Israel lobby group faces calls to retract smear against PSC director

Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) director Ben Jamal has demanded an apology and retraction from Israel lobby group Board of Deputies (BOD) for its smears against anti-apartheid protesters. The BOD (like the Met Police) had attacked Jewish activists protesting outside a London synagogue hosting the sale of stolen Palestinian land — a reference to Israel’s illegal settlements — but the BOD brazenly denied the event was selling stolen land.

Marketing stolen land

But it was selling stolen land. This is a fact that even corporate state media has now been forced to acknowledge. This should surprise no one paying attention.

Moreover, Israeli settlers have even been marketing land in southern Lebanon. This is land that Israel doesn’t control yet.

But for the ‘mainstream media’ to admit it, however unwillingly, is conclusive. Prioritising the feelings of Israel’s supporters as usual, the BOD claimed to be “deeply disturbed” at the “wholly unjustified” protests. It also demanded tough action from police against protesters:

We are deeply disturbed at the wholly unjustified protest called for th is morning outside a North-West London synagogue. The event organisers have publicly refuted claims that the event is marketing real estate over the Green Line. It is very disappointing that MPs and other public figures have not acknowledged this and instead inflamed tensions through partial and misleading commentary. Protesting at a synagogue based on false pretences seems to be little more than an excuse to harass and intimidate members of the Jewish community. We have been in touch with the Metropolitan Police calling for protesters to be kept from intimidating members of the community, to police robustly any examples of hate speech, and to provide reassurance to the local community. New measures under the Crime and Policing Act, called for by the Board and community partners, will from the end of the month give police new powers to impose conditions on protests near places of worship. We are calling on the police to ensure such protests are kept a significant distance from places of worship to prevent intimidation to members of the Jewish community. Adrian Cohen Acting President

Don’t hold your breath

But the BOD has not, at the time of writing, retracted its smears or even deleted its post. It has certainly not apologised for smearing protesters who were entirely in the right. So Jamal has tagged in the BOD directly. This is to ensure it has no excuse for not being aware of the fact its falsehood has been exposed. Additionally, he quoted the BOD’s smear and called for an immediate retraction and apology:

It is now verified that the event was marketing properties in illegal settlements. I presume you will now be retracting this statement, apologising, and condemning the synagogue for hosting the event. https://t.co/VOMnmgRmG9

— Ben Jamal (@BenJamal48) June 15, 2026

Skwawkbox hopes that Mr Jamal is not holding his breath. The BOD found time to welcome the Court of Appeals’ decision to undermine UK human and civil rights by upholding the Starmer regime’s ban on Palestine Action. However, it didn’t find time to address its own dishonesty on the Israel land sale. This is no surprise. The BOD says it exists to promote Israel. Yet politicians and ‘mainstream’ media organisations treat it as though it represents all British Jews. Nevertheless, many of whom oppose Israel and its crimes — rather than Israel.

And many of those politicians and media outlets, along with other Israel lobby groups, have spent the weekend attacking the protesters for ‘targeting Jews’. It’s now beyond honest dispute that the protesters were opposing yet more land-theft by the coloniser ethno-state.

Just don’t hold your breath waiting for Israel’s supporters to acknowledge it.

Featured image via the Canary