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New York Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Kneecap Brings Pro-Palestinian Politics Back Onstage at Glastonbury
About 20 minutes into Kneecap's set at the Glastonbury music festival on Saturday, the Irish-language rap group stopped the show to discuss a topic that has made it one of Britain's most talked about — and infamous — pop acts. 'I don't have to lecture you people,' Mo Chara, one of the band's rappers, told tens of thousands of onlookers at the festival. 'Israel are war criminals,' he said. He then led the crowd in a chant of 'Free, free, Palestine.' Kneecap's set at Britain's largest music festival on Saturday was so popular that organizers had to shut access to the arena to stop overcrowding. But it came after two head-spinning months for the group. In April, Kneecap lost its U.S. visa sponsor after making anti-Israel statements at Coachella. The police in Britain then charged Mo Chara with a terrorism offense for displaying the flag of Hezbollah, the militant group based in Lebanon, onstage at a London show. Several festivals and venues dropped the band from their lineups. The Board of Deputies of British Jews wrote to Glastonbury urging it not to give Kneecap a platform that could make the band's views appear acceptable, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer said last week that it was 'not appropriate' for Kneecap to play at the festival, or for the BBC to broadcast the performance. (The BBC, which provides live coverage from Glastonbury, did not broadcast Kneecap's set, and the festival press office did not respond to a request for comment.) Yet unlike lawmakers, Jewish groups and prosecutors, few in the crowd on Saturday appeared to have concerns about the band or its politics. Amy Pepper, 46, a health worker from Northern Ireland, said the band was 'really inspirational, particularly for my kids.' She had seen Kneecap live several times before, she said. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Arab News
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Members of UK Jewish group to appeal punishments for Gaza war criticisms
LONDON: Dozens of representatives of the main organization representing Jews in the UK are appealing against disciplinary action taken against them after they criticized Israel's war on Gaza. The Board of Deputies of British Jews this week sanctioned 36 of its representatives after they signed a letter in April in which they said they could 'no longer remain silent' over the loss of life in Gaza. The board suspended five of the deputies for two years and reprimanded the remaining 31 for breaching its code of conduct. The reprimanded members said on Thursday they would appeal against the decision, and continued to voice concerns about the conflict, The Guardian newspaper reported. In a group statement, they said they 'remain deeply concerned about the remaining hostages, the appalling humanitarian crisis and ongoing war in Gaza and the further deteriorating situation in the West Bank.' They added that they stand in solidarity with the majority of Israelis who want an immediate end to the war in Gaza, and there was 'no justification for the continuing misery and destruction being wrought on Gazan civilians.' When it announced the punishments on Tuesday, the Board of Deputies said the letter was 'neither authorized by the board nor did the signatories share it with the organization before sending to the Financial Times.' It had received various complaints about the letter and the media coverage that followed, it added. The five signatories suspended for two years were removed from any elected positions they held. They were handed more severe punishments than the others because they had 'contributed to the misleading press release,' the board said, and made public statements relating to the letter. The remaining 31 deputies who signed the letter but did not promote it received a 'notice of criticism' and were warned they would face suspension if they were involved in any similar incidents. One of the five suspended members, Harriett Goldenberg, was vice chair of the board's international division. She told The Guardian: 'So many Jews in the UK agreed with our sadly groundbreaking letter. We were inundated with thanks from those who said we represented them, and that we were their voice. It is tragic that voice is still needed.' The Board of Deputies is the largest representative body for Jews in the UK, with 300 deputies who are elected by synagogues and communal organizations.
