Tuesday, February 07, 2012

Heard About the Rabbi And Fear?

Jonathan Hoffman of the UK, also a member of the Board of Deputies, attempted to unseat Rabbi Danny Rich from the British Zionist Federation.  Rich is the chief executive of Liberal Judaism and a ZF patron.

As reported:

...ZF joint vice-chairman Jonathan Hoffman tabled the resolution to remove him at a meeting of a national council last week...it is understood that he complained about Rabbi Rich's recent participation in a church event with Peter Kosminsky, the director of The Promise, Channel 4's contentious drama on the birth of Israel, and anti-Zionist Deborah Fink.  He also took issue with Rabbi Rich's view that advocates of a one-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict are not by definition antisemitic.

On that event:

a sixth-form study day at the Gryphon Church of England school, chaired by the Bishop of Sherborne, Graham Kings. The event was focused on Israel and Palestine. But its objectivity and impartiality left much to be desired. Partly organised by the anti-Israeli Palestinian Christian movement entitled "Friends of Sabeel", aided by members of Jews for Justice for Palestinians, its spotlight was unashamedly on the privations allegedly inflicted upon Arabs by Jews in what was once part of Mandate Palestine. The event was planned around last year's controversial Channel 4 series, The Promise, and the guest of honour was its writer, Peter Kosminsky...Other participants in the Sherborne event included Dr Hassan Qasrawi (described on the Salisbury diocesan website as "a Palestinian refugee") and Deborah Fink, a singer and leading Jewish anti-Zionist activist, whose multifarious accomplishments have included demonstrating against a concert by the Jerusalem Quartet in London in 2010...

On the one hand, although the resolution did not pass, Harvey Rose, ZF chairman, commented that the patrons of the ZF, including Rabbi Rich, would be asked to reaffirm their allegiance to the Jerusalem Programme – the World Zionist Organisation's manifesto.

As for Rabbi Rich, on a trip to Israel this week, he responded so:

"Jonathan Hoffman's petty campaign against me does neither him nor the Zionist Federation any credit. Perhaps now that his views have been comprehensively rejected by his ZF executive colleagues, he will find a more constructive cause for his undoubted energy.

"He is in danger of being out of touch with those of us who consider ourselves real friends of Israel, who advocate for Israel in places where others fear to tread."

I am not fully familiar with the particulars, although I am aware of the general malaise that concerns Jonathan, with whom I am familiar. Nevertheless, the good Rabbi should know that if one need fear to tread, there may be a very good reason for that fear.


P.S. After searching around further, I doscovered that on March 21 2010 Rich allowed ICAHD's Jeff Halper the use of the Montagu Centre. The meeting was organised by “Jews for Justice for Palestinians”. And at a meeting at Kingston Synagogue in October 2010 Rich made a comment which alll heard that the ZF was in cahoots with the English Defense League.

Maybe we should fear the Rabbi?

^

1 comment:

Juniper in the Desert said...

I cannot believe that dipstick Deborah Fink is mentioned together with Jonathan! Having met both of them in demonstrations outside Ahava in Covent Gerden, I can say this: Jonathan Hoffman is a decent well-advised person whose judgment I trust.
Deborah Fink, video to follow, is a wealthy Jewish individual who does not work but is supported by her parents. She is also on medication for some mental problems. She is abusive and stole my camera. Her singing voice is utterly horrendous and she always accompanies these ISM anti-semitic demos with her voice. She is a nobody, more like a rabid dog off it's lead. Just listen to as much of this as you can bear. I have tried to get Ahava videos, but the palfreaks only film themselves, thus spreading the lie that they are the only ones there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=R1VT4jqnHsw#!