An umbrella group of the organized Jewish communities in Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States held a “frank and direct” conversation with Ed Miliband, the British foreign secretary, according to the leaders of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.
Betsy Berns Korn and William Daroff, chair and CEO respectively of the Conference of Presidents, a U.S. member of the J7-Large Communities’ Task Force Against Antisemitism, told JNS that “we called him to task for the U.K. government’s sanctions against Israel and its rhetoric, which exacerbate antisemitism and increase the risks Jewish communities face.”
“We made clear that these consequences cannot be brushed aside,” the two leaders told JNS.
The J7 stated on Monday that its members talked with the British official about “ the sharp rise in global antisemitism, the threat posed by the Iranian regime and its proxies, the growing proliferation of online hate and the continued demonization of Israel.”
Some of the problematic rhetoric “from many of those in elected office and public life” too often “serves as a vehicle for antisemitic rhetoric, incitement and behavior,” the group told Miliband.
The British official has come under fire from Jewish organizations for his focus on Israel and on banning products produced in eastern Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria. London considers those to be “occupied.”
The J7 said the British government’s position has a “detrimental impact” on the country and its Jews.
Miliband has said he is “a proud British Jew, someone with the deepest gratitude to the State of Israel for giving a home to my grandmother after she lost her husband, my grandfather, and 60 other family members at the hands of the Nazis.”
He has also said that his criticism of Israel comes as someone “proud of my Jewishness and unwavering in my support for the State of Israel.”
The J7 thanked Miliband for stating his “abhorrence” of the Green Party’s recent motion against Zionism and “his affirmation of the importance of the IHRA definition of antisemitism.”
“Antisemitism has no place in our society,” Miliband stated of the meeting. “This morning, I hosted a crucial discussion with the J7 Global Task Force to discuss how we can work together across countries to stamp out the scourge of antisemitism.”
