By Isi Leibler
The shocking details are outlined below.
However, a review of the background needs to be related in order to set this shameful episode in its proper context.
Let me state at the outset that I have never met with Davis, who also heads the Jewish Leadership Council (JLC), an unelected body comprising primarily of wealthy Jews who purport to speak on behalf of the Anglo-Jewish community.
Despite the fact that Davis refers to me as the “mad Australian,” I hold no personal animus against him.
I did however previously criticize him as a purported senior Jewish communal leader for engaging in what I considered to be outrageous statements relating to Israel.
Late last year, Davis called on British Jews to criticize Israel and had the chutzpah to censure the Israeli prime minister for lacking the courage “to promote the peace process.” He also employed the terminology of Israel’s enemies, predicting an “apartheid state” unless Israel changed its policies.
His most contemptible remark, quoted in the Jewish Chronicle which will continue haunting him, was the arrogant assertion that “the government of Israel has to recognize that there are actions which impact directly on us as Jews living in the UK…When they do good things, it is good for us: when they do bad things, it is bad for me…The impact on me is as significant as it is on Jews living in Israel… I trust them to recognize this.”
Davis made these remarks in the UK, a country in which demonization and delegitimization of Israel is at an all-time high and has now emerged as the global center of the BDS (boycott, divestment, sanctions) campaign against Israel.
IN ANY self-respecting Diaspora Jewish community, even a mining tycoon like Davis making such outrageous remarks while holding a mainstream leadership position, would have been obliged to withdraw them and apologize or resign.
In the US, despite the fact that Jewish leaders are considered more liberal than their European counterparts, no mainstream Jewish leader would conceivably continue in office after making such offensive remarks.
However, Davis – supported by his acolytes – retained his position.
He was recently in Israel to receive an honorary doctorate from Bar-Ilan University.
During his visit, he participated in a Knesset subcommittee meeting headed by Einat Wilf of Independence, to discuss UK Jewry’s response to the intensifying anti- Israeli and anti-Semitic onslaughts which have grown exponentially in recent years.
Davis conceded that BDS had become somewhat of a threat but substantially understated the prevalence of anti-Semitism in the country. To bolster his case, he somewhat weirdly claimed that the chief rabbi spoke on television for 10 minutes while the queen did so for only five minutes. Thankfully, his views were sharply contested by other Anglo-Jewish representatives.
He also boasted that the anti-Semitic candidate for mayor, Ken Livingstone, who kowtowing to Muslims had undertaken to make London a “beacon” for Islam, had been narrowly defeated. He omitted to mention that his JLC had assisted Livingstone in drafting a letter designed to placate the Jewish community. He also failed to mention that the JLC had pressured Jewish students to cancel lectures by Brooke Goldstein, an expert on lawfare, and pro-Israel Muslim Kasim Hafeez on the grounds that such speakers would “disrupt” interfaith relations and create tensions.
All of this is taking place against the background of an unprecedented breakdown in relations between the Jewish community and the Church of England. Its Synod this month dismissed pleas from the Jewish Board of Deputies, interfaith groups and the chief rabbi and endorsed an extremely anti-Israeli Christian-Arab body (EAPPI).
In the debate, the Archbishop of Canterbury drew a parallel between the Holocaust and Israeli checkpoints stating “half an hour at Yad Vashem will persuade you, if you need persuading, why Israel needs to exist securely. Half an hour at a checkpoint will persuade you, if you need persuading, there are forms of security that are indefensible and unsustainable.”
To its great credit, the usually passive Board of Deputies responded with dignity, hopefully signaling that it is now adopting a more courageous and assertive stance in favor of Israel and Jewish issues. President Vivien Wineman retorted: “The Jewish community does not need lessons from the Anglican church on injustice and peace, themes which originated in our tradition. Moreover, to hear the debate at the Synod littered with references to ‘power lobbies,’ the money expended by the Jewish community, ‘Jewish sounding names’ and the actions of the community ‘bringing shame on the memory of victims of the Holocaust’ is deeply offensive and raises serious questions about the motivation of those behind his motion.”
