Members of the British Jewish community are taking former Board of Deputies of British Jews president Marie van der Zyl to task over her statement that the war against Hamas in Gaza is “incompatible with the core values” of Judaism.

The controversy surrounding van der Zyl’s July 25 op-ed in the Jewish News is unfolding amid broader tensions dividing Diaspora communities over the situation in Gaza, where many media outlets claim there are cases of starvation.

Van der Zyl, who was succeeded as president of the Board of Deputies in May 2024 and is currently chair of the West London Synagogue, the oldest Reform Synagogue in Britain, wrote: “I believe we must now lend our voices to calls for increased humanitarian access and urgent action to alleviate the conditions affecting civilians in G

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