The National
25-06-2025
- Politics
- The National
UK's largest Jewish body suspends five members after criticism of Israel
The UK's largest representative body for British Jews has suspended five of its members who wrote an open letter criticising Israel's military campaign in Gaza. The Board of Deputies of British Jews investigated 36 members who signed the letter which was published in the Financial Times in April, and found them to be in breach of the code of conduct. In the board's conclusions published on Tuesday, it said that the members had 'misled' the public in presenting the letter as an 'official document of the board as a whole'. Five deputies who were seen to have promoted the letter further after its publication will be suspended for two years, with three of them given a change to shorten the suspension to six months. The remaining cosignatories were issued a formal caution. The group of five were not named in the statement, but they are said to be surprised and hurt by the outcome, as they had hoped their letter would push the board to present a wider range of views within the community on the Israel-Gaza conflict. The investigating panel stressed that the breach was not due to the 'content of the letter' but to the 'behaviour of the signatories', who had actively promoted it. The panel also said its team had spent 'considerable time' contacting media outlets to correct the coverage of the letter, which had been portrayed as an official statement from the board. 'We are a democratic organisation that welcomes debate, diversity and free speech. Managing diversity of opinion within our organisation depends on our Code of Conduct,' said Michael Wegier, the board's chief executive. 'That code ensures deputies do not create misunderstandings about the position of the board or its members, do not bring the institution into disrepute, and treat one another and the institution with respect.' The BoD's members are elected by their synagogues, charities and other Jewish organisations as representatives. The letter caused significant outrage and debate when it was published, prompting a large number of complaints to the BoD. Daniel Grossman, one of the letter's signatories who resigned from the board in May, said the decision risked undermining faith in the BoD – which has historically been the main representative of the Jewish community to the UK government. 'It will show to more deputies that change from within is quite futile, and if you try to speak out you get suspended,' Mr Grossman told The National. The letter had led to more hardline support from the BoD for Israel's military campaigns in Gaza and Iran. 'If anything they've double down on their support,' Mr Grossman said, pointing to its recent statements on the escalation in Iran. Though debates about the war are commonplace among British Jews, the 36 members were criticised for 'airing dirty laundry' in public. The tension shattered an image of unity which the Board of Deputies has sought to project. The letter's supporters say it emerged out of frustration for the BoD's ardent support of the war, which they said was no longer representative for many British Jews. They also pointed to growing support in Israel for a hostage deal with Hamas, including from the victims' families, and opposition to the Israeli military's resumption of hostilities when the first stage of the ceasefire ended in March. The signatories in the April letter wrote that their 'Jewish values compel us to stand up and to speak out'. 'We know in our hearts we cannot turn a blind eye or remain silent at [the] renewed loss of life and livelihoods, with hopes dwindling for a peaceful reconciliation and the return of the hostages,' they said in the letter. 'Israel's soul is being ripped out and we, members of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, fear for the future of the Israel we love and have such close ties to.'
The Guardian
24-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Five deputies to biggest British Jewish body suspended over Israel criticisms
Five elected representatives to the largest body representing British Jews have been suspended for two years after criticising the Israeli government's actions in Gaza. All 36 signatories to an open letter published in April have been found to have breached the Board of Deputies' code of conduct after a two-month investigation. The letter said 'Israel's soul is being ripped out' by military action that renewed in March, and that the signatories could no longer 'turn a blind eye or remain silent' on the issue. It caused a furore within the UK's Jewish community amid growing divisions over the war and distress at the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza. Statements from the Board of Deputies issued since the war began after the atrocities committed by Hamas on 7 October 2023 have been broadly supportive of the Israeli government's actions. The board released the findings of its investigation on Tuesday evening. It said that 'many media outlets, individuals and other community stakeholders initially understood [the letter] to be a statement of the board'. Its code of conduct required deputies not to misrepresent the position of the board and not to bring the institution into disrepute, it added. The investigative panel unanimously found the 36 signatories to be in breach of the code. After considering the panel's findings, the board's executive body decided to send a 'notice of criticism' to 31 of the 36 signatories. But five deputies have been suspended from the board for two years and, where applicable, removed from elected positions. In three cases, the suspension may be reduced to six months 'by way of apology to affected parties', the board said. Michael Wegier, its chief executive, said: 'We are a democratic organisation that welcomes debate, diversity and free speech. Managing diversity of opinion within our organisation depends on our code of conduct. 'That code ensures deputies do not create misunderstandings about the position of the board or its members, do not bring the institution into disrepute, and treat one another and the institution with respect.' The letter, published by the Financial Times on 16 April and signed by about one in eight of the board's elected representatives, said: 'The inclination to avert our eyes is strong, as what is happening is unbearable, but our Jewish values compel us to stand up and to speak out.' It added: 'We know in our hearts we cannot turn a blind eye or remain silent at [the] renewed loss of life and livelihoods, with hopes dwindling for a peaceful reconciliation and the return of the hostages. 'This most extremist of Israeli governments is openly encouraging violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, strangling the Palestinian economy and building more new settlements than ever … Israel's soul is being ripped out and we, members of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, fear for the future of the Israel we love and have such close ties to.' The signatories said: 'We stand against the war … It is our duty, as Jews, to speak out.' The board launched its investigation after receiving an unspecified number of complaints about the letter. Many of the complaints reportedly came from members of the United Synagogue, the largest communal denomination in the UK. Most of the letter's signatories belong to Reform, Liberal or Masorti communities.