It is in this torrid and hostile atmosphere that Mick Davis, head of the UJIA – an organization whose primary concern is to raise funds for Israel – saw fit to appoint as its principal spokesman Joe Millis, a far-left extremist who has publicly called for a boycott of goods from Israeli settlements, stressing that he includes east Jerusalem (The Old City and adjacent Jewish suburbs) in his boycott because it was unquestionably “occupied territory.”
WHEN CHALLENGED, Millis’ response was “Sue me.” He alleged that “Israel is being murdered in its sleep by zealots” and stated that “Israel isn’t Judaism. And it is becoming a footnote in history.”
Millis even went to the extent of accusing Israel of behaving like Iran or Syria, saying, “Just when people in neighboring countries are laying down their lives to create democracies, Israel wants to be Iran or Syria lite.”
Millis, who lived for a while in Israel and was employed by the Jewish media, is entitled to his abhorrent opinions – although even far-left groups like J Street would not publicly endorse such bilge.
But for Davis, chairman of the UJIA, who has himself already achieved notoriety for previous outbursts against Israel, to appoint such a person as principal spokesman for a key UK body engaged in Israel can only be described as an unconscionable act which no self-respecting Jewish community should tolerate.
Some of our non-Jewish friends are simply confounded by these antics. For example, Robin Shepherd – driven out of his position as a Senior Fellow at Chatham House for failing to toe the anti-Israeli line and who published A State beyond the Pale: Europe’s Problem with Israel, a brilliant book supporting the Jewish state – said he was genuinely shocked and perplexed.
Among other activities, he now publishes a widely read and highly respected Internet publication, “The Commentator.” When contacted about this issue he told me that as a devoted friend of Israel, he was very reluctant to become enmeshed in the internal affairs of Anglo-Jewry. But, he continued, “in all honesty, if Israel is now being compared to Syria’s Bashar Assad or the genocidal haters of Iran by the chief spokesman of the UJIA, what next? Truly, fresh from apartheid analogies, is it Nazi Germany analogies next? I am deeply saddened. To be honest I am at a loss to know what to say to you.”
If I were living in the UK, I would say enough is enough. I would hope that the vast majority of rank-and-file Jews, irrespective of political attitudes, will voice their outrage when they learn of this despicable appointment. Mr. Millis should be dismissed forthwith and Davis must apologize to the Jewish community or resign, or better still, do both.
The writer’s website can be viewed at www.wordfromjerusalem.com. He may be contacted at ileibler@netvision.net.il.
To Yamit and Shmuel HaLevi
I wish there was more emphasis in exposing the Labor-Zionist mentality. Since they were dominant when Israel fought for independence, there is still some kind of reverence for them.
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I was shocked when I first learned of the cult-like mentality in the early Kibbutzim.
It was degrading. Babies were taken away from their mothers, there was no privacy (men and women showered together), there was no personal property (they did not even own their own clothes). On top of that they were constantly indoctrinated.
I suppose their goal of settling Israel and making it an independent Jewish country was a noble one, but otherwise their philosophy was a soul-destroying one.
I have always wondered about the effect it had on them and on their Kibbutz children, who knew nothing else. What happened when they grew up and became leaders…. What kind of people they became …
Their actions with regards to religious Jews – as outlined by Shmuel – are coherent with that twisted mentality.
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The issue of corruption is a touchy one. On one of his A7 radio shows (now canceled), David Bedein mentioned one executive of a well known Jewish-American advocacy organization who had to resign when it became known that he was the recipient of an investment portfolio provided by the PA.
The PA has an entire department dedicated to providing monetary incentives to influential people.
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This subject needs more attention. There are some very wealthy Jews funding anti-Israel activities. Corruption might explain instances of otherwise unexplainable policies and timid Jewish advocacy abroad.
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And who needs corruption when the greed for profit can be enough. There are many Israeli companies doing brisk business with both the PA and Gaza. They have influence over government officials and they are promoters of the Two State solution.
