Statement by ZF Acting Chair, Richard P Woolf, following the racist anti-Arab chants
at yesterday’s Flag March in Jerusalem
“The Zionist Federation of the UK and Ireland, an umbrella body representing organisations and individuals from across the Zionist political spectrums, is disappointed to read about the racist chants made by a small minority of Israeli Jews at yesterday’s Flag March in Jerusalem.
At a time when the United Arab List party has stepped up to help form a workable coalition government, and when tensions are still simmering following the recent round of hostilities from Gaza and within Israel, this minority’s abhorrent calls for “death to Arabs” bring shame upon all of Israel and stands as the antithesis of the values of Judaism and Zionism.
Israel is the nation state of the Jewish people but so too is it a democracy for all its citizens. We hope that, after speaking out against it yesterday, the new government of Israel will address this ongoing issue of anti-Arab racism and that meaningful action is taken to ensure that any racism, whether anti-Arab or anti-Jewish, has no place on the streets of Jerusalem or anywhere in Israel.”
ENDS
