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| These are strange times for Jewish socialists | These are strange times for Jewish socialists |
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| The last few weeks have been a strange time to be in a progressive, socialist, Jewish family. Unlike Margaret Hodge (Labour drops action against Hodge and suspends activist, 7 August), none of our immediate family were murdered in the Holocaust, but like every Jewish family, we know that many members of our extended family were killed. It is as if the current leadership of the Labour party has no conception of what this feels like – it is an absence that does not go away, and one we have to hand on to our children; is it any wonder we are sensitive to any suggestion of antisemitism? This was brought home when a Labour activist friend received a tweet reminiscent of Tsarist Russia. | The last few weeks have been a strange time to be in a progressive, socialist, Jewish family. Unlike Margaret Hodge (Labour drops action against Hodge and suspends activist, 7 August), none of our immediate family were murdered in the Holocaust, but like every Jewish family, we know that many members of our extended family were killed. It is as if the current leadership of the Labour party has no conception of what this feels like – it is an absence that does not go away, and one we have to hand on to our children; is it any wonder we are sensitive to any suggestion of antisemitism? This was brought home when a Labour activist friend received a tweet reminiscent of Tsarist Russia. |
| As socialists and Jews we were quietly proud of Margaret Hodge, her stand against the BNP and corporate business; how shocking, then, that members of the Labour party should want to take action against a courageous woman. Ironically, two weeks ago our rabbi criticised Israel for its treatment of its Arab minority; no one stood up and left, no one criticised her after the service. Most Jews are not fools; the majority know that a solution has to be found to the current impasse, but blanket criticism of Israel will not move anything forward. | As socialists and Jews we were quietly proud of Margaret Hodge, her stand against the BNP and corporate business; how shocking, then, that members of the Labour party should want to take action against a courageous woman. Ironically, two weeks ago our rabbi criticised Israel for its treatment of its Arab minority; no one stood up and left, no one criticised her after the service. Most Jews are not fools; the majority know that a solution has to be found to the current impasse, but blanket criticism of Israel will not move anything forward. |
| When it seemed it couldn’t get much worse, as Labour seemed intent on self-harm, instead of turning its attention to the rise in Islamophobia, the failure of universal credit and Brexit, there were two glimmers of light: the courage of Tom Watson and the article in Education Guardian about the Muslim school studying Israel/Palestine history (Can a new kind of history lesson spread understanding?, 7 August). Maybe the future can be brighter.Sarah HarrisChertsey, Surrey | When it seemed it couldn’t get much worse, as Labour seemed intent on self-harm, instead of turning its attention to the rise in Islamophobia, the failure of universal credit and Brexit, there were two glimmers of light: the courage of Tom Watson and the article in Education Guardian about the Muslim school studying Israel/Palestine history (Can a new kind of history lesson spread understanding?, 7 August). Maybe the future can be brighter.Sarah HarrisChertsey, Surrey |
| • Dr Richard House (Letters, 7 August) appears to be more concerned about Jeremy Corbyn and his “deeply hurt” feelings than the majority of people in this country who also want a “genuinely progressive Labour government”. He lists the usual suspects responsible for Jeremy’s discomfort: the Israeli state, the establishment, “then there is the Blairite PLP rump”, and not least the scheming rightwing press. One missing element in all of this conspiracy-theorising is the issue of Jeremy himself. | • Dr Richard House (Letters, 7 August) appears to be more concerned about Jeremy Corbyn and his “deeply hurt” feelings than the majority of people in this country who also want a “genuinely progressive Labour government”. He lists the usual suspects responsible for Jeremy’s discomfort: the Israeli state, the establishment, “then there is the Blairite PLP rump”, and not least the scheming rightwing press. One missing element in all of this conspiracy-theorising is the issue of Jeremy himself. |
