Board of Deputies President: ‘Theresa May has been a true friend to the Jewish community’

Board of Deputies of British Jews President Marie van der Zyl has paid tribute to Prime Minister Theresa May, who announced her resignation as Prime Minister today.

Marie said: “We sincerely thank Theresa May for being a true friend to the Jewish community during her time in office. While Mrs May has been Prime Minister, her Government has adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism; marked the Balfour Centenary with pride; banned terror organisation Hizballah; increased security funding to the CST so that our schools, community centres and places of worship are protected; opposed anti-Israel bias at the UN Human Rights Council; supported our Jewish schools through resolving issues around Gift Aid; drove forward plans for a Holocaust memorial beside Parliament and signed a trade agreement with Israel for trade post-Brexit. We will also never forget Mrs May’s powerful speech to the Board of Deputies following the terrorist massacres in Paris in 2015, when she said ‘without its Jews Britain would not be Britain’ and held up a sign saying “Je Suis Juif”. We will always appreciate her friendship and support.”