More than 100 student leaders back suspension of JNF UK schemes over chair’s ‘Islamophobia and bigotry’

More than 100 school and student leaders have backed a call to suspend all programmes run by the JNF UK, in response to the “Islamophobia and bigotry” displayed by the charity’s chairman Samuel Hayek.

An open letter, currently signed by 105 Jewish student and youth group representatives, was sent to the trustees of the UK’s oldest Israel charity on Monday evening.

Amongst the signatories on the letter were current Union of Jewish Students president Nina Freedman, Joel Rosen, who will replace her next year, alongside leading figures in Bristol, Warwick, Oxford and Cambridge JSocs, amongst many others.

Ex-students from JFS and Yavneh College also sign the letter, along with members of the Habonim Dror, LJY-Netzer and Noam Masorti Youth movements.

Quoting comments made by Hayek to the Jewish News and Jerusalem Post, in which he suggested the future of Jews in the UK was threatened as a result of Muslim immigration, and also claims that Islam was a violent religion, the letter’s signatories agreed JNF UK’s work “has been firmly entrenched in our childhoods: many of us have fundraised for the JNF, we have given tzedakah to the JNF, and we have toured parts of Israel with the JNF. ”

But it then warned: “However, now we are gravely concerned about these comments and of JNF UK’s complete inaction on the matter.

“Our communal institutions, schools and youth movements have taught us Jewish values of ‘loving thy neighbour’, and Hayek’s comments are the antithesis of this. ”

The signatories, who continue to grow in number and include former UJS president Hannah Rose, then stated:”We will not sit idly by as Islamophobia and bigotry is tolerated at the heart of British Jewry.

“As such, until such a time that the JNF has proved itself to be serious about responding to these comments, we will:

“1. Ask our schools and Jewish societies to suspend further programming run by the JNF UK – such as the 6th Form Programme in JFS and Yavneh College – refuse to take part in it ourselves, and educate our peers on the truth about JNF UK.

“2. Encourage our youth movements to have no further contact with the JNF and associated organisations.

“3. Ask the Board of Deputies to suspend the JNF’s membership which brings our community into disrepute. ”

It ended by warning:”As a community, we not only expect zero tolerance of antisemitism, but all forms of hatred.

“We, the future of British Jewry, do not feel represented by the JNF, and will not be linked to Samuel Hayek’s comments or – by association – the JNF. ”

The letter was accompanied by a further call for action from current Union of Jewish Students president Nina Freedman who wrote in an online article how “Islamophobia has a dangerously strong grip in parts of our community.”

In the article, published on the UJS website, Freedman added:”Let me put it in very simple terms: we are not doing enough to counter the scourge of Islamophobia within our community.

“For too long, people have turned a blind eye to the obvious prejudice of some of our peers.

“It is truly disappointing that it has taken a senior community figure’s hurtful comments for this conversation to come to the fore, but now that it has, it will not go away, and we should use this as an opportunity for education, for self-reflection, and most importantly for making real and long-lasting change within our community.

“Racism of course must have no place in our Jewish student community. As UJS President, I pledge to continue to call out racism, bigotry and hatred wherever I see it, and to take an active stance against such prejudice.”

A further short statement from one of the creators of the letter, Jack Lubner, a member of the UJS National Council and a Cambridge J-Soc committee member added: “As Jews, we are sadly all too familiar with the incendiary danger of prejudice, conspiracy theories and racial hatred. When we have been attacked, we have rightfully appealed to those outside our communities to stand with us and be our allies.

“We expect support from other parts of society because we hope they see the bigger picture: that racism that starts with one minority never ends with one minority. This holds true for Jews and Muslims – we have a responsibility to each other.

“That’s why a group of us wrote this open letter calling for the resignation of Samuel Hayek from his position as Chairman of the JNF UK.

“It has been signed by people across the political and religious spectrum, including past and present Jewish student leaders.

“Whether we grew up in LJY-Netzer or spent our summers with B’nei Akiva, all of us recognise our shared responsibility to take concrete action on racism wherever we find it – and that includes our own community.”

You can view the letter here.