Eric Moonman

Eric Moonman at a Liverpool University alumni event at the House of Commons in 2006 where Moonman is a leading light in the Association of Former Members of Parliament

<youtube size="medium" align="right" caption="Eric Moonman talks at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies' International Center for Terrorism Studies on, 'Protests, Riots and Terrorism: A View from the UK and Europe', on Monday, November 7, 2011. Co-sponsors of the event included the Inter-University Center for Terrorism Studies, the Inter-Parliamentary Council for Combating Terrorism, The United States Association of Former Members of Congress, and the Inter-University Center for Legal Studies of the International Law Institute.">qZVuwzbNcHQ</youtube>

Eric Moonman (born 29 April 1929) is a former Labour MP turned academic, broadcaster and Israel lobbyist. More recently he has emerged as a security and counter terrorism expert on UK commercial television and local press. He is invariably identified as a ‘terrorism expert’ without mention of his Zionist affiliations. Between 2006 and 2010 Moonman wrote a weekly column on the media for Totallyjewish.com.

Biography

Early life

Eric Moonman was born in Liverpool on 29 April 1929 to Borach and Leah Moonman. He went to Rathbone School in Liverpool which he left at the age of 13 to start a seven-year apprenticeship at WJ Pugh Printers and then the Liverpool Echo. After the war, Moonman undertook his national service in the Kings Liverpool Regiment from 1951 to 53, during which he took courses in military studies as well as evening classes in subjects such as public speaking. In 1954 got a place at the University of Liverpool to study for a Diploma in Social Science. At Liverpool he edited the University magazine and became chairman of the Labour Society. Moonman was awarded his diploma in 1955

British Institute of Management

In 1956 Moonman became a human relations advisor for the British Institute of Management (BIM) – an organisation put together by a group of powerful British businessmen during the end of the Second World War. Whilst at the BIM Moonman became involved in local politics and served as leader of Stepney Council in East London from 1958 till 1962. In 1959 he was made a Fellow of BIM. That year he also stood in his first parliamentary election, unsuccessfully contesting the constituency of Chigwell for the first time.

In his penultimate year at the British Institute of Management, Moonman published The Manager and the Organisation (1961) a managerial handbook described by the journal International Socialism in 1962 as ‘an unfortunate hotch potch’ with ‘no sociological value at all’.

Academia

Moonman left the Institute of Management in 1962 and became a Senior Lecturer in Industrial Relations at SW Essex Technical College. In 1964 he left Essex to join the Institute of Science and Technology at the University of Manchester. He was a Senior Research Fellow in Management Sciences there until 1966. He was awarded a Masters by the University of Manchester in 1967.

Political Career

Moonman left the British Institute of Management in 1962 and in 1963 he became a member of the Tower Hamlets Council. In 1964 he contested the constituency of Chigwell for the second time, again without success, but was elected as Labour MP for Billericay in the 1966 general election. From 1967–68 he was parliamentary private secretary to the Secretary of State for Education and Science. In this role he worked with the influential Fabian Anthony Crosland who led the right-wing of the Labour Party at that time. At this time he was also a parliamentary private secretary to George Thomson (who was Minister Without Portfolio at the time), who like Moonman later also joined the Social Democratic Party. In 1967 he stood for election as vice-chariman of the Parliamentary Labour Party, but was defeated.

By 1968 Moonman had become chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party’s committee on science and technology as well as a governor of Imperial College, London.

In the 1970 General Election Moonman lost his seat but was elected MP for Basildon at the February 1974 election when the Labour Party returned to power. He lost his seat again at the 1979 general election.

After Parliament

After leaving Parliament Moonman remained politically active. Not content with the right-wing of the Labour Party, he defected to join the short-lived Social Democratic Party. Over the next two decades he became one of the most prominent figures in British Zionism. He also published a number of reports on social violence through his think-tank the Centre for Contemporary Studies - an experience which eventually led to his emergence as a 'terrorism expert' after September 11th. Moonman also worked within the NHS during the 1980s, controversially advocating its privatisation.

Israel lobbyist

In June 1967 the Foreign Secretary George Brown made a speech to the UN General Assembly on the Israel-Arab Conflict. Moonman was one of a number of Labour MPs to accuse Brown of "taking sides" against Israel. At a Jewish ex-servicemen's rally in Southend, Moonman called Brown's speech a "serious embarrassment" and said he had "aggressively departed" from the Government's neutral policy, giving "harsh and arrogant advice" to the Israelis.

