Reacting to the worrying developments in Israel, the Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks said:
“In the past week alone over 275 rockets have been fired into southern Israel from Gaza. No nation on earth can be expected to live under this constant threat to innocent life. The people of Israel are entitled, as is any other nation, to live in peace and safety. We mourn with all the bereaved families, and pray for an end to the hostilities from which both sides suffer.”
In addition, and in light of the continuing rocket attacks on Israeli towns from Gaza, and the ongoing Operation ‘Pillar of Defence’ response, Jewish community leaders from a broad cross section of major organisations have sent an open letter of support and solidarity to the Government of Israel via Ambassador Daniel Taub. The full text of the letter can be found below.
—————————————————————————————–
HE Daniel Taub
The Israel Ambassador
Embassy of Israel
2 Palace Green
London
W8 4QB
15 November 2012
Dear Ambassador,
At this difficult and challenging time for the State of Israel and its citizens we wanted to send you an important message of support and solidarity from leaders and key institutions of the UK Jewish community. These sentiments prevail across all sections of our community, reflecting the national consensus within Israel itself.
Over the past decade we have rallied together in support of Israel under the banner of ‘Yes to Peace, No to Terror and No to Hamas’. The current Operation Pillar of Defence is an entirely understandable response to the intolerable assault upon the citizens of Southern Israel and the continued provocations of Hamas – an antisemitic terrorist organisation.
We take pride in the commitment of Israel’s political and military leadership to leave no stone unturned in seeking to avoid civilian casualties and remain true to the Jewish ethical ethos that underpins the doctrine of the IDF.
We also take this opportunity to commend you personally on the admirable manner in which you stepped up to take an important lead in advocating for Israel so effectively across the UK national media over the past twenty-four hours. This is a difficult and often hostile arena. You have done your country proud.
Your Excellency, please convey to your Government the support and sentiments of the leadership of this community.
Yours in solidarity,
Mick Davis – Chair of the Board of Trustees, The Jewish Leadership Council (JLC) & Chairman, UJIA
Vivian Wineman – President, Board of Deputies of British Jews & Chairman, JLC
Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks – Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth
Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner – Movement Rabbi, Movement for Reform Judaism
Rabbi Danny Rich – CEO, Liberal Judaism also on behalf of Liberal Judaism Rabbinic Conference
Jon Benjamin – CEO, The Board of Deputies of British Jews
Jeremy Newmark – Chief Executive, The Jewish Leadership Council
Frank Baigel – President of Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester & Region
Kate Bearman – JLC Political Oversight Group & Former Director of Labour Friends of Israel
Bill Benjamin – Member, JLC
Linda Boxer – Chief Executive, WIZO UK
Alex Brummer – Vice-President of Board of Deputies (Chair International Division)
Paul Charney – Chair, Zionist Federation
David Chinn – Member, JLC Political Oversight Group
Sir Trevor Chinn CVO – Vice President, JLC & Chair of JLC Political Oversight Group
Adrian Cohen – Chair, London Jewish Forum & Member of JLC
David Cohen – Vice President, JLC
David Dangoor – President, Board of the Spanish & Portuguese Jews’ Congregation
Alan Finlay – President, Federation of Synagogues
Judith Flacks – Campaigns Director, UJS
Nick Gendler – Co-chair, Masorti Judaism
Jonathan Goldstein – Chair, PaJeS
Lord Young of Graffam – Chairman, Jewish Museum & Member, JLC
Alex Green – Chair, Union of Jewish Students and Member, JLC
Henry Grunwald OBE QC – Vice President, JLC & Past President, Board of Deputies
Robert Halfon MP
Andrew Heller – Chairman, Executive Board of Conservative Friends of Israel
Lucian J Hudson – Chairman, Liberal Judaism
Jeremy Jacobs – CEO, United Synagogue
Lord Janner of Braunstone – Vice-President, JLC
Isaac Kaye – BICOM & JLC Political Oversight Group
Dermot Kehoe – CEO, BICOM