The assertion of Lieblers leftist credentials lend even more importance and weight to the message in his article. It is important to be aware of this set of facts, I was not. There appears to be a never ending story of Jews steeped in their own visions of “what is best and what is right” coupled with the will to impose their views on other Jews. I think these assertions have more to do with personal opportunism, greed, arrogance, maintaining power and self love. The dilemma appears illustrated by a single coin; it has the two faces which exhibit the greatest visibility, appear to be opposites but are the same. Yet, the coins essence and meaning belongs to neither face but lies in an intangible realm in which all believe they have the sole understanding and none can demonstrate that their understanding is true. Heads, Tails, Neither, etc.? The effect always appears to wreak disunity and keep the Jews in confusion: in a tower of babel. Perhaps this is G_ds jewish joke. A reward for vanity and misuse of the mind?
The intrinsic corruption and ill will of the Labor Zionists against Eretz Israel has been a matter of record for decades. In the last 20 years in particular the foreigners passing a Zionists when they are in reality are equivalents ot the Judenrat traitors, feverishly proceeded to usurp leadership control of whole Galut Communities.
Having seen Oslo failing to deliver total destruction here, many of the worse renegades organized to perform the typical underhanded penetration into leadership roles overseas.
From its very inception the MAPAI-MAPAM aggregates represented an attempt to create a “new Jew” in their Stalinist collective farms ideological incubators. They meant to create guidelines to their acts meant to REPLACE Biblical Heritage and Icons with “post Jewish” figures such as replacing Moses with Hertzl and Yoshua Bin Nun with Ben Gurion, etc. The abandonment of Har Habait and sabotage of Yehudah, Shomron and Aza Zionist work was meant to destroy any possibility to counteract the “kibbutz” assimilation cauldrons.
Peace – Shmease would one say following the Ben Gurion style. Never for a moment that act of sabotage in Oslo and other locations were meant to produce peace. It was a set of procedures meant to concentrate violent attacks on true Zionist work and to cause thousands of demoralizing “victims of peace”.
The Oslo plan was conceived in flagrant violation of existing laws by outright criminals that did not stop at that but also bribed at least two MK’s to vote for the conspiratorial Oslo plot.
That element remains the most virulent enemy of the Jewish people and a Jewish State.
They must be set aside and in cases sent to face NEWLY ELECTED COURTS.
Many of the most stupid liberal Jews, including wealthy ones, believe (though they won’t admit it) that if they are meek enough and suck up enough, somehow anti-Semitism will go away. They are tragically wrong; giving concessions to anti-Semites and Muslims is like giving a bite or two to a shark. They just want more and more.
Comment in moderation? Again!! What now?
@ Canadian Otter:
Isi Leibler is an OLD Labor Zionist who moved to Israel from S. Africa after retirement from his very Capitalist Business. He is known for his anti religious Jewish views and was a supporter of OSLO, Annapolis, Madrid Conf and evacuation of Gush Katif etc..// and every agreement that weakened and shrunk Israel territorially. He condemns after the fact Terror and loss of lives but never takes responsibility for supporting politicians who implemented those murderous policies.
He is wedded to a 2 state solution and division of Jerusalem in the context of Peace agreements.
Sometimes he is correct in stating problems but his solutions usually are reduced to more of the same policies and leaders who have failed till now.
I have given up reading his articles a long time ago as he really has nothing new to add to what is known and has always been wrong in the past.
I think he should also retire from writing his Op Eds as well.
Cross-references:
1) Isi Leibler in 2008:
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2) Recent column by Lee Kaplan:
It’s hard to win against these odds, isn’t it?.
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3) Isi Leibler
Isi Leibler does not elaborate on this stunning assertion. He just adds a quote by Joseph Burg who feared radicalization among settlers.
Maybe someone could ask Mr Leibler to clarify or retract such comment.
This sums up the truly selfish motives of left-wing Jewicidals in the diaspora. They should be shunned and ignored by the Jewish community and by Israel.