THREAD:
A few people (including @JMPSimor) asked me to explain why I think the prospect of Jeremy Corbyn in power makes Jewish families (like my own) so fearful.
Let me try and explain. 1/9
A few people (including @JMPSimor) asked me to explain why I think the prospect of Jeremy Corbyn in power makes Jewish families (like my own) so fearful.
Let me try and explain. 1/9
(2) The starting point is that Corbyn is, unquestionably, a modern antisemite. I say “modern” to be clear that he is not a 1930s antisemite: this is not about gas chambers. But he does not treat Jewish people like any other minority.
(3) He called terrorist groups devoted to the existential destruction of Jews as his “friends” and welcomed them to Parliament. This is no different to standing with a neo-Nazi skinhead or a KKK member. But he sees Jews differently and hopes you do too.
(4) It's not just about personal acts: a wreath to terrorists; or saying "Zionists" don't get irony. It’s what he has let fester in Labour, now a cesspit of hate against Jews. He is a recruiting sergeant for Jew haters. Electing him can only magnify what he gives credence to.
(5) How does this impact my community and make us fearful? Well, first, and this is important, history teaches us that turning a blind eye to the early warning signs is foolhardy. This is the lesson our grandparents have taught us.
(6) We fear hate crimes against Jews will be increasingly overlooked, that Far Left international alliances will be with those who regard Jews as the conspiring Other,
that Holocaust education will cease to be a priority, that Jews will lose roles in public life as untrusted.
that Holocaust education will cease to be a priority, that Jews will lose roles in public life as untrusted.
(7) We fear Jewish life will become harder, boycotts against Israel (critical to Jewish identify) or those who support Israel; we fear (and know) that Corbyn is like a magnet for antisemites (cf Nick Griffin). So violence and hostility to Jews will grow.
(8) Above all: electing this man will be the most extraordinary statement to the most persecuted people in human history, less than 80 years after the Holocaust. A bold statement that your fears don’t count, your grievances don’t matter.
(9) It is unthinkable that any leader with a history of anti-black racism could be so close to power. We want to know, after everything, why are Jews still treated differently?
