TRICYCLE: WRITING ON THE WALL (AND THE PAGE)

Having been attacked outside the Tricycle Theatre last November by anti-Israel zealots and after spending the night in hospital, I can say from experience that the writing has been on the wall for years and, as a community, we failed to take seriously enough the relentless, aggressive, smear campaign against Israel.

I wrote to the Jewish Film Festival and asked that the protests outside the theatre be considered as a threat to the future of the festival, but I never received a reply.

The Tricycle Theatre has been harried by anti-Israel pressure groups for years and the theatre simply don’t want to deal with the protests and harassment any more, Gaza was merely a convenient get-out clause.

Leading figures in our community have to vigorously fight this and fight back. Complacency leads to further discrimination against Jews and enhances zealotry against Israel and its citizens. Jessica Lawrence, Butler Road, West Harrow, Middlesex.

My position as co-chair of the Jewish Book Council was misrepresented in last week’s Jewish Chronicle – particularly in the editorial.

Jewish Book Week regards any form of cultural boycott as counterproductive, promoting divisions in place of dialogue.

JBW has always strived to build bridges across the spectrum. It presents a wide range of events that reflects many diverse views. It will continue to do so again at Jewish Book Week 2015, which will run from February 21 to March 1. Gail Sandler Co-chair Jewish Book Council Albert Street London NW1