A Jewish businessman and the daughter of a Holocaust survivor are going head-to-head in a fight for the parliamentary seat in Westminster North.
But as respective candidates for Ukip and the Green Party, Nigel Sussman and Jennifer Nadel are poles apart on a raft of policies, from Israel to immigration.
Journalist Ms Nadel, whose Austrian-born father George came to Britain on the Kindertransport aged 15, believes that British Jews will relate to her party’s pro-immigration stance .
Ms Nadel, who does not identify as Jewish as her mother is not Jewish, said: “We are the only party standing up against the anti-immigration rhetoric. The anti-immigration rhetoric leads to a rise in antisemitism and it is completely unacceptable. We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with anyone who is suffering persecution and attacks on the basis of their race and culture. We fully embrace the huge contribution the Jewish community has made culturally, and on many different levels to Britain. It is an incredibly important part of our society and we absolutely will not tolerate any form of discrimination or attack.”
The Greens support a cultural boycott of Israeli academics, artists and musicians , but Ms Nadel said: “We fully back the right of the Israeli state to exist – all we are arguing about is the policies of the current government.”
She said Mr Sussman’s party posed the biggest threat to the UK.
But the 53-year-old Ukip candidate dismissed the Greens as “a party that are mad as a box of frogs.
“You just have to look at their policies to see that.”
He added: “Their policies on Israel are not reflecting the reality of the situation out there in the Middle East.”
A Barnet United Synagogue member, Mr Sussman does not believe Ukip party policies on immigration would have barred the forebears of British Jews from entering the country.
Mr Sussman, whose Russian grandfather Joe Sussman sought asylum in the UK, said: “Ukip is not anti-immigration or racist, despite what other parties want you to believe.
“We are anti ‘uncontrolled’ immigration. We want an Australian-style points system on immigration – we recognise the diversity of the country.”
He added: “Because we have been prepared to talk about immigration, we have picked up a few unfortunate followers. We have picked up people with racist attitudes.”
Mr Sussman, from Winchmore Hill in north London, said he believes the UK should exit the European Union. “My mother taught me to be aware of oppressive regimes as a Jew.
“Europe is a federal dictatorship taking away the freedoms of the British people.”
Westminster North is a marginal Labour seat, with the party winning 43.9 per cent of the vote in the last election.
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