OPINION: Labour must act firmly on scourge of anti-Semitism
Justin Cohen is the News Editor at the Jewish News
Anyone who is surprised by the move by several Jewish members of the Labour party to terminate their membership must either have spent the past few weeks on another planet – or be wilfully blind to a scourge that must now be decisively addressed.
A simmering sore which, for a few, exploded this week after the wake of the Gerry Downing and Vicki Kirby fiascos with the tearing up of membership cards.
Even some of the most committed of life-long members have struggled under the deluge of negative headlines that have come thick and fast since the resignation of Alex Chalmers from the Oxford Labour Club last month.
The assumption of many was that the suspension of Kirby must have ended since Jeremy Corbyn came to office. It didn’t – and there are still questions for the previous leadership to answer.
But now is the time for the current leadership to put a clear marker in the sand to show it is ready to do more than simply condemn anti-Semitism.
A start would be for Corbyn to echo the call of Sadiq Khan and Owen Jones and announce that anyone responsible for anti-Semitism will be swiftly kicked out.
The procedures around membership must also be tightened. To be clear, Corbyn is not responsible for the actions of the recently suspended pair. But he could do worse than use this opportunity to consider further whether simply “reflecting” on some of his previous associations does anything to drive home his message of zero tolerance on this issue.
Or could it, for those that way inclined, do the opposite?
And no, for those who’ve just asked ‘what about Israel?’, no one is suggesting curbs on the freedom to criticise Israeli policy.
Without long-term action to address the scourge in its midst, rather than on a case by case basis every time the media uncovers a scandal, he and his colleagues will not be able to mention the words ‘anti-Semitism’ without the cases of Kirby and Downing being invoked.
And the drip-drip of negative stories – you’d imagine we haven’t heard everything yet – will continue to eat away at the party’s chances of building anything resembling a cordial relationship with many in the community.
Looking for some positives, the level of national coverage and almost universal disgust at recent stories shows the community is far from alone. Indeed, while for some this week was the final straw, some non-Jews have rushed to affiliate to the Jewish Labour Movement.
JLM has hit the ground running since its re-launch, setting its sights this week on specific actions in relation to Woking Labour.
At the end of the day, it’s this rather than shouting from the sidelines that could just make a difference.
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.
