Woken at 5 am to do TV interview on the attack earlier this morning on four ambulances in Golders Green. What kind of sick mentality leads a person to attack an ambulance? If they want to show how brave they are how about trying a tank? No wonder they slunk off into the darkness.

Interfaith dialogue has been the great religious success story of the last 50 years; it is now reaching new heights with a church, synagogue & mosque in the same building & (very symbolically) having the same roof & front door. See my Church Times article: www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/202...

To be more direct: there is no problem with Islam, an ethical faith, but there is with Islamists who follow a violent strain of it...but other people can't tell the difference, so fear dominates. Maybe peaceful prayer in Trafalgar Square should be seen as trying to make it clear?

Is Muslim (or any other minority faith) prayer 'free expression' or 'taking over'? Both perceptions depend on the beholder, but the problem is the context of social discontent: it reinforces the fears of the 2nd view even though the 1st one is a better reflection of reality.

Scotland said no, what will England say? "[Writing] as a former hospice CEO...Jonathan Romain's compassionate case for assisted dying sets out beautifully the essential reform we need to offer terminally adults true dignity and choice". Thanks Mark. It's out now [Reaktion Books]

Will another assisted dying Bill succeed in Scotland? When the Scottish Parliament 1st voted on assisted dying in 2010, 18 MSPs supported it; the next one in 2015 got 36 votes; yesterday's had 57 votes. This vote may have been lost but the ever-increasing support is growing.

What did the opponents achieve in Scotland by voting down the Assisted Dying Bill? Just that more people will have to suffer dying in pain until another Bill is introduced and passed, when Scotland catches up with so many other parts of the world & allows Scots to let go gently.

Losing a member of the family is always tough (& even if it's expected, it can still be a shock), but it’s especially painful when you lose a son or daughter. Sadly, I know, and I had a profound discussion with grief expert Julia Samuels at: bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... 01.35 mins in

What was so good about the Voices of Faith conference at the Barbican at which I spoke (on Jewish tradition and values) yesterday was the really challenging and intelligent questions. You know you've got a great audience when you have to pause to re-think before answering.

An attack on a synagogue in Amsterdam yesterday was another casualty of the Iran war. Even if you don't like Netanyahu, why transfer that to non-Israeli citizens in Holland? Where's the logic? How does it help the situation? What does it say about the perpetrator's intelligence?

Sunday will be Al Quds-free: the pro-Iranian marches have been marked with abusive slogans & had a dubious morality, being in favour of a repressive regime, & it's right not to go ahead now when it supports an enemy state currently attacking British citizens. Good call Home Sec.

I'm sure that Keir Starmer knew the 'reputational risk' in appointing Mandelson but balanced it with the need to have someone who could "speak Trump" & both promote & defend the UK in the White House. Sadly, it was a risk that materialised, but I guess he thought it worth taking.

Violence & abuse against Muslims is wrong & reprehensible, but that does not mean that it should have the status of a special crime compared to that against anyone else. Conversely, criticism of Islam or the Koran should be allowed as much as against any other faith or holy text.

The Iran war is important but I do question BBC editorial decisions as to how much coverage to give it at the expense of so much other news - Ukraine has dropped off the radar, while for a while there was hardly any home news. Oh, and what's happened to the Uighurs or in Sudan?

It's noticeable how public opinion of the Iran war is being shaped by constant reports of the mayhem caused in Tehran & elsewhere; we may never have continued WW2 if we'd had minute-by-minute reports of the death caused by our bombs. War in the age of social media is so different.

What do British Jews think about life in Britain, what's happening in the Middle East, their relationship with Israel and the way they are portrayed in the BBC? Answers (well, some) in the podcast I just did with legendary broadcaster, Roger Bolton: podfollow.com/beebwatch

Pleased that the Crown Prosecution Service has decided not to call male circumcision at birth as child abuse - did the late Queen really abuse her three sons in doing so? - but we do need to regulate the practice & use only those medically qualified: www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

I was at the station ticket machine yesterday when a man shouted a torrent of abuse at one of the rail staff and then tried to get through onto the platform. At that point another staff member blocked him & said: "Sorry sir, you're not using the trains today". Good for him.

Spoke at the House of Lords yesterday on why so many people of faith favour the assisted dying Bill (despite the hierarchy opposing it). Lord Falconer chaired & Sophie Blake (stage 4 breast cancer & exceedingly unwell despite her glamorous looks) spoke too. We were well received.

Today is the Jewish festival of Purim about the Jews of Persia, today's Iran, centuries ago (see Book of Esther in the Bible). Jews lived there until the Iranian Republic began and then had to flee. If democracy returns (a big "if" but still a hope), then they will return too.

Pleased to say that the session at the London Book Week on my new book "A Better Death - The Case for Assisted Dying" (Reaktion Books) went well. There was no vote, but it was clear that 70+% were in favour (as with the national polls). Five more literary festivals lined up.

In Iraq we won the war but lost the peace....let's hope the desperately painful lessons have been learnt and will apply to Iran....lest a possible act of liberation (both for Iran's neighbours and for its citizens) turns into another catastrophe. It may be a long wait to know.

What led to the Greens winning Gorton & Denton yesterday? Was it the cost of living crisis (fair enough) ...or was it stirring up religious divisions by referring as much to the Indian & Israeli Prime Ministers as local potholes & bread prices? If so, it disgraces Green values.

What if Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor never faces criminal charges? Mandelson too? (both are complex situations where moral wrong & legal wrong may differ). But even if not, they will have been punished by fall in status, loss of future plans & (I'd imagine) an exodus of friends.

