Jewish Labour Movement writes to ambassador Hotovely expressing ‘utter disgust’ with her government
A letter signed by three JLM officials and sent to Israeli ambassador warns Israel's 'credibility as a democracy' risks being 'shattered' by coalition government's programme
The Jewish Labour Movement have written to the Israeli ambassador to the UK expressing “utter disgust with the coalition agreement and programme of government proposed by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu”.
The unprecedented letter – signed by national chair Mike Katz, national secretary Adam Langleben and international secretary Izzy Lenga – highlights the steps that are being taken by the government to curb the independence of the judiciary and the checks and balances placed on the Knesset.
The trio write to Ambassador Tzipi Hotovely suggesting that the moves are “a severe blow to Israel’s credibility as a democracy, as are the threats being made by ruling party officials against opposition members. ”
They add:”This is not the behaviour of those who believe in a strong democracy; it is the behaviour of those intent on placing short-term political considerations above the founding principles of the state.
“We want to see Israel’s democracy thriving, but these moves will shatter Israel’s oft-declared pride in being the only democracy in the region.”
The letter also raises the spectre of what JLM fear is “perpetual occupation” in the West Bank.
JLM say this “rots the foundations and soul of Israel; as it continues, lives are lost in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, with little hope for change.”
They continue in the letter:” All inhabitants of the West Bank and Gaza deserve their civil rights and the aspiration to those rights under a Palestinian state.
“We cannot let the door slam shut on a two state solution to the conflict; but this looks all too possible under this new government with the long term consequences of perpetual occupation that will destroy the Jewish and Democratic Israel we know and love.”
Declaring themselves to be “proud Zionists” as well as leaders of the largest party political grouping within the British Jewish community, the JLM officials also express grave concern about open homophobia within Netanyahu’s coalition.
“Civil rights and respect for LGBT+ people are also something of which Israel can rightly be proud,” they write.
“However, the position of Avi Maoz MK within the government threatens this. Maoz and his party, Noam, are openly homophobic. So too are hispartners in the Religious Zionism Party with Bezalel Smotrich saying ‘Listen, [the voter] knows I’m [against LGBTQs]. It doesn’t matter to them’
“Maoz’s position in the coalition is unacceptable and an insult to Israel’s LGBT+ community.”
The letter also raises further concerns about the questioning of “who is or is not a Jew”, and over the appointment of Itamar Ben-Gvir as minister for national security which JLM say “demonstrates a complete disregard within Netanyahu’s government, for Palestinians and Israeli Palestinian-Arabs.”
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