Board of Deputies ‘warmly welcomes’ UK’s first vote against ‘Syrian Golan’ motion
Community body says the decision represents a 'principled' stand against 'disproportionate, biased resolutions' at the United Nations
The Board of Deputies has said it “warmly welcomes” the UK’s first ever vote against a UN General Assembly resolution urging Israel to return the Golan Heights to Syria.
Jewish representatives applauded the approach as “the latest in a series of principled votes by the UK against disproportionate, biased resolutions concerning Israel in UN institutions”.
The Board’s senior vice president Richard Verber said: “We are very encouraged by the UK’s stance given that the attention received by other conflicts and pressing concerns is pitifully low.”
British diplomats said they were voting against the Syrian-backed resolution at the UN General Assembly, which criticised Israeli control of the Golan Heights, because “resolutions which undermine the credibility of UN bodies risk hardening positions on both sides, and do little to advance peace or mutual understanding”.
The UK delegate added that the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad was using the vote “to deflect attention from its own criminal actions and indiscriminate slaughter of its own citizens”.
The UK was the only European Union country to vote against the motion, with all others abstaining.
Earlier this year voted against a similar resolution at the UN Human Rights Council’s (UNHRC), the UK mission at the time criticising the 135-member UN body’s “selective focus” on Israel.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
