The ‘left’ wants to replace the Holocaust with slavery, claims Starkey
Controversial historian David Starkey condemned for 'pathetic attempt to divide communities' after speech at the National Conservatism conference
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Controversial historian David Starkey has been accused of mounting a “pathetic attempt to divide communities” after claiming the left is “jealous” of the Holocaust and wishes to replace it with slavery”.
In a speech to the National Conservatism conference in London, Starkey said: “The determination is to replace the Holocaust with slavery. In other words, this is why Jews are under such attack from the left, there’s jealousy, fundamentally. There is jealousy of the moral primacy of the Holocaust and a determination to replace it with slavery.”
His comments were initially tweeted on the official social media site of the three-day-long conference, before being deleted on Wednesday morning.Daniel Sugarman, the Board of Deputies director of public affairs, immediately condemned Starkey’s remarks tweeting:”The organisation I work for, the @BoardofDeputies, supports the building of a Holocaust Memorial by Westminster AND a permanent memorial to the victims of Transatlantic Slavery.
“If this quote is accurate, such pathetic attempts to drive a wedge between communities will not work.”
The organisation I work for, the @BoardofDeputies, supports the building of a Holocaust Memorial by Westminster AND a permanent memorial to the victims of Transatlantic Slavery.
If this quote is accurate, such pathetic attempts to drive a wedge between communities will not work. pic.twitter.com/j2HoNrHeWL
— Daniel Sugarman (@Daniel_Sugarman) May 17, 2023
David Baddiel also tweeted regarding Starkey’s comments adding:”This notion is idiotic, not least because there is perhaps no greater example of the failure of Western culture to live up to its own ideal than the Holocaust.”
Joe Mulhall, director of research at HOPE not hate, also responded saying:” The National Conservatism Conference has played host to a number of speakers who have made far-right comments this week.
“David Starkey has a long history of reactionary and racist statements, his comments about the Holcoaust and Black Lives Matter are ignorant and offensive. Starkey should stick to commenting on the historical periods he’s researched.”
News reporters in attendance at the NatCon conference, at which home secretary Suella Braverman and levelling up secretary Michael Gove both spoke, later confirmed Starkey had made the comments in a speech in which he also claimed that groups such as Black Lives Matter were attempting to destroy “white culture” and “do exactly what was done to German culture because of Nazism and the Holocaust”.
Starkey, an expert on Tudor history, has previously been criticised for comments on slavery and the Black Lives Matter movement, including during coverage of the coronation on GB News when he was accused of racism for claiming that Rishi Sunak was “not fully grounded in our culture”. He later denied the comments were racist.
Elsewhere in Wednesday’s speech Starkey said:“The narrative of Black Lives Matter is that Western culture and Anglo-American culture in particular are fundamentally morally defective, they are characterised by the mark of Cain and their strategy is to do exactly what was done to German culture because of Nazism and the Holocaust.”
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.
