At the of age 80, local LibDem elder statesman Philip Goldenberg has published his third book.

His first, in the 1980s, was a textbook on company law.

The second, seven years ago, entitled Walking Through Different Worlds, was a set of essays on different facets of his life - law, business, politics, charity and religion. It included passages on Woking LibDems, Woking council (including the appointment of Ray Morgan as chief executive) and the history of Brookwood Cemetery.

His latest work, Two Naked Emperors, a reference to the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the United Synagogue, tells the story of what happened after April 2025, when 36 members of the Board, effectively the UK’s Jewish Parliament, co-signed a letter to The Financial Times calling out the Israeli Government, and in particular its Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, for its behaviour in Gaza.

“This broke a mafia-style omerta of silence under which no mainstream Jewish leaders ever publicly criticised an Israeli Government,” Philip said.

“It also fiercely divided the Anglo-Jewish community into three camps: those who agreed, those who disagreed and those who, while agreeing, were uncomfortable with going public.”

The 36 signatories of the FT letter were the subject of complaints to the Board.

The book starts with introductory chapters on Judaism and antisemitism, and about both the Board and the United Synagogue (representing the Orthodox element in the community).

It then examines how the complaints were handled. The author, one of the 36, argues that the complaints procedure was procedurally flawed, calling the process “Four kangaroo courts of which any self-respecting kangaroo would be thoroughly ashamed”.

“I strongly believe people and institutions operating in the public domain should be accountable for their actions,” he said. “This book tells the story of what happened. As US Supreme Court Justice Brandeis memorably observed: ‘Sunlight is the best disinfectant’.”

The book is available in printed (£10.99) or in ebook (£4.99) format from the Authorhouse website.