Points of Jew

Lib Dems attack Tory

On the eve prior to the eve of Chankukah and Xmas, Brent Lib Dems issued a press release in which they were trying to make political gain by accusing a Tory Brent Councillor of holding some anti-semite views over comments he said that appear to be taken out of context.

SomethingJewish has the story:

Tory party leader David Cameron has been asked by the Liberal Democrats to take action over a Conservative Councillor who said at a meeting: "Jews run everything in Britain and practically run America."

The comments were made by Brent Councillor Jack Sayers at a health conference in Cricklewood, north west London in June this year and he says they were taken out of context and used against him to get political gain by the Liberal Democrats.  The matter was referred to the Standards Board and Mr Sayers was cleared.

"It was a private conversation I was having and was not a sinister comment," said Mr Sayers, a Tory Councillor since 1990.  "You've got to admire the Jewish people and what they have done and achieved. That is what I was getting at. This has been blown all out of proportion and is a political vendetta against me. The Liberal Democrats are trying to court the Jewish community by taking what I said all out of context."

Westminster prayer room for all

Everyone should be able to pray at Westminster says a Jewish MP.  According to a report in the Jewish Telegraph, a planned prayer room is set to be designed for the Muslim faith only and MP for Ilford North Lee Scott wants it to be for any religious faith (even Jedi Knights???)

Jewish Telegraph reports:

Illford North MP Lee Scott said: "I believe any prayer room should be shared by all faiths - there shouldn't be segregation.

"Anybody wanting to pray at the Commons should be allowed to do so."

A House of Commons spokesman told the Jewish Telegraph that MPs of any religious denomination were free to pray in the building.

She said: "Throughout the year, individuals of any religious denomination can book meeting space for prayer and contemplation space if it is available.

"During Ramadan we make two areas available for Muslims, one in the Palace of Westminster and one in the seven Millbank offices."

Howard's day of being Jewish

Michael Howard may not be the most committed of Jews. He married out, his son Nick is a born again Christian nutter and priest in training, but when it came to Rosh Hashanah during the Tory party conference in Blackpool, the outgoing Conservative leader managed to spend some time with the local community and when it came to praying, Howard could certainly take part without too many problems. 

Originally he planned to only spend an hour in shul, but liked it so much he stayed until the end.

According to Totally Jewish

Michael Howard was called up to the Torah at Blackpool Reform Jewish Congregation during a first day Rosh Hashanah service.

Shul president Estelle Ballan said: "He did the brochas in perfect hebrew. We were very honoured. I thanked him for giving us the pleasure of having his company and he thanked me for being there so he could do what he wanted to do. Everybody was very surprised but they thought it was lovely he took the trouble to come along.”

Still, Howard will always try and show he has some fondness or association with the Jewish community, to which his own son is trying to convert.

The sad irony for Michael Howard is that his own father, Bernat Hecht was a cantor at a synagogue in Romania, so had a commitment to his Jewish life.

Somehow with his career, Howard senior failed to show Howard junior that even though his mother Sandra is not Jewish, it doesn't mean you can't follow a Jewish life.

From his mid-teens, Nick Howard has always been a friend of Jesus and passionate that Jesus is his messiah, god and just about every standing ovation you can give the man with the beard from Bethlehem.

A few years back while at university, Nick Howard wrote in Cherwell, the student newspaper:

“As Christians, it is our duty to reach Jews, who are a priority in our evangelism. It is a process of reasoning, persuading them to become Christians. Christianity is fulfilled Judaism.”

A shame that Michael Howard failed to pass on his Jewish duty to his own son.

Blunkett's son in Jewish nursery

Embattled politician David Blunkett has revealed that his son, William, through his relationship with Kimberly Quinn is attending a Jewish nursery.

According to the Jewish Chronicle, Blunkett announced this at a gala dinner for the Friends of Haifa University.

Addressing Tuesday’s gala dinner of the Friends of Haifa University, the Employment and Pensions Secretary said that the boy had been teaching him about the festivals, and he was thus aware that Yom Kippur was imminent. “So now you should eat, drink and be merry.”

Mr Blunkett later told the JC that, as the boy’s mother, Kimberly Quinn, was from a Jewish background, it was “appropriate” that he should attend a Jewish nursery.

But the question everyone wants to know... did Blunkett fast track his son to get a place at the nursery?

Next Tory leader won't be Jewish - Rifkind out of the running

As widely predicted, Malcolm Rifkind, the MP for Kensington & Chelsea has thrown in the towel to become the next Jewish leader of the Conservative Party.

BBC News Online reports:

Sir Malcolm told BBC Radio 4's World At One he had won far less support than he would have liked.

"There is no realistic prospect of me coming through," he said.

When listening to the radio this afternoon, I think it was News Direct in London, a commentator said that "realistic prospect" meant he had about 2% support. Quite obvious that no one in his party actually saw him as a potential leader of it. Mind you, that is certainly more than a Sunday Times poll which showed him likely to get 1% of the vote.

