In accordance with the principles stated in our declaration, Independent Jewish Voices seek to publicly speak out against racism and violations against human rights. Particularly, in regard to ongoing developments in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

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For publication in The Times, 1st December 2009

OPEN LETTER TO GORDON BROWN

ON THE GOLDSTONE REPORT: 
BRITISH JEWS DO NOT SPEAK WITH ONE VOICE

Dear Prime Minister,

We appreciate your Government’s stated intention to build bridges with the Jewish community in the light of responses to the Goldstone report. To achieve this, it is vital for you to recognise that British Jews do not speak with one voice on this matter.

We welcome the Goldstone Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza conflict as a key document in the upholding of international law in situations of violent conflict, and regret your Government’s failure to endorse the Report and its recommendations at the United Nations General Assembly.

We condemn the vilification of Richard Goldstone, an internationally acclaimed jurist who has made a substantial contribution worldwide to the development and maintenance of international humanitarian law, and his distinguished co-authors.

We note that the preparation of the Report was severely hampered by the refusal of the Israeli authorities to respond to reasonable enquiries or to facilitate access by the mission to Gaza or the West Bank and that it was only Egypt’s assistance which eventually allowed the Mission to gain access to Gaza. We further note that the Report unequivocally condemns not just Israel’s devastation of Gaza but also Hamas’s indiscriminate rocket attacks against Israeli neighbourhoods and does not in any way deny Israel its right to legitimate self-defence. We fully support its recommendation that both parties conduct full investigations into the allegations of war crimes in the Report.

We believe Israel cannot afford, nor should it wish, to exempt itself from the scrutiny of the international community on these matters. We consider that it is the attempt to do so, rather than the Goldstone Report, that is damaging Israel. We therefore urge you to endorse the Report at the next available opportunity.

On 1st December a full-page advert appeared in the Times supported by  565 individual signatories and the following groups: Independent Jewish Voices, Jews for Justice for Palestinians, the Jewish Forum for Justice and Human Rights, the Jewish Socialists’ Group, Jewish Writers Against the Occupation and Scottish Jews for a Just Peace. Download the pdf here.

See the  Jewish Chronicle report and the Haaretz article by Cnaan Liphshiz. The text and list of signatories is given below:

