By Isi Leibler 13-4-2016
Ten years ago, I was accused of
hysteria when I praised Melanie Phillips’ groundbreaking book, “Londonistan,”
detailing the alarming growth of anti-Semitism in the U.K. and predicting
further deterioration unless the British government drastically altered its
approach.
Many British Jews, especially those
living in Jewish enclaves, were in denial, simply unwilling to face reality.
The Anglo-Jewish establishment has frequently been referred to as “trembling
Israelites.” To quote a former president of the Board of Deputies of British
Jews, a policy was based on “Why must one shout when a whisper can be heard?”
Their overriding concern was to avoid rocking the boat by minimizing public
protest wherever possible.
Those who assailed Melanie Phillips
as an extremist 10 years ago today would concede that her analysis has been
absolutely vindicated, and alas, her predictions of intensifying anti-Semitism
were understated.
Who then would have dreamed that
the alternate government in the U.K. – the Labour Party – would not only be
riddled with anti-Semites, but would elect a leader, Jeremy Corbyn, who praises
Hamas; maintains that Hamas and Hezbollah are committed to peace; calls for a
boycott of Israel; accepts Islamic demonization of Israel; and associates with
Holocaust denier Paul Eisen, whom he defends as “far from a dangerous man”; and
endorses Raed Salah, who employed the medieval blood libel to justify
Palestinian terrorism?
It should therefore not be
surprising that Corbyn refuses to purge the increasingly vocal anti-Semites
from his party, despite widespread media exposure and repeated pleas from
distraught members.
Jews are also shocked with the
extension of this hatred which has penetrated leading universities, including
Oxford. The depiction by Alex Chalmers, former head of the Oxford University
Labour Club, of the anti-Semitism he encountered and the support of Hamas that
obliged him to resign, is chilling. Not surprisingly, many Jewish students feel
intimidated. To retain their social standing, a number choose to endorse the
anti-Zionist chic, others recuse themselves. Some argue that Jewish student
bodies should not even engage in Israel advocacy and should restrict themselves
to religious, cultural and social activities.
Although Jews living in
predominately Jewish areas are less affected, there has been an exponential
growth of public anti-Semitic incidents, including acts of violence. Today in
Britain there is open chatter that the creation of Israel was a mistake and
there are intensifying calls to end the “apartheid Jewish state.”
These events have shattered the myth
that anti-Semitism in the U.K. is restricted to Muslims and fringe indigenous
elements. The BBC is not controlled by Islamists but its extreme bias and
double standards have molded public opinion toward the demonization of Israel.
Much of the anti-Israelism that initially emanated from Trotskyite elements has
now become intrinsic to the DNA of many left-wingers.
Indeed, in some respects the
situation is worse than the 1930s, when at least liberal and left-wing groups
defended the Jews. Admittedly, the current prime minister, David Cameron, is a
friend of Israel and the Jewish people, but opinion polls indicate that half
the population considers Israel a rogue state. In a democracy, such trends
ultimately impact on policy.
The current communal leadership is
responding courageously, in contrast to its predecessors. Last year, the Board
of Deputies elected as its 47th president, Jonathan Arkush, a traditional Jew
and a passionate Zionist, who dismissed the “court-Jew” policy of relying
almost exclusively on “silent diplomacy”.
He was, from the outset,
respectfully outspoken in his condemnation of Labour Party leader Jeremy
Corbyn’s failure to confront anti-Jewish bigotry in his party. Indeed, Arkush
could well serve as a role model for many American Jewish leaders who in the
past made a point of ridiculing British leaders for their timidity, but have
been singularly silent in relation to President Barack Obama’s outbursts
against Israel.
Last week, Corbyn defended his
brother Piers who dismissed allegations of anti-Semitism as “absurd,” claiming
that “Zionists can’t cope with anyone supporting rights for Palestine”.
Corbyn’s defense of Piers’ remarks is all the more problematic
considering they were uttered directly in aftermath of the exposure of a number
of incendiary anti-Semitic outbursts by Labour politicians.
For example:
• Labour’s shadow Chancellor John
McDonnell’s website was exposed as having ”paid tribute to suicide bombers,”
shared links to websites promoting boycott of Israeli goods, compared Israelis
to Nazis and posted an article stating that Israel should be “dismantled.” Only
after media exposure did McDonnell withdraw the offending websites.
- Labor MP, Vicki
Kirby, implied that there was a sinister reason why ISIS failed to attack
“the real oppressors”, Israel, stated Adolf Hitler could be regarded as a
“Zionist God” and that Jews have big noses;
- Labour MP Gerry Downing was expelled from the party for the
second time, but only after Prime Minister Cameron drew attention to his
views, which included re-opening “the Jewish Question” and stating
terrorism was the legitimate response of the oppressed;
- Former Labour mayor of Bradford, Khaddim Hussain condemned
Holocaust education and accused Israel of arming ISIS;
- A Labour councillor in Luton, Aysegul Gurbuz, last week
referred to Hitler “as the greatest man in history” and expressed the hope
that a nuclear Iran “would wipe Israel off the map.”
Arkush described Corbyn’s
insistence that his brother was “not wrong “in dismissing allegations of
anti-Semitism, as “belittling” the issue and “deeply disturbing.” He stated:
“We cannot imagine any other minority’s concerns would be dismissed in this
way. In the last few weeks, we have witnessed a stream of clear-cut cases of
anti-Semitism in the Labour Party which can’t just be fobbed off as differences
over Israel. Most of the Jewish community, Labour peers, and Labour’s London
mayoral candidate are crying out for their leader to take action on
anti-Semitism. It would be incomprehensible for Mr. Corbyn to remain inert and
refuse to take this form of racism in his party seriously.” He stated
explicitly that, “Frankly, most people in the Jewish community can’t trust
Labour.”
One might hope that public exposure
might shame Labour leaders into taking remedial action. Stephen Pollard, editor
of the Jewish Chronicle, is pessimistic. He noted: ’If your politics are
anti-imperialist, nothing else matters. So Mr. Corbyn happily describes Hamas
and Hezbollah representatives as ‘friends’, despite their penchant for
murdering Jews … and with the party leader openly – proudly – alongside these
people, anti-Semites swarm to Labour, assured of a warm welcome from their
fellow anti-imperialists. This isn’t political debate – it’s racism. And it’s
Labour’s racism.”
According to the Daily Mail, over
the past two decades, Jewish support for Labour has plummeted from 70% to 25%.
In last May’s General Election, it was reported that Jews contributed a third
of the 9.7 million pounds donated (approximately $13.7 million) to Labour by
private donors. This year, no major Jewish donor contributed.
If Arkush has the support of the
community and if the so-called “Jewish Leadership Council,” an unelected body
mainly comprising wealthy Jews, which frequently undermines the representative
role of the Board of Deputies, sets aside personal egos and backs the elected
Jewish community leadership, Anglo-Jewry will act with dignity and maximize its
ability to reverse the tide.
At the very least, the leadership will demonstrate to
the next generation how, as proud Jews, they will not be intimidated or run for
cover but stand up for their rights.