| Winning power is not about a sect of devotees coming to the rescue of one privileged white man. It’s about talent, hard work and discipline. It’s about the ability to collaborate and present worked-through policy alternatives to counter what this government is doing to our country. The current bunch say nothing worth reporting, month after month. Their response is the occasional set piece by Corbyn about taxing the rich and renationalising the railways. What, I wonder, do they think about Carillion, for example, or education (its privatisation), social care, the prison system, climate change, the housing crisis? The silence is deafening. As for Brexit, what a cowardly no-show it’s been from this Labour leadership. | Winning power is not about a sect of devotees coming to the rescue of one privileged white man. It’s about talent, hard work and discipline. It’s about the ability to collaborate and present worked-through policy alternatives to counter what this government is doing to our country. The current bunch say nothing worth reporting, month after month. Their response is the occasional set piece by Corbyn about taxing the rich and renationalising the railways. What, I wonder, do they think about Carillion, for example, or education (its privatisation), social care, the prison system, climate change, the housing crisis? The silence is deafening. As for Brexit, what a cowardly no-show it’s been from this Labour leadership. |
| Jeremy is part of the conspiracy; he will never be the solution. As for the rightwing press, he is their gift that keeps on giving, a bearded double agent who will keep the Tories in power ad infinitum.Mark DudekLondon | Jeremy is part of the conspiracy; he will never be the solution. As for the rightwing press, he is their gift that keeps on giving, a bearded double agent who will keep the Tories in power ad infinitum.Mark DudekLondon |
| • Many of us who remain members of the Labour party watch while the leadership secretly supports the government’s calamitous Brexit policy, which many mainstream Labour MPs, too focused on saving their own skins, lack moral courage to oppose. Worst of all, thanks to Jeremy Corbyn’s far-left, anti-Zionist worldview, we are for good reason portrayed as a party that tolerates antisemitism, alienating many Jewish voters and perplexing many potential voters tired of an incompetent Tory government. Yet why don’t Labour MPs act? | • Many of us who remain members of the Labour party watch while the leadership secretly supports the government’s calamitous Brexit policy, which many mainstream Labour MPs, too focused on saving their own skins, lack moral courage to oppose. Worst of all, thanks to Jeremy Corbyn’s far-left, anti-Zionist worldview, we are for good reason portrayed as a party that tolerates antisemitism, alienating many Jewish voters and perplexing many potential voters tired of an incompetent Tory government. Yet why don’t Labour MPs act? |
| Nearly 70% of Labour party members oppose Brexit and, perversely enough, with a weak Tory government and an inward-looking and directionless Labour leadership, now is the opportunity for Labour MPs to form a new progressive socialist parliamentary party that could capture the public’s imagination with forward-looking policies, not those that hark back to the 1970s. We have capable leaders with clout such as Chuka Umunna, Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper, who could be joined by the prince over the water, David Miliband. Surely now is the time to show courage and act.Steve Flatley York | Nearly 70% of Labour party members oppose Brexit and, perversely enough, with a weak Tory government and an inward-looking and directionless Labour leadership, now is the opportunity for Labour MPs to form a new progressive socialist parliamentary party that could capture the public’s imagination with forward-looking policies, not those that hark back to the 1970s. We have capable leaders with clout such as Chuka Umunna, Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper, who could be joined by the prince over the water, David Miliband. Surely now is the time to show courage and act.Steve Flatley York |
| • The editors of the Jewish Chronicle, Jewish News and Jewish Telegraph suggest that the Labour party “was, until recently, the natural home for our community” (Report, 26 July). This is borne out by recent survey evidence from YouGov that the level of antisemitism among Labour party supporters remains well below that of Conservative party supporters and, crucially, has declined under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership between 2015 and 2017. In response to five questions concerning Jewish stereotypes, the proportion exhibiting antisemitic attitudes declined by up to a third. | • The editors of the Jewish Chronicle, Jewish News and Jewish Telegraph suggest that the Labour party “was, until recently, the natural home for our community” (Report, 26 July). This is borne out by recent survey evidence from YouGov that the level of antisemitism among Labour party supporters remains well below that of Conservative party supporters and, crucially, has declined under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership between 2015 and 2017. In response to five questions concerning Jewish stereotypes, the proportion exhibiting antisemitic attitudes declined by up to a third. |
