British Jews must retain our anger, but not succumb to fear

Like many, I am boiling with anger that our community is forced to endure one antisemitic attack after another.

At the time of writing, two people are in hospital having been stabbed for simply being Jewish. This follows a litany of other attacks against communal institutions in the past few weeks. Attacks have become a feature of British Jewish life in 2026, and that is a source of justifiable rage.

There is a long list of targets for our anger. First and foremost it is those trying to intimidate and harm our community. Whoever is carrying out these attacks and backing those carrying the knives or petrol bombs is our enemy.

But beyond them, there are others who are deserving of our contempt. The Jewish community has become a political football – particularly for those on the far-left and far right – to be villainised or lionised.

The far-left sees us as suffering from a lesser or ‘other’ form of racism, which if it has to be mentioned, must be bracketed alongside Islamophobia or other forms of hatred. Our association with Israel, our apparent success and integration in the UK, along with the whiteness of some of us make us begrudging recipients of their sympathy.

If there were an equivalent rash of attacks against another minority, anti-racist organizations would be out on the streets protesting while standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the victims. For us, they are nowhere to be seen. What we get instead are carefully crafted templated phrases that deplore antisemitism while inserting a big BUT about  Israel or ‘Zionists’.

For the far-right, we are a tool to be used with which to beat those they hold in greater contempt – be they Muslims, or people of colour. Tommy Robinson’s political forebears were those responsible for smashing Jewish shop windows in the East End of London in the 1930’s. Yet now, he and his ilk claim to be our friends and to love Israel, while railing against the ‘woke elitist Jews’ of the Board of Deputies.

Away from the political extremes, both mainstream parties are also deserving of our anger. For decades Conservative and Labour governments ignored growing radicalism from within parts of the Muslim community. They allowed Saudi and Gulf money to fund British mosques up and down the country, bringing with it an ultra-conservative and intolerant form of Islam.

More recently, this government and its Conservative predecessor failed to clamp down on language that incited against Jews (a.k.a ‘Zionists’) by ‘globalising the intifada’  during pro-Palestinian demonstrations following October 7th.

The targets for our anger also extend beyond the UK. In America and Israel, commentators and politicians see us as useful tools to be deployed in debates about immigration, Middle East politics, freedom of speech, and much more besides. The worse our reality, the more it serves certain political agendas.

Our anger is justified, but it must be used to fortify not weaken us. The intent of the antisemites, be they keyboard warriors hurling abuse or cowardly bombers lobbing Molotov cocktails, is to make us silent and afraid.

Those fears are understandable when we read the news, and experience the protection required for Jewish schools, community centres, and synagogues.

Sarah Sackman,  MP for Finchley and Golders Green captured those anxieties in saying that, “when I take my children to synagogue in my local area, I find myself holding and gripping their hands that little bit tighter.”

But as a community, our response must be to not let fear win, or to do as the antisemites wish, and disappear from view.

Now more than ever we must be out and be proud of who we are. That can take differing forms. For me, it means wearing a Magen David, as well as keeping a kippa to hand at all times – despite not being religious – and putting it on in certain situations.

In short, the fear of antisemitism and its reality must not be allowed to define our lives. It is something that is done to Jews, but is not who we are.

Antisemitism is negative, while Jewish identity is rich, joyful, and positive. That is the core of our community and its source of strength.

Strength also comes from the righteous anger we feel at being threatened. We must not shrink from antisemitism that comes our way, but let it fuel our indignation against those who seek to do us harm, in one way or another.

And while remaining angry, we must also keep a sense of proportion. A member of the Jewish Council of Scotland said in recent days that, “this is similar to what people felt just before the Holocaust.” It is not.

All the major parties in Parliament today stand with us, and are united in protecting us. Research also shows that while there has been an increase in antisemitic sentiments, attitudes towards Jews are more positive here than in virtually any other European  country.

So, as we pass through this testing time, we must keep hold of our anger, vigilance and positivity, while not succumbing to fear or despair.