Lauren Aarons
Lesley Abdela MBE
George Abendstern
Marion Adler
Bernie Ahrens
Michael Albu
Alan S Alexander
Seymour Alexander
Rebecca Amiel
Lisa Appignanesi
Ruth Appleton
Libby Ardren
Oreet Ashery
Martha Jean Baker
Dr Anthony Bale
Lynne Reid Banks
Dr Lisa Baraitser
Lisa Barcan
Julia Bard
Barbara Barnett
Prof Tony Barnett
Michael Baron MBE
Robert Bartfield
Rosemary Bechler
Dr Alex Benchimol
Emeritus Prof Robert Benewick
Bert Benham
Joan Benham
Leonie Bennett
Paul Benson
Marge Berer
Daniel Bernstein
Sir Geoffrey Bindman
Dr Lynn Bindman
Jo Bird
Rica Bird
Dr Martin Birnstingl
Jude Bloomfield
Ilse Boas
Prof Tony Booth
Jenny Bourne
Rachel Boyd
Emeritus Prof Leslie Baruch Brent
Prof Haim Bresheeth
Sarah Broadie
Adam Broomberg
Babette Brown
Fiona Brown
Judy Brown
Dr Michael Brown
Michelle Brown
Peter Brown
Peter Brown
Dr Raymond Brown
Jennie Buckman
Veronica Butler
Prof Brian Butterworth FBA
Prof Jane Caplan
Prof Lionel Caplan
Gail Chester
Brian Chinnery
Linda Clair
Ruth Clark
Mr Mike Cohen
Norma Cohen
Norman Cohen
Ron Cohen
Prof Stan Cohen
Sylvia Cohen
Roy Collins
Ruth Conlock
Rabbi Howard Cooper
Mike Cushman
Lady Ellen Dahrendorf
Angela Dale
Dr Renee Danziger
Prof Miriam David
Sara Davidson
Bernard Davies
Sally Davies
Jean Davis
Wendy Sarah Davis
Gerald de Groot
Emanuel de Kadt
Rabbi Prof Nicholas de Lange
Peter Deadman
Ivor Dembina
Jenny Diski
Prof Elizabeth Dore
Dr Robert Dourmashkin
Aaron Dover
Marc Eady
Rebecca Earle
Joanne Edelman
Dan Edelstyn
Hilary Edelstyn
Linda Edmondson
Susan Egert
Prof Barbara Einhorn
Prof Eric Eisenhandler
Aram Eisenschitz
Thomas Eisner
Mark Elf
Liz Elkind
Marie Ellis
Michael Ellman
Prof D B A Epstein FRS
Ms R R Epstein
Sheila Ernst
Moris Farhi MBE
Prof Paul Fatt FRS
Rabbi Michael E Feinberg
Prof Stephan Feuchtwang
Alf Filer
Dr Neil Finer
Deborah Fink
Sylvia Finzi
Frank Fisher
Mark Forstater
Erika Fox
Jonathan Fox
Peter Fraenkel
Richard Fredman
Bella Freud
Martin J Frishman
Prof Stephen Frosh
Ruth Fruchtman
Uri Fruchtman
Ian Fulton
Dr Martin Gaba
Ellen Galford
David Ian Garfinkel
Rachel Garver
Merle Gering
Denis Glaser
Sarah Glass
Murray Glickman
Dr Sarah Glynn
Debra Gold
Rabbi Dr David J Goldberg OBE
Martin Golding
Dr Debbie Goldman
Angela Godfrey Goldstein
Ann F Goldstein
Ronnie Golz
Arthur Goodman
Geoffrey Goodman
John Goodman
Paula Goodman
Dr Peter Goodstein
J L Gordon
Lionel Gordon
David Gould
Robert Gould
Susanne Graham
Tony Graham
Lesley Grahame
Michael Graubart
Alice Gray
Ilse Gray
Jeremy Green
Tony Greenstein
M Greenwood
Marion Gripaios
Rebekah Gronowski
Grahame Gross
Justin Grossman
Heinz Grünewald
Ilona Halberstadt
Michael Halpern
Noel Hamel
Michele Hanson
Keir Hardie
Jenny Harris
Abe Hayeem
Rosamine Hayeem
Mike Heiser
Dr Harold Heller
Anna Hellmann
Dr Jane Henriques
Denis Herbstein
Thena Heshel
Julie Higgins
Prof Susan Himmelweit
Prof Eric J Hobsbawm
Marlene Hobsbawm
Michael Horovitz OBE
Deborah Hyams
Elaine Hyams
Dr Keith Hyams
Prof Paul Hyams
Henry Hyatt
Anna Isaacs
Dr Anthony Isaacs
Dr Jeremy Isaacs
David Iwi
Vivienne Jackson
Emeritus Prof Howard Jacobs
June Jacobs
Nicholas Jacobs
Sandra Jacobs
Dr Susie Jacobs
Fay Jacobsen
Prof Michael Jacobsen
Sharon Jacobsen
Dr Laura Jacobus
Prof Mary Jacobus
Prof Anne Janowitz
Joanna Jellinek
Lawrence Joffe
Gabriel Josipovici
Dan Judelson
Ann Jungmann
Prof Ahuvia Kahane
Prof Mary Kaldor
Prof Deniz Kandiyoti
Prof Cora Kaplan
Anne Karpf
Paul Kaufman
Ruth Kaufman
Shirley Kaufman
Sid Kaufman
Ellie Kavner
Prof Adah Kay
Paul Kelemen
Michael Kendall
Nicolas Kent
Dr David King
Brenda Kirsch
Reva Klein
Pam Kleinot
Roger Kline
Dr Brian Klug
Prof Francesca Klug OBE
Dr Tony Klug
Prof Eleonore Kofman
Robert Kornreich
Robert Krause
Stevie Krayer
Berry Kreel
Philip Kuhn
Prof Adam Kuper
Dr Jenny Kuper
Jo Kuper
Mary Kuper
Richard Kuper
Sam Kuper
Vivi Lachs
Emeritus Prof Frank Land
Ralph Land CBE
David Landau
Madeline Landauer
Jon Lansman
Bernice Laschinger
Pam Laurance
Alexandra Lehmann
Mike Leigh
Miki Lentin
Antony Lerman
Hemdat Lerman
Rod Lester
Leah Levane
Betty Levene
Dr Mark Levene
Louis Levi
Jacqie Levin
Miriam Levin
Susanne Levin
Dr Peter Levin
Diane Levine
Dr Ralph Levinson
Paul Blain Levy
Emeritus Prof
Raymond Levy
Keren Lewin
Sue Lewis
Dr Keith Lichman
Nikki Lichtenstein
Vivien Lichtenstein
Sanford Lieberson
Sonja Linden
Laurie Abrams Lindey
Miles Litvinoff
Dr Tim Lobstein
Sebastian Loew
Susan Loppert
Prof Yosefa Loshitzky
Dr Susan Loewenthal Lourenço