| While this result may be open to various interpretations, it is one of the few bits of actual evidence about antisemitic attitudes within the Labour party itself, and hardly suggests that the Labour party has “seen its values and integrity eroded by Corbynite contempt for Jews”, as the editors claim, or that a Corbyn-led Labour government would pose an “existential threat to Jewish life in this country”. | While this result may be open to various interpretations, it is one of the few bits of actual evidence about antisemitic attitudes within the Labour party itself, and hardly suggests that the Labour party has “seen its values and integrity eroded by Corbynite contempt for Jews”, as the editors claim, or that a Corbyn-led Labour government would pose an “existential threat to Jewish life in this country”. |
| Instead of criticising Corbyn as leader of the Labour party the editors might well do better to encourage their readers to join the party in order to maintain its historic welcome for Jews and to further encourage the decline of antisemitic attitudes since Corbyn became leader.Harvey GoldsteinLondon | Instead of criticising Corbyn as leader of the Labour party the editors might well do better to encourage their readers to join the party in order to maintain its historic welcome for Jews and to further encourage the decline of antisemitic attitudes since Corbyn became leader.Harvey GoldsteinLondon |
| • As Jewish members and supporters of the Labour party, we agree with John Prescott’s assertion that the Labour party is not antisemitic (Corbyn sorry for hurt caused to the Jewish community, 6 August). One of the most noticeable things about these repeated claims of Labour party antisemitism is a distinct lack of any evidence. | • As Jewish members and supporters of the Labour party, we agree with John Prescott’s assertion that the Labour party is not antisemitic (Corbyn sorry for hurt caused to the Jewish community, 6 August). One of the most noticeable things about these repeated claims of Labour party antisemitism is a distinct lack of any evidence. |
| We disagree with Tom Watson’s statement that Labour may “disappear into a vortex of eternal shame”. We need only note that Watson and those Labour MPs concerned about antisemitism displayed no shame at the fact that by abstaining, they effectively supported the Immigration Act 2014 and its “hostile environment policy”, which led directly to the Windrush scandal. | We disagree with Tom Watson’s statement that Labour may “disappear into a vortex of eternal shame”. We need only note that Watson and those Labour MPs concerned about antisemitism displayed no shame at the fact that by abstaining, they effectively supported the Immigration Act 2014 and its “hostile environment policy”, which led directly to the Windrush scandal. |
| Jewish people are not living in fear of an “existential threat” as some claim, nor do they suffer threats of deportation, deaths in custody, stop and search or economic discrimination such as black and Asian people experience. | Jewish people are not living in fear of an “existential threat” as some claim, nor do they suffer threats of deportation, deaths in custody, stop and search or economic discrimination such as black and Asian people experience. |
| It is deeply ironic that this renewed campaign about antisemitism in the Labour party should coincide with the Israeli Knesset passing the Jewish nation state law making Israel officially an apartheid state. | It is deeply ironic that this renewed campaign about antisemitism in the Labour party should coincide with the Israeli Knesset passing the Jewish nation state law making Israel officially an apartheid state. |
| Jeremy Corbyn has nothing to apologise for and he should concentrate on the real task, winning a majority at the next election, and not be diverted by these bogus claims of antisemitism.Graham Bash, Professor Haim Bresheeth, Mike Cushman, Peter Gorbach, Tony Greenstein, Abe Hayeem, Rosamine Hayeem, Professor Yosefa Loshitzky, Deborah Maccoby, Professor Moshe Machover, Diane Neslen, Ephraim Nimni, Charlotte Pringles, Dr Brian Robinson, Jackie Walker | Jeremy Corbyn has nothing to apologise for and he should concentrate on the real task, winning a majority at the next election, and not be diverted by these bogus claims of antisemitism.Graham Bash, Professor Haim Bresheeth, Mike Cushman, Peter Gorbach, Tony Greenstein, Abe Hayeem, Rosamine Hayeem, Professor Yosefa Loshitzky, Deborah Maccoby, Professor Moshe Machover, Diane Neslen, Ephraim Nimni, Charlotte Pringles, Dr Brian Robinson, Jackie Walker |
| • Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com | • Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com |
| • Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters | • Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters |
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