving aside it would have been easy to let members decide. By contrast for many weeks the rabbis were advertising various organisations which they described as supporting movements for equality and peace. While most members of the organisations listed are likely to be well meaning, I doubt I will be alone in having concerns on some of the motives.
To add insult to injury, the rabbis of the LJS continue to my mind to misuse their position being very selective in what they publish. So after giving no information beforehand on Sunday's 10 August march, it is still ignored in their email of 12 August, which instead proudly says how a large group of progressive rabbis demonstrated outside Downing Street on Saturday night, 9 August. That group was such an unimpressive collection of less than a dozen; so hopefully, even the seeming acceptance of Hamas propaganda has not caused too much harm.
Anthony Kay, NW3
Rabbis Levy and Baginsky, while quite clear about the plight of hostage being the top priority, were entitled to use the Downing St gathering to make mention of the suffering of Gazans.
Their forced removal from the dais brought shame on the organisers - may we know names? - not to mention those in the crowd, for silencing an opinion held by many Israelis who take to the streets regularly to call for an end to the War.
Happily most other organisations if not all - you know who you are - have condemned this act of censorship and that of rabble rousers in the crowd ready to boo before the two rabbis had even started. We know that Gazans opposed to Hamas dare not speak. Seems the same applies here if some don't care for your opinion.
Barry Hyman
Bushey Heath
Last Sunday I attended with many others, a walking demonstration to Parliament square, for the release of Israeli hostages still alive (and dead) in Gaza.
At the end of the march we arrive at Parliament square and heard many speeches condemning the detaining and torture of the innocent prisoners in the tunnels of Gaza.
I searched for a description of this noble event in the Times on Sunday and Monday
and found not a whisper of it.
Is anything to do with Israel or Jews completely erased from the newspaper’s pages?
Do we only mention in a derogative and accusative manner?
Nitza Sarner
NW8
At a time of unfortunate arguments
within the UK Jewish Community , AJEX ( Association of Jewish Ex - Servicemen) is to be highly commended and praised for their VJ Day memorial service held at New West End Synagogue on Sunday August 18 at which Saul Taylor , the new president of the United Synagogue spoke
It was an impressive event , setting a fine example of unity and strength of purpose . I was proud to be there wearing the medals from the Second World War of my late parents Anita and Cyril Metliss
How disappointing that active complainants in the community including those calling loudly for a Palestinian State were conspicuous by their absence
Perhaps they will make amends by joining the Remembrance Day march to the Cenotaph on Sunday November 16 next . Hopefully some of the community unity to be shown there will have an impact.
Jonathan Metliss
London W1
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