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Jewish News 11 October 2017
www.jewishnews.co.uk
News / Iran deal / Al Jazeera cleared
May stresses importance of Iran nuke deal to Bibi Prime Minister Theresa May has used a phone call with her Israeli counterpart to stress the importance of the Iran nuclear deal. May told Benjamin Netanyahu that it was important the agreement was properly monitored and enforced, as the international community needed to be “clear-eyed” about the threat Iran poses to the Middle East. The nuclear deal with Tehran received strong criticism from President Donald Trump, amid speculation that the US administration may withdraw. The landmark agreement capped Iran’s uranium enrichment levels in return for the lifting of international sanctions. Referring to the call with Netanyahu, a Downing Street spokesman said: “They discussed Iran, with the prime
minister noting the importance of the nuclear deal with Iran, which has neutralised the possibility of the Iranians acquiring nuclear weapons for more than a decade. “The prime minister said the UK remains firmly committed to the deal and that we believe it is vitally important for regional security. “The prime minister said it was important that the deal is carefully monitored and properly enforced, and that both sides deliver on their commitments.” The spokesman added: “They agreed that the international community needed to be clear-eyed about the threat Iran poses to the Gulf and the wider Middle East, and that the international community should continue working together to push back against Iran’s destabilising regional activity.” The spokesman said the two
prime ministers agreed that both nations wanted strong post-Brexit trade links. He added: “They agreed security co-operation between the UK and Israel was very strong and would continue, particularly on counterterrorism, where we faced shared challenges. “They also agreed our bilateral trade relationship would continue to go from strength to strength, noting the UKIsrael trade working group had already met, and discussions on how to ensure the freest possible post-Brexit trading relationship had been constructive.” Iran and Israel have engaged in a war of words recently, with the former’s President Hassan Rouhani saying at the UN that it was “not possible” to guarantee Israel’s security as long as it “usurped” Palestinian lands.
London Borough of Barnet
The Solomon Schonfeld
Hasmonean Primary School 8 – 10 Shirehall Lane, London NW4 2PD Tel: 020 8202 7704 Fax: 020 8202 1605 Web: www.hasmonean-pri.barnet.sch.uk Head Teacher: Dr Alan Shaw, BA (Hons), MA, EdD.
Prospective Pre-Nursery, Nursery & Reception Parents are invited to an Open Morning on Thursday 26th October 2017 from 9.30 – 11.00 am. There will be a presentation by the Headteacher in the main school hall at 9.30 am followed by a tour of the school. For security, please contact us with the names of attendees. Email: admin@hasmonean-pri.barnet.sch.uk Applications for entry in September 2018 to Pre Nursery & Nursery must be received by Monday 18th December 2017. Applications for the Reception Class in September 2018 must be received by the School AND Barnet by Monday 15th January 2018. You will need to complete two separate forms: • The Common Application Form to be returned to the London Borough of Barnet (online) • The Hasmonean Primary Supplementary Information Form (on our website) to be returned to the School
A copy of the Governors’ Admissions Policy and Application Forms are available on request from the School Office or on the school website.
NEWS IN BRIEF
FIRST ROCKET FROM GAZA IN TWO MONTHS A rocket fired from Gaza struck southern Israel on Sunday evening, but no injuries were reported. The Code Red warning siren sounded in southern Israeli cities and towns near the border with Gaza at about 9pm prior to the rocket landing in an open area in the Eshkol Regional Council. It is the first rocket fire from Gaza in about two months. The attack comes as a reconciliation deal between the Fatah party and the terrorist group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip has progressed.
CROSSINGS CLOSED TO PALESTINIANS
Shaking things up: Theresa May with Netanyahu
Crossings between Israel and the West Bank and Gaza have been closed to Palestinians for 11 days. Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman approved the closure after three Israeli officers were killed by a Palestinian man at the entrance to the Jerusalem-area West Bank settlement of Har Adar. Exceptions were being made for humanitarian, medical and unusual cases with the approval of the Israeli military’s coordinator of government activities in the territories.
Ofcom clears Al Jazeera programme Al Jazeera has been cleared of breaching impartiality rules by media regulator Ofcom after complaints concerning its fourpart documentary about proIsrael groups in the UK, which aired earlier this year. The Qatar-based network said it had been “vindicated” this week after regulators did not uphold four complaints about The Lobby documentary. Based on covert reporting by a journalist posing as a proIsrael activist, the documentary exposed how an Israeli diplomat sought to set up political groups in the UK and even discussed “taking down” proPalestinian ministers and MPs.
Filmed: Israeli Shai Masot
The filming resulted in an immediate apology from Israel’s ambassador, the removal of the diplomat in question, statements of “serious concern” made by the Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, and an inquiry into undue influence by foreign
agents by the Foreign Affairs Select Committee. Pro-Israel campaigners in the UK alleged, however, that Al Jazeera was guilty of antiSemitism, infringement of privacy, unfair editing and bias. Ofcom rejected all four counts, saying Al Jazeera was not in breach of the Code of Conduct. The regulator said: “We did not consider the programme portrayed negative stereotypes of Jewish people as controlling or seeking to control the media or governments. It was our view these individuals featured in the context of its investigation into the alleged activities of a foreign state.”
MPs back Berger on mental health A call from Labour MP Luciana Berger for the prime minister to ring-fence mental health spending has received the backing of 160 MPs. Writing on World Mental Health Day on Tuesday, the Liverpool Wavertree MP [pictured], who was appointed Shadow Minister for Mental Health by Jeremy Corbyn before resigning in a failed coup, told Theresa May: “Money is not reaching the front-line.”
During last week’s Conservative Party conference, May said mental health had been “dangerously disregarded as a secondary issue to physical health” but Berger said May’s words were at odds with reality, arguing that Clinical Commissioning Groups were having to spend less on mental health this year owing to cuts. She urged May to “commit to ring-fence mental health spending… There is prec-
edent with other areas of NHS funding and this would be a transformative policy that would make a real difference to local services”. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said an extra £1.3 billion would be invested annually from 2021.