My Edinburgh: the Rabbi and the doctor

Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss is from the New York-based Jews united against Zionism. Kamal Alubaid is a retired GP and Iraqi living in Bathgate.

Dr Alubaid: An Iraqi and a Jew with their arms around each other. How often do you see that?

Rabbi Weiss: I came to express support and solidarity with the Palestinian people. We need to talk about the oppression and subjugation of the Palestinian people that’s not being properly addressed by the world because there’s a fear that it’s a bit antisemitic. The G8 leaders are afraid to speak up but we want the world to know.

Dr Alubaid: I am here as part of the anti-war movement. Getting rid of poverty is a noble thing, I don’t think these meetings are going to get rid of poverty but it is important to show the leaders that there are people who really believe in that and to discuss other things like the war in Iraq, like Palestine.

The leaders aren’t listening. Tyrants don’t listen, this is only propaganda and unfortunately the media help them. But I’m not cynical about the good feeling of the people; I am cynical about the involvement of people like Brown. He spent billions on the war in Iraq, much more than he’s prepared to spend on poverty.

Interviewed by Gabrielle Procter