Yom Kippur is not only about looking at the year gone by; it also requires us to think about our behaviour in the coming year. In that spirit, we should take stock of the state of British politics and consider both where we stand and where we are heading.
Readers of the JC need little further elaboration on the impact of Jeremy Corbyn over his four years as leader of the Labour Party.
Not only has he treated the Jewish community with contempt, he has also allowed the poison of antisemitism to be injected into public life. Whether or not he ever takes office, he has been a malign force whose influence will continue to be felt for many years.
But much as fears of a Corbyn government dominate, there are other areas that give cause for concern. Whatever one’s views of Brexit, few will disagree with the proposition that the rancour it has engendered has debased our politics. Both sides are guilty of this.
Many Remainers treat Leavers as if they are racist fools, while Leavers throw about words like “traitor” and “collaborator” regarding honourable people who happen to take a different view.
History has shown the Jewish people that words have consequences. And there is a special responsibility when words come from the mouth of the prime minister or those speaking on his behalf. At the weekend, for example, one newspaper led with the headline: No 10 probes Remain MPs’ ‘foreign collusion’.
It is thought the story was based on a briefing from Downing Street. While it was foreign governments rather than the Jewish community that were the target of the accusation, the phrase has a resonance that should not be lost on any of us.
There are many such words being bandied about now that, on the surface, carry no racist intent but which are classic examples of so-called “dog whistle” phrase-making.
More generally, the fear is that what we are witnessing is merely the beginning of this debasement of our politics. It is surely likely to get worse.
This matters to everyone, of course. But it is of specific concern to our community because history teaches us that antisemitism worsens when politics are unstable.
To those politicians of all stripes who are deliberately using inflammatory words and ideas, we say: We know what you are doing, and we will call you out at every stage.
To the rest, who go with the flow, who sit by and let their leaders set the tone and debate, we ask that you think what you are enabling and act accordingly.
