rich 1.0 Action Network https://actionnetwork.org <link href='https://actionnetwork.org/css/style-embed-v3.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' /><script src='https://actionnetwork.org/widgets/v6/letter/board-of-deputies-retract-your-attacks-on-amnesty?format=js&source=widget'></script><div id='can-letter-area-board-of-deputies-retract-your-attacks-on-amnesty' style='width: 100%'><!-- this div is the target for our HTML insertion --></div> Na'amod https://actionnetwork.org/groups/naamod https://can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/letters/photos/000/212/282/normal/open-uri20220207-2103-1lbhmd4 Amnesty International's report last week made them the latest human rights organisation to accuse of Israel of committing the crime of apartheid, joining Human Rights Watch, B'Tselem, Yesh Din and countless Palestinian organisations before them. This should have prompted deep reflection from everyone in our community with a connection to the State of Israel, irrespective of how appropriate they feel the term 'apartheid' is. Instead, the Board of Deputies – which claims to be "the voice of the UK Jewish community" – launched a smear campaign against Amnesty. Its President, Marie van der Zyl, accusing Amnesty of using a "preposterous slur" and perpetrating "an attack on the Jewish people". She went on to defend Israel as a "vibrant democracy" and criticised the Palestinian Authority for a lack of democracy in the West Bank, entirely ignoring the 54-year long occupation. The Board's response misrepresents the many British Jews who share Amnesty's opposition to human rights violations against Palestinians, even if they don't agree on terminology. Moreover, the cynical insinuations of antisemitism used against Amnesty will make it harder to confront real antisemitism when it arises – actively putting Jews at risk. The Board must apologise for these disgraceful attacks, made in the name of all British Jews. Send a letter to the President today. https://actionnetwork.org/letters/board-of-deputies-retract-your-attacks-on-amnesty