JNF UK
JNF UK claims to be "the UK’s leading humanitarian and environmental Israel charity...[raising] funds for the building blocks of everyday life in Israel such as reservoirs, irrigation systems, desalination plants, forest planting, recycling schemes, roads, housing and healthcare centres." [1] It is the UK wing of the Jewish National Fund, which has been described by the Israeli historian Ilan Pappe as "a colonialist agency of ethnic cleansing".[2]
Current UK Prime Minister David Cameron stepped down as Honorary Patron of the JNF, May 2011. A press release explained the resignation was part of a wider review of charities and organisations the PM is associated with, claiming the JNF is one of a number of charities he stepped down from.[3] Traditionally the three leaders of the main UK parties have become Honorary Patrons, however none of the three leaders currently hold this position. Pro-Palestinian solidarity groups claim the resignation was because of growing pressure for Cameron to step down.[4][5] Previous UK Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown remain Honorary Patrons.[6]
Contents
People
Executive Board (2012)
- Samuel Hayek - Chairman
- Dr Michael Sinclair - Vice Chairman
- David Goodman - Chief Executive
- Gordon Hausmann - Company Secretary[7]
Board Members (2012)
- Baroness Ruth Deech DBE
- Elan Gorji
- Murray Lee
- Gary Mond
- Benjamin Perl MBE
- Lord Weidenfeld
- Mandi Waisman[7]
Patrons (2012)
- Hilary and Cyril Dennis MBE
- Jose and David Dent
- Zak Gertler
- David Lewis
- Felix Posen
- Lynne and Nigel Ross
- Leslie Silver OBE
- Sammy Soffair
- Simon Sterling
- Sol Zakay[7]
Honorary Patrons (2012)
- Professor David Bellamy OBE
- The Rt Hon Tony Blair
- The Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP
- The Rt Hon Lady Cosgrove CBE
- General The Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank GCB LVO OBE
- The Rt Hon Lord Howard of Lympne QC
- Anthony Krais JP
- Rabbi Dr Abraham Levy OBE
- The Prime Minister of Israel
- HE The Ambassador of Israel
- President of Israel Shimon Peres
- Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks
- Rev Malcolm Weisman OBE[7]
External Resources
- Anshel Pfeffer, JNF deal ends dispute in Israel, U.S., U.K., Haaretz, 18 November 2008.
- Geoffrey Alderman, Why I worry about the JNF, jc.com, 12 February 2009.
Notes
- ↑ 'About JNF UK', JNF UK website, accessed 27 March, 2009.
- ↑ ILAN PAPPE and JUSTIN PODUR, ZNet, 20 February 2005 Mechanisms of denial, last accessed June 16, 2007.
- ↑ Harriet Sherwood, David Cameron resigns as patron of the Jewish National Fund, The Guardian 29 May 2011, accessed 23 June 2011
- ↑ Stop the JNF Campaign website, 'Cameron drops Israel 'racist' charity', Press Release 27 May 2011, accessed 23 June 2011
- ↑ BDS Website, 'British Prime Minister ends ties with JNF', Press Release 27 May 2011, accessed 23 June 2011
- ↑ Jewish National Fund website, About Us, Executive Board accessed 23 June 2011
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 About Us, JNF UK, accessed 8 August 2012.
