Cable Street
The superb article by Jane Prinsley was a tonic to see (Unite claims it wrongly erased Jews from its Cable Street event on Shabbat, JC, July 3) and a timely call to resist. For decades the hard Left supported by the disgracefully anti-Israel so-called Jewish Socialist Bloc, have hijacked the Cable Street celebrations, repeating the antisemitic trope that it was really the trade unions who stopped Mosley that day and not the Jewish community. There is and never has been any evidence of “busloads of trade union members” allegedly coming to London to help, or crowds of dockers supporting the Jews – a total communist fabrication – for both organisations were, in fact, rife with antisemitism themselves. Jews were by far the massive majority of protesters. In addition, I have never met a non-Jewish trade union member who does not claim “my parents were at Cable Street” – the standard way of trying to hide their anti-Jewish/anti-Israel beliefs.
The air-brushing of Jews from the Battle of Cable Street is an appalling lie and to add salt to the wound, the organisers invariably choose a Saturday to celebrate, knowing most Jews will not attend. They have even held it on Rosh Hashanah on a number of occasions – all supported by the so-called Jewish Socialists. I have attended and monitored these gatherings on many occasions and was mocked by left-wing antisemitic racists, for stating the truth.
I implore all the Jews of London and the surrounding counties, and our non-Jewish friends, to come out on Sunday October 4 – the real 90th anniversary – and support instead whatever gathering the Campaign Against Antisemitism will organise in the open at a large park. And don’t hide your Israeli flags – for the Spanish Civil War anti-Fascist slogan of “They Shall Not Pass” is as relevant today as it was at Cable Street against the Mosleyites, as Israel stands against Hamas/Hezbollah/Iran and Islamist racist attempts at genocide against the Jewish state – They too Shall Not Pass.
Martin Sugarman
London
Starmer’s legacy
I am stunned and disturbed by the staggering pro-Starmer comments emanating from the community and published in your newspaper. It has even been suggested that a celebratory party be held in his honour. In addition to being Jeremy Corbyn’s lieutenant for over four years, the level of antisemitism in this country rose to unprecedented levels including murders and stabbings while he was prime minister. The level of security and police presence outside synagogues, Jewish schools and other institutions such as cemeteries has never been higher. Sadly, there is probably still more to come. All we have had is meaningless platitudes and waffle, and no real action whatsoever. He and his colleagues failed to understand that their deliberate anti- Israel policies provoked more antisemitic behaviour and incidents. In no order of priority, he recognised a Palestinian state notwithstanding that not all the hostages had been released from Gaza, arms sales to Israel were curtailed, he failed to stop the Palestinian hate marches, supported the policies of the International Criminal Court and the potential arrest of Benjamin Netanyahu and his ministers, failed to stop two- tier policing, opposed Israel’s actions in Gaza and Lebanon, continued to fund Unrwa, failed to ban the IRGC and the Muslim Brotherhood and presided over the disastrous Maccabi Tel Aviv policing saga in Birmingham.
The support for Starmer is wholly misplaced, dangerous and self- destructive. I detect the whiff of honours in the air!
Jonathan Metliss
Chairman, Action Against Discrimination
Eastern comfort
I spent last week in the heart of eastern Europe. When I arrived at my hotel, I was very pleasantly surprised to see I was sharing the hotel with an Israeli national sports team competing in a European league. I was totally thrilled to see the team happily wearing their team shirts, with the Israeli flag, Hebrew writing, openly speaking Ivrit and sharing the same space with the other hotel guests. There was an Israeli security team. However, there appeared no need for local police presence and no flag waving protesters, screaming insults outside the hotel. I was told that the European federation for the sport had also agreed to move the international game to accommodate the religious needs of some of the players for Shabbat. On Saturday morning, I joined a couple of the team at the local Chabad, which was close to the hotel, and they walked to and from the shul without a security detail.
It was odd how safe I felt in eastern Europe. How I wish this feeling of safety could be replicated in Edgware and all the other places in the UK and Europe.
Martyn Sinclair
Edgware
Israel’s reputation
Melanie Phillips’s thoughtful article (Benjamin Netanyahu is not the cause of attacks on Jews in the diaspora, JC June 5) raises one of the defining challenges facing the Jewish people.
The long-term security of diaspora Jews will depend not only on the countries in which they live but also on Israel’s next generation of leaders renewing its position as a beacon of morality, humanity and innovation.
Israel’s security will always depend on military strength, but its standing in the world depends equally on moral leadership. By responding generously to humanitarian crises, sharing its medical, scientific and high-tech achievements for the benefit of humanity, and extending practical help regardless of nationality or faith, Israel can help restore its often unfairly tarnished reputation and remind the world of the values on which it was founded.
Such leadership won’t eliminate antisemitism overnight. But by combining strength with compassion and moral example, Israel can help abate the rising tide of antisemitism and strengthen the long-term security of diaspora Jews everywhere.
Trevor Lyttleton
London NW11
Israel has been swift to send an emergency response team to Venezuela to help in the earthquake-hit areas.
This tiny country is still fighting on several fronts and after suffering a horrific massacre that left it battle weary and grieving is still reaching out to help.
Of course, the BBC omitted to show the Israeli team, but hopefully Venezuela will remember who came to their aid when they needed it, fighting to save lives instead of ending them like Israel”s enemies.
Caroline Dascal
London E8
Defending Hardy
Druin Burch patronisingly asserts that, ‘’Jane Austen and Thomas Hardy seemed not to know that Jews existed, which is fine’’. Or was he merely guilty of passive aggression? (Why I will not stop reading novels by antisemitic writers, JC June 26).
I think the reason is more prosaic; Hardy lived and wrote about country life in the west of England at a time when the Jewish population was small. He would have not have encountered Jews arriving from eastern Europe, who settled largely in large conurbations such as London and Manchester.
Considering a small part of his prodigious output, The Mayor of Casterbridge is regarded as a supreme morality tale; any antisemitic notions in Jude the Obscure ridicule their utterer rather than attack Jews. And why would an antisemite give the heroine of Far from the Madding Crowd a Hebrew name? She is called Bathsheba for those not familiar with the novel.
I am most saddened to see one of England’s finest sons pilloried so casually. Your editorial team should be ashamed of themselves.
Jeremy Sharman
London N20
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