Since the terrorist attack against our community, there has been a sharp focus on why there is a lack of respectful dialogue between communities.

A mere few hours before Yom Kippur, our Chief Executive, Marc Levy and Management Board members, Raphi Bloom and Nigel Tobias met with the Chief Executive of the Co-op, along with members of her Senior Management Team. We had written a polite but forceful letter asking to speak to discuss our concerns over some recent decisions made by the organisation.

This request was answered and a date quickly found in the diary. The meeting was a showcase in how to disagree well. We were all heard, concessions were made on both sides and action points taken away.

One of the first messages of solidarity we received on the morning of that fateful day was from the Co-op.

The following is the text that would have accompanied our post when the fast concluded:

“In our extensive engagement across society, the JRC have always championed open and constructive dialogue. We were therefore grateful to Shirine Khoury-Haq, the CEO of the Co-op, together with senior members of her team with whom we met for a wide-ranging discussion on their organisation’s sourcing policy and its position not to stock Israeli produce. We highlighted the negative impact such a position can have on Jewish communities; differences we have over their sourcing criteria and underlined our anxieties regarding any boycotts.

We heard from the Co-op team about their broader role in socity and the extensive efforts to fosher understanding and bring together different communities. Internally, they are setting the standard with a huge staff network fostering mutual respect and understanding between members of staff, including a vibrant  Jewish and Muslim initiative. This ensure their staff feel respected, heard and represented. The organisation is also involved with several excellent coexistence projects facilitating conversations between Israelis and Palestinians.

We welcomed the openness of the dialogue and express our appreciation to Shirine and her team. We thanked them for the balanced way in which they speak about the conflict and for taking the time to facilitate mutual understanding and stronger community relations. We support their vision to build a more inclusive society free from any hate crime.

We would like to place on record our thanks to the Co-op for their willingness to listen, the constructive spirit in which the meeting was held and their commitment to future dialogue and closer engagement with the Jewish community.