Andrew David Balcombe - Revision history

David: David moved page Andrew Balcombe to Andrew David Balcombe

2024-02-14T11:51:27Z

David moved page Andrew Balcombe to Andrew David Balcombe

Alex Doherty at 14:05, 4 June 2015

2015-06-04T14:05:13Z

Alex Doherty at 13:12, 2 June 2015

2015-06-02T13:12:57Z

Alex Doherty at 13:06, 2 June 2015

2015-06-02T13:06:52Z

Alex Doherty at 13:00, 2 June 2015

2015-06-02T13:00:04Z

Alex Doherty at 12:18, 30 May 2015

2015-05-30T12:18:47Z

Alex Doherty at 11:41, 30 May 2015

2015-05-30T11:41:14Z

Alex Doherty at 11:40, 30 May 2015

2015-05-30T11:40:13Z

Alex Doherty at 11:21, 30 May 2015

2015-05-30T11:21:04Z

Alex Doherty at 18:39, 29 May 2015

2015-05-29T18:39:03Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:05, 4 June 2015
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	:We want people to know that people aren't starving in Gaza. You go and have a look at the adverts for the clubs in Gaza, they're doing very very well thank you very much... There's lots of food. Israel takes in a day into Gaza, more than those ships brought.<ref name="Gaza rally">John McManus, '[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10222035 Gaza crisis shows fault lines among UK Jews]', ''BBC News'', 3 June 2010, accessed 30 May 2015</ref>		:We want people to know that people aren't starving in Gaza. You go and have a look at the adverts for the clubs in Gaza, they're doing very very well thank you very much... There's lots of food. Israel takes in a day into Gaza, more than those ships brought.<ref name="Gaza rally">John McManus, '[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10222035 Gaza crisis shows fault lines among UK Jews]', ''BBC News'', 3 June 2010, accessed 30 May 2015</ref>
		+
		+	In August 2011, Balcombe criticised the comments of [[Alan Duncan]], then UK Minister for International Development who described the Israel 'security barrier' as a land grab in a video posted on the website of the Department for International Development's website. Speaking on behalf of the [[British Israel Group]] Balcombe remarked: 'We think it is appalling that a minister of the British government is the featured speaker in a one-sided video that is inaccurate and inflammatory.'<ref name="Alan Duncan">Robyn Rosen, '[http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/53390/minister-alan-duncan-says-israel-wall-land-grab 'Minister Alan Duncan says Israel wall 'land-grab']', ''Jewish Chronicle Online'', 18 August 2011, accessed 30 May 2015</ref>

	Following the UK Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' issuance of guidelines regarding the proper labelling of produce from the occupied West Bank Balcombe angrily attacked the department's decision and labelled Oxfam and War on Want, two groups that had advocated for accurate labelling of West Bank produce, as "viciously anti-Israel NGOs". He further claimed that labelling of produce from Israeli settlements would hurt the West Bank economy. <ref>Jonny Paul, 'UK supermarkets to heed advisory on West Bank labelling, despite Israeli protest', ''Jerusalem Post'', 13 December 2009 Sunday. Accessed 10 September 2014.</ref>		Following the UK Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' issuance of guidelines regarding the proper labelling of produce from the occupied West Bank Balcombe angrily attacked the department's decision and labelled Oxfam and War on Want, two groups that had advocated for accurate labelling of West Bank produce, as "viciously anti-Israel NGOs". He further claimed that labelling of produce from Israeli settlements would hurt the West Bank economy. <ref>Jonny Paul, 'UK supermarkets to heed advisory on West Bank labelling, despite Israeli protest', ''Jerusalem Post'', 13 December 2009 Sunday. Accessed 10 September 2014.</ref>

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:12, 2 June 2015
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	*[[Europeans for Israel]] Co-chair		*[[Europeans for Israel]] Co-chair
		+
		+	*[[British Israel Group]] - Committee Member

	==Notes==		==Notes==

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:06, 2 June 2015
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	:[[Totaldatabackup]] Appointed: 31/01/2006 Company Dissolved: 17/06/2009 (position: Director)		:[[Totaldatabackup]] Appointed: 31/01/2006 Company Dissolved: 17/06/2009 (position: Director)