Brian Kerner – Co-chair, Fair Play Campaign Group & Member of JLC
Eli Kienwald – Chief Executive, Federation of Synagogues
Debbie Klein – Chairman, JCC for London
Nigel Layton – Chairman, LEAD
Howard Leigh – Vice President, JLC
James Libson – Trustee, JLC
Howard Miller – CEO, Spanish & Portuguese Jews’ Congregation
Edward Misrahi – Vice Chair, BICOM & Chairman, ‘We Believe in Israel’
Leo Noé – Vice President, JLC
Stephen Pack – President, United Synagogue
Jenny Pizer – Chair, Movement for Reform Judaism
Stuart Polak – Director, Conservative Friends of Israel
Ben Rich – CEO, Movement for Reform Judaism
Jo Rosenfelder – Board Member & Trustee, Tzedek & Member of JLC Political Oversight Group
Jill Shaw – Chair, WIZO UK
Clive Sheldon – Co-chair, Masorti Judaism
Rebecca Simon – Board Member, Labour Friends of Israel
Gavin Stollar – Chairman, Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel
Nick Viner – CEO, JCC for London
Michael Weiger – Chief Executive, UJIA
Joy Wolfe MBE - Chairman, StandWithUs UK & President, Manchester Zionist Central Council
Poju Zabludowicz – Chairman, BICOM
We send our love and thoughts to the people of Israel. The world media need to be made aware of the thousands of rockets that have been fired during the last year. No people should have to live in such circumstances.
I am astonished and glad, that there are so many important Jews in Great Britain, and that they all send their good wishes to Israel.
I love England and I stayed in Birmingham for 1 1/2 year 1959/60. (Born in Germany)
At that time I was a devoted Catholic and had many English friends.
1961 I came to Israel for the first time and worked as a member of the first group of “operation reconciliation/Aktion Suehnezeichen/ot ha kaparah” for half a year in a Kibbutz.
There I fell in love with Israel and the Jewish religion. I wanted to stay, but in order to be sure that it was not a kind of “romantic feeling” I studied Catholic theology (wrote my first book about Israel) and after passing my exams I bought a one-way ticket to Israel, learned Ivrith, found my wonderful Israeli husband z”l and became Jewish. I write this in order to explain why I love England as well as “Jews” in a special way and am glad about your “letter”. Shabbat Shalom!
I agree with every word the Chief Rabbi and all the above Jewish communal leaders have sent to HE The Ambassador Daniel Taub and pray that Please God peace will be prevail for all of us…..Shenishma Rak Bsorot Tovot……With all my heartfelt wishes to those of our “mishpochoh” who are injured in Israel I wish you all a refuah shlemah bekarov and shabbat shalom….Gwendoline Lamb (in northern UK Newcastle Kehillah)
Agree completely with your letter of support for israel. May the lord’s blessing and protection be with you always.
Dear friends,
We are now in Israel living some weeks with our sisters and brothers in our beloved country (=Moledet).
To see the faces of fear of small girls and boys like Yesterday evening in Tel Aviv means to be very tide with our peoples history.
We always where chased and murderd by so many others on this world. Even by those who mean to be our friends.
As Benjamin Herzel said, “If we do not care for us, who is going to do so”.
Let us be strong and straight away what the values of overcomming mean to be.
We wish our soldiers all the best and to all of us
Shabbat Shalom
Ilan.
Israeli and Israelis are more patient with an outrageous situation than any other nation. Irrespective of the rest of the world, we stand with Israel.
I want to express my unconditional solidarity to Israel, today and always.
Shabat shalom!
This is a call to everybody worldwide to please pray for and promote world peace. It is a challenge to the leaders of all the nations to implement the peace that is already waiting to come down to earth. All glory to our Father and King who sustains us all every moment of every day. Please remember that we are all children of the same Heavenly Father Above.
My thoughts and prayers are for peace and tranquillity in the region. I totally support Israel’s actions to defend the right to live without constant fear daily. I also pray that the Palestinians will themselves get rid of Hamas and be brave enough to negotiate peace. I hope that my prayers will be answered.
Naomi Shaw in Darlington, County Durham.