The silver lining of Corbyn’s antisemitism

This is the year when Anglo-Jewry finally found its voice.

It’s hard to remember that less than a decade ago, our community leadership was renowned for its “softly, softly”, behind-the-scenes style of leadership. Issues with the government were dealt with discreetly. And too often, the community leadership preferred to downplay antisemitism. The prevailing philosophy seemed to be “let’s not make a fuss”. Or, as the headline on a Jerusalem Post piece by then Board of Deputies president Henry Grunwald put it: “Why must one shout, when a whisper can be heard?”

This was the cause of frequent frustration in some circles of the community, which felt the leadership was weak. After the Second Lebanon War in 2006, when the Jewish leadership staged a modest rally at JFS, the Board of Deputies and JLC came under pressure to be far more vocal in support for Israel in its times of need. Similar criticism played out again after Operation Cast Lead. In 2014, an anonymous, full-page ad appeared in the JC, styled as an open letter to community leaders. It complained about a rise in antisemitism, then asked sardonically: “What are you actually doing about this situation? Apart from issuing the odd press release… Start to lead, please.”

Fast-forward just four years, and it is difficult to relate. Our leaders — including JLC chair Jonathan Goldstein, BOD president Marie van der Zyl, former BOD president Jonathan Arkush and Holocaust Educational Trust’s Karen Pollock — have been steadfast in opposing antisemitism, publicly and loudly.

Taking the leader of the Opposition to task over antisemitic comments and actions is as sensitive and as difficult as it gets. Yet the communal leadership has not backed down, organising rallies, calling out antisemitism in the strongest of terms and insisting on meaningful action from the Labour Party.

Perhaps they decided that, with an intransigent man like Corbyn, they had nothing to lose by shouting rather than whispering. Perhaps they have simply been forced to rise to the challenge. But they have done so admirably. At the time of its deepest distress, the community can feel confident that their leaders have their back (and have developed a backbone).

But that is not the only gift Jeremy Corbyn has bestowed on our community. As many have pointed out, he has managed what no one thought possible and brought together rabbis from all denominations to speak out against him. In a community that agrees on virtually nothing, such unity is important.

We can also take comfort from the fact that the national press has, in the last few months at least, taken the issue of antisemitism seriously. Indeed, it has rarely been off the front pages. The community is not being left to fend for itself.

Many prominent and not-so-prominent non-Jews have also spoken up, from JK Rowling (who surely deserves an award from the community) downwards. The support of some sections of the Muslim community — including a new group called Muslims Against Antisemitism — has been particularly heart-warming.

In short, although things do look bleak, in many ways our community is coming into its own. We have stood up for ourselves, and no doubt this has prompted the outpouring of support from our friends and from honorable, decent people. And one day — perhaps in a generation — when Corbyn and his antisemitic horde are a distant memory, we’ll look back on 5778 with pride instead of despair.