UK Jewish board suspends five members over letter criticising Israel's Gaza war

The Board of Deputies of British Jews, the largest and oldest body representing Jews in the UK, has suspended five members of its representative body following their public criticism of Israel.

The five deputies were sanctioned for signing an open letter published in April that condemned Israel's war on Gaza and its violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

According to the Board's internal investigation, the letter had breached its code of conduct for appearing to represent the group as a whole.

"The breaches primarily arose from the public presentation and promotion of the letter, which created the misleading impression that this was an official document of the board as a whole," the statement added.

The Board added that it had upheld members' rights to "free expression", stating: "The Panel was clear in its findings that the breaches do not refer to the content of the letter, but to the behaviour of signatories, to a greater or lesser extent, in using their positions as Deputies to promote it."

The five suspended deputies have been barred from participating in the Board for two years and removed from elected positions. An additional 31 deputies received a formal "notice of criticism".

Three of the five may have their suspensions reduced to six months if they issue apologies to those affected.

The letter, originally published in the Financial Times, read: "Israel’s soul is being ripped out” by the actions of “this most extremist of Israeli governments."

It continued: "We stand with them [Israeli captives]. We stand against the war. We acknowledge and mourn the loss of Palestinian life. It is our duty, as Jews, to speak out."

Supporters of the letter say opposition to the war and mounting frustration with the Board’s unwavering support for Israel are widespread within the community. They expect more dissent to surface, despite concerns about retaliation.

"The Board can’t claim to speak in one Jewish voice any more," said one signatory, according to The National.

The letter marked a rare public split in the UK’s Jewish establishment and led to the suspension of deputy Harriet Goldenberg, who coordinated the effort and helped gather 36 signatories.

The war has exposed and deepened internal divisions in the UK's Jewish community, with more voices openly criticising Israel’s military conduct.

The letter was published against the backdrop of the Israeli government's decision to re-launch its offensive on Gaza, which has killed over 5,833 people and wounded a further 20,198 since 18 March.

In total, over 61,700 Palestinians have been killed since the war on Gaza started in October 2023, with at least 132,239 others wounded. The war on the Strip has levelled entire neighbourhoods and plunged the enclave into a deep humanitarian crisis.