Tom Lowenstein
Heinz Lubasz
Prof Steven Lukes
John Lynes
Tony Lynes
Simon Lynn
John Jacob Lyons
Deborah Maccoby
Dorothy Macedo
Daniel Machover
Henry Maitles
Beryl Maizels
Judith Makoff
Kay Manasseh
P J Manasseh
Dr Ruth Mandel
Jenny Salaman Manson
Anthony Marcel
Julia Marcus
Miriam Margolyes OBE
Garry Markham
Sonia Markham
David Marks
Emeritus Prof Isaac Marks
Mike Marks
Rafael Marks
Emeritus Prof Shula Marks OBE
Prof Susan Marks
Mike Marqusee
Paul Mayersberg
Hilda Meers
Sheila Melzak
Dr Ron Mendel
Ed Mendelsohn
Phyll Mendelsohn
Dr David Metz
Carol Michaelson
David Middleburgh
Melissa Midgen
Martine Miel
Dr Jonathan Miller
Dr Laura Miller
Dr Rachel Miller
Emeritus Prof Stanley Mitchell
Prof Ursula Mittwoch
Michael Mitzman
Prof Simon Mohun
Sara Mokone
Prof David Mond
Dr Peter Mond
Richard Mond
Daniel Monk
Ian Montrose
Andrea Morris
Louise Morris
Paul Morrison
Jonathan Morton
Carole Mosco
Maurice Naftalin
Simon Natas
Dr Gillian Nathan
Idit Nathan
Prof Mica Nava
Jeannette Nelson
Roger Nelson
Judith Nesbit
Arthur Neslen
Chaim Neslen
Diana Neslen
Esther Neslen
Orna Neumann
Dr Barry Newman
Bracha Newman
Ines Newman
Jan Newman
Rabbi Jeffrey Newman
Prof Mike Newman
Prof Richard Noss
Dr Paul Oestreicher
Prof Susie Orbach
Martine Osorio
Margaret Owen
Dr Kathy Panama
Hilary Panford
Dr Diana Paton
Sue Pentel
Stewart Permutt
Adam Phillips
Michael Picardie
Rina Picciotto
Emeritus Prof Sol Picciotto
Miranda Pinch
Donna Poppy
Charles Pottins
Shelley Power
Adam Pozner
Alison Prager
Peter Prager
Sylvia Prager
Dr Claudia Prestel
Judy Price
Renate Prince
Colin Purkey
Caroline Raine
Ros Raizada
Sandra Harris Ramini
Susan Reed
Louise Rendle
Dr Naomi Richman
Frances Rifkin
Lee Roberts
Sheila Robin
Lee Robinson
Dr Paul Robinson
Ernest Rodker
Neil Rogall
Sherrl Yanowitz Rogall
Dr Ben Rogaly
Joe Rogaly
Prof Anne Rogers
Zina Rohan
Emeritus Prof Edgar Rose
Prof Jacqueline Rose FBA
Shirley Rose
Prof Sonya O Rose
Dan Rosenberg
David Rosenberg
Rabbi Judith Rosen-Berry
Johanna Roeber
Rosendaal
Dr Martin Rosendaal
Dr Marsha Rosengarten
Emeritus Prof Jonathan Rosenhead
Prof Douglas Ross FRS
Leon Rosselson
Rina Rosselson
The Hon Miranda Rothschild
Anne Rykwert
Prof Joseph Rykwert
Michael Sackin
Michael Safier
Sabby Sagall
Caroline Salinger
Susannah Sallé
Deborah Salter
Benjamin Alfred Samuel
Prof Andrew Samuels
Dr Simon Sandberg
Cllr Larry Sanders
Dr Esther Saraga
Michael Sassen
Prof Donald Sassoon
Anthony Sattin
Dr Ian Saville
Alexei Sayle
Seb Schmoller
David Schneerson
Dr Susan Schonfield
Barry Schwabsky
Dr Joseph Schwartz
Prof Judy Sebba
Amanda Sebestyen
Glyn Secker
Dr Graeme Segal FRS
Prof Lynne Segal
Ruth Selwyn
Cath Senker
Prof Peter Senker
Dr Eric Shaw
Russell Shaw
Diana Shelley
Dr Peter Sheridan
Judy Sherwood
Prof Avi Shlaim FBA
David Shonfield
Prof John Sidel
Nick Sigler
Byron Simmonds
J David Simons
Irris Singer
Dr Juliet Singer
Sid Singer
Dr Jonathan Sklar
Naomi Sklar
Eve Slatner
Hazel Slavin
Gillian Slovo
Sandra Smidt
Harry Smith
Jill Smith
Micah Smith
Ben Soffa
Donatella Soldi
Jeremy Solnick
Sara Solnick
Dr David Sperlinger
Sigal Spigel
Prof Annabelle Sreberny
Jonty Steinfeld
Rebecca Steinfeld
Dov Stekel
Chaim Stephenson
Andrew Stern
Anya Stern
John Stern
Nicholas Stern
Dr Paul Stern
Ruth Stern
Prof Frances Stewart
Henry Stewart
Dr Kitty Stewart
Lorne Stockman
Anthony Stoll
Jennie Stoller
Diana Stone
Dr Judith Suissa
Sylvia Summer
Vivien Sunlight
Dr Adam Sutcliffe
Susan Sutcliffe
Janet Suzman
Risa Tabatznik
Tony Tabatznik
Rabbi Larry Tabick
Dr David Taylor
Eric Taylor
Hedley Taylor
Ruth Tenne
Gemma Thomas
Asher Tlalim
Andi Tobe
Jeremy Tobias-Tarsh
Dr David Toke
Sef Townsend
Michel Trainer
Inge Trott
Sonia Tuban
Prof David Turner
Emeritus Prof Clare Ungerson
Prof Elaine Unterhalter
Tanya Ury
Dr Nadia Valman
Prof Anton van der Merwe
Dr Andrea Varney
Katie Vetch
Prof Philip Wadler
Tirza Waisel
Stanley Walinets
Lorraine Walters
Michelene Wandor
Carla Wartenberg
Sophie Waterhouse
Beryl Wayne
Naomi Wayne
Wolf Wayne
Saira Weiner
Miri Weingarten
Irving Weinman
Tom Wengraf
Baroness Whitaker
Martin Wilson QC
Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi
Dr Aaron Winter
Devra Wiseman
Walter J Wolfgang
Geoff Woolfe
Judy Woolfe
Myra Woolfson
Miriam Yagud
Dr Ronit Yoeli-Tlalim
Ben Young
Montague Young
Dr Gill Yudkin
Emeritus Prof John S Yudkin
Prof Nira Yuval-Davis
Betsy Zander
Emeritus Prof Michael Zander QC
Dr Pam Zinkin