		+	==Affiliations==

		+	*[[UK Association for the Wellbeing of Israel's Soldiers]] - Former Trustee

		+	*[[Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Northern Ireland]] - Former Chair and former Vice Chair

		+	*[[Soviet Jewry Campaign]]
		+
		+	*[[Conscience]] (interdenominational committee for Soviet Jewry) - Cofounder
		+
		+	*[[National Council for Soviet Jewry]] - former Chairman
		+
		+	*[[Board of Deputies of British Jews]] - Executive Committee member
		+
		+	*[[World Soviet Jewry Presidum]] - Executive Committee member
		+
		+	*[[European Zionist Federations]] - Former head of steering committee
		+
		+	*[[Europeans for Israel]] Co-chair

	==Notes==		==Notes==

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:00, 2 June 2015
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	:Criticism of Israeli policy is acceptable. However, by using the word 'apartheid' in a UN conference held at the European Parliament, Danny Rubinstein encourages the demonisation of Israel and the Jewish people. I believe he was naïve to attend the UN conference.<ref name ="Rubinstein">Yaakov Lappin, 'Zionist Federation cancels Haaretz journalist Columnist Danny Rubinstein reportedly likens Israel to apartheid South Africa', ''ynetnews.com'', 31 August 2007, accessed 30 May 2015.</ref>		:Criticism of Israeli policy is acceptable. However, by using the word 'apartheid' in a UN conference held at the European Parliament, Danny Rubinstein encourages the demonisation of Israel and the Jewish people. I believe he was naïve to attend the UN conference.<ref name ="Rubinstein">Yaakov Lappin, 'Zionist Federation cancels Haaretz journalist Columnist Danny Rubinstein reportedly likens Israel to apartheid South Africa', ''ynetnews.com'', 31 August 2007, accessed 30 May 2015.</ref>
		+
		+	In 2009 the British Science Museum was criticised by more than 400 academics for allegedly promoting Israeli universities whose research is used in Israel's military operations in Gaza. The museum was hosting workshops run by the Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Northern Ireland that would promote Israeli scientific achievements to schoolchildren. Balcombe defended the programme.<ref name ="museum">Staff, 'British Science Museum accused over links with Israel', ''The Belfast Telegraph'', 3 March 2009, accessed 2 June 2015.</ref>

	Following the deaths of ten Palestinian solidarity activists during the raid on the MV Mavi Mara by Israeli Naval commandos in May 2010 Balcombe took part in a pro-Israel rally outside the Israeli embassy in London. At the demonstration Balcombe stated that Israel was blockading Gaza in order to protect itself. <ref> 'Gaza Crisis Sparked Faultlines Among UK Demonstrators', ''ICN.com'', 3 June 2010 Thursday. Accessed 10 September 2014.</ref> The BBC reported that at the rally Balcombe had addressed the crowd claiming that Israel's actions regarding the Mavi Mara were perfectly legal.<ref name="Gaza rally">John McManus, '[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10222035 Gaza crisis shows fault lines among UK Jews]', ''BBC News'', 3 June 2010, accessed 30 May 2015</ref> Balcombe also denied that the existence of a humanitarian crisis in Gaza:		Following the deaths of ten Palestinian solidarity activists during the raid on the MV Mavi Mara by Israeli Naval commandos in May 2010 Balcombe took part in a pro-Israel rally outside the Israeli embassy in London. At the demonstration Balcombe stated that Israel was blockading Gaza in order to protect itself. <ref> 'Gaza Crisis Sparked Faultlines Among UK Demonstrators', ''ICN.com'', 3 June 2010 Thursday. Accessed 10 September 2014.</ref> The BBC reported that at the rally Balcombe had addressed the crowd claiming that Israel's actions regarding the Mavi Mara were perfectly legal.<ref name="Gaza rally">John McManus, '[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10222035 Gaza crisis shows fault lines among UK Jews]', ''BBC News'', 3 June 2010, accessed 30 May 2015</ref> Balcombe also denied that the existence of a humanitarian crisis in Gaza:

