Forty-two British Jews have signed a letter urging Israel not to annex any parts of the West Bank. They are apparently convinced that such a move would irreparably damage Israel, posing what they called an “existential threat.”
The story is at the Guardian.
Some of the most prominent and respected names in British Jewry have raised alarm over the Israeli government’s plans to annex parts of the West Bank, saying such a move would be an existential threat to Israel.
Among more than 40 signatories of an unprecedented letter to the Israeli ambassador to the UK are Sir Ben Helfgott, one of the best-known Holocaust survivors in Britain; the historians Sir Simon Schama and Simon Sebag Montefiore; the former Conservative foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind; the lawyer Anthony Julius; the philanthropist Dame Vivien Duffield; the scientist Lord Robert Winston; the former MP Luciana Berger; the Times columnist Daniel Finkelstein; and the author Howard Jacobson.
These are 42 of the Great and Good, and their reputations relieve them, apparently, of the responsibility of studying, in depth, the history of Israel and the Arab Jihad being conducted against the Jewish state. Before presuming to preach to the Israelis about what they should or must do, these forty-two pukka sahibs and grand panjandrums ought to study the Balfour Declaration (1917), the Treaty of San Remo (1920), and above all, the precise terms of, and territories included within, the Mandate for Palestine (1922). Then they should look at Article 80 (the “Jewish people’s article”) of the U.N. Charter, and should study the meaning of U.N. Resolution 242 (1967), as eloquently supplied by its British author and U.N. Ambassador, Lord Caradon.
After they have fulfilled those tasks, they should study the history of the Zionist pioneers and the Arab terrorism against them from the very beginning of their enterprise, including the Arab Revolt (1936-1939)and the malign effect in Mandatory Palestine of that enthusiast for the Final Solution, Hajj Amin El Husseini. Then they may proceed to studying the formal founding of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948, and the Jewish hand held out in peace that same day to the Arabs, only to be rejected by them. They should reexamine the invasion by five Arab armies, intent on destroying the nascent state of Israel and convinced of their quick victory which, in the words of Egypt’s Azzam Pasha, Secretary General of the Arab League, would be a “a war of extermination and a momentous massacre which will be spoken of like the Mongolian massacres and the Crusades.”
These 42 Deeply Concerned British Jews should then study the history of the three major wars Israel has had to fight for its survival (1948-1949, 1967, 1973), and the smaller wars too, that it has been forced to fight against the terrorists of the PLO and Hezbollah, in Lebanon, and against Hamas in Gaza. They ought to review the long and difficult history of Israel’s attempts to make peace with the Palestinian Arabs. Finally, they should consider the military significance of the Jordan Valley, and the legal, historical, and moral claim of Israel to Judea and Samaria (a/k/a “the West Bank”). All of that is a tall order, but the consequences of ignorance about such matters among Jews in the Diaspora could be a matter of life or death for Israel. Those who wish Israel well, before scolding that tiny state, have a duty to learn about all the matters I have listed just above
Their [the “42 British Jews”] letter to Mark Regev, conveying “concern and alarm” about the pledge by Israel’s new coalition government to extend its territory over swaths of the West Bank, is the latest indication of mounting disquiet among British Jews over the plan.
Why should they have any “concern and alarm” if Israel chooses to exercise its claim, according to the Mandate for Palestine, to extend its sovereignty over all or, if it so decides, over only part, of “the West Bank”?
Could their “concern or alarm” reflect their misunderstanding of Israel’s rights to the territory it proposes to annex? Those rights to “annex,” or more exactly, to extend Israel’s sovereignty, come from the legal claim based on the Mandate for Palestine. Let’s remember that after World War I, when the Ottoman Empire disintegrated, the mandates system was created by the League of Nations in formerly Ottoman lands. Several mandates were established on behalf of the Arab people; one was contemplated for the Kurds but never implemented; and one was the Mandate for Palestine, for the Jewish people, in order that there might be established a national home for the Jews in their ancient homeland that would in time become their state. Large swathes of formerly Ottoman territory in the Middle East were thus assigned by the League to various mandates. Aside from the Palestine Mandate, there were mandates as well for Iraq, and for Syria/Lebanon, while the Emirate of TransJordan was created out of territory east of the Jordan River “out to the desert,” that originally was to have been part of Mandatory Palestine.
The signatories [the 42 British Jews] say their concerns are “shared by large numbers of the British Jewish community, including many in its current leadership, even if they choose not to express them”.
The letter says: “We are yet to see an argument that convinces us, committed Zionists and passionately outspoken friends of Israel, that the proposed annexation is a constructive step. Instead, it would in our view be a pyrrhic victory intensifying Israel’s political, diplomatic and economic challenges without yielding any tangible benefit.
“It would have grave consequences for the Palestinian people most obviously. Israel’s international standing would also suffer and it is incompatible with the notion of Israel as both a Jewish and democratic state.”
The unthinking acceptance by these 42 British Jews of the existence of the “Palestinian people” is worrisome. There are “Palestinian Arabs,” but not a separate “Palestinian people,” with a distinct religion, language, cuisine, fairy tales, customs, or anything else that would distinguish them from other Arabs in the same neighborhood. It would have been useful if they had instead referred to “Palestinian Arabs.”
They claim, too, not to have seen “an argument that convinces us…that the proposed annexation is a constructive step.” What about the argument that extending Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley and many of the settlements signals to the Arabs that their salami-tactics will not work, that Israel is here to stay, and with borders it can defend, and no amount of pressure by the “international community” will cause Israel to retreat from lands to which it has a claim superior to all others? Would holding onto that territory not strengthen Israel’s power to deter its enemies, and thus make war less, not more, likely? And wouldn’t forcing Israel to essentially concede control of the West Bank, and to return to those 1949 armistice lines, whet rather than sate, Arab appetites, and make a future war more likely?
Marttheman says
These 42 British Jews should know that they too will have to flee Great Britain at some point to save themselves from the ongoing islamisation that is now happening world wide. Unless they have a mind-boggling tactic prepared that will help make peace in the ME, making these declarations, they are just ignoramuses and useful idiots to the islamic cause. They are not saving anybody, least themselves by making such statements. The third paragraph of this article should be a compulsary history subject in all schools of the world, because awareness on this subject matter is so scant and prejudice is rife. I am afraid, however, that BLM and female participation in history is being pushed to the forefront in subjects like history, which will only make Western civilisation more divisive and our children more ‘politically correct’, i.e. intolerant to any other ideas considered right wing and common-sensical.
Mural says
These individuals do not live in Israel. They do not face the day to day hardships of Israelis. Yet, they have the gall to dictate what an elected government should or should not do?
They have no ‘skin in the game as Taleb is fond of saying and are ‘ Intellectuals but Idiots’, to quote Taleb again
For some reason, these idiots abound in every country which is facing external oppression. Israel and India come to mind
.
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Roland says
A significant part of the Jewish intellectual class, including the rabbis, has, throughout history, since biblical times, been ambivalent about exercising Jewish military and political power. The Bible (Tanach) reflects that. The 42 British Jewish leaders don’t want to get too far out of line with British elite opinion.
Rarely says
Of course the fact that Jews had no military power and precious little, if any, political power from biblical times until Israel was established might have something to do with it.
tgusa says
They seem to be sleeping through the existential threat that is arising right at home in Britain.
Forty two British Jews, and I have 99 bottles of beer on the wall 99 bottles of beer.
gravenimage says
Forty-Two British Jews Against Israel’s Annexation Plans (Part 1)
…………..
Sadly foolish.
I think the picture above is of Simon Schama? A generally very intelligent man, and a fine art historian.
Out to lunch on the history and threat of Islam, though.
James Lincoln says
gravenimage,
In general, it seems like a general knowledge of islam is inversely proportional to the level of education of the individual – with the very notable exceptions like the host of this website.
I see this pattern in my own extended family.
My wife’s side of the family is mostly working class, blue-collar. Post high school education is mostly technical/trade schools. They are intelligent, hard-working, and hold conservative Judeo-Christian values. They all voted for Pres. Trump and see islam as a total negative. They know enough about islam to come to that conclusion. They look at it like a rattlesnake: you don’t need to know every last thing about a rattlesnake to know that it is dangerous.
My side of the family is mostly liberal – at least one is an actual leftist. All are college-educated at least at the bachelors degree level. Some have Masters degrees and doctorate degrees. The older ones are JFK type liberals and are confused because the Democratic Party has left them. The younger ones are likely to vote for Joe Biden. The leftist will likely write in Bernie Sanders. They know that I’m an independent, but assume that I voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016.
I am an outlier. Politically I’m an Independent and a centrist. I am highly educated with a bachelors degree, medical degree, and MPH. I’m also the only member of my extended family who ever served in the military. My father served as a Army medic in World War II, luckily received no significant injuries, and went on to become a physician with the help of the G.I. Bill. Both my mother and father were conservative with strong Judeo-Christian values.
I live in a nice upper-middle-class neighborhood. The houses are well maintained, the yards are manicured, and the people are friendly in a superficial way. But there are certainly more Democrats than Republicans. I just noticed a small BLM sign across the street on somebody’s lawn likely thinking that they stand in support of a civil rights organization. They talk to my wife and I assuming that we are Democrats. If we are asked directly, we deflect the question. We are both strong Trump supporters and anti-jihadists. If they knew this, it would be very difficult to live in this neighborhood.
Not a controlled study by any stretch, just my own personal observations.
gravenimage says
Sadly, this is generally true, James. Troubling that it is so.
Victor Cowen says
EVERYTHING in the Gu****** is anti-Semitic B/S.
gravenimage says
What?
FYI says
I invite the 42 British Jews {and indeed Jews} everywhere to take serious note ..
Look up the following:
SAHIH MUSLIM 6985
{That is islam’s OFFICIAL teaching calling for a Genocidal war against you Jews…..and WHY do you think the iranians,hamas and hizbollah never stop talking about wiping Israel off the map?THEY are the ‘existential threat’ to ISRAEL}
As a friend of Israel and someone who respects religiously observant Jews{although I wish they would wake up and note the danger facing them}.. may I point out a few things out?
Both Judaism AND Christianity are Biblical religions.They have the SAME foundation laws{=the Two chief commandments of YHWH(Deut 6:4-9,Lev19:18)the Exodus 20 Decalogue,the Golden Rule}
Believe it or not, the WHOLE “law of MOSES and the teachings of the prophets”{defined as being based on the Two chief commandments of YHWH ..Matthew 22 v 40}and the MEANING of the ‘Law of MOSES and the teachings of the prophets”{defined as being =’do for others what you want to do them” the Golden Rule.. Matthew 7 v12 } is EXACTLY THE SAME in Judaism AND Christianity.
So in terms of the purpose of “the Law of Moses and the teachings of all the prophets” and its meaning,both religions have this;islam doesn’t.
islam in contrast ,is NOT a Biblical religion,it is an invented Arab religion:these laws are either denied or contradicted by the koran.
The Jews and Christians are called ‘the WORST of created beings” {koran 98:6}.
islam has no Golden Rule,no concept of ‘love thy neighbor'{ Lev19:18},no concept of people made in the spiritual image of God{Genesis 1:27}just muslims versus infidels.
islam cannot be an Abrahamic religion either:in fact, in the koran it teaches that “Abraham was not a Jew” {koran 3:67} :since by the koran’s logic, the Jews are “to be despised and hated” {koran 2:65} Abraham could not be one of those Jews so he must have been a Muslim.
An antisemitic Arab cult cannot be Abrahamic:a cult that defies the Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets cannot be Biblical.
muhammed was a mass-murderer of Jews{Abu Dawud 4390}:however, he was eliminated by an enslaved,captive Jewish woman whose culinary ingenuity of poisoning him had the effect of revealing him to be a FALSE prophet,the fate of whom is determined by
Deuteronomy 18:20 the law of the Actual God YHWH{and not ‘allah’ the muslim god who should be considered to be like baal if you are Jewish.In fact the god of the kaaba’s name was hu baal,precursor god to al lah…}
“But if any prophet dares to speak a message in my name when I did not command him to do so,he must die for it,and so must any prophet who speaks in the name of other gods”
Deuteronomy 18:20
And here we have WHY muhammed was killed:he even said he was a False prophet for pete’s sake!
“I have fabricated things against God and imputed to him things he has not said”
muhammed
AL TABARI 6:111
muhammed was not even from the children of Israel: a requirement allah insists is necessary for the right of prophethood {koran 45:16}
The koran-laugahbly- insists muhammed is in the Bible{koran 7:157}:but what would a mass-murderer of Jews who is NOT from the Children of Israel{and thus by allah’s own criterion of koran 45:16 NOT qualified to be a prophet,certainly not of YHWH} be doing in a JEWISH scripture of YHWH{ a different God to allah the Arab}?
iananthonyharris says
There are always bien-pensant idiots, and the cleverer they are,the more stupid they can be.