Britain - IBCA Israel, Britain & the Commonwealth Assoc

Letter to the editor of the Daily Telegraph by our Chair Melvin Berwald

olivia — Sun, 17 Aug 2025 14:43:10 +0000

Sir,
When Hamas launched its brutal invasion of Israel on October 7th, 2023, they could not have foreseen how “successful” their medieval pogrom would be—not just in terms of death and destruction, but in the political tsunami less than two years later.
As terrorists swept through Israeli towns and kibbutzim—accompanied by so-called “ordinary” Gazans—they committed unspeakable atrocities: murdering, raping, burning civilians alive, and beheading men, women, and children in front of their families. Another 251 people, including children, were kidnapped into Gaza.
Few could have imagined that a British government would choose to reward such savagery with a promise to recognise a Palestinian state— apparently to appease restive MPs and placate internal party pressures.
This gesture of recognition is neither strategic nor principled. It is incoherent. Under the Montevideo Convention of 1933 a state must possess: a defined territory, a permanent population, a functioning government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other states. Any “State of Palestine” currently meets, at best, two of these four conditions.
Sir Keir Starmer has said he would not recognise Palestine if certain conditions he set out are met. It is not the role of a British Prime Minister to lecture Israel but how must he feel to have earned the praise of Hamas?
Yes, many Israelis might one day accept a demilitarised Palestinian state in parts of Judea Samaria and Gaza—if and only if its population is ideologically detoxified much like Germany’s population after WWII. This is not an abstract demand. It is a direct response to amongst other issues; the anti-Jewish incitement found in Palestinian Authority schoolbooks—this incitement acknowledged in a comprehensive EU-funded review available in the House of Commons Library.
This same Palestinian Authority absurdly considered “moderate” by many western countries, continues to operate its notorious “Pay to Slay” programme, which rewards terrorists and their families with formal, PA-funded salaries—a grotesque inversion of moral values.
There is a simple test for Western policymakers. If a future Palestinian state could one day resemble Luxembourg—peaceful, stable, demilitarised, and neighbourly—it would likely be welcomed. But so long as the real goal remains to “replace” Israel rather than to “coexist” with it, there can be no Palestinian state.
Recognition must be earned—not given as a reward for terror or to paper over domestic political cracks. Western governments including those of Canada and Australia who lost no time in joining Britain’s virtue signalling, would do better to focus on fostering long-term stability, not offering premature diplomatic prizes for their own short-term political gain.
M.F. Berwald.
Herzliya, Israel
Chair of Israel Britain and the Commonwealth Association

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A Letter from our Chair Brenda Katten to the British Ambassador to Israel H.E. Simon Walters

olivia — Sun, 12 Nov 2023 11:08:34 +0000

H.E. Simon Walters

Britain’s Ambassador to Israel

2^nd November 2023

Dear Ambassador Walters

At the outset, on behalf of IBCA, may I express our Association’s heartfelt appreciation for the support given to Israel by the British Government, headed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, at a time when Israel has experienced the barbaric murder of innocent men, women and children – it is much appreciated.

However it is with immense sadness that IBCA, whose membership includes many with close family in the UK, notes the unprecedented rise in antisemitism throughout Britain. That a massacre, carried out by Hamas, on a Jewish Festival Day should spark this reaction is deeply worrying. According to the UK’s Community Security Trust (CST) reports of antisemitic incidents have risen 581% this year compared to the same time last year.

Prior to my coming to live in Israel, I was privileged to head a number of organizations; the last position I held was that of being the chairperson of the Hillel Foundation whose main raison d’etra was supporting Jewish students on campus.

Yesterday I spoke with Edward Daniel UJS’s Communication and Public Relations’ Officer. He shared his deep concern today for Jewish students on campuses throughout the UK. He said that on October 8^th (the day following the massacre in Israel’s South) UJS received over 100 calls from Jewish students expressing concerns, anxieties and reports of antisemitic incidents on their campuses; Jewish students have reported verbal abuse and intimidation and even death threats. In addition I have been privy to a series of motions (all carried) at Cambridge University, Oxford University and UCL (among others) where there is one sentence referring to the massacre of Israeli civilians within numerous pages of abuse against Israel in its fight against Hamas the terrorist organization responsible for the genocide of innocent civilians. The motions passed called for a “mass uprising” and “Intifada until victory”.

It is from universities that tomorrow’s leaders emerge. We in IBCA are deeply worried by the reality of the leadership that might emerge in Britain tomorrow if the current heightened level of antisemitism is not curbed.

Having been involved with IBCA for some 20 plus years this is the first time I have ever felt the necessity to express concern as to the safety and future for Jewish students in the UK.

Sincerely

Brenda

Brenda Katten

Chairperson IBCA

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Lessons from the Past and for the Future

olivia — Sun, 22 Jan 2023 12:36:50 +0000

A truly informative and moving day out visiting the Knesset and Yad Vashem

In the morning we toured the Knesset and had a private audience with Moshe Tur-Paz MK (Yesh Atid) and in the afternoon, we will visited Yad Vashem where two fantastic guides who brought so much humanity and emotional understanding into their descriptions of the horrors’ of the Holocaust. The work they do is beyond important and we were extremely grateful and appreciative to have had the opportunity to listen to them.

The Knesset

Two of the beautiful tapestries woven by Marc Chagall.

IBCA Treasurer Stephen Kliner in front of a beautiful mosaic created by Marc Chagall using unpainted Jerusalem stone

The Israeli Declaration of Independance

The board showing who is present in the Knesset

IBCA Executive Member Melvin Berwald thanks MK Moshe Turpaz for taking the time to speak to us.

IBCA Chair Brenda Katten with MK Moshe Turpaz

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Reception at the British Ambassador’s Residence 2022

olivia — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 07:42:14 +0000

Following the outstanding success of last year’s event, we were delighted to have the honour of being hosted, once more, by the British Ambassador H. E. Neil Wigan – in the beautiful grounds of his residence – for a reception on Thursday 6th October.

As last year, the reception was be followed by a talk given by an excellent guest speaker. On this occasion IBCA was exceedingly privileged that Mr Andrew Abir, Deputy Governor of the Bank of Israel, gave a presentation on “The return of inflation? Challenges for Monetary Policy”.

British born Andrew Abir earned a BA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford University, and an MBA from Jerusalem’s Hebrew University.

His talk was interesting and informative and was enjoyed by all.

We were honoured to be joined by Canadian Ambassador H.E. Lisa Stadelbauer, Australian Deputy Head of Mission Mr Mathew Wise and Indian First Secretary Mr Naveen Ramakrishner.

British Ambassador H.E. Neil Wigan with IBCA Chair Brenda Katten

IBCA chair Brenda Katten

Indian First Secretary Mr Naveen Ramakrishner

Deputy Head of the Bank of Israel Mr Andrew Abir

IBCA Hon. Treasurer Stephen Kliner

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