Please, let’s move on from the ‘Kenandthejews’dramas

THE LAST week saw my relationship with the Jewish community in the headlines. I agree with those, including in my own party, who want to break out of the “drama” of “Ken and the Jewish community” — it’s time to move on from that, onto something less headline-grabbing but more dynamic. I understand the dismay caused when these kinds of controversies hit the headlines. Politicians ought to have humility when things like that happen. I am no exception.

Let me start with the report that I said, at a meeting of mainly pro-labour Jewish Londoners that Jews will not vote for me because they are rich. I didn’t actually say this. However, I can see that the way the conversation unfolded meant this interpretation was placed on it. When such controversies unfold it is easy to get dug in and appear to defend positions. I don’t wish to do this.

Jewish voters are not one homogeneous block. A 2010 report for the Institute for Jewish Policy Research shows the range of Jewish voting preference. In North London, Labour was the preferred party. If I believed that Jewish people won’t vote Labour in this election I would not have spent my evening at that meeting.

Jewish people have shaped London. I could not cherish London and not value Jewish London. The contribution of Jews to London is immense — politically, economically, culturally, intellectually, philanthropically, artistically. I may shoot my mouth off and I may not always appear to be listening, but I am.

I am a socialist, a believer in rational thought and the rule of law. The Jewish people have laid the foundations of all of those. Working with the Jewish community is essential to me and what I stand for. Moreover, contrary to any impression, I do explicitly see Jewish people as a people – not either a religion or an ethnicity but a people.

The Tories take Jewish London for granted. I will not. We can view my record through press cuttings or we can judge it through what I did as mayor: developing a housing policy to address the issues of the Charedi community; publication of the Jewish London Guide; the Chanucah lighting in Trafalgar Square; marking Holocaust Memorial Day; delivering Simcha in the Square, since abolished by Boris Johnson; working to make the North London Eruv possible; changing the day of London’s “Rise” anti-racist festival so that Jewish people could play their part; opposing the academic boycott of Israel; regular Jewish community events and meetings. If I win on May 3 that — not wild headlines or old arguments — is how I want to work with Jewish London.

On Israel I have always refused to visit the surrounding dictatorships because they are just that — but I have visited Israel because it is democratic. Support for a peaceful outcome with two states enjoys majority support among both peoples. I said when I was mayor that I believed in a two-state solution. That remains my position. In my view it requires strong economic ties to make both states economically successful and committed to lasting peace.

If I am elected my policy will not be to promote one faith or community over another, as has been suggested, but to promote interfaith and inter-community dialogue. I want my mayoralty to be at the forefront of encouraging dialogue. Many Jewish-led organisations have a taken a lead in this and I want to support that. Moreover, if an invitation is extended I would be delighted to attend Limmud — where I know an extensive dialogue takes place.

One aspect of the report into our North London meeting particularly affected me. It was that Rabbi Avraham Pinter — and others — felt that I did not answer his question. He was reported in this paper as saying: “I said ‘let’s forget the past and talk about the future’, and gave him the opportunity to respond, and he didn’t take it.” I agree, I want to talk about the future.

I regret that I did not give Rabbi Pinter the answer he needed. I have known and worked with him for many years and he is a man I like and respect in equal measure. I am sorry he did not hear from me what he wanted and needed to hear.

I hope that in some of these points for the JC I have started to map out how we can make my work with Jewish Londoners deeper, better and productive; and I hope that in doing so I have begun to address what Rabbi Pinter asked me. Ken Livingstone is the Labour candidate for mayor of London

THE WEEK kicked off the best way possible, with coffee, pastries and a relaxed chat with the UJIA Informal Education department. We concluded with satisfied stomachs and a focus towards our key areas: Israel tour leadership, social welfare training, educational collaborations and gap years in Israel. In the afternoon I worked on a presentation skills session I’m delivering and found a favourite Seinfeld clip to start it off. Perfect.

Tuesday I devote myself to Israel Summer Tour 2012 and prepare to meet the 64 leaders for the first time. This dedicated group of 21-year-olds are eager to volunteer for their youth movements to enhance young people’s love with Israel under the umbrella of the UJIA. I am immensely proud that the numbers for UJIA Israel tour increase year on year, and we already take nearing 60 per cent of the Jewish cohort. So many applications for tour have come through over the past few days that I end up jamming the copier scanning all the forms — 1,200 so far, to be exact. It’s going to be a late night. Sushi plans are put on standby.

Midweek I receive confirmation of another weird and wonderful addition to the UJIA long term programmes in Israel. Jackie Chan will be appearing on the Masa Budokan Martial Arts and Fitness Programme, a five month programme in Israel open to gap year and postgraduate students. Budokan is just one of a range of more than 200 long term educational programmes we support in Israel. That evening I bump into a friend en-route to returning his costume from the Y-UJIA Purim in the City Party. I promised I wouldn’t disclose his costume but I am sure that he made a mean pirate amongst the 500-strong crowd.

I’m thrilled to be part of the Women in Leadership’s working group on Leadership Development and have been doing my homework on female leadership roles in business and the community in the United States and the UK. To achieve greater representation in leadership we need to remove barriers that prevent women talking up these roles. The group recently launched a survey, which I distributed to my colleagues and others in the community.

My week concludes as I write the UJIA JAMS (Jewish Action in Mainstream Schools) session I’ve been invited to present at City of London School next week on “Tough Jews: Gangs of New York”. I was educated at South Hampstead School so technically, City is seen as the rival. Thankfully, I have grown out of my competitive streak. I sign out for Shabbat with just enough time for a quick tweet from the UJIA account to our followers. My last Friday email fills me with delight — confirming I have tickets to watch the Gunners this weekend. Lovely. Toni Rickenback is the UJIA informal education manager