UK Jews demand Israeli ceasefire, Rabbi Tony Bayfield ...

A number of prominent British Jews have written an open letter calling on the Israeli government to halt its military operations in Gaza immediately.

The letter, published in the Observer, warns the military action, far from improving security, will strengthen extremism and destabilise the region.

The signatories, who declare themselves "passionate supporters of Israel", include several rabbis.

The first major rally in support of Israel in the UK will take place later.

Prominent rabbis, academics and political figures supported the open letter, including Rabbi Dr Tony Bayfield, head of the Movement for Reform Judaism; Sir Jeremy Beecham, former chairman of the Labour party; Professor Shalom Lappin of the University of London and Baroness Julia Neuberger.

Neuberger is in many ways the epitome of the white, middle-class, middle-aged, civically engaged activist, with a string of charity trusteeships past and present. But she disagrees that there is a "well-to-do busybody" stereotype, pointing to the thousands of people in minority communities who feel a duty to support their own. Speaking for the Jewish community - she was a rabbi in a liberal synagogue for 12 years, a trustee of the charity Jewish Care for two and half years, and is a consultant for the development of the Jewish Community Centre in north London - she says how and why people volunteer within their communities might provide some clues for the government to help to make volunteering central to how individuals in society function