In 1972 Moonman was at the World Jewish Congress in Switzerland. He approached Stephen Roth, then director of the European Jewish Congress, and told him that changes had to be made in the way that Israel represented itself abroad. Roth accordingly gave him permission to start up a commission on Israel. In 1974, Moonman convened the first gathering of Jewish professionals to work out propaganda strategies.

The group subsequently met twice every year, once in Europe in the summer and once in Jerusalem in the autumn. Moonman was the “the founder and guiding light” of the organisation which became the West European Public Relations Group for Information on Behalf of Israel. The group was initially funded by the World Jewish Congress which later withdrew its funding. From 1980 it was funded instead by the World Zionist Organization and from 1985 also by the Israel Foreign Ministry. The Register of Members' Interests 1975/6 records that Moonman visited a conference in Brussels in February 1976, which was probably the winter meeting of the West European Public Relations Group for Information on Behalf of Israel. The register records that Moonman was there as a representative of the Parliamentary Committee for the release of Soviet Jewry.

By 1975 Moonman was chairman of the Zionist Federation of Great Britain. In August that year he met with the Home Secretary Roy Jenkins to protest against the planned visit to London by two members of the Palestinian National Council (the political wing of the PLO). Moonman criticised the visit as “an attempt to become respectable.” He added that: “we demean ourselves as human beings if at a convenient point of time we overlook the track record of these people.”

In June 1977 the Sunday Times published a front page story and a four page ‘Insight’ investigation reporting the alleged torture of Palestinian prisoners in the occupied territories. The Israeli Embassy in London called the assertions a “vicious slander as it is insulting to the only democracy and free judiciary in the area”. Moonman made three complaints about the reports to the Press Council, complaining that unproved accusations were reported as facts, that the paper misled readers with unsubstantiated quotes and headlines, and that Israel was denied the opportunity to comment before publication. His complaints were rejected.

In November that year Moonman introduced a debate in the House of Commons on "racial prejudice on the university campus". He complained that several student unions had proposed motions critical of Israel or Zionism, which he called "an insidious example of thinly-veiled anti-Semitism". He said that:

Zionism is not racism. It is a national liberation movement of a people who for centuries have been persecuted and desire to establish in Israel a State where the Jews can live in peace and harmony with the Arabs. It is racism to deny to the Jewish people the right to self-determination while advocating it for other people, such as the Palestinians.

In 1981 a broadcast by the Israeli Radio Peace and Progress (summarised by the BBC) referred to Moonman as one of several “leaders of the Zionist organizations in Britain”; although it is not clear if this referred to the West European Public Relations Group for Information on Behalf of Israel or another organisation. The broadcast reported that Moonman had “explained his [opposition to Menachem Begin] in an article in the Jewish Chronicle, wherein Moonman argued that: “We must support Israel, but we must give consideration to the image of the Israel which we support. It is clear that Israel's Western allies are less and less interested in supporting Begin's Israel.”

In 1985 Moonman forced the editor of the Jewish Quarterly to resign. According to his successor Colin Shindler: “The offence had been caused by a Jewish Quarterly editorial which questioned the actual dangers of anti-Semitism today as popularly viewed by Jewish leadership.”

A 1986 report in The Guardian refers to Moonman as "chairman of the research committee of the Board of Deputies of British Jews", and Moonman’s profile in Debrett's People of Today states that that year he was appointed senior vice-president. At this stage Moonman was also a board member of the British-Israel Public Affairs Committee (BIPAC) where he worked on a publication called EEC Monitor. In 1987 however he was forced to resign from BIPAC after a financial scandal which he considered the result of a campaign against him. Below is an extract from The Guardian explaining the circumstances of Moonman’s departure from BIPAC:

An unusual advert has just appeared in the Jewish Chronicle, asking anyone who knows about a campaign of malice against the former Labour MP Eric Moonman to send the information to a box number. It has been placed, of course, by Moonman himself, who is senior vice-president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, and chairman of the Islington Area Health Authority in London. Until recently he was also a board member of the British-Israel Public Affairs Committee (BIPAC), but he resigned at the last meeting following what might be called the Alexander Keddie Affair. Keddie doesn't actually exist, although he was once described as a recluse in Essex who didn't like taking phone calls; the name was simply used over a period of about four years to steer payments to a variety of people, including Moonman, who worked on a BIPAC publication called EEC Monitor. An accountant's report into the affair was prompted by Monty Sumary, a prominent Jewish businessman and fundraiser, and it concluded that Moonman had left people confused about the Keddie arrangement. Moonman denies this, and is now intent on unmasking his putative tormentors. 'I do think there is a campaign against me,' he said this week. 'There have been anonymous letters and phone calls as well.'”

