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Israeli minister’s UK visit heightens communal rift
Chikliophobia • Amichai Chikli booed and
heckled by furious protesters
• JW3 abruptly disinvites far-right
minister after ‘internal pressure’
• ‘Frank and frosty’ meetings held • Board of Deputies president with Jewish community leaders
by Lee Harpin lee@jewishnews.co.uk @lmharpin
The Israeli diaspora minister’s first visit to the UK in the role this week was marred by bitter protests, fraught talks with community leaders and being barred by the JW3 community centre. Jewish News understands that Tuesday’s
Israel’s diaspora minister Amichai Chikli
scheduled engagement at JW3, during a two-day visit to the UK, was called off at the 11th hour following “internal pressure” and “long-running concerns”. These centre on Chikli’s record of making inflammatory statements promoting “vitriol” against protesters opposing Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul, his record of speaking out against reform Jews and LGBT equality and spreading conspiracy theories and anti-Palestinian rhetoric. Protesters from the Defend Israeli Democracy UK group had been scheduled – as part of a number of anti-Chikli demonstrations planned to challenge Chikli’s presence to gather outside JW3 – to show their disapproval of the Likud government minister ahead of his Tuesday afternoon visit. However, sources confirmed to Jewish News that JW3 bosses had faced growing questions and “internal pressure” about the decision to allow such a divisive political figure to go ahead with a visit to the community centre. One insider confirmed: “It was internal pressure that eventually led to the visit being cancelled.” Chikli later held meetings at the Israeli embassy headquarters in west London with representatives from the Board of Deputies, the Jewish Leadership Council, the Community Security Trust, the Union of Jewish
avoids being pictured with him
Anger in the air: Protesters make their views known as Chikli (wearing a white shirt) arrives for a meeting at the headquarters of the Jewish Agency in north London
Students and the Reform, Liberal and Masorti movements. Protesters from Defend Israeli Democracy UK, and from Jewish youth groups including Noam Masorti Youth, RSY Netzer and Habonim were present throughout the day, openly expressing their opposition both to the Netanyahu government and to Chikli’s lengthy record of inflammatory rhetoric. Board of Deputies president Marie van der Zyl and chief executive Michael Wegier were among those to “stress how the Israeli government’s planned judicial overhaul had
sparked significant concern among many in the community in this country”. Van der Zyl said that at the meeting: “We made it clear that British Jews have a deep love of Israel, which is why it is so painful to see the deep internal divisions which have risen to the surface there.” It is understood their conversation with Chikli also focused on the pressures faced by the Israeli LGBT community, the rights of reform Jews in Israel and the severe challenges facing Arab citizens of Israel. The two Board representatives urged the Continued on page 2