A brush with Auerbach
Frank Auerbach’s rarely seen portrait of his friend, Helen Gillespie, is due to be unveiled at the Ben Uri Gallery, in London, today as part of its new exhibition
MARK REGEV, Israel’s ambassador to Britain, has attacked, as offensive and unjust, the campaign begun by Unesco to brand his country an “occupier”.
Speaking at the Board of Deputies monthly meeting, he said: “In November, Unesco referred to Israel as an occupier in our people’s spiritual, historic and cultural capital.
“In doing so, they denied the 3,000-year-long connection between the Jewish people and our holy sites in Jerusalem.
“And, earlier, they said again that the Jewish state was somehow an occupier in our people’s most cherished city.
“We call Unesco’s campaign out for what it really is. Historically illiterate, deeply offensive and fundamentally unjust.”
Earlier this month, a Unesco ruling backed by 22 countries claimed Jerusalem is “occupied” and had earlier stated that Israel’s rule over it is “null and void”.
Britain, Germany and the US voted against the ruling.
Mr Regev praised the response of the UK government “for standing up for truth and voting against that onesided anti-Israel resolution.”