The National Jewish Assembly (NJA) hosted a highly anticipated event on July 18th in partnership with Finchley United Synagogue (Kinloss), featuring the British Ambassador Designate to Israel, Simon Walters, in conversation with Natasha Hausdorff, Director of UK Lawyers for Israel. The event marked an important occasion as it was Ambassador Walters’ first address to the British Jewish community before departing for his posting in Israel.
During the event, Ambassador Designate Walters shared insights into his personal background and deep connection to the Jewish community. Drawing from his extensive experience in diplomatic and security matters in the Middle East and North Africa, he discussed the exciting developments outlined in the “2030 roadmap for UK-Israel bilateral relations” and highlighted the numerous areas of existing and potential bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
NJA Chairman Gary Mond said, “It was a great honour for the NJA to be the first communal organisation to host Britain’s new Ambassador to Israel, Simon Walters. I thought that his comments demonstrated that he has an excellent grasp of the tricky political situation, and that he was also able to demonstrate that there is a great future for British co-operation with Israel in many different ways.”
The event also provided an opportunity for members of the National Jewish Assembly and the Kinloss community to raise pressing concerns with the Ambassador Designate. Several dozen participants posed questions, touching upon topics such as the UK government’s policy regarding the relocation of its embassy to Jerusalem, the imminent threat posed by Iran and its proxies, the ongoing issue of the BBC’s biased coverage of Israel, and flourishing UK-Israel trade and investment in the face of the BDS movement.
The NJA commends Ambassador Designate Walters for his insightful remarks and sincerely thanks Natasha Hausdorff for her facilitating an excellent discussion.
The NJA remains dedicated to promoting understanding, advocating for the interests of the Jewish community, and fostering meaningful connections between the community and important figures like Ambassador Walters.