What an astonishing medical advance that allowed a child to be born to a mother who had no womb but had one transplanted from a dead donor. What joy for the parents and, hopefully, some comfort for the family of the donor (who also helped 4 other people): www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

All credit to the people of Ukraine for still holding out after 4 years of Russian attack, whose anniversary is today. What courage, resilience, determination, and of course enormous sacrifices. Putin must be cursing the biggest mistake of his life (should he even realise it).

Does the Andrew debacle show how democratic or autocratic Britain is today? Why should brothers get along? And forget Andrew, what can we do re. youth unemployment? see my News Review @BBCRadioLondon, with @JumokeFashola at www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... forward to 1.38.30

When at the newsagent this morning, every paper had the same photo and virtually the same headline; there was not an Andrew-free front page....that's ok so long as it does not distract from exposing all the other, less prominent people who were part of Epstein's sex circle.

Why can't politicians understand the law of unintended consequences: making it hard to end tenancy agreements means less people willing to rent; making minimum wage higher means less people in work. Fair or not, its the reality, so work with it rather than lead to bad outcomes.

Curious how, if it wasn't for a Christian friend, I would not know from general conversation that Lent starts today. If people keep eating chocolate but give up hostile language (at home, at work, in the street, on social media) what a transformation that would be. Worth a try?

yes, I get the cynicism point, but I agree that it could so easily not exist...and it's importance is that it shows it's possible...(and no thunderbolts from heaven, even if a few mutterings here on earth!) while it may also become a template for elsewhere, as applies to the one in Tblisi, Georgia

Just back from USA where took part in a conference about a Church, Synagogue and Mosque all operating in their own space but in the same building. Many might object but it sounds so sensible if we actually believe in "love your neighbour as yourself" - rather than just mouth it.

The judges may have been right that by banning Palestine Action the Government was being disproportionate legally, but I reckon it was justified morally, given that they also said that the PA did engage in acts of terrorism. So target the offenders rigorously & ignore the others.

Just finished reading Richard Harries autobiography, "The Shaping of a Soul", well worth reading and great line at the end about how when two aging musical friends meet they always begin with an organ recital.

They look very happy, but the female police officer attacked with a sledgehammer isn't & was left with a fractured spine. How does that help the cause of Palestine? And why were they acquitted by a jury? I bet those 12 jurors wouldn't like to be attacked with a sledgehammer.

It's obviously more newsworthy to focus on the high-profile individuals involved in the Epstein affair, but surely the search for the truth should focus on the employees who ran his homes and transports: they know the overall system he had (as with Al-Fayed's personal staff).

Strange how former Prince Andrew can be stripped of his title in an instant, but Lord Mandelson needs a special Act of Parliament. An honour or title that is awarded by any organisation should be able to be retracted if it was found to be gained falsely or grossly dishonoured.

What was the best way of upsetting your parents? Traditionally it was by rejecting their god & becoming godless or Buddhist. Are we seeing the reverse today, with so many being brought up in totally secular households who are now asserting their independence by adopting faith?

What astonishes me about the high profile people revealed in 'unusual positions' in the Epstein files is that they allowed themselves to be photographed that way (some shots may have been taken surreptitiously, but others openly). What did they think would happen to the photos?

Esther Rantzen's foreword to my book: "Why can’t terminally ill patients who no longer have the choice between life and death, at least have a choice between a good death and a bad death?…to read the caring views put forward by Jonathan is a huge relief". It's out today.

If the assisted dying Bill fails because a few Peers sabotage it, there will be a cry of national outrage - by those who value fairness, by those dying in pain who hope it might help them, by those healthy but who want the option if they were ever to suffer badly at their end.

I nearly died as I never had the medical check I advised others to do. Then a friend "ordered" me to have a prostate test...I not only had prostate cancer but it was very aggressive and an emergency op. saved my life. Don't make the same mistake. More in: www.jewishnews.co.uk/targeted-pro...

Might we do the same? The Isle of Man has voted to strip its Bishop of voting rights in its parliament. If Bishops in the Lords thwart the Commons & try to defeat the assisted dying Bill, might there be a backlash & their automatic vote be taken away too? See my book, out 1st Feb

Alongside Holocaust Memorial Day commemorations today, the best way to combat prejudice is for schools to visit local synagogues and meet up with real live everyday Jews (& scrap that static museum planned for Westminster). Interact with living Jews, not just remember dead ones.

It looks like (concerning Andy Burnham) Sir Keir Starmer has followed one of my grandfather's sayings (though I strongly suspect it did not originate with him): Better an end with pain than pain without end. He was referring to relationships, but it could apply here too.

I worked a tiny bit with Andy Burnham when he was in Government - never thought of him as PM material - defeats in two Labour leadership contests meant that others felt that way too - and if Sir Keir could let his private qualities shine more in public there'd be no contest now.

We ban children from smoking, alcohol, driving....why not ban them from social media when a) lived experience shows so many harmful effects b) they (& previous generations) managed perfectly well without social media until very recently. We can always re-instate it if a mistake

Who is at fault in the Beckham family feud? Only a few people know the truth, but the real sadness is that there are so many similar rifts between much less high profile parents & children (& who lack the wealth to soften the emotional hurt). All credit to those who get it right.

Time to say "hello" not "goodbye" - was the message from the Celebration of Liberal Judaism event on Sunday....marking the formal end of a separate movement for Liberal Judaism (and that of Reform Judaism) as they both merge together into a unified movement, Progressive Judaism.

Circumcision is perfectly safe if performed by qualified doctors (& so the World Health Organisation & General Medical Council both permit it), but we need to set up an accredited national scheme in the UK & prosecute rogue practitioners. See www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... (at 9.54)