By 2001 Moonman had joined the Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland. In mid January 2002 the New Statesman reported that he headed the Zionist Federation’s Media Response Unit; organising email and letter writing campaigns against journalists perceived to be anti-Semitic or critical of Israel. A week after the publishing of that article, Moonman had reportedly become President of the organisation.

Terrorism Expert

Moonman appears on Channel 4 News after the Glasgow Airport attacks next to a huge gas canister

Moonman’s emergence as a terrorism expert seems to have stemmed from his involvement in an organisation called the Centre for Contemporary Studies, a think-tank which published material on football hooliganism and race relations, as well as terrorism. The Centre appears to have been founded by Moonman who seems to have been affected by the Brixton riots and anxious about the possibility of societal breakdown.

In May 1981 the Centre published a report called "The Nazis are in the Playground". According to BBC Nationwide it "claims extreme right-wing groups are recruiting school children & authorities are unable to control the situation". The BBC interviewed Moonman on this on Nationwide. BBC archive records state that he "discusses young racism increasing 50% in 2 yrs; subtle strategies used; importance of process for future of N.F; accuses N.U.T of indifference, and gives Centre's proposals". Later in 1981 a further report on the role of neo-fascist groups in music led to an interview with Joan Bakewell on Newsnight. According to BBC archives Moonman "welcomes declaration by group 'Madness' that they have nothing to do with National Front & British Movement; extreme right see concerts as a potential market for their magazines".

In writings he focused in particular on the influence of media and television. He published a report in October 1981 on the riots that summer called "Copycat Hooligans", which argued that: “Youths imitated television film of violence in Northern Ireland when they rioted in more than 20 British cities last summer... Eric Moonman, the centre's director and author of the report entitled Copy Cat Hooligans, said the rioters knew what to do because they had seen it on television.

In 1987 Moonman published a book called The Violent Society which included contributions from prominent terrorologists Paul Wilkinson and Richard Clutterbuck. Paul Wilkinson was identified in the contributors notes as a member of the Advisory Board of the Centre for Contemporary Studies. Insight, the Alumni magazine for Liverpool University, wrote that The Violent Society ‘was well received and, surprisingly for Eric, marked another chapter in his life’. The article states that after the publication of The Violent Society Moonman ‘began to take on consultancy work for ITN as an expert in counter-terrorism’.

Moonman's vanity published 2005 book with a foreword by zionist and 'terror expert' Yonah Alexander

In fact Moonman’s media presence as a terrorism expert does not seem to have taken off for another 15 years. The television archive contains only one item in the 1990s listing Moonman as a terrorism expert and the note does not contain an exact date. With the exception of that item, Moonman's first appearance seems to have been on a Channel Five Lunchtime Bulletin on 18 July 2002, after which he appeared dozens of times on UK television.

In 1998 Moonman was appointed as a member of the Advisory Board of the Centre for Counter Terrorism Studies at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies. He appeared at an 'Executive Luncheon' hosted by the group on 26 November 2001. The Panel was Chaired by Yonah Alexander, the Director of the International Center for Terrorism Studies and a fellow Zionist and seminal terrorism expert; and Michael Swetnam, CEO and Chairman of the Potomac Institute. Moonman said he thought the media had been, "highly responsible and supportive of U.S. and international efforts to root out terrorism". Of the critics of the War on Terror, Moonman said: "Many are Muslim, though most Muslims are friendly, good citizens who favor peace. Still, Taliban supporters are currently protesting and causing unrest in both England and the whole of Europe. Many of these dissidents are merely taking advantage of the situation, rather than genuinely pursuing the ideals of peace. Legitimate peace movement leaders, in fact, have actually spoken out against these protesters." He warned of "Usama bin Laden’s slick operation shows the extent to which public opinion can be bought with marketing and public relations expenditures," and argued that, "we must fight terrorists on their own terms. We can’t afford to abide by the Queensbury rules of war in the face of such a dangerous and unscrupulous threat."

