Robert Festenstein, at The Blogs

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Dec 12, 2019, 4:36 AM

It’s only the Jews

It is now just over 10 hours to the British General Election, arguably the most important since the Second World War and likely to be as significant as that of 1979, which saw the election of Margaret Thatcher. I...

Oct 31, 2018, 7:04 PM

My friend David

I hadn’t seen my friend David for some years, and in 2015, after a period of over 30 years I saw him again when I stayed with him at his home one Shabbat . It was for me a change...

Sep 9, 2018, 1:30 AM

Should we – shouldn’t we?

For some time now, the UK Jewish community has been calling for the Leader of Her Majesty’s Opposition to apologise for his past failings, so that there can be a meaningful dialogue with him. There have been additional calls...

May 24, 2018, 5:39 PM

The generation gap

A group of Jews gather in Parliament Square, London, to recite kaddish for 62 Palestinians killed in Gaza, on May 16, 2018. (Screen capture: Facebook)

If you have no memory of the palpable risk of Israel's destruction, you might just say kaddish for terrorists

Mar 7, 2018, 4:53 AM

If they lift the carpet for chametz, will they find anything else?

We write this blog as two lawyers, Brian is a barrister and I am a solicitor. We are also deputies representing our own organisations at the Board of Deputies of British Jews. Here in the UK there has been, for...

Nov 12, 2017, 4:49 PM

So how was your trip to Poland?

For some time now, there have been regular trips to the remains of the Concentration Camps in Europe made by Jews from all over the world. My friend Wendi Cooper, from North Manchester in the UK recently went and...

Oct 16, 2017, 11:33 AM

What is to be done?

For some time the British Labour Party has been described as having a problem with the Jews. Following the latest conference in Brighton it is now clear that the Jews have a problem with the Labour Party. At a time...

Jul 22, 2017, 10:07 AM

Excluding the Jews

When I was growing up, I remember meeting people who had left Europe before the second world war and asking them when it was they realised they had to leave. The answers I was given varied depending on the...

Jul 25, 2016, 7:32 AM

So this is what anti-Semitism feels like…

It is so much easier to observe and understand history, than it is to understand that it is happening again, and to oneself. I am not sure when I first became aware of feeling I was more vulnerable because I...

May 27, 2016, 6:28 AM

The left wing fight against anti-Semitism needs to be colour blind

Since the beginning of 2016, in the UK there have been a number of Labour politicians holding office either as a local councillor or MP who have been suspended for anti-Semitic conduct. On the face of it the Labour Party...

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About Me

Robert Festenstein is a solicitor based in Manchester with considerable experience in Court actions. He is active in representing groups opposing BDS and fighting the increase in anti-Semitism, particularly amongst the left-wing in the UK.