OPINION: Who would fight now, if they had to?
VE Day marked what others did 80 years ago. Today’s protestors aren't fit to clean their shoes, let alone walk in them, says Brigit Grant
Brigit Grant is the Jewish News Supplements Editor
Monday was a swathe of emotion. Watching the VE Day commemorations, I was struck by the faces of those who fought and sacrificed – so many of them who, 80 years ago were bound by courage and a moral clarity that feels almost alien today. They gave up futures, families, and memories so others could live in freedom.
And then my thoughts turned – unavoidably – to today’s protest culture.
To the masked marchers condemning Israel, many of them the same age as those who stormed beaches and liberated camps, yet driven not by courage, but by ideological posturing. They scoff at Churchill, branding him a villain, while showing sympathy for regimes whose ideology more closely mirrors Hitler’s.
These self-declared activists claim the moral high ground but stand on quicksand. They speak of oppression while defending terrorists who would persecute or kill anyone who isn’t like them. They parade their cause, but it’s hollow – they serve nothing but themselves. To imagine them walking in the shoes of those who fought fascism? They aren’t even fit to clean those shoes.
The veterans we heard today spoke not of division but of unity – “We were united irrespective of background or belief,” said Ruth Klauber, now 101 who in the war served as a flight mechanic. That unity was forged in horror and heroism. Today, the freedoms those soldiers died for are taken for granted – even weaponised against the very values they secured. VE Day is a reminder of a hideous war, yes – but also a loss of national memory. A loss of unity. And a sobering question: who would fight now, if they had to?
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.
