Board of Deputies may face vote on censuring Yachad - The Jewish Chronicle

The Board of Deputies has been asked to debate a motion on censuring left-wing group Yachad amid claims the charity is undermining the leadership body’s work. The motion, proposed by Mike Hinden, Deputy for Belmont United Synagogue, claims that Yachad opposed the government’s plan to ban the anti-Israel BDS movement from local authorities, which was “directly at odds” with the Board’s official policies. The motion also targets Yachad trustee Amos Schonfield, alleging he branded the former Ambassador Mark Regev a fascist in a telephone call. It also claims Mr Schonfield encouraged attendance at the notorious “Kaddish for Gaza” event in 2018 at which the Jewish memorial prayer was used to mourn the death of Hamas terrorists. Mr Hinden said: “There are always going to be different views within the Board but it is one thing to have disagreements within the context of its discussions but something else entirely to consistently undermine what the Board says in public.” The motion says the Board has a “constitutional obligation to advance Israel’s security, welfare and standing” but said it could not do this while “harbouring a constituent that repeatedly, deliberately and publicly contradicts and undermines the Board’s efforts”. The motion also claims Yachad, which campaigns for a two-state solution, this year defended the phrase: “From the River to the Sea”, the Hamas rallying cry widely understood to refer to the destruction of Israel. The Board admitted Yachad in 2014 in a vote that was so controversial it was twice postponed. The vote, passed by 135 to 61, heard speakers in support say that while they did not agree with many of its policies its membership should be a matter of democracy and that the Board should be a “big tent”. A spokeswoman for Yachad said: “This is an attempt to stifle free speech and the widely held views of many British Jews on Israel-Palestine, which is a contentious and widely debated issue. “Criticism of Israel is not anti-Israel, and indeed Yachad is proud to work with Israeli MKs and Israeli civil society and human rights organisations.” Mr Schonfield said: “I am proud to have represented British Jews as a Deputy for the past seven years, including now as Co-Chair of the Board’s Social Justice Committee. "It should be seen as entirely positive that the Board of Deputies, which seeks to represent a wide variety of British Jewish opinion, has deputies who have different perspectives and opinions.” The Board's international division will decide whether the mototion will be debated.