Michael Gove at Tory conference: ‘Anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism’
search

The latest Jewish News

Read this week’s digital edition

Click Here

Michael Gove at Tory conference: ‘Anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism’

Environment Secretary says criticism of the Jewish state equates to racism, during keynote address to 500 guests at pro-Israel reception

Michael Gove speaking during the Conservative party conference 

 Photo credit: Peter Byrne/PA Wire
Michael Gove speaking during the Conservative party conference Photo credit: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

A senior cabinet minister has told hundreds of Conservative Friends of Israel supporters that “anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism”.

Environment Secretary, Brexit backer and Israel advocate Michael Gove made the comment to 500 guests on Monday night, during his keynote speech at the CFI event in Manchester.

Also present in the room were Communities Minister Sajid Javid, Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood and Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister Rory Stewart, together with former minister Sir Eric Pickles.

Gove said Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn chose “death-squads over democrats” while saluting pro-Israel Labour MPs Joan Ryan and Ian Austin for their “fantastic job in standing up for Jewish people’s right to self-determination”.

He concluded: “At a time when people say that ‘I’m not an anti-Semite, I’m just anti-Zionist,’ it is important that we should say no, anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism.”

As the country approached the centenary celebrations of the Balfour Declaration, he added: “At a time when people are casual, cruel and callous towards the fate of the Jewish people it is time for all of us to say that over the last 100 years if we have learned anything we have learnt one thing, which is that when there is prejudice and hatred directed towards the Jewish people darker times will follow, and it is our moral duty to say that what begins with the Jews never ends with the Jews. We stand with Israel. We stand with the Jewish community.”

In his first speech as CFI parliamentary chair, Stephen Crabb MP said the centenary celebrations were a “really key moment for us”, adding: “The commitment that we make is that we will be standing up and defending Israel and standing up against the intolerance and bigotry of the boycott movement.

“We will be standing up for Israel’s right to defend itself, and we will be calling out the Labour Party on any act of anti-Semitism”.

Former CFI parliamentary chairman Sir Eric Pickles said the UK “recognises the importance that Israel has as a strategic partner and as a friend” before describing his “genuine sadness at the rise in anti-Semitism” in the Labour Party.

Israeli Ambassador Mark Regev, who also attended the Labour Conference last week, said: “It is a pleasure to be back at Conservative Party Conference in the company of so many CFI friends.

He added: “Seeing you all here tonight gives me confidence that the Israel-UK partnership will continue to grow because I see you all here committed to the friendship between our two democracies”.

Support your Jewish community. Support your Jewish News

Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.

For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.

Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.

You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.

100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...

Engaging

Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.

Celebrating

There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.

Pioneering

In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.

Campaigning

Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.

Easy access

In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.

Voice of our community to wider society

The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.

We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.

read more: