Big Issue founder tells Lords Israel to blame for rising antisemitism across the world
search

The latest Jewish News

Read this week’s digital edition

Click Here

Big Issue founder tells Lords Israel to blame for rising antisemitism across the world

Lord John Bird told peers in a debate on Gaza hunger alleviation 'The amount of antisemitism you see around the world is because Israel is thinking not about the next five or 10 years but only immediately'

Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor

Lord Bird blames Israel for rising antisemitism
Lord Bird blames Israel for rising antisemitism

Big Issue founder Lord John Bird has claimed in the House of Lords that “Jewish people throughout the world” are going through “hell” because of Israel’s military action in Gaza.

Speaking during a debate on hunger alleviation in Gaza, the crossbench peer added:”The amount of antisemitism you see around the world is because Israel is thinking not about the next five or 10 years but only immediately.”

In a controversial intervention he told peers on Monday:” I can honestly say that most of the people I meet and talk to, people from all walks of life, are appalled at what Israel is doing.

“Is somebody going to tell Israel about the damage it is doing not only to its own people but to people throughout the world?
 
“Jewish people throughout the world are having a hell of a time because of what is happening there. 

“This is the worst form of foreign policy ever; it is terrible. The amount of antisemitism you see around the world is because Israel is thinking not about the next five or 10 years but only immediately.”

Nominated by the House of Lords Appointments Commission as a non-party political People’s Peer” in 2015, he was created Baron Bird, of Notting Hill in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

During the same debate Conservative peer Lord Leigh suggested  Israel “has never denied Gaza humanitarian aid” and that allegations to the contrary are “disinformation.”

Lord Leigh added:”I visited Kerem Shalom, as disclosed in my register of interests. 

“All the operatives we met have either been killed or abducted and the equipment destroyed. 

“However, Israel—which has never denied Gaza humanitarian aid—now has the capacity to pass 44 trucks per hour into Gaza. On 10 March, 150 lorries passed through, supplying 3,750 tonnes of food, equivalent to four pounds per person. 

“If we are to seek peace, reconciliation and a ceasefire, does the Minister not agree with me that it is very important not to have disinformation, particularly about Israel? It has always sought to ensure that humanitarian aid is supplied wherever it can. The problem has been the UNRWA distribution thereof.”

Responding the Minister for the Middle East Lord Ahmad told peers “we have been very clear about the importance of aid entering Gaza unimpeded. ”

He added:”There have been claims and counterclaims. The United Kingdom has been very clear that Israel is not letting enough trucks through the crossing. 

“The number that my noble friend quotes is factual, but it is also true that 500 trucks were entering before the war. Some statements have been made that commercial items were included within that. Yes, they were, but there was also food grown in Gaza, which is no longer possible. That is why there is an acute need. The 500 that is consistently stated is not a high threshold but the minimum threshold, and it is needed now.”

Support your Jewish community. Support your Jewish News

Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.

For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.

Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.

You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.

100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...

Engaging

Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.

Celebrating

There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.

Pioneering

In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.

Campaigning

Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.

Easy access

In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.

Voice of our community to wider society

The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.

We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.

read more: