The former head of Israel’s Mossad secret service had a very public mission this week, urging Manchester diners to raise funds towards alleviating Israeli poverty.

Danny Yatom told the 350 guests at the city’s annual UJIA dinner on Monday that there was an unequal share of wealth in Israel and that those on the periphery of society had been neglected.

“It is unacceptable that a third of the population live below the poverty line,” he said. Israeli ambassador Daniel Taub praised UJIA’s Manchester-sponsored work in the north of Israel, where it has funded a medical school, new higher education buildings, an early childhood centre and special educational programmes for those with learning difficulties.

Around 300 Manchester youngsters benefited from UJIA-sponsored Israel tour and gap year programmes last year, alongside activities for pupils at the region’s Jewish and mainstream schools.
The dinner raised £650,000.