There is clearly great concern within the wider diaspora about the current situation in Israel.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews — in line with the majority of our community — cares deeply about Israel. We have close emotional, religious and familial ties to Israel.

If you have ever watched a Board of Deputies plenary meeting, you will see people from different sides of the political spectrum discussing Israel. They may disagree vehemently with each other, but it is clear how deeply they all care about what happens there.

The Board has called out the behaviour of certain Israeli politicians publicly.

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Marie van der Zyl with the UK's Foreign Secretary James Cleverly (Board of Deputies)

We have also met senior Israeli officials to provide frank updates on the views of our community with regards to a range of issues, including potential changes to the Law of Return and the rights both of different Jewish denominations and minority groups in Israel.

We continue to monitor the situation closely. Palestinian terror attacks on Israelis continue to occur regularly — we mourn Or Eshkar, who this week perished from wounds sustained in an attack in Tel Aviv earlier this month.

We are also concerned by the rising attacks by Jewish religious extremists on the sites of other religions, which are now happening regularly.

Clearly, much of the debate among diaspora Jews hinges on whether one thinks that vocal criticism helps or hinders. There are those who believe, for example, that it is vital for Israel’s democracy that the judicial reform proposals are vocally opposed.

Others believe that public criticism of Israel by Jews in the diaspora will be seized on by the many people who seek to destroy the world’s only Jewish State and used as a further weapon against it.

But it is also obvious that those protesting here against the judicial reforms cannot be dismissed as Israel-haters.

The protests in London are being led by Israelis. Israeli flags are proudly being flown. These are not people who seek to destroy Israel, but wish to save it from something they fear might lead to its destruction.

I would urge those on both sides of that divide within our community to remember what we have in common — a fierce and unflinching love for Israel and a commitment to its future.

Marie van der Zyl is President of the Board of Deputies