Colin ShindlerLast month, the Argentinian government declassified an official file relating to the Nazi war criminal Josef Mengele. He was known as “the Angel of Death” for his sadistic experiments on prisoners in Auschwitz. The release of documentation came about after pressure from Republicans in the US Senate and indicates that the Argentinian authorities knew exactly … Read more
Forty years ago, as a member of a delegation to discuss the plight of Soviet Jewry, I met Margaret Thatcher prior to her 1987 visit to meet Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev in Moscow – someone she said she “could do business with.” She was remarkably informed about the Soviet refuseniks – Ida Nudel, Vladimir Slepak, and Natan … Read more
A couple of weeks ago, the British far Right anti-immigration activist, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon aka Tommy Robinson, spoke at a large Tel Aviv social gathering, one ostensibly dedicated to hearing all points of view. He had been invited to Israel by the Minister for the Diaspora, Amiḥai Chikli, who has had several public rows with the … Read more
Thirty years ago, Yitzhak Rabin, the then prime minister of Israel, was assassinated as he left a peace rally in Tel Aviv. He had been cut down essentially because he had signed a Declaration of Principles – the Oslo Accord – with Yasser Arafat, the leader of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) in September 1993. The killing … Read more
On Saturday evening, Tommy Robinson will be speaking in Tel Aviv. He has been invited by Amiḥai Chikli, the Israeli Minister for the Diaspora in Netanyahu’s government who has had countless run-ins with many Jewish organisations in the UK. The Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, refused to attend a conference earlier this year because Chikli … Read more
Last Friday, Hamas agreed to negotiate an end to hostilities in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages on the basis of the Trump peace framework. Hamas has not said that it will disarm or that its leaders will go into exile and there are clear divisions of opinion within the organisation. The Israelis have … Read more
38 LONDRES STREET: ON IMPUNITY, PINOCHET IN ENGLAND AND A NAZI IN PATAGONIA By Philippe Sands Published by Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 480 pages; In the autumn of 1998, the former president of Chile Augusto Pinochet was awakened from his slumber by several British policemen as he lay in bed recovering from a back operation at … Read more
In a few weeks, on Rosh Hashanah, Jews worldwide will pray for the good of humanity in the Jewish year to come, 5786. An end to war and to hunger, an end to injustice and to persecution – a year of peace and a personal resolve to do better. Jews will also pray for their … Read more
During the last couple of weeks, the United Kingdom, Canada and France have declared their intention – albeit with caveats – to recognise the State of Palestine at a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in September. It is also likely that Australia and New Zealand will join them in the near future. Netanyahu’s … Read more
Fifteen years ago, Don Heathfield and his wife, Ann Foley, took their two sons out to an Indian restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to celebrate their son Tim’s 20th birthday. They returned home and continued the celebrations – only to be disturbed by loud knocking at the door. The visitors, dressed in black, snapped handcuffs on … Read more