Independent Jewish Voices (IJV) is an organization launched on 5 February 2007 by 150 prominent British Jews including Nobel laureate Harold Pinter, historian Eric Hobsbawm, lawyer Sir Geoffrey Bindman, Lady Ellen Dahrendorf, film director Mike Leigh, and actors Stephen Fry and Zoë Wanamaker.
The organization is reportedly "born out of a frustration with the widespread misconception that the Jews of this country speak with one voice—and that this voice supports the Israeli government's policies".
We further believe that individuals and groups within all communities should feel free to express their views on any issue of public concern without incurring accusations of disloyalty.
[3] Signatories include Lisa Appignanesi, Sir Geoffrey Bindman, Gerald Cohen, Stanley Cohen, Lady Ellen Dahrendorf, Jenny Diski, Nicole Farhi, Stephen Fry, Alexander Goehr, Eric Hobsbawm, Ann Jungman, Anne Karpf, Beeban Kidron, Brian Klug, David Lan, Mike Leigh, Steven Lukes, Shula Marks, Mike Marqusee, Adam Phillips, Harold Pinter, Nigel Rodley, Jacqueline Rose, Leon Rosselson, Andrew Samuels, Richard Sennett, Avi Shlaim, Gillian Slovo, Shawn Slovo, Janet Suzman, Zoë Wanamaker, Sami Zubaida and David Feldman.
According to Amiram Barkat, in his article "U.K. Board of Deputies Rejects Criticism from New Jewish Group", published in Haaretz, a spokesperson for the Board of Deputies has responded to the IJV's launching: "If Brian Klug and the other signatories to IJV chose to engage with the institutions of the Jewish community, rather than shouting from the sidelines, they may find that most Jews disagree with much of what they say".