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:18, 30 May 2015
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	In February 2007 Balcombe wrote a letter to the chair of the BBC Trust, Dr. [[Chitra Bharucha]] calling on the BBC to remove the BBC's Middle East editor [[Jeremy Bowen]] from his post. Balcombe accused Bowen of being biased towards the Palestinians and suggested that his reporting on the Israel-Palestine conflict was 'doing a disservice to the BBC's customers'.<ref name ="UK Jews: Replace">Jonny Paul, 'UK Jews: Replace BBC Mideast editor', ''Jerusalem Post'', 3 February 2007, accessed 29 May 2015.</ref>		In February 2007 Balcombe wrote a letter to the chair of the BBC Trust, Dr. [[Chitra Bharucha]] calling on the BBC to remove the BBC's Middle East editor [[Jeremy Bowen]] from his post. Balcombe accused Bowen of being biased towards the Palestinians and suggested that his reporting on the Israel-Palestine conflict was 'doing a disservice to the BBC's customers'.<ref name ="UK Jews: Replace">Jonny Paul, 'UK Jews: Replace BBC Mideast editor', ''Jerusalem Post'', 3 February 2007, accessed 29 May 2015.</ref>
		+
		+	In August 2008 the Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Northern Ireland cancelled a scheduled appearance by Haaretz journalist [[Danny Rubinstein]] after he allegedly compared Israel to apartheid South Africa at a UN conference in Brussels. In his role as chairman of the UK Zionist Federation Balcombe commented:
		+
		+	:Criticism of Israeli policy is acceptable. However, by using the word 'apartheid' in a UN conference held at the European Parliament, Danny Rubinstein encourages the demonisation of Israel and the Jewish people. I believe he was naïve to attend the UN conference.<ref name ="Rubinstein">Yaakov Lappin, 'Zionist Federation cancels Haaretz journalist Columnist Danny Rubinstein reportedly likens Israel to apartheid South Africa', ''ynetnews.com'', 31 August 2007, accessed 30 May 2015.</ref>

	Following the deaths of ten Palestinian solidarity activists during the raid on the MV Mavi Mara by Israeli Naval commandos in May 2010 Balcombe took part in a pro-Israel rally outside the Israeli embassy in London. At the demonstration Balcombe stated that Israel was blockading Gaza in order to protect itself. <ref> 'Gaza Crisis Sparked Faultlines Among UK Demonstrators', ''ICN.com'', 3 June 2010 Thursday. Accessed 10 September 2014.</ref> The BBC reported that at the rally Balcombe had addressed the crowd claiming that Israel's actions regarding the Mavi Mara were perfectly legal.<ref name="Gaza rally">John McManus, '[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10222035 Gaza crisis shows fault lines among UK Jews]', ''BBC News'', 3 June 2010, accessed 30 May 2015</ref> Balcombe also denied that the existence of a humanitarian crisis in Gaza:		Following the deaths of ten Palestinian solidarity activists during the raid on the MV Mavi Mara by Israeli Naval commandos in May 2010 Balcombe took part in a pro-Israel rally outside the Israeli embassy in London. At the demonstration Balcombe stated that Israel was blockading Gaza in order to protect itself. <ref> 'Gaza Crisis Sparked Faultlines Among UK Demonstrators', ''ICN.com'', 3 June 2010 Thursday. Accessed 10 September 2014.</ref> The BBC reported that at the rally Balcombe had addressed the crowd claiming that Israel's actions regarding the Mavi Mara were perfectly legal.<ref name="Gaza rally">John McManus, '[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10222035 Gaza crisis shows fault lines among UK Jews]', ''BBC News'', 3 June 2010, accessed 30 May 2015</ref> Balcombe also denied that the existence of a humanitarian crisis in Gaza:

← Older revision	Revision as of 11:51, 14 February 2024
(No difference)

