Independent Jewish Voices

IJV and the climate of debate over Israel

by Brian Klug

There is a broad spectrum of opinion among Jews in Britain on the subjects of Israel, Zionism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This is reflected in the different positions taken by different Jewish groups. But it is not reflected in the public statements made by those who claim to speak for British Jews collectively or who allow that impression to go unchallenged. This has contributed to a state of affairs within the Jewish world where vocal opponents of Israeli government policies and actions are liable to find themselves excoriated or worse.

Take, for example, the Board of Deputies of British Jews. In many respects this is a worthy communal organisation that carries out much good work on behalf of, and in defence of, Jews in this country. But it also sees “the defence of Israel” as falling within its remit.  On the Board’s website, the Chair of the International Division (who is also a Vice President of the Board) explains: “The largest [Jewish] community of all – Israel – is under constant threat, physically from terrorist organisations, politically from hostile governments and media, and morally from criticisms from fellow Jews” (italics added). She continues: “Our support, your support, is needed more than ever.”

To whom are the words ‘your support’ addressed? Presumably, not to those Jews who, according to the previous sentence, pose a moral threat to Israel by their criticism; a threat that puts these Jews in the same bracket as ‘terrorist organisations’. Thus, her words implicitly draw a line between ‘in’ Jews and ‘out’: between those whom the Board entreats and those whose criticism of Israel puts them beyond the pale.

Precisely where that line in the sand is drawn is not always clear; it is shifting sand, and the line moves accordingly over time. But the principle – the existence of a line drawn relative to criticism of Israel – is clear. Equally clearly, this line stands in contradiction to the Board’s description of itself as the inclusive “voice of British Jewry”;  unless, of course, those Jews who cross the line in criticising Israel have, ipso facto, stepped out of the category of ‘British Jewry’. In other words, to avoid the contradiction, assume that not all Jews are (equally) Jews.

This assumption, conscious or otherwise, has become rooted in much of the Jewish world, not only in Britain but around the globe. It accounts, more than anything else, for the unhealthy climate of debate over Israel today. The launch of Independent Jewish Voices (IJV), a network of individual Jews in Britain, is an attempt to challenge the assumption and to change the climate.

At the heart of IJV is a set of principles set out in our Declaration (available on the IJV website at http://www.ijv.org.uk/). They include putting human rights first; repudiating all forms of racism; and giving equal priority to Palestinians and Israelis in their quest for a better future. Some critics complain that we do not advocate any particular solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Their criticism misses the point. We are trying to change the terms of debate, so that the line in the sand is based on principles that unite people of goodwill, not on group or ethnic loyalty.

Much of the reaction to our initiative has demonstrated what is wrong with the current climate. In the same week in which IJV was launched, Dr. Sidney Brichto, a prominent British (Liberal) rabbi, writing in the Jewish Chronicle, described us as “enemies of the Jewish people”. His response to our call for a more open debate could not be more forthright: “I love debates, but the time for debates between Jews over Israel is over”. He goes on to cast aspersions over the character – and ultimately identity – of certain Jews. “I doubt the motives of these Jews,” he writes, and concludes: “My conscience does not permit me to fraternise with those who undermine the future of my people”.  Note ‘my people’, as if those of us who disagree with him have abandoned or betrayed the Jews.

In the subsequent issue, Melanie Philips, in a similar rhetorical vein, described IJV as “the British arm of the pincer of Jewish destruction”.  Elsewhere, she has dubbed us “Jews for genocide”.

Clearly we have hit a nerve, for these are far from being isolated fits of invective. At the same time, there has been an astonishing outburst of support from across the Jewish spectrum, including ‘dovish’ Jews in the mainstream and Jews who are unaffiliated to a Jewish community. Evidently, we have struck a chord. The prospect for debate over Israel looks slightly better.

Middle East in London
April 2007

[1] Available at http://www.bod.org.uk/, click ‘Divisions’, click ‘International Division’, click ‘Work of Division’.

[2] Ibid., click ‘Divisions’, click ‘International Division’, click ‘Introduction from Chairman’.

[3] Epithet at http://www.bod.org.uk/.

[4] Sidney Brichto, ‘You are undermining us’, Jewish Chronicle, 9 February 2007, p. 37.

[5] Melanie Phillips, ‘IJV: leaders of the Israel hate-fest’, Jewish Chronicle, 16 February 2007, p. 39.

[6] ‘Jews for genocide’, available on her website at http://www.melaniephillips.com/diary/?p=1458. See also Jason Frenkel, ‘Dissidents set for Australia-wide media campaign’, Australian Jewish News. Available at http://www.ajn.com.au/news/news.asp?pgID=2668.