Gideon Falter
Gideon Falter is chairman of the Campaign Against Antisemitism UK (CAA), and former president of the University of Warwick Jewish/Israeli Society (JSoc).
Contents
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
- Campaign Against Antisemitism UK - chairman
- University of Warwick Student Union - anti-racism officer
- University of Warwick Jewish/Israeli Society - former president
- Rowan Laxton
- Jonathan Sacerdoti
- Mandy Blumenthal
- Nathan Hopstein
- Justin Chorn
- Jordan Jay
- Rupert Nathan
- Darren Borg
- Joseph Cohen
Contact details
- Website: http://antisemitism.uk/
- Twitter: " https://twitter.com/gideonfalter
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 CAA, 'About Us'; accessed: 15 January 2015, at 7.24pm.
- ↑ Gideon Falter, 'Let’s turn fear of anti-Semitism into fight', Jewish News (3 September, 2014).
- ↑ Gaby Wine, 'J-Socs want ban on Neturei Karta', Jewish Chronicle (7 March, 2003).
- ↑ Gaby Wine and Rachel S. Harris, 'Anti-Israel motions defeated', Jewish Chronicle (6 December, 2002).
- ↑ 'Twin rejected', Jewish Chronicle (4 February, 2005).
- ↑ 'UJS election', Jewish Chronicle (25 February, 2005); 'UJS’s new chair calls for activism', Jewish Chronicle (4 March, 2005).
- ↑ '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).
- ↑ Gillian Meron MP, 'Rowan Laxton', Hansard Column 1206W (27 February, 2009); via Denry, 'Rowan Laxton - Undiplomatic' (18 October, 2009).
- ↑ 'Civil servant fined for racist outburst against Jews', Daily Telegraph (24 September, 2009).
- ↑ Geoffrey K. Pullum, 'The diplomat, the bishop, the bomber, and the fruit bat', Language Log (25 November, 2010)
