OPINION: Yom Kippur is no time to let the far right hijack Jewish fears

Regular Jewish News readers will know that I’ve been a frequent critic of this government’s refugee and asylum policy. All too often, it’s fallen short of the compassion, solidarity, and responsibility that drives our work at HIAS+JCORE.

But Keir Starmer was absolutely right last weekend to call Reform UK’s recent migration proposals what they are: racist and immoral.

Yes, it’s fair to say that the Prime Minister’s own approach has left a lot to be desired. His own ‘Island of Strangers’ remark – for which he later expressed regret – crossed the line.

And from this government’s inability to build a more compassionate narrative or to move on from using people seeking asylum as a political football, it’s all too often not been good enough.

So I hope this intervention marks a turning point. Of course, it comes at an interesting time for us as a community: the space between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is a powerful time to reflect on what we can do better in the coming year.

I will follow that with a bold statement. Just as the government must reflect on how its inaction this summer gave space to the populist right, so too should our community consider how we relate to and understand this burgeoning movement.

This is a time for renewal and a period of judgement after all. I feel, however, that it would be a mistake just to look within – this cannot just be about thinking about how we can all be better or more compassionate in 5786. (Although if the values I spoke of at the start of this piece also speak to you, we would love you to join us!)

It is my view that we also need to look critically at how others see and relate to us. Let me be transparent. My fear is that amidst rising antisemitism and increased polarisation from the horrendous scenes from Gaza, we risk allowing the populist right to instrumentalise us and our concerns.

But while figures from Richard Tice to Tommy Robinson have publicly condemned antisemitism, we know that the support of populist and far-right movements is often conditional. Scratch the surface, and it doesn’t take too long for hate against our community to emerge.

From personal experience, I’ve seen how quickly antisemitic tropes are thrown at those who call for a less demonising approach to asylum. That includes the vile Great Replacement conspiracy (which was referenced by at least one speaker at the recent ‘Unite the Right’ march).

Don’t just take my word for it though. A recent YouGov poll found that almost one in four Reform voters believe that ‘Jewish people chase money more than other people do.’ That’s before considering the overt antisemitism shared online by a number of Reform’s 2024 candidates.

My call to our community is this: don’t allow the populist right to use our fears and concerns about the worrying rise in antisemitism to drive their own agenda against others.

I know some will have disagreed when I spoke out against Farage’s plans to deport hundreds of thousands of people seeking asylum here earlier this summer. Yet I worried then that this would only be the start.

Reform’s recent announcement that they would abolish indefinite leave to remain, and Farage’s ugly lies about migrants eating swans, show that this will only go on and on. We mustn’t forget too that it’s not so long since such cruel falsehoods were told about us.

My fear – and one shared by many who live and work as active members of British society – is where will this end?

So, there is much to be concerned about as we enter the New Year. But our Jewish teaching can give us hope too. It’s always resonated with me that at Rosh Hashanah, it is not only Jewish people who will be judged, but all of humanity. With that, we understand that we must co-exist with others.

I hope we can all take the opportunity to start this work afresh and begin building a UK society truly rooted in justice, fairness, and perhaps most importantly, togetherness.

• Rabbi David Mason is the Executive Director of HIAS+JCORE