Warning on ‘gulf’ in values

THE FORMER chairman of the Jewish Leadership Council, Sir Mick Davis, warned of the risk of a “tremendous gulf” between Israel and diaspora Jewry because of perceptions that Israel was drifting away from bedrock Jewish values.

Sir Mick said the state had been founded on “lofty ideals” such as respect for the dignity of man, social equality, recognition of people’s rights and compassion for the poor.

But Israel was being perceived as a society which did not propagate these values, he said, whether because of the symbolism around the Jewish Nation State Law, lack of compassion for refugees or lack of willingness to address inequalities among non-Jewish citizens.

Sir Mick was taking part in a discussion on Tuesday at the JW3 centre in London with Jewish Agency chairman Isaac Herzog.

Mr Herzog appealed for a “more balanced picture”, observing that Israel was “no different” in being influenced by political and other changes that were affecting other societies.

The indictment of its Prime Minister and the fact “Muslim Brotherhood” politicians served in Parliament showed the strength of its democracy, he said.

Most Israelis felt “enormous disgust” at the far-right party Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) standing in the election, whose voice, he believed, “the Israeli body politic would not permit… to be heard in the Knesset”.

Sir Mick said annexation of the West Bank would create “a tremendous trauma” for diaspora Jewry, damaging its capacity to advocate for Israel.