Marie van der Zyl, the recently elected president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, is a feisty, committed Zionist. She has followed in the path of her predecessor, Jonathan Arkush, in publicly confronting and condemning the vile anti-Semitism of Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Having said that, she seems to have lost her bearings earlier this year in the wake of a demonstration by about 50 young protestors who, having the chutzpah to describe themselves as "Zionists," recited kaddish for Palestinians killed as they sought to break into Israel with murderous intent, many of whom were proudly identified as Hamas activists.
This demonstration received massive media coverage and most British Jews were outraged and ashamed, many expressing anger, including some vulgar outbursts.
To her credit, van der Zyl condemned the demonstrators' behavior. In fact, she has consistently defended Israel's defensive measures against terrorists.
Because of her stand, the far-left group Yachad criticized the Board of Deputies for releasing an "ill-conceived and unnuanced" statement and leaders of the Liberal Judaism movement termed it "unilateral and ill-judged."
So far, so good. However, presumably to appease the more radical elements in her constituency, van der Zyl then lambasted the criticism of the "Kaddish for Gaza" group and felt compelled to add that "the tone and tenor of some comments have bordered on hateful and abusive."
But what is wrong in castigating ignorant Jews who not only publicly identify with those seeking to murder us but even commemorate them by reciting kaddish – a sacred prayer invoked for the dead? And what is wrong with hating those who defend our murderers? Most of us do hate murderous anti-Semites and their supporters. I do not apologize and am not embarrassed to say that I despise anyone, especially deviant Jews, who shamelessly defend those who would murder me or carry out genocide against Jews anywhere in the world.
It was in this context that, earlier this year, van der Zyl impassionately told a gathering of Board of Deputies delegates, "As a community, we cannot afford to be divided in these times." She added, "We can have disagreements, but we have to do it in a space where we can maintain respect and relations with each other." But who wants civil discourse or display respect for those who defend our would-be murderers?
Others claim that we should retain such people in the "big tent" and engage them in respectful dialogue to promote unity and harmony. But the presence of the defenders of anti-Jewish murderers transforms the big tent into a cesspool.
It gets worse. Some of these kaddish reciters were delegates to the Board of Deputies. How that could happen in a committed Jewish community? It makes a bad joke of the Board claiming to represent British Jews.
At the June meeting of the Board, van der Zyl expressed pleasure and welcomed the "elected" delegates, requesting that "they should be treated with respect and not personally abused."
No doubt that classifies me as intolerant to those who believe in respectful dialogue with those defending our killers. I take pride in not seeking to display tolerance to those who justify the killing of fellow Jews and if my views are regarded by the bleeding hearts as fanatical or prejudiced, so be it.
Van der Zyl calls for unity irrespective of the circumstances. Would she take a similar attitude to a Jew espousing racism or supporting fascism? Would it be obligatory to welcome such people and ask that they be treated with respect? A Board delegate who expressed broad anti-Muslim sentiments was neither treated with respect nor welcomed – and rightly so. In fact, in contrast to the Hamas apologists, investigations were made as to how the Board could "constitutionally expel him."
The Board of Deputies should indeed call for unity in the Jewish community. Not merely against the burgeoning anti-Semitism in the Labour party but also in support of the IDF's efforts to defend Israeli citizens from terrorists – an attitude shared by virtually all Israelis of all political persuasions.
The Board of Deputies now rightfully calls on Corbyn to retract his anti-Semitic outbursts or resign. One of the most contemptible acts (among many others) of Corbyn was his laying a wreath on the graves of Palestinian mass murderers. In this context, is it not bizarre and utterly inconsistent for the Board to "welcome" into its ranks those who recite kaddish for terrorists and even call on fellow Jews to "respect" them?
There do not appear to have been bitter protests by the rank and file for such behavior. This shows, sadly, that Anglo-Jewry or at least its leaders lack a moral compass. If they fail to reject from their midst those embracing terrorists intent on murdering Jews, they should not be surprised to find that such sentiments become legitimate discourse, not only in the Labour party led by an unrepentant anti-Semite but also within the Jewish community.