Health Policy

After leaving Parliament Moonman became involved in health policy and was chairman of Islington Health Authority 1980-90. He created controversy within the Labour Party because of his support for privatisation within the NHS. He was able to win a vote in favour of privatisation by reintroducing the matter on a much-criticised pretext at a meeting at which his supporters were in the majority. In 1987 at the Annual conference of the Social Democratic Party, Moonman arged for a greater role for the private sector. According to BBC Archives: "Eric MOONMAN, Islington, must look at alternative funding for the NHS & consider working with private sector".

City University 'Professor'

Moonman was appointed a Visiting Professor at London's City University in 1990 and started teaching on Health management MSc. In 2008 the University has confirmed that Moonman had worked at the University since that time, but that he did not currently teach, lead seminars, or contribute to research. It confirmed that he "advises the academic staff on a needs-be basis on Health related subjects".

A City University Alumni publication listing 'members news' which is 'ordered according to when you entered, or first joined, the University' suggests that Moonman had studied 'Medical Informatics' at the University in 1989. However, after further inquiries the University stated that: "Mr Moonman has never been a student at City University. He has not been awarded an honorary degree either."

Media Presence

The graph on the right shows Moonman’s presence in the English print media up from 1975 until the end of 2007. The figures were compiled by searching All English Language News at Lexis-Nexis. The results seem to suggest that Moonman was at his most influential - at least with the media - during his time at the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland.

Moonman's profile on British television has also been notable. We tracked appearances by Terrorism Experts on UK Television between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2006.. Of the 435 'experts' we tracked Moonman was the seventh equal most cited on British TV, appearing a total of thirty-eight times. Moonman mainly appeared on ITN (36 times) with only two appearances on the BBC.

Personal Life

Moonman has been married twice and has two sons Daniel (born 10 July 1966) and Joshua (born 27 January 1972). It was probably at BIM that Moonman met his first wife Jane. She reportedly began her career working at the the British Institute of Management where Eric Moonman worked as a Human Relations Adviser between 1956 and 1962 - the year they were married. Like Eric Moonman she later became involved in Zionist organisations. She edited the 1980 edition of The Zionist Yearbook, published by the Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland. She was affiliated with the British-Israel Public Affairs Committee (BIPAC) from at least November 1986, and is reported to have been its Director in 1990. She divorced Moonman in 1991 and married Israel’s former ambassador to the UK Yoav Biran. She moved with her new husband to Jerusalem and was appointed as the Jerusalem Foundation's liaison with Britain.

In February 2000 Moonman met City University alumna Gillian Mayer who gave a vote of thanks after a speech he gave in his home town of Southport. They married on 11 February 2001.

Affiliations

Chronology of appointments

• 1956-62, human relations advisor for the British Institute of Management
• 1959, fellow of the British Institute of Management
• 1962–64, Senior Lecturer in Industrial Relations, SW Essex Technical College
• 1963, member of the Tower Hamlets Council
• 1964–66, Senior Research Fellow in Management Sciences, University of Manchester
• 1966-70, MP for Basildon
• 1967–68, Parliamentary Private Secretary to Minister without Portfolio and Secretary of State for Education
• c.1968, chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party’s committee on science and technology
• c.1968, governor of Imperial College, London
• 1972 Attends World Jewish Congress and gets support for zionist propaganda body.
• 1974-79, MP for Billericay
• 1974-1991(at least), established and directed the West European Public Relations Group for Information on Behalf of Israel
• 1975–80, Chairman of the Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland
• 1975 Chairman of All Party Parliamentary Committee on the Social Services
• 1978 member of Parliamentary Select Committee on Immigration
• 1980-90, chairman of Islington Health Authority
• 1985–91, senior vice-president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews
• 1986-87, board member of the British-Israel Public Affairs Committee
• 1990, Appointed visiting professor at City University
• 1994–99, senior vice-president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews
• 1998–present, member of the Advisory Board of the International Center for Terrorism Studies at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies
• 2001, head of the Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland’s Media Response Unit
• 2001-present, president of the Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland
• 2006-7, Honorary visiting professor at City University.

