Piers Morgan is beginning to feel very much at home at Jewish community events.
The Britain's Got Talent judge and former Mirror editor was the star attraction at the Norwood property lunch in central London which raised £500,000.
Before a public grilling by Express boss and Norwood president Richard Desmond, Mr Morgan told the JC that the lunch was his third Norwood function. "I was brought up a good Catholic boy, but now the Catholics don't want anything to do with me. I've been shunned by my own religion which never asks me to do anything. I really am starting to feel at home here and feel like one of the clan."
Reflecting on recent media controversies, he defended the Mail on Sunday for the expose which prompted Lord Triesman's resignation as Football Association chairman and leader of England's 2018 World Cup bid. Although the peer claimed "entrapment", Mr Morgan said he had been "a foolish old goat" for suggesting corruption among other 2018 bidders to a young female friend.
Mr Morgan is keen to make documentary in Tel Aviv similar to his tele-vision programmes about Dubai and Marbella. "I would love to go to Israel, and to Palestine. I couldn't rule out making a programme there - I hear it's an absolutely beautiful part of the world."
Over 500 property professionals heard Mr Desmond and Mr Morgan swap jibes about politics, newspaper circulations, celebrity culture and the Mirror's publication of fake pictures of British troops abusing Iraqis, which resulted in Mr Morgan's sacking.
He also took stick from the audience for mispronouncing "chutzpah".
Lunch chair Simon Silver expressed delight at the high turnout and proceeds. The lunch also incorporated the annual Norwood property awards, whose recipients included Irvine Sellar of Sellar Properties for development of the year - the London Bridge Quarter. A lifetime achievement award went to John Ritblat of British Land.