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Survey shows Jews feel safer in post-Corbyn era

A new survey found more optimism following the fall of former Labour leader - but that deep concerns persist

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LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 03: Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn supports ancillary workers protesting at Birkbeck College, SOAS University of London on December 03, 2019 in London, England. The Labour leader met with cleaners and catering staff who have organised themselves against employers. UK voters are set to go to the polls on December 12 in the country's third general election in less than five years. (Photo by Peter Summers/Getty Images)

Two thirds of British Jews now feel that they have a long-term future in the country following the fall of Jeremy Corbyn, a new survey has found.

The survey, carried out by the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) and King’s College London, shows that British Jews are beginning to regain their confidence after Mr Corbyn’s departure but remain scarred by the Labour antisemitism scandal, which the Jewish community feels is far from over.

Sixty six per cent of those questioned for the CAA’s ‘Antisemitism Barometer’ either ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ that Jews have a long-term future in the UK. For the past two years, that figure has been just 50 per cent.

Of those who previously said they considered leaving the country, half now say the defeat of the Labour Party in the 2019 General Election and the removal of Mr Corbyn has caused them to change their mind.

The survey — to be published in full on Sunday — also found that 57 per cent of British Jews now feel welcome in the UK, up from just 20 per cent in 2019.

But other findings confirm how the overall situation remains concerning. Forty four per cent said they avoid displaying outward signs of their Judaism in public because of antisemitism and 18 per cent say they feel either “somewhat unwelcome” or “very unwelcome” in the UK.

As for Labour, 88 per cent said the party remains too tolerant of antisemitism despite Mr Corbyn’s departure — an increase on last year.

Gideon Falter, Chief Executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism, which was one of the original complainants in the EHRC’s investigation into Labour antisemitism, said: “Our data shows that British Jews are slowly regaining their confidence following the crushing electoral rejection and then resignation of Jeremy Corbyn. Though a large swathe of our community has clearly breathed a sigh of relief, the news is not entirely good.

“Almost half of the community feels that it must conceal visible signs of Judaism in public, and nine months into Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership of Labour, British Jews still believe that the party harbours antisemites.

“Long before the rise of Mr Corbyn, Britain’s Jews were rightly concerned about rising antisemitism. Though Britain remains one of the best countries in the world in which to live as a Jew, our already-anxious community has been subjected to a harrowing ordeal by Mr Corbyn and his allies.

“We are now starting to regain confidence, but we cannot allow ourselves to be content with a return to a situation that was worrying to begin with. The fact that almost a fifth of us feel unwelcome in this country shows that firm action against antisemitism is needed, not just in politics, but also in arenas that have long been problematic, such as universities and social media.” 

 

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