Board suspends plan for ‘divisive’ Israel poll
THE BOARD of Deputies has suspended plans for a “divisive” survey of deputies’ views on Israel.
The move comes after President Marie van der Zyl voiced opposition to the plans for the questionnaire, which had been backed by Senior Vice President Sheila Gewolb.
Mrs van der Zyl said in a statement on Wednesday: “Last year, the International Division embarked on a piece of work around a survey of Deputies’ views on Israel, as a means of understanding what the views are and thereby finding a constructive means to represent them.
“However, despite the good intentions of this initiative, it has become clear that the survey itself is proving as divisive as the issue itself. With that in mind, we have decided to conclude work on the survey and explore other — less contentious — means to consider views on Israel.”
Speaking at Sunday’s monthly meeting, Mrs van der Zyl had said the proposed survey of all 350 deputies was something she did not “personally” support. She added: “We have got so many issues with the Labour Party at the moment.”
But as division over whether to progress with the survey became apparent, the Board President accepted that the umbrella body was “a democracy” and said she was prepared to listen to all views.
The idea of a poll on Israel and what questions to ask have been a source of ten
Debate: Van der Zyl sions among Board members for some time. Speaking on Sunday, Ms Gewolb, who chairs the International Division, said a “very controversial subject” had “somehow been leaked” regarding “questions in a work in progress around deputies views on the Board’s position on Israel”.
She said the “well meaning” survey idea “arose