LESS THAN 12 HOURS TO
SAY NO TO YACHAD

In the last few days Deputies have been lobbied on the forthcoming vote to admit Yachad to the Board of Deputies.

Before Deputies cast their votes they should consider the following:

BDS

Hannah Weisfeld's remarks on the 2012 SOAS panel discussion have not been quoted selectively or taken out of context .

I would urge you to listen to the entire YouTube clip. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wDlSAtDNi8

Indeed Ms Weisfeld condemns herself out of her own mouth by refusing to unequivocally condemn BDS:

‘I don’t think the BDS movement is racist, I think there are elements in it which are highly questionable and I think there are parts of its aims that are highly questionable in terms of whether you think Israel has a right to exist or not …The BDS movement does not acknowledge in any way shape or form that there are two parties in the conflict….There is agency on both sides and this conversation doesn’t recognise that.’

How mealy mouthed when Ms Weisfeld should not have appeared on a platform with Ilan Pappe at all. His latest vile accusations against Israel can be seen here:

http://mondoweiss.net/2014/11/reminder-implicates-history

Yachad's Funding

Yachad's supporters claim that it has never received a gift of more than £15,000.

Please see for yourself in Note 13 to the Accounts of The Blue Thread which is a charity whose Trustees are Stephen Grabiner and other members of his family. This charity gave to Yachad £53,000 in 2013 and £55,278 in 2012. 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/slql7d1q3oqd1ae/0001130704_AC_20130405_E_C.pdf?dl=0

Undermining the Board's own Policy on Israel

This is not a debate about whether you support a two state solution or about left and right. There are many Jewish organisations that are not represented on the the Board and not admitting them does not silence them. However there are red lines that should not be crossed.

The Board  would not admit Jews for Justice for Palestinians and yet a Yachad Board member Daniel Reisel has signed a statement supporting them.

http://jfjfp.com/?page_id=9

Yachad supports the immediate creation of a Palestinian State. It would be folly to admit such an organisation only weeks after we were asked by the Board to lobby our MPs to vote AGAINST recognition of a Palestinian State.

Yachad clearly fails to meet the Board's constitutional obligation to "Take such appropriate action as lies within its power to advance Israel's security, welfare and standing."

David Berens

14th November 2014

SAY NO TO YACHAD

There are many reasons why Yachad's application to join the Board of Deputies should be rejected.

I will just concentrate on two of them.

BDS

The very fact that Yachad's Director Hannah Weisfeld was prepared to appear on a platform discussing BDS with the notorious BDS campaigner Ilan Pappe should be enough to condemn Yachad but if not the following mealy mouthed statements at the 2012 SOAS panel discussion is.

Hannah Weisfeld: "I didn't tell anyone here not to support BDS". "I agree with you entirely that a unified Palestinian strategy is hugely important." Weisfeld went on to refer to a "level of criminality that exists over the Green Line."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wDlSAtDNi8

War Crimes Accusation

Last Yom Hazikaron and Independence Day, whilst Israelis and Jews worldwide were honouring the sacrifice of Israel’s fallen IDF soldiers, Yachad was holding a conference that hosted a group of individuals that call soldiers of Israel’s Defence Forces “war criminals.”  This is the type of anti-Israel activity that Yachad embraces.

Last 20th July was a significantly sad day in Israel’s war against Hamas terror in Gaza. It was the day that four brave soldiers who died in defence of Israel were buried. It was the day that another seven, all members of the elite Golani Brigade, were killed in action.

The 20th July was also the day when thousands of British Jews were rallying outside the Israeli Embassy in London in support of an Israel under attack from Palestinian rockets and terrorists.  Absent from this rally was the leader of the so-called “pro-Israel” Yachad. 

Yachad heads its campaign manifesto with slogans like “We believe all people should have the right to live free from fear and violence” and “We believe in Israel’s right not just to exist but to flourish and we stand against those who defame it.” Yet, Yachad is not only a group that regularly defames Israel. It actively promotes anti-Israel tours to the territories, as well as organising events that call Israel’s finest sons “war criminals.”

Yachad funds numerous “educational” trips to Judea & Samaria, known to them as “the West Bank”. Their guides include a member of the infamous fringe group “Breaking the Silence”. On consorting with such radical groups should the reputation of Yachad hang.  Even the left-wing Haaretz newspaper called Breaking the Silence as having “a clear political agenda, and can no longer be classed as a ‘human rights organisation.’ 

If you still have any doubts then please see Jonathan Hoffman’s piece in last years Jewish Chronicle at the time Yachad was rejected by the Zionist Federation.

http://www.thejc.com/blogs/jonathan-hoffman/yachads-zf-application-a-cynical-publicity-stunt-0

David Berens
12th November 2014