Former Board vice-president launches ‘grassroots’ group
Gary Mond, who resigned amid a row over allegedly Islamophobic comments, wants to provide a ‘mass membership’ alternative
BOARD OF Deputies vicepresident Gary Mond launched a new Jewish communal body this week.
The National Jewish Assembly (NJA) will provide a “bottom-up” and “grassroots” alternative to the Board, said Mr Mond, who is bankrolling the project.
Businessman Mr Mond resigned from the Board of Deputies in January after he was accused of Islamophobia over historic social media posts.
In one of the messages, he wrote that that civilisation was “at war” with Islam, but later said he was criticising the terrorists behind the 2015 Paris attacks, not Muslims in general.
While the Board comprises deputies elected by synagogues, anyone willing to pay £30 a year will be able to join the NJA and contribute to determining its policy. Shuls will be able to sign up members enmasse at a discounted rate.
Those who wish to join will have to support three core principles: to promote Jewish life, to support Israel and to fight antisemitism. Mr Mond said: “There is no other assembly-style Jewish body that anyone who is Jewish and who adheres to our three principles can join, upon paying a small membership fee.”
The NJA will not address general issues such as climate change or repression faced by the Uighurs, he added.
In a statement, the NJA said it aimed to “voice the opinions of ordinary Jews who have never been, and do not attempt to be, part of the current system of Jewish organisational infrastructure”.
Mr Mond said the organisation ought to be judged by its numbers. “A thousand members will be a success,” he said.
The body is currently led by an advisory board of nine, including former Zionist Federation chief Steve Winston, who will serve as vice-chairman.
Other members will include voluntary workers and those with “grassroots” communal experience.
Initial elections to the board are set to be held in 2024 or 2025.
GB News foreign affairs analyst James Marlow will serve as the organisation’s CEO, and its events manager will be former Zionist Federation employee Dalia Hajioff.
Mr Marlow said: “This is an opportune time to launch the NJA with fresh new ideas coming from an enthusiastic advisory board and many within the community have indicated they wish to be part of this exciting new Jewish project.” Following the launch, the Jewish News reported that Mr Marlow had posted “homophobic” messages on social media, expressed sympathy for farright activist Tommy Robinson and had “derided Reform Judaism”. Mr Marlow denied these allegations.
Events put on by the NJA will include talks by speakers from the UK and Israel. Mr Mond resigned from the Board of Deputies in January after it launched an investigation into his historic social media posts.
The former JNF deputy was said to have liked two posts by Pamela Geller, an American anti-Islamic activist banned from the UK, and to have written that civilisation was “at war” with Islam.
In an email to the JC, Mr Mond said: “My reference to ‘evil bastards’ was certainly not aimed at Muslims generally.” He added the majority of Jews were not being heard and he aimed to create a group that is unashamedly proIsrael and Zionist.