Difference between revisions of "Gideon Falter"

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===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>
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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)