Difference between revisions of "Gideon Falter"

From Powerbase
Jump to: navigation, search
(→‎Rowan Laxton incident)
Line 14: Line 14:
  
 
===Rowan Laxton incident===
 
===Rowan Laxton incident===
−
In 2009, senior Foreign Office official [[Rowan Laxton]] was exercising in the gym when, hearing a news report about a farmer killed by Israeli armed forces, he allegedly exclaimed, '******* Israelis, ******* Jews'. Gideon Falter and William Lemaine were in the gym at the time, and complained to staff. Falter also 'tipped off the media' and testified against Laxton in court.<ref>'[http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3778167,00.html British diplomat suspended for cursing Israel: I'm not racist]', <i>Ynet</i> (17 September, 2009); cf. Geoffrey K. Pullum, '[http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=2803 The diplomat, the bishop, the bomber, and the fruit bat]', <i>Language Log</i> (25 November, 2010).</ref> Laxton was suspended from his job<ref>Gillian Meron MP, 'Rowan Laxton', <i>[http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm090227/text/90227w0025.htm Hansard]</i> Column 1206W (27 February, 2009); via Denry, '[http://denryblog.com/2009/10/18/4/ Rowan Laxton - Undiplomatic]' (18 October, 2009).</ref> and in September 2009 was found guilty of racially aggravated public disorder at the City of Westminster Magistrates' Court and fined.<ref>'[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/6226053/Civil-servant-fined-for-racist-outburst-against-Jews.html Civil servant fined for racist outburst against Jews]', <i>Daily Telegraph</i> (24 September, 2009).</ref> On appeal (in effect, a re-trial) the following year, the conviction was overturned; Laxton resumed work at the Foreign Office.<ref>Geoffrey K. Pullum, '[http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=2803 The diplomat, the bishop, the bomber, and the fruit bat]', <i>Language Log</i> (25 November, 2010); Leon Symons, '[http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/29826/foreign-office-man-wins-appeal-against-race-abuse-claim Foreign Office man wins appeal against race abuse claim]', <i>Jewish Chronicle</i> (25 March, 2010).</ref>
+
In 2009, senior Foreign Office official [[Rowan Laxton]] was exercising in the gym when, hearing a news report about a farmer killed by Israeli armed forces, he allegedly exclaimed, '******* Israelis, ******* Jews'. Gideon Falter and William Lemaine were in the gym at the time, and complained to staff. Falter also 'tipped off the media' and testified against Laxton in court.<ref>'[http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3778167,00.html British diplomat suspended for cursing Israel: I'm not racist]', <i>Ynet</i> (17 September, 2009); cf. Geoffrey K. Pullum, '[http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=2803 The diplomat, the bishop, the bomber, and the fruit bat]', <i>Language Log</i> (25 November, 2010).</ref> Laxton was suspended from his job<ref>Gillian Meron MP, 'Rowan Laxton', <i>[http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm090227/text/90227w0025.htm Hansard]</i> Column 1206W (27 February, 2009); via Denry, '[http://denryblog.com/2009/10/18/4/ Rowan Laxton - Undiplomatic]' (18 October, 2009).</ref> and in September 2009 was found guilty of racially aggravated public disorder at the City of Westminster Magistrates' Court and fined.<ref>'[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/6226053/Civil-servant-fined-for-racist-outburst-against-Jews.html Civil servant fined for racist outburst against Jews]', <i>Daily Telegraph</i> (24 September, 2009).</ref> On appeal (in effect, a re-trial) the following year, the conviction was overturned; 'The judge and two magistrates who heard his appeal are unanimous in agreeing that he never at any time said "fucking Jews"<ref>Geoffrey K. Pullum, '[http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=2803 The diplomat, the bishop, the bomber, and the fruit bat]', <i>Language Log</i> (25 November, 2010)</ref> Laxton resumed work at the Foreign Office.<ref>
  
 
===Campaign Against Antisemitism UK===
 
===Campaign Against Antisemitism UK===

Revision as of 05:55, 23 May 2020

Gideon Falter is chairman of the Campaign Against Antisemitism UK (CAA), and former president of the University of Warwick Jewish/Israeli Society (JSoc).

Education

Falter graduated in law at the University of Warwick.[1]

Activities

Student politics

While at Warwick, Falter was president of the student Jewish/Israeli Society, or JSoc.[1] By his own account, he spent his time in office 'fighting Israel's corner',[2] whilst 'fighting off opposition within the Students‘ Union'.[1] For instance, under his leadership the JSoc campaigned for the anti-Zionist ultra Orthodox Jewish sect Neturei Karta to be banned from university events, and for students who had invited speakers from the group to be punished;[3] and in 2002, Falter helped defeat a student union motion for boycotting Israeli goods, which he branded 'racism'.[4]

He was subsequently elected the student union's Anti-Racism Officer and 'appointed to the Race and Religion Incident Review Panel of Warwickshire Police and West Midlands Police's Key Individuals Network'.[1] When a Warwick student union motion to twin with the student council of Birzeit University in the West Bank was rejected, Falter, in his capacity as student union anti-racism officer, praised the result as 'a major victory for tolerance and decency' on the grounds that many Birzeit union members were supporters of Hamas.[5]

In 2005, Falter stood unsuccessfully for president of the Union of Jewish Students.[6]

Rowan Laxton incident

In 2009, senior Foreign Office official Rowan Laxton was exercising in the gym when, hearing a news report about a farmer killed by Israeli armed forces, he allegedly exclaimed, '******* Israelis, ******* Jews'. Gideon Falter and William Lemaine were in the gym at the time, and complained to staff. Falter also 'tipped off the media' and testified against Laxton in court.[7] Laxton was suspended from his job[8] and in September 2009 was found guilty of racially aggravated public disorder at the City of Westminster Magistrates' Court and fined.[9] On appeal (in effect, a re-trial) the following year, the conviction was overturned; 'The judge and two magistrates who heard his appeal are unanimous in agreeing that he never at any time said "fucking Jews"[10] Laxton resumed work at the Foreign Office.Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag

As of January 2015, Falter was listed at the CAA's Chairman.[1]

Affiliations

Contact details

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 CAA, 'About Us'; accessed: 15 January 2015, at 7.24pm.
  2. ↑ Gideon Falter, 'Let’s turn fear of anti-Semitism into fight', Jewish News (3 September, 2014).
  3. ↑ Gaby Wine, 'J-Socs want ban on Neturei Karta', Jewish Chronicle (7 March, 2003).
  4. ↑ Gaby Wine and Rachel S. Harris, 'Anti-Israel motions defeated', Jewish Chronicle (6 December, 2002).
  5. ↑ 'Twin rejected', Jewish Chronicle (4 February, 2005).
  6. ↑ 'UJS election', Jewish Chronicle (25 February, 2005); 'UJS’s new chair calls for activism', Jewish Chronicle (4 March, 2005).
  7. ↑ 'British diplomat suspended for cursing Israel: I'm not racist', Ynet (17 September, 2009); cf. Geoffrey K. Pullum, 'The diplomat, the bishop, the bomber, and the fruit bat', Language Log (25 November, 2010).
  8. ↑ Gillian Meron MP, 'Rowan Laxton', Hansard Column 1206W (27 February, 2009); via Denry, 'Rowan Laxton - Undiplomatic' (18 October, 2009).
  9. ↑ 'Civil servant fined for racist outburst against Jews', Daily Telegraph (24 September, 2009).
  10. ↑ Geoffrey K. Pullum, 'The diplomat, the bishop, the bomber, and the fruit bat', Language Log (25 November, 2010)
Retrieved from "https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Gideon_Falter&oldid=257001"