Why the British-Jewish Community is Fearful of a Labour Party Victory
By Joshua Z. Lavine
It has been widely reported that the British Labour Party is rife with anti-Semitism, largely due to Jeremy Corbyn. As the leader of the party, Corbyn has been slow to condemn anti-Semitism within his party, the United Kingdom, and the international community – that is if he condemns it at all .
The British-Jewish community is so fearful of a Labour Party victory in the December 12 election that two unprecedented events recently took place. First, the editorial board of The Jewish Chronicle, a London-based Jewish newspaper, wrote a front page article to the non-Jewish community in which it details the apprehension the British-Jewish community feels that the Labour Party, which has declined to adequately root out anti-Semitism from within the party ranks, might actually win the election. Second, and more importantly, the Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom, Ephraim Mirvis, wrote an op-ed in The Times. In this op-ed, Rabbi Mirvis chose to take a stand against Labour. He found that he could not remain silent in the face of “a new poison”—the anti-Semitism which is so ingrained within Labour. It is important to note that the Chief Rabbi of the UK generally refrains from endorsing or speaking out against political parties, so that he has access to the premier’s office regardless of who wins.
Why are these developments within the UK a big deal, warranting so much coverage?
An answer to this question requires a brief on anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism is racism directed against the Jewish people. It is a virulent virus—once it permeates a country, it is very difficult to eliminate. It has plagued societies throughout history, oftentimes resulting in Jews being targeted as the source of problems within a state. In modern times, anti-Semitism has taken on new faces from targeting Israel, understood as a Jewish collectivity, to claims of dual-loyalty among the Jewish community.
Now, why should the reader of this article pay any attention to the fate of this election when the Jewish community is only a fraction of the larger British population?
Jews around the world are paying attention because if Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party win, it will be seen as a tacit allowance of anti-Semitism in politics. Once anti-Semitism makes its way to the forefront of the political mindset, in this case through the new prime minister and ruling party of the UK, it will be very difficult to push back. For many European Jews, their continent may be as good as gone if the UK, which took the lead in Europe against the genocidal Nazis in World War II, elects a leader and party who support such ideas.
However, societies that blame “the other” do not stop at one group. Once the originally targeted group is “exposed,” others soon take its place. If the Jewish community of Britain is targeted now, who will be targeted next? As Rabbi Mirvis wrote in his op-ed, “What we do know from history is that what starts with the Jews, never ends with the Jews.”
If the Labour Party is elected to power on December 12, Jeremy Corbyn will not be the first anti-Semite to be the leader of a country. However, Britain holds a unique place in the global conversation. Jeremy Corbyn’s ascent to power would allow for racism to become part of 10 Downing Street, and thereby an acceptable part of public discourse. Hopefully, the British electorate do not allow for their country to be taken from them by racists. That would be a very dark day for Her Majesty’s Government and the people of the United Kingdom.
Joshua Z. Lavine is a second-year MALD candidate at The Fletcher School, concentrating in International Security Studies and Southwest Asia & Islamic Civilization. Prior to Fletcher, he worked at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) for three years. Following his first year at Fletcher, he spent the summer interning at the Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations. Josh is from Scarsdale, New York and holds a BA in Hebrew & Judaic Studies and Journalism from New York University.
“Downing Street and Whitehall” by Defence Images is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
