Did you hear the one about the Rabbi, the Ambassador, the former Prime Minister and the Goy?
The Board of Deputies’ 250th Anniversary Gala Dinner was a wonderful evening. It was lovely to see so many people, including OyVaGoy readers, who I have never met before.
The speeches were mostly great, too.
You can read Chancellor George Osborne’s speech here. It was an interesting speech, though I found this passage a little baffling:
“There are very few Jews, anywhere in the world, whose lives, through their families, haven’t been touched by the politics of totalitarians and the crimes of dictators. This country’s proudest boast is that here, in Britain, in our land, refugees found a home. Here they lived in peace. Here they rebuilt their lives.”
I was waiting for him to acknowledge the other side of the coin – that Britain was in fact the final country in western Europe to accept Jewish immigrants, and the first to expel Jewish people. You can read Melanie Phillips’ thoughtful response to his speech here.
More positively, he said that there will be “legislation published very shortly” to end the obscenity of universal jurisdiction. “We have waited long enough, politicians have talked long enough, it is time to act. And act we will.” I will believe it when I see it. So far David ‘Prison Camp’ Cameron and William ‘Disproportionate’ Hague have been a massive disappointment when it comes to Israeli matters.
A man who has been nothing short of magnificent on such matters is the former Prime Minister Tony Blair. I was overjoyed to hear him speak at the Dinner, as he is a major hero of mine. His speech was witty, wonderful and powerful. The stand-out moment for me came when he said “People often refer to me as a friend of Israel. It’s not always meant as a compliment, but I take it as a compliment”.
I know just what he means!
Other oratorical highlights of the evening included my friend’s Simon Sacerdoti’s speech of thanks to George Osborne. As Simon returned to our table having given the speech I did my best to bask in the reflected glory. Then it was time to mingle…
Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks has long been an inspiration to me. He’s such a magnificent writer, speaker and thinker. I find his reflections powerful, thought-provoking and guiding. So I was delighted to meet him. I loved how excited he got about the fact that I am, like he, an Arsenal fan.
Then it was time to meet his excellency, Mr Ron Prossor, the Israeli ambassador to Britain. I use the full description out of respect but I was delighted to find that, just like Lord Sacks, he could not be more friendly and down to earth. In fact, he is a really cool dude is Ron!
And here I am, listening to my hero Tony Blair – look how close we were. What a wonderful man. Britain, the Middle East and the whole world needs another leader like him. I hope we one day see his like again.
Good speeches, but the food could have been better.
I assumed the food was a joke, right?
What, a Jewish “do” with poor food….you should have sent out for a take away! Seriously though, I think that Osbourne speaks with a forked tongue…not as obvious as Cameron and Haig…but not less dangerous for lack of understanding the situation than them. I do envy you meeting some of my heroes though!
You apparently missed this part of Osbourne’s speech:
“Like many, many people in this room we want to see the Israeli Government negotiate peace, and we urge upon them an end to settlement building, and an opening up of Gaza.”
See: http://www.spectator.co.uk/melaniephillips/6490304/israels-false-friend.thtml
I didn’t miss any part.
You don’t think that part is worth commenting on?
I am glad you brought it up and have added a link to Melanie’s post. Thanks.
Thanks for adding the link. I do agree that the speech was “interesting”, he did make a lot of positive noises too but of course he had to be nice to his hosts. Do you know if he was paid?
Accepting the meme that “settlements are the obstacle to peace” is indicative of the thrust of UK policy and completely ignores the real “obstacle to peace” which is that the Palestinians do not want a permanent two state situation. Peace can only be achieved, if indeed its possible, when governments accept that reality.
is there a transcript online of TB’s speech?
This country’s finest boast? He is also forgetting the 1939 White Paper and other acts that prevented more Jews getting into the Mandate territory, as well as the draconian limits on accepting refugees into Britain. These acts effectively doomed a lot of Jews to death, where they could have been saved. Britain is not alone in this culpability, of course, but as the Mandatory, we bear a heavy responsibility. Not our finest hour.
Britain also refused to take more than a Holocaust survivors, as did the US.
Thank G-d for Australia, because other than Israel, we took the most here and even offered part of the country for a Jewish homeland
And how many more survivors there might have been had Australia not refused to take more in the 1930s. Instead it declared: “As we have no real racial problem, we are not desirous of importing one by encouraging any scheme of large-scale foreign migration.”
I think Australia’s record with Nazi war criminals is shocking too.
Chas, that’s below the belt.
Times were very different then, as were people’s ideals.
There has never been any kind of persecution and no antisemitism to speak of here, unlike the good old mother country !!
Just to clarify a few things:
* I’m not saying anything to try and minimise the terrible things that have and are going on in Britain. This issue is far too important for point-scoring or defensiveness.
* I write as someone with an Australian passport, whose (non-Jewish) refugee mother was given a home in Australia. I have no axe to grind – quite the opposite if anything.
* ‘Times were very different’? There was *never* a time when it was okay to treat Jewish people badly.
* I personally know Australian Jews (and non-Australian Jews who have visited) who would strongly disagree with you that there has never been any antisemitism to speak of there.
Chas……I don’t want to get to fighting with you, but I have been in this country for almost 46 years now and am very involved with community issues and there is very little antisemitism that I have heard of
Love it
These deputies…um..they’re elected ,right? What is the position of the Board on illegal settlements?
Not sure what – if any – position they have. They are usually fairly moderate.
By “moderate”,do you mean in the same way you probably consider yourself moderate?
What’s your position? Do you oppose Jews living in this or any other territory? Do you support the PA death penalty against Arabs who sell property to Jews?
More pictures emerging, including me and George Osborne here and another of me with the Chief Rabbi here.
Not surprised that the Chief Rabbi’s writings impress you: I recommend any Goy dips into at least one of his books. Seeing your pics, though, profound thoughts are given no time develop, being drowned out by admiration for your barber’s sharp work!
I would have thrown my shoe at him
Melanie Phillips comments further on the British Jewish leadersheep:
http://www.spectator.co.uk/melaniephillips/6493974/the-british-jewish-leadersheep.thtml
Sounds to me as if Mr Osbourne has been reading Martin Gilbert’s heart-breaking and heart-warming book “The Boys.” After the defeat of Germany, Britain wanted to admit 1000 child survivors of the Shoah,including some girls. They could not find that many, as few children survived. Those who did come settled and established lives for themselves. Every effort in that tragic decade was totally inadequate and Britain’s proudest moment was so little it seems worthwhile remembering that it did happen for a few.