Largest British Jewish body suspends members for criticising Israel
Middle East Eye reports on 25 June 2025:
The largest body representing British Jews has suspended five of its elected representatives for two years after they criticised Israel’s conduct in Gaza.
In April 36 members of the Board of Deputies of British Jews signed a letter published in the Financial Times in which they strongly condemned Israel’s assault on the Palestinian enclave and its withholding of food and aid, which has left hundreds of thousands on the brink of starvation.
“The inclination to avert our eyes is strong, as what is happening is unbearable, but our Jewish values compel us to stand up and to speak out,” they wrote. The letter asserted that “Israel’s soul is being ripped out” by the war on Gaza. “We stand against the war … it is our duty, as Jews, to speak out.”
Leaders of the board accused the 36 deputies of “misrepresenting our community” and launched disciplinary proceedings against them.
They have now all been found to have breached the Board of Deputies’ code of conduct.
‘We are a democratic organisation’
The findings of the investigation, released on Tuesday evening, said that “many media outlets, individuals and other community stakeholders initially understood [the letter] to be a statement of the board”.