The Independent
21-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Why allegations of BBC bias on Israel are becoming hard to reconcile
In April 2006 I was visited in my office by Gerald Ronson, a businessman perhaps best known at the time for spending a stretch in jail on assorted charges of conspiracy, false accounting and theft. He did not pause to take his overcoat off before launching into a diatribe: 'I've always said opinions are like arseholes, everyone's got one,' he pronounced, before adding: 'I am in favour of free speech but there is a line which can't be crossed and, as far as I am concerned, you've crossed it, and you must stop this!' Ronson was not protesting about our analysis of his chequered business career, but about our coverage of Israel. With him was the then-president of the Board of Deputies, which is sometimes presented as representing the view of British Jews. It is not clear why anyone thought that Ronson would be a persuasive advocate. Over time attempts to influence British media became more sophisticated. A number of 'media monitoring groups' with bland-sounding names were established with the explicit purpose of microscopically examining every word, every picture, every inch of footage – and duly pronouncing much coverage to be biased against Israel. In parallel, selected journalists would be invited on all-expenses-paid trips to Israel to be 'briefed.' Not so long ago I myself was asked by a popular columnist if I'd like to go on such a trip – and gradually became aware that a number of distinguished journalists appeared to have seized a similar opportunity without declaring the source of funding or acknowledging the arrangements behind the briefings. The BBC has been a particular target. It is close to an article of faith for some – maybe even many – that the BBC is biased. Biased against the right, biased against Brexit, biased against ordinary working people. And biased against Israel. But not only the BBC. Sky TV is, according to one David Collier, 'a pro-terrorist propaganda channel.' But then Mr Collier has a dystopian view of the future of British Jews, tweeting recently: 'Relax. We will all be gone soon. British Jews, Israeli business. chased out by an increasingly hostile UK. And when you all sit here in a 3rd world country with an Islamic flag over Downing St. you can let us know whether it was a good idea or not.' Now Mr Collier is a dogged researcher, recently shedding light on serious flaws in a BBC documentary on Gaza. For many years he worked in hospitality and tourism, but is now an investigative journalist. He told the Times of Israel recently: 'What [The BBC] have is an engine room full of activist journalists all desperately falling over each other trying to outdo each other in finding new ways to demonise Israel.' Another prominent critic of the BBC is an English / Israeli lawyer called Trevor Asserson, who recently garnered headlines in the UK press after commissioning a report, compiled by Israeli lawyers which claimed to identify a total of 1,553 breaches of the BBC's editorial guidelines in its coverage of Israel. The report was seized on by former BBC executive Danny Cohen, as demonstrating an 'institutional crisis' at the corporation. Cohen himself has founded, and chairs, the blandly-titled UK Media Research Counc il [UKMRC}, which employs a number of former Mail on Sunday and Telegraph journalists. According to Private Eye, which has been unable to establish who funds the body, it admits to 'focusing particularly on antisemitism and what they consider to be an anti-Israel narrative in the media.' Cohen himself collaborated with yet another blandly-named media monitoring outfit, Camera UK, to produce yet one more report highlighting alleged BBC bias against Israel. All this stuff is lapped up by those news organisations which instinctively rally to the Israeli cause or (an overlapping group) despise the BBC. So it was a little uncomfortable for some journalists this week when a 188-page report was published claiming to show that, far from being biased against Israel, the BBC was, in fact, biased towards Israel. The report, published on Monday, was endorsed by a number of prominent figures, including the admirable Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, former chair of the Conservative Party and the first Muslim woman to serve in a British Cabinet. She wrote: 'This is no cherry-picked critique. It is a comprehensive, evidence-based indictment that cannot be ignored.' But, of course, it was ignored. The findings included claims that the BBC humanises Israeli casualties and dehumanises Palestinian ones; that Palestinian deaths make fewer headlines; that there is an extreme imbalance in reporting fatalities; that the BBC doesn't treat Palestinian sympathisers fairly; and that the context and history of the conflict is underplayed. It argues that the BBC suppresses or minimises allegations of genocide and underreports attacks on press freedom. And so on. You may agree, or disagree, with any of the above. But it's unlikely you will be aware of it. As far as I can tell no mainstream news organisation thought it was worth so much as an inch of coverage. It sank without trace. The report was praised by the former Mail and Telegraph political columnist and now award-winning blogger, Peter Oborne, as 'an outstanding and thorough examination off BBC coverage.' This cut no ice with David Collier, who tweeted: 'It is, at best, a piece of risible, inaccurate junk.' In another post, he noted that the bland-sounding organisation which had published it , The Centre for Media Monitoring, was funded by the Muslim Council for Britain (MCB). 'What a pile of absolute garbage,' he scoffed. Some critiqued that the authors had used large language models [LLMs] to help their research. They were less bothered by Trevor Asserson's use of ChatGPT to help produce his own report. Now, it would be surprising if the MCB were to sponsor a report showing the BBC was anti-Israel. Equally, hell might have to freeze over before Messrs Collier, Asserson or Cohen would come to the conclusion that the BBC was institutionally biased towards Israel. But there is some worrying asymmetry involved here. The bland-sounding pro-Israel groups are simply more numerous and better-resourced than any bland-sounding pro-Palestinian group. They have more willing amplifiers in the mainstream media. Over the years narratives are constructed and take root. And when someone comes along with a counter-narrative they are ignored. It would be unkind to call it GroupThink but there is, at the very least, a lack of balance. Which, of course, is the accusation thrown at the BBC. It all makes one rather nostalgic for Gerald Ronson and his homilies about arseholes. You knew where you were.
