Middle East Minister Alistair Burt backs Yachad’s anti-demolitions campaign
Alistair Burt urges critics of the Israel's policies in the West Bank to “continue to speak out”
Middle East Minister Alistair Burt has told a Jewish audience that campaigns against Israeli West Bank demolitions “have been instrumental in halting some activity up to now” and urged critics of the country’s policies in the region to “continue to speak out”.
Burt was keynote speaker at Yachad’s gala dinner on Sunday, speaking to an audience of 200. He stated his support for the organisation, which he described as a “moderate voice in
a world which is exceptionally binary”.
During the evening, he met the student activists involved in the
#DontSettleForThis campaign – the drive against demolitions of Palestinian villages in the West Bank.
He said the government considers these demolitions “unacceptable” and praised the students for “raising awareness of this within the Jewish community and beyond”.
Dr Izzeldin Abuelaish, a Palestinian peace activist who lost his three daughters during the 2008-2009 Gaza War, also spoke at the event.
Yachad’s director Hannah Weisfeld said: “The minister’s support of our
work and desire to see a moderate and pragmatic debate about Israel is very encouraging.”
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.
