A group of prominent British Jews have launched an organization to counterbalance what they perceive as uncritical support of Israel by major Jewish institutions in the UK. The organization, called Independent Jewish Voices, or IJV, includes well-known public figures in Britain's Jewish community, including Nobel Prize winner Harold Pinter and fashion designer Nicole Farhi. We go to London to speak with two of the group’s members. [includes rush transcript]

This week in Britain, a group of prominent British Jews launched an organization to counterbalance what they perceive as uncritical support of Israel by major Jewish institutions in the UK. The organization, called Independent Jewish Voices, or IJV, includes well-known public figures in Britain's Jewish community, including Nobel Prize winner Harold Pinter and fashion designer Nicole Farhi.

IJV criticizes Britain's well-known Board of Deputies of British Jews for claiming to represent all Jews. The IJV Declaration states that “those who claim to speak on behalf of Jews in Britain and other countries consistently put support for the policies of an occupying power above the human rights of an occupied people.” Reclaiming what they call “the tradition of Jewish support for universal freedoms, human rights and social justice,” members urge other Jews to express their views about Israeli policies without fear of being labeled anti-Semitic, self-hating, or disloyal.

Joining us now from a studio in London are two original signatories of Independent Jewish Voices.

• Sir Geoffrey Bindman. Chairman of the British Institute of Human Rights. Bindman is also a Professor of Law at University College London. He has practiced law for over forty years. He has participated as a jurist on multiple international human rights missions around the world, including in Israel, Palestine, and South Africa.
• Susie Orbach. Writer and psychotherapist. She is a prominent feminist and author of several books, including “Susie Orbach On Eating” and “Fat is a Feminist Issue.”