Photo courtesy of the BBC. Dr Kenneth Collins: President of the Glasgow Jewish Representative Council

Glasgow Jewish Rep Council backs SFI move to highlight Chief Rabbi’s concerns on anti-Semitism. At the recent AGM of the Glasgow Jewish Representative Council, the delegates representing the various Jewish groups associated with the council overwhelmingly supported a motion on the concern for the rise in anti-Semitism, initially proposed by the Scottish Friends of Israel Media Response Group.

The SFI motion;

That the Glasgow Jewish Representative Council (GJRC), and affiliated delegates thereto, recognises and concurs with the recent statement by Dr Jonathan Sacks, the Chief Rabbi, that "what we are witnessing today is the second great mutation of anti Semitism in modern times, from racial anti Semitism to religious anti-Zionism with the added premise that all Jews are Zionists. It uses all the medieval myths… The mutation is this; that the worst crimes of anti-Semites in the past, - racism, ethnic cleansing, attempted genocide, crimes against humanity - are now attributed to the Jews and the state of Israel". And calls upon the President and executive officers of the GJRC to take steps to ensure that the Glasgow Jewish Community is fully cognisant with this fact, highlighted the concern Dr Sacks has for the alarming rise in anti-Semitism, but the GJRC Executive considered an amendment to the motion, proposed by its President Dr Kenneth Collins and accepted by majority, to have improved clarity.

The final draft;

That the Glasgow Jewish Representative Council (GJRC), and affiliated delegates thereto, recognises and concurs with the statement of 2002 by Dr Jonathan Sacks, the Chief Rabbi, published as A New Anti-Semitism? In the book of that name, edited by Paul Iganski and Barry Kosmin. And calls upon the President and executive officers of the GJRC to take steps to ensure that the Glasgow Jewish Community is fully cognisant with this fact.

Was overwhelmingly carried by 16 for, with 2 against.

It is now expected that the GJRC President and Executive will ensure that the Glasgow Jewish Community is indeed aware of the Chief Rabbi’s concerns.

Why?
The Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom, Jonathan Sacks

Why, after 57 years and more of seeking peace, is Israel still seen as the aggressor?
Why, after ten years of negotiation, in which the Palestinians were offered their own state in all of Gaza, 97% of the West Bank, with a capital in East Jerusalem, is Israel still seen as the sole obstacle to peace?
Why, in a world in which there are 57 Islamic states and something like 100 Christian ones, is the desire of the Jewish people to have just one state of its own seen as - God forbid - racist or exclusionary? full speech...

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