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:41, 30 May 2015
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	Following the UK Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' issuance of guidelines regarding the proper labelling of produce from the occupied West Bank Balcombe angrily attacked the department's decision and labelled Oxfam and War on Want, two groups that had advocated for accurate labelling of West Bank produce, as "viciously anti-Israel NGOs". He further claimed that labelling of produce from Israeli settlements would hurt the West Bank economy. <ref>Jonny Paul, 'UK supermarkets to heed advisory on West Bank labelling, despite Israeli protest', ''Jerusalem Post'', 13 December 2009 Sunday. Accessed 10 September 2014.</ref>		Following the UK Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' issuance of guidelines regarding the proper labelling of produce from the occupied West Bank Balcombe angrily attacked the department's decision and labelled Oxfam and War on Want, two groups that had advocated for accurate labelling of West Bank produce, as "viciously anti-Israel NGOs". He further claimed that labelling of produce from Israeli settlements would hurt the West Bank economy. <ref>Jonny Paul, 'UK supermarkets to heed advisory on West Bank labelling, despite Israeli protest', ''Jerusalem Post'', 13 December 2009 Sunday. Accessed 10 September 2014.</ref>
−

	===Views on Antisemitism in the UK===		===Views on Antisemitism in the UK===

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:40, 30 May 2015
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	Following the UK Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' issuance of guidelines regarding the proper labelling of produce from the occupied West Bank Balcombe angrily attacked the department's decision and labelled Oxfam and War on Want, two groups that had advocated for accurate labelling of West Bank produce, as "viciously anti-Israel NGOs". He further claimed that labelling of produce from Israeli settlements would hurt the West Bank economy. <ref>Jonny Paul, 'UK supermarkets to heed advisory on West Bank labelling, despite Israeli protest', ''Jerusalem Post'', 13 December 2009 Sunday. Accessed 10 September 2014.</ref>		Following the UK Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' issuance of guidelines regarding the proper labelling of produce from the occupied West Bank Balcombe angrily attacked the department's decision and labelled Oxfam and War on Want, two groups that had advocated for accurate labelling of West Bank produce, as "viciously anti-Israel NGOs". He further claimed that labelling of produce from Israeli settlements would hurt the West Bank economy. <ref>Jonny Paul, 'UK supermarkets to heed advisory on West Bank labelling, despite Israeli protest', ''Jerusalem Post'', 13 December 2009 Sunday. Accessed 10 September 2014.</ref>
		+
		+
		+	===Views on Antisemitism in the UK===
		+
		+	In May 2014, Balcombe criticised comments made by [[Mick Davis]], head of the [[Jewish Leadership Council]] and chairman of the [[United Jewish Israel Appeal]] regarding the situation of British Jews. Balcombe remarked that:
		+
		+	:I disagreed with the description of the state of British Jewry in relation to Israel. The word antisemitism was hardly mentioned, the divisions in the leadership of the Jewish community were not mentioned, and the overstretched and underfunded work done by activists was hardly mentioned.<ref name="new confidence">Nathan Jeffay, '[http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/68038/british-jews-have-new-confidence-leaders-tell-knesset 'British Jews have new confidence' leaders tell Knesset]', ''Jewish Chronicle Online'', 24 May 2012, accessed 30 May 2015</ref>