Affiliations

• Chair, Academic Response Against Racism and Anti-Semitism in Europe
• Association of Former Members of Parliament, executive committee
• Parliamentary Committee for the release of Soviet Jewry, former member
• On the International research council of the International Center for Terrorism Studies within the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies.
• Stag FM, director (owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust).
• West European Public Relations Group for Information on Behalf of Israel, Chairman

Contacts, friends and networks

• David Abrahams, Listed as a 'friend' by ITN

Publications

• Moonman, Eric. The Manager & the Organization, Tavistock, 1961.
• Moonman, Eric. Security of Employment. pp. 14. Industrial Welfare Society: London, [1963.]
• Moonman, Eric. The Manager and the Organization, pp. 220. Pan Books: London, 1965.
• Moonman, Eric. Science and technology in Europe; edited by Eric Moonman; associate editor Jane Moonman. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1968.
• Moonman, Eric. The communication of objectives in an expanding company. London: Industrial Educational and Research Foundation, [1969].pp. 24. 21 cm. (Research paper. no. 1.)
• Moonman, Eric. Communication in an expanding organization: a case study in action research. Tavistock Publications, 1970.
• Nave A, Gregory A, Leadbitt E, Lubbock E, Moonman E, ‘Sub-Committee-D- Users Have Their Say’ Computer Bulletin, Volume 14, Issue 5, p.155, 1970
• Moonman E, ‘Computer Chaos’, New Society, Volume 17, Issue 453, pp.954-955, 1971
• Moonman, Eric. Reluctant partnership. A critical study of the relationship between government and industry. London: Gollancz, 1971.
• Moonman, Eric. British computers and industrial innovation. The implications of the Parliamentary Select Committee. Edited by Eric Moonman. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1971. pp. xx, 126. 23 cm. Parliament. House of Commons. Committees. Select Committee on Science and Technology. Sub-Committee D. [Minutes of evidence.]
• Moonman, Eric. Business and the arts. Foundation for Business Responsibilities, 1974.
• Moonman E, ‘Electoral Reform’, Parliamentarian, Volume 57, Issue 4, pp.242-249. 1976
• Moonman, Eric. Copy-cat hooligans. 1981. Contemporary affairs briefing; Centre For Contemporary Studies, 1981.vol 1 no 9
• Moonman, E. European Economic Community Policy in Relation to the Middle East, Israel and Matters Concerning Jews The twenty-first Selig Brodetsky memorial lecture, 1980. Paperback: 18 pages Publisher: Leeds University Press ISBN-10: 0853161259 ISBN-13: 978-0853161257
• Eric Moonman The Alternative Government (1984) 96 pages Publisher: Trentham Books Ltd (Jun 1984) ISBN-10: 0950773557 ISBN-13: 978-0950773551 (Introduction by Lord Wilson of Rievaulx)
• Stars of today : talking, living, working and playing together / edited by Eric Moonman. London : Centre for Contemporary Studies, [1986] [48]p. : ill., col.ports. ; 30cm.
• The Violent Society (Paperback) by Eric Moonman, Paperback: 167 pages, Publisher: Frank Cass Publishers (20 Jan 1987) ISBN-10: 0714640557 ISBN-13: 978-0714640556
• Moonman E, ‘Improving Outpatient Clinics’, British Medical Journal, Volume: 296, Issue 6635, pp.1539-1539, 28 May 1988
• Eric Moonman, Learning To Live In The Violent Society, 2006,Paperback: 220 pages Publisher: AuthorHouse (21 Oct 2005) ISBN-10: 1420877240 ISBN-13: 978-1420877243

Columns at Totallyjewish.com

• On the Media - 18/06/08
• On the Media - 12/06/08
• On the Media - 05/06/08
• On the Media - 28/05/08
• - 22/05/08
• - 15/05/08
• On the Media - 22/04/08
• On the Media - 16/04/08
• On the Media - 09/04/08
• On the Media - 02/04/08
• On the Media - 26/03/08
• On the Media - 20/03/08
• On the Media - 27/02/08
• On the Media - 14/02/08

Contact

Tel: 020 7040 8369

Email: emoonman@soi.city.ac.uk