Britain’s antisemitism problem is not for Jews alone to solve
Bigots have had a free run, but sometimes it doesn’t take much pushback to stop the tide, writes Alex Hearn
Anti-Jewish racism doesn’t originate from the Jewish community.
Listen to this article
Jews can’t fix it. There are only 250,000 Jews in Britain, and despite what you might have heard, we just don’t have the power.
Successive governments have failed to confront the issue. Met police commissioner Mark Rowley said Jews sit at the centre of a “ghastly Venn diagram of hate,” targeted by the far right, the far left, Islamist extremists and hostile states. But he warned that the Met struggle to get public pickup on the issue.
That's the problem. It's easier to throw money at building higher walls, further isolating Jews, while the conditions that created the threat go unaddressed. Anti-Jewish racism holds no social consequences.
Everyone has a part to play. If you don’t want racism, firebombings and stabbings to become normalised, if you like living in a tolerant country, then you have to fight for it. Don’t be a bystander. If you see it, call it out. On social media, in the workplace, in public life. If you’re in a political party, don’t tolerate it. Be brave, even when you’re going against the flow.
The hardest part is calling it out when it appears in your own camp. That’s why Labour Against Antisemitism was founded during the Corbyn years. Don’t overlook your friends' antisemitism in WhatsApp groups or over drinks. If you’re a councillor or politician, push back against it. Don’t give an inch to hate. No pasarán.
Bigots have had a free run, but sometimes it doesn’t take much pushback to stop the tide. Jewish businesses, musicians, comedians and artists have been targeted for boycotting. Speak up for them. Pressure institutions and politicians into doing the right thing. They caved to the mob, so we know it works the other way around. Write to your MP. Make complaints. Send the message that this isn’t socially acceptable, and that the public won’t stand for it.
Right now, the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign is running a pressure campaign on Aberdeen Performing Arts to cancel Maureen Lipman in Allegra. Their campaign depicts her as the devil - medieval Jew-hatred fused with 20th-century boycotts. Write to the venue. Encourage them to stand firm. Kick up a fuss.
No excuses. Don’t blame Jews thousands of miles away for British Jews suffering racist attacks. Political purity tests are a no. We belong. We don’t need to justify our existence. A few words of support can make us feel less isolated.
When you treat a group as “other,” the normal rules no longer apply. Racism becomes justified, and even violence becomes resistance. If everyone refuses to comply with this “othering”, the illusion disappears. When white supremacists used triple brackets around names to identify Jews online, thousands of people - Jewish and not - adopted them in solidarity, rendering the tactic useless.
A Jewish lawyer was arrested last year for wearing a Star of David because police said it might “antagonise” racist protesters. It wasn’t the first time. If being Jewish is defiant, then join us in being defiant.
____________________
Alex Hearn is co-director of Labour Against Antisemitism and is writing a book about the hidden history of anti-Jewish racism.
LBC Opinion provides a platform for diverse opinions on current affairs and matters of public interest.
The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official LBC position.
To contact us email opinion@lbc.co.uk