So who is Rifkind backing?  Well, old school Tory chum Ken Clarke.

Rifkind gives New Year message

On the eve of Rosh Hashanah, Tory leader hopeful Sir Malcolm Rifkind has delivered a speech to his party conference in Blackpool.

The Jewish MP for Kensington and Chelsea was upbeat, despite being the outsider in the race to become Convervative leader.

Among his soundbites:

"It is the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. It is also 60 years since Churchill was ejected from office by the British electorate. After he lost, Churchill did not respond by arguing for one more heave, or more of the same. He did not retreat into some rightwing bunker."

"As a party we have no need to be depressed. The Labour Party is deteriorating. It has long ago planted the seeds of its own decay. Tony Blair is on the way out. Labour has no guiding set of beliefs. Socialism only works in heaven where they do not need it or hell where they have it already."

"I believe our basic beliefs and values remain sound. I joined the party because I saw it as a unique combination of patriotism and principle and through these, being able to provide liberty, equality and opportunity and improvements to the condition of the people."

"That is our challenge. Maybe we do have a mountain to climb, but let's set our sights high. And when we get to the summit, we can serve our true purpose, which is to serve the British people."

So will Rifkind get his New Year wish?  According to a YouGov survey, it's likely he would poll only 4% of the vote. Not looking too good.

Would you bet on Rifkind?

As the Conservatives go about looking to pick a new leader, latest odds the bookmakers are offering place Sir Malcolm Rifikind as the long shot, well actually, very long shot.

You should be able to get odds of at least 50/1 for the former Tory foreign secretary to win the battle to be next leader of the party and follow Michael Howard.

At its annual conference in Blackpool this week, all the candidates will be giving speeches to delegates to win their support.

Will Rifkind be the next nice Jewish boy to lead the Conservatives? Or is being Jewish an obstacle to his leadership plans?

More importantly, what will Rifkind be doing on the first and second day of Rosh Hashanah, which take place on Tuesday and Wednesday of the conference.

Update: Party leaders not wishing Jewish community a happy New Year

As we start to enter Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, not one of the major political party leaders has issued a New Year message to the Jewish community. 

Update: Looking at the Jewish News, I noticed messages from all of them, so oops! oops! and oops!  I guess dear readers you can make up your own mind as to my own importance :) or lack of it... But hey, I still had a greeting from Ken Livingstone.

But still, going to the respective websites of the party leaders, nothing can be found either. So if they have issued these messages, why are they not on their own websites, so all can see and indeed read.

And of the messages, Charles Kennedy is the winner for the most weak and lack of understanding the UK Jewish community.

Kennedy referenced Sir Jonathan Sacks, but not other Jewish communal leaders leaving the impression that Sir Jonathan is a leader for everyone, when in fact he is not.

He said of Sir Jonathan: "active role the Chief Rabbi has played with other faith groups."

Note to Charles:  What exactly has Sir Jonathan done to build bridges within his own community?

He goes on: "He (Sir Jonathan) provides outstanding spiritual leadership for the Jewish community and beyond."

Another note to Charles:  Speak to the many people who feel he provides a poor service to the community and then make up your mind as to whether Sir Jonathan is of any use to the community or merely just milking it as much as he can.

Only London Mayor Ken Livingstone has issued a message which said: "I am pleased to take this opportunity to send best wishes to London's Jewish community for a Rosh Hashanah of happiness, and a New Year of lasting peace."

In years gone by, Points of Jew sister site, SomethingJewish would have to prompt all the parties to get their message from each respective leader and it would work.  This year, SomethingJewish decided to let the leaders do it voluntariliy.  And the result, there is no message from any of the party leaders.

Feel free to make up your own mind as to what Messrs Blair, Howard and Kennedy will give as a reason for not yet wishing the Jewish community a happy New Year.

Maybe, they all just forgot or just had other things on their mind?

Labour expels Jewish member for heckling

I can't help feeling the scene yesterday when 82-year-old Walter Wolfgang was thrown out of the Labour Party conference was something reminiscent of that if a Jewish person had hecked Adolf Hitler circa 1935.

But this is 2005 and we are not in Nazi Germany. We are in modern Britain, a country that has democracy and free speech.

Walter himself had to flee Nazi Germany in 1937 and has been a Labour member for 52 years. But when it came to him heckling the word "nonsense" during Jack Straw's speech to Labour supporters in Brighton, he had to face the wrath of Labour's SS - stupid stewards who ejected him, despite his frailness.

Labour leader and PM Tony Blair has refused to meet Walter, but did said sorry.

"I can't do anything more than apologise profusely," he said.

Mr Blair, there is much more you can do. You can meet him and say sorry to Walter's face.

Updates:

Plenty of coverage everywhere on this. Just Google News for "Walter Wolfgang" to find it.

Progressive British Asian blog Picked Politics has made Walter its Hero of the Week.