A DIVERSE group of Jewish individuals and organisations in Scotland have backed comprehensive sanctions against Israel in an open letter to the Foreign Secretary.
Ed Miliband announced sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank last week, accusing Israel's government of turning a blind eye to the "ethnic cleansing" of Palestinians by settlers.
He said the move marked the "beginning of a new approach" – sparking backlash from Israel and claims from some Jewish organisations that such measures will fuel antisemitism or endanger British Jews.
But Miliband, who describes himself as a “proud British Jew”, rejected the suggestion.
Now, a group of over 60 prominent Scottish Jews – including academics from the universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, as well as members of Jewish communities across Scotland and groups such as the Scottish Universities Jewish Staff Network, Progressive Jews for Justice in Israel/Palestine and Kehillah – have written to the Foreign Secretary backing the move.
The signatories argue that organisations such as the Board of Deputies of British Jews and Jewish Leadership Council – who spoke out against the sanctions – do not speak for all Jews in Britain.
“An increasing number of us no longer consider ourselves to be Zionists and a majority of younger Jews now reject Zionism,” the letter reads.
“Moreover, a clear majority of all British Jews consider it acceptable to criticise Israel. When it comes to the actions of the present Netanyahu government, the opposition is overwhelming.”
It went on: “Equally, support for sanctions is not an act of repudiation of Jews but rather a repudiation of the current politics of the Israeli government.
“Second, the argument that sanctions against Israel will encourage antisemitism and endanger the Jewish community flies in the face of a growing body of evidence that precisely the opposite is true.”
Among the signatories are Professor Stephen Reicher, Professor Sam Spiegel, Professor Neil Turok, Professor Philip Wadler, Dr Ophira Gamliel and Emeritus Professor Henry Maitles.
“Following Ed Miliband’s announcement of minor sanctions, both Miliband and his late mother, who was Jewish and who supported Palestinian rights, have been insulted, attacked, called anti-semitic Jews,” another signatory told The National.
“Some British newspapers have peddled in smears for a long time now, smearing anybody who upholds human rights above ethnonationalist ideology. These newspapers engage in blatant antisemitism. Judaism is diverse and Jews are diverse. Pretending that someone must support a certain political view to be Jewish is recklessly irresponsible. It is also inconsistent with many strict readings of the Torah, let alone the very fundamental premise of international law and human rights.”
Another said: “If people actually care about Jewish safety, then it means equality for everyone and safeguarding human rights of everyone, holding states fully accountable. The UK was right to sanction Russia substantially and the same must be for Israel now, clearly.”
The letter concluded with a commitment to oppose all oppression.
“To us, ‘Never Again’ means refusing to be a perpetrator or a passive bystander to oppression, whoever the victim might be.”
“For us, the Holocaust impels us, as Jews, to act against racism and genocide. To us, ‘Never Again’ means refusing to be a perpetrator or a passive bystander to oppression, whoever the victim might be,” it reads.
“Equally, it means ensuring that our country – the UK – is not complicit. It is therefore precisely as Jews, and through our Jewishness, that we call on you to implement comprehensive sanctions against Israel and to ensure that the UK plays no part in enabling the illegal actions of the Israeli government.”
The signatories to the letter include:
1. Professor Stephen Reicher FBA, FRSE
Scottish Universities Jewish Staff Network
2. Professor Sam Spiegel
Scottish Universities Jewish Staff Network and University of Edinburgh
3. Professor Neil Turok FRS
University of Edinburgh
4. Uri Erez
Edinburgh Kehillah
5. Professor Philip Wadler
Professor Emeritus, University of Edinburgh
6. Beth Frieden
Glasgow Southside Family Chavurah
7. Matt Spitz Mahon
Scottish Universities Jewish Staff Network
8. Edward Szekely
University of Edinburgh - Queen's Medical Research Institute
9. Alexander Wilson
Sukkat Shalom Edinburgh’s liberal Jewish community
10. Paul Brown
11. Catherine Lyons
12. Helen Searle
Edinburgh Liberal Jewish Community
13. Dr. Ophira Gamliel
Scottish Universities Jewish Staff Network
14. Dr. Jess Rickenback
University of Edinburgh
15. Dr. Isabelle Darmon
Scottish Universities Jewish Staff Network, University of Edinburgh
16. Dr. Livnat Decleve
British Academy International Fellow, The University of Edinburgh
17. Dr. Ivan Clark
Scottish Universities Jewish Staff Network, University of Edinburgh
18. Lisa Barcan
Edinburgh Liberal Jewish Community PJJP
19. Ian Chard
University of Edinburgh
20. Elinor Predota
Sukkat Shalom (Edinburgh Liberal Jewish Congregation), Progressive Jews for Justice in Palestine, Na’amod, Miknaf Ha’aretz
21. Dr. Jeremy Dell
University of Edinburgh
22. Anna Wood
Hillhead Progessive
23. Dr. Giovanni Picker
University of Glasgow
24. Ali Flebotte
Member of a Glasgow Synagogue
25. Dylan Grossman
UK Friends of Standing Together
26. Ellen Galford
Member, Sukkat Shalom Edinburgh
27. Sue Bard
Edinburgh Liberal Jewish Community and Progressive Jews for Justice in Israel Palestine
28. Suzanne Senior
29. Catherine Train
Mothers Against Genocide Scotland
30. Naomi Junnor
Jewish Network for Palestine
31. Dr. Rhys Machold
University of Glasgow
32. Professor Diana Paton
University of Edinburgh Jewish Staff Network
33. Jonathan Gluckstein
Educational Institute of Scotland
34. Charlotte Townley
35. Leo Kaminski
Edinburgh Liberal Jewish Community
36. Dr Itamar Kastner
Scottish Universities Jewish Staff Network, University of Edinburgh
37. Dr. Talitha Kearey
Edinburgh Liberal Jewish Community, Progressive Jews for Justice in Israel Palestine, & Scottish Universities Jewish Staff Network
38. Benjamin Franks
39. Henry Maitles
Emeritus Professor of Education, University of West of Scotland
40. Ana Heumann-Sweeney
41. Juliet Compagnon
University of Edinburgh Kehillah
42. Annabel Gottfried Cohen
PhD student, University of Edinburgh
43. Daniel Drago
Israeli national living in Scotland
44. Dania Delfs
Kehillah Glasgow
45. Dr Marion Hersh
Scottish Universities Jewish Staff Network and University of Glasgow
46. Dr Henry Ivry
University of Glasgow
47. Ruth Gebal
48. Alexandra Solomon
University of Edinburgh
49. Mark Symonds
50. Alice Ross
University of Edinburgh
51. Dr. Catriona McAleer
Edinburgh Liberal Jewish Community
52. Toni Dismore
Dual British/Israeli national
53. Priscilla Webster
Jewish grandparents trade unionists and Palestine Solidarity Scotland
54. Anne Lee
Psychotherapy and Counselling Union
55. Misha Vides
University of Edinburgh Kehillah
56. Barrie Levine
Progressive Jews for Justice in Israel/Palestine
57. Francine Gonzalez
Kehillah Glasgow
58. Amalia Lebowitsch
University of Edinburgh
59. Lila Shulmister
60. Anna Wood
University of Edinburgh
61. Malia Rock
Edinburgh Kehilla
62. Gica Loening
Edinburgh Liberal Jewish Community, Progressive Jews for Justice in Israel and Palestine
63. Emma Grinfeld
Glasgow Southside Family Chavurah