This letter was published as an advert in the New Statesman,

15th January 2009

An Open Letter To David Miliband 

From Independent Jewish Voices

Dear Foreign Secretary,

We are writing as concerned Jews who are utterly dismayed by Israel’s actions against the Palestinians.

We object to the misleading representation of this conflict as entirely instigated by Hamas and merely defensive on the part of Israel. Rocket attacks on Israel are unacceptable. But Gaza has been under siege more or less since the unilateral withdrawal of Israeli settlers in 2005, a withdrawal that left Israel in complete control of access by air, land and sea, leaving the Palestinians with no opportunity to create a viable economic life. It was also accompanied within months by an increase of settlers in the West Bank in excess of those withdrawn from Gaza making it clear that at no point was the withdrawal intended to lead to viable statehood for the Palestinians. Ever since the election of Hamas – the result of an internationally authenticated democratic process –  Israel has enforced collective punishment on the people of Gaza, action which is illegal under international law.

We urge you therefore not to accept the Israeli rhetoric which presents this carnage as part of the `war on terror,’ but rather to condemn it as unjust violence that is destroying the prospects for peace, as well as jeopardising the position of Jews the world over. In the interests of a just and sustainable solution to the conflict, the UK government has a key role to play. We therefore urge you to press the incoming US government to modify the outgoing administration’s counter-productive and hitherto uncritical support for Israel’s actions and policies.

on behalf of the steering group, plus 191 signatures (making 205 in total)

Sir Geoffrey Bindman, Lady Ellen Dahrendorf, Uri Fruchtman, Anthony Isaacs, Lawrence Joffe, Ann Jungman, Anne Karpf, Dr Brian Klug, Anthony Lerman, Professor Jacqueline Rose, Leon Rosselson, Professor Donald Sassoon, Professor Lynne Segal, Henry Stewart

Independent Jewish Voices

The 191 additional signatories: