A former Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate who believes that the Board of Deputies should be free to criticise Israel is to be its treasurer for the next three years.
Laurence Brass, a tribunal judge who has represented Bushey United at the Board for 35 years, was elected unopposed last Friday.
He said: “Many deputies have been concerned that for some time, the Board has been perceived e as merely an extension of the Israeli Embassy. I hope that the new régime will have the courage to speak out if it disapproves of the actions of the recently elected Israeli government. I believe that the Board enhances its credibility if it acknowledges that constructive criticism of Israeli policy is a legitimate part of the democratic process.”
A former vice-chairman of the LibDem Friends of Israel, he contested five general elections for the party and was a Hertsmere councillor for 10 years.
