Letters to the editor, October 27 2023

Have we forgotten the burning to death of the Jordanian air force pilot Muath al-Kasabeh, which was videoed by his captors? Was the live streaming of torture and death from the kibbutzim any different?

Have we forgotten Mahsa Amini murdered by the “morality police” for not covering her hair?

What unites all these wicked deeds is the political philosophy of Islamism, which completely rejects human rights, the Geneva Conventions and all the other moral boundaries of the modern world.

The struggle between Israel and Hamas is not a national struggle, but one between the present and a very dark past.

Otto Inglis
Fife, Scotland

Expressing support

I am not Jewish.  For the first time in all my years I feel shame at those who govern us, at the police, whom I have until now respected, for the way in this country we are treating British Jewish people.

I am writing this because I can think of no other way in which I can tell you that, whatever you see expressed in the news, there is one old lady who sends you her sympathy for the losses in Israel and her shame that we can treat British citizens the way you are being treated.

Kay Cornes
Battle, East Sussex

My mother and I visited Israel for the first time in early September. Neither of us is Jewish but we both stand with Israel in these dark times and always will.

It saddens both of us to see that many Jewish people are having to hide their identity on the streets of the UK, to protect themselves and their families. While we do understand their actions we urge all Jews in the UK not to continue doing this.

I purchased, before my holiday to Israel, a couple of pin badges with the Union flag and Israeli flag entwined together which I proudly wear on my coat and jacket at all times and my mother proudly carries her “I love Israel” bag which she purchased in Jerusalem, when we go to the local shops.

I know these are only small tokens of our affection for the Jewish people but our resolve to support the Jewish community was only strengthened further this week, as two middle-aged, white ladies on the bus questioned why my mother had a bag with Israel on it to which she replied, “Why not?”. The two ladies were silent. Together we are strong!

Craig and Linda Bryan
Yeadon, Leeds

Pointless multifaith

Events of the last three weeks have exposed many things. From a Jewish community perspective, they have exposed the failure of interfaith and inter-ethnic outreach by the leaders of the major UK Jewish community groups. The Board of Deputies, the JLC, the US, individual rabbis and others have spent multiple years, hundreds of thousands of hours, pounds, and political capital on an entirely false prophecy.

Where is the return on our investment? Where are the universal condemnations from all parts of the other faith communities? Where are those interfaith partners at our solidarity rallies?

The community leadership has wasted valuable resources on virtue signalling. For how much longer are we willing to write blank cheques in the name of interfaith and community relations for no return?

We stand alone. There are no bridges and no partners. We will be stronger by putting an end to this misguided agenda of progressive, woke madness and investing back in ourselves.

Jacob Lyons
London W1

Antisemitism defined

I respectfully submit a modern definition of an antisemite: someone who condemns the recent Hamas massacre and, in the same sentence, then uses the word “but” before condemning Israel, at greater length, and with more emphasis.

Gavin Littaur
London NW4

Things have changed

The BBC reported this week that an elite law firm has rescinded job offers for three Ivy League students who blamed Israel for Hamas attacks.

In 1961, as a newly-qualified solicitor at Magic Circle firm Slaughter & May, the senior partner asked me my religion at his party for new recruits and I told him I was Jewish. The next day I received a letter cancelling my appointment. On hearing of this with concern, Lewis Silman told me that Rothschilds Bank paid Slaughter & May annually £500,000 (around £10 million in 2023 prices) for legal services and arranged for me to report the matter to his partner Leopold de Rothschild.

When I later joined Freshfields, my boss announced that he couldn’t understand why Freshfields were getting so much Rothschild work. I never told Freshfields I may have unwittingly been one of their greatest benefactors.

Trevor Lyttleton
London NW11

Kaddish for Hamas

At the first plenary chaired by Marie van der Zyl as President of the Board of Deputies, the question of the then-recent scandal of deputies publicly saying kaddish for slain Hamas terrorists outside Parliament was raised several times. She insisted that not only did they a have a right to express their opinions, but demanded that they be respected by other deputies. To my knowledge, they are still deputies. The Board’s condemnations of recent events are hollow expressions of outrage as long as this situation persists.

This is the organisation that claims to be the sole democratic representative body of Anglo Jewry. Not in my name!

James R Windsor
Ilford, Essex