[af_vet_1981]

Are you saying the Sanhedrin and the High Priests, Caiaphas and Annas (one of whom had been deposed and installed by the Romans in place of the other), did not represent the Jewish "establishment," at least in Jerusalem?

They were appointed by Rome, collaboraters in an ungodly occupation of the land of Israel by the Gentiles. They represented the party of collaboration. You can fault the Jewish people for many sins, but the betrayal, torture, and murder of Yeshua of Nazareth, was committed by some hundreds of men; Roman rulers, Jewish collaborators (one disaffected apostle), and Gentiles from neighboring provinces working for the Romans.

[Unam Sanctam]

And so Jewish individuals were involved. I didn't blame the "Jewish people" -- you are putting words into my mouth!