‘Get back on the plane’: Board condemns London visit of far-right Israeli leader
UK Jewish groups distance themselves from Bezalel Smotrich after he said he was visiting to meet rabbis and community leaders
Michael Daventry is Jewish News’s foreign and broadcast editor
UK Jewish communal groups have distanced themselves from the visit of extremist Israeli politician Bezalel Smotrich, who announced his arrival in London earlier on Wednesday.
Smotrich, who leads the hard-right Religious Zionism Party in the Knesset, tweeted he was in Britain “for a series of meetings with rabbis, community leaders, and Jewish organisations”.
He held meetings with members of organisations including Mizrachi UK and Bnei Akiva.
But in a strongly worded rebuttal the Board of Deputies told him he was not welcome, adding: “Get back on the plane, Bezalel, and be remembered as a disgrace forever.”
אנו דוחים את דעותיו המתועבות ואת האידיאולוגיה אשר מעוררת שנאה של בצלאל סמוטריץ' וקוראים לכל חברי הקהילה היהודית הבריטית להראות לו את הדלת. תחזור למטוס בצלאל, ותהיה לדיראון עולם. אתה לא רצוי כאן.
— Board of Deputies of British Jews (@BoardofDeputies) February 9, 2022
The Board tweet said the far-right leader’s views “provokes hatred” and called on British Jews to “show him the door”.
The Jewish Leadership Council said in a statement: “We were not asked to meet Mr Smotrich but if we were, we would have declined.
“He has made clear through his divisive rhetoric and actions that he does not uphold the values of tolerance and equality which we pride ourselves on as a community.”
READ MORE:
- Hen Mazzig: The only abomination is Smotrich’s words and agenda
- Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner: British Jews refuse to be used as pawns for Israel’s far-right
The Zionist Federation added that Smotrich’s “far-right politics of hatred and division, whether the targets be the LGBTQ+ Community, Reform Jews or Arab-Israelis, have no place in this country nor in our community.”
Yachad, which campaigns for a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians, said Smotrich “openly calls for ethnic cleansing” and “should not be made welcome by any individual or organisation in the Jewish community”.
The anti-occupation group Na’amod added: “The Board’s condemnation of Smotrich must be backed up by action against those groups who bring our community into disrepute by meeting with him.”
The Israeli diaspora minister Nachman Shai, a member of the left-wing Labour Party, said Smotrich had been rejected by the UK Jewish community and should return home.
לסמוטריץ׳ אין מה לחפש בבריטניה, הקהילה שם כבר השמיעה את דעתה. לגזענות אין מקום בשום מקום.
תחזור הביתה.— נחמן שי- Nachman Shai (@DrNachmanShai) February 9, 2022
Bnei Akiva confirmed to Jewish News that two Bnei Akiva members did meet Smotrich, but that they did so “in an individual capacity without the knowledge of the movement, which was not informed of the meeting ahead of time.”
It added: “Bnei Akiva UK remains a politically non-partisan movement committed to educating our members towards tolerance and understanding in accordance with the ideals of Religious Zionism and Torah Va’Avodah.”
Smotrich is an Israeli ultranationalist who has opposed selling property to Arabs and spoken out against mixed marriages and LGBT rights.
He has also made remarks describing progressive streams of Judaism as a “fake religion”.
The entire UK Jewish community, I love you all!
— בצלאל סמוטריץ' (@bezalelsm) February 9, 2022
He is currently an ally of Benjamin Netanyahu, the former prime minister, although he has formed electoral alliances in the past with Naftali Bennett, the current premier.
He did not respond directly to the opposition to visit but tweeted later on Wednesday evening: “The entire UK Jewish community, I love you all!”
In a statement to Jewish News, Mizrachi UK said: “This week Mizrachi UK was invited to a meeting with Bezalel Smotrich. We saw the meeting as an opportunity to share details of our work with a Religious Zionist Member of Knesset and former Government Minister.
“We want to make it clear that the meeting should not be interpreted as an endorsement of any of Mr Smotrich’s previous statements. As a religious Zionist organisation, we reject prejudice of any kind.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “Hateful extremism has no place in our society.
“We are working closely with law enforcement, local communities and our international partners to tackle groups and individuals who sow division and hatred.”
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.