	==Company director==		==Company director==

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 In February 2007 Balcombe wrote a letter to the chair of the BBC Trust, Dr. [[Chitra Bharucha]] calling on the BBC to remove the BBC's Middle East editor [[Jeremy Bowen]] from his post. Balcombe accused Bowen of being biased towards the Palestinians and suggested that his reporting on the Israel-Palestine conflict was 'doing a disservice to the BBC's customers'.<ref name ="UK Jews: Replace">Jonny Paul, 'UK Jews: Replace BBC Mideast editor', ''Jerusalem Post'', 3 February 2007, accessed 29 May 2015.</ref>
-Following the deaths of ten Palestinian solidarity activists during the raid on the MV Mavi Mara by Israeli Naval commandos in May 2010 Balcombe took part in a pro-Israel rally outside the Israeli embassy in London. At the demonstration Balcombe stated that Israel was blockading Gaza in order to protect itself. <ref> 'Gaza Crisis Sparked Faultlines Among UK Demonstrators', ''ICN.com'', 3 June 2010 Thursday. Accessed 10 September 2014.</ref> Following the UK Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' issuance of guidelines regarding the proper labelling of produce from the occupied West Bank Balcombe angrily attacked the department's decision and labelled Oxfam and War on Want, two groups that had advocated for accurate labelling of West Bank produce, as "viciously anti-Israel NGOs". He further claimed that labelling of produce from Israeli settlements would hurt the West Bank economy. <ref>Jonny Paul, 'UK supermarkets to heed advisory on West Bank labelling, despite Israeli protest', ''Jerusalem Post'', 13 December 2009 Sunday. Accessed 10 September 2014.</ref>
+Following the deaths of ten Palestinian solidarity activists during the raid on the MV Mavi Mara by Israeli Naval commandos in May 2010 Balcombe took part in a pro-Israel rally outside the Israeli embassy in London. At the demonstration Balcombe stated that Israel was blockading Gaza in order to protect itself. <ref> 'Gaza Crisis Sparked Faultlines Among UK Demonstrators', ''ICN.com'', 3 June 2010 Thursday. Accessed 10 September 2014.</ref> The BBC reported that at the rally Balcombe had addressed the crowd claiming that Israel's actions regarding the Mavi Mara were perfectly legal.<ref name="Gaza rally">John McManus, '[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10222035 Gaza crisis shows fault lines among UK Jews]', ''BBC News'', 3 June 2010, accessed 30 May 2015</ref> Balcombe also denied that the existence of a humanitarian crisis in Gaza:
 ==Company director==

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:39, 29 May 2015
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−	~~[[Israel, Britain and the Commonwealth Association]]~~
−

	Andrew Balcombe is the former chair of the [[Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Northern Ireland]] and a former trustee (25 September 2002 - 12 September 2006) <ref name ="Balcombe">Companies in the UK [https://www.companiesintheuk.co.uk/director/12309719/andrew-balcombe, Balcombe, Andrew]. Accessed 6 September 2014.</ref> of [[UK Friends of AWIS]] The UK offshoot of the [[Association for the Wellbeing of Israel's Soldiers]] - an organisation established in 1942 by David Ben-Gurion. He is also a former director of the trading arm of the organisation, [[UK AWIS Trading Limited]].<ref name ="Balcombe"/> Originally from Manchester <ref>Greer Ray Cashman, 'A Little Piece of Boston', ''Jerusalem Post'', 16 March 2011 Wednesday, p.16. Accessed 10 September 2014.</ref> he now resides in Israel. <ref name ="Jerusalem Post">Meira Faratci, '[http://www.jpost.com/Cafe-Oleh/Cafe-Talk/UK-Zionist-Federation-chairman-makes-aliya UK Zionist Federation chairman makes aliya]'. [''[Jerusalem Post]]''. 2 June 2008 Monday, p. 4. Accessed 6 September 2014.</ref>		Andrew Balcombe is the former chair of the [[Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Northern Ireland]] and a former trustee (25 September 2002 - 12 September 2006) <ref name ="Balcombe">Companies in the UK [https://www.companiesintheuk.co.uk/director/12309719/andrew-balcombe, Balcombe, Andrew]. Accessed 6 September 2014.</ref> of [[UK Friends of AWIS]] The UK offshoot of the [[Association for the Wellbeing of Israel's Soldiers]] - an organisation established in 1942 by David Ben-Gurion. He is also a former director of the trading arm of the organisation, [[UK AWIS Trading Limited]].<ref name ="Balcombe"/> Originally from Manchester <ref>Greer Ray Cashman, 'A Little Piece of Boston', ''Jerusalem Post'', 16 March 2011 Wednesday, p.16. Accessed 10 September 2014.</ref> he now resides in Israel. <ref name ="Jerusalem Post">Meira Faratci, '[http://www.jpost.com/Cafe-Oleh/Cafe-Talk/UK-Zionist-Federation-chairman-makes-aliya UK Zionist Federation chairman makes aliya]'. [''[Jerusalem Post]]''. 2 June 2008 Monday, p. 4. Accessed 6 September 2014.</ref>