Getting to the root of the Jewish problem

Jewish community celebrations (Image: thejc.com)

The British media is getting bored of Islam. Is it just me, or has there been a reduced level of focus on Muslims? It may surprise you, but lately they haven't done anything the press think is worth talking about. Suspected attackers who claim to follow the faith aren't terrorising Western cities and haven't done so for nearly a year now. The media is now short of options in how to demonise the religion, and those who want to promote Islam in a positive light are content because they don't feel the need to defend any crazy accusations aimed at their faith.

I may have jinxed this, however. I am glad that this particular news cycle is taking the backseat because it seriously had to go. It wasn't pretty, and I just hope nothing happens in order for it to be re-introduced. On your bike, so the saying goes. With this in mind, the British press need something else to bite on. They didn't need to look far, because there are always juicy religion-related stories to over-expose.

In this instance, as I write this, the Jewish faith is under an intense microscopic limelight. It was inevitable. The controversies surrounding alleged anti-semitism in the UK has been widely reported, yet never enough to cause national outrage over a long period. However, the past week or so has seen such reports escalate to levels very little expected.

The issue surrounds the Labour Party. Putting the words 'Labour' and 'anti-semitic' in the same context had been discussed for years previous. Some of their prominent members have spoken publicly about World War II and their versions of facts surrounding dictator Adolf Hitler's treatment of Jewish people. He was the man who ordered the brutal killing of six million Jews during that dark period, we all know that. Yet, naturally, there will some - such as the likes of Ken Livingstone - who will spin it differently, which would anger those who have that one line view I just mentioned.

Labour had to act quickly on Livingstone, in order to show they're not a Party that advocates anti-semitic sentiments. When he made lurid claims in 2016, they were quick to suspend him. The order still stands today. That must have been difficult for them because of his stature, having been London Mayor for eight years up until 2008. Back to events two years ago, their leader Jeremy Corbyn ordered a review into anti-semitism in the Labour Party. He hired Shami Chakrabarti to review the situation to which she concluded there was as much anti-Jewish sentiment in Labour as in other parties.

Fast forward 18 months later, the stigma surrounding Labour's apparent problem with the Jewish faith hasn't gone away. In fact, it's gotten a lot worse. Corbyn was forced to reverse his thoughts on a mural, showing stereotypically looking Jewish people on a table carried by those who appeared distinctively poor. In 2012 - three years before he became leader - Corbyn questioned its removal on the grounds of freedom of speech being taken away from the artist. This comment was identified by fellow Labour MP Luciana Berger to which caused the initial angst.

Jewish protests last Monday (Image: Times of Israel)

In what appeared to be the worst thing Mr Corbyn could possibly do, he wanted to open dialogue with Jewish group leaders. I thought it was an innocent thing to suggest, however, I think the mural controversy tipped them to boiling point, and last Monday, a mass protest was held against all forms of anti-semitism, practically in direct response to Corbyn's short-sightedness. They don't want to talk, they want action taken. Digging Mr Corbyn's grave further, these protesters were joined by fellow Labour MPs who wanted to show solidarity to the Jewish community.

I was following this protest with complete bewilderment. I can completely understand the anger from some of the people who attended it. They, like members of Muslim community, have been attacked - physically or verbally - on the basis of the religion they follow, at a place they call home. These crimes should never be happening under any circumstances and rightly, those reported are dealt with and justice served. Yet, while watching the protest unfold, I didn't understand why some Labour MPs were there.

People who have anti-semitic tendencies should be held accounted for. And, as naive you may think I sound, I feel the Labour Party has acted appropriately when it's come to tackling potential issues surrounding this within their organisation. It isn't necessary to go through a process where you're guilty until proven innocent, processes naturally take time. By Chuka Umunna, John Mann, Yvette Cooper and the like turning up to protests who indirectly slam their leader, are simply over-compensating something that doesn't need to be compensated.

You see, Ken Livingstone made a valid point to identify that Labour do not have an anti-semitism problem. We're talking about less than one percent of a 552,000+ strong membership that may have made anti-semitic comments or incited violence based on someone's faith. If any Labour member is proved guilty of this, I trust the Party's sanction system. Accusing Labour of being an anti-semitic Party is like saying the Conservatives is against the lesser well-off because they impose austerity measures on local communities. They're not against people who aren't financially better off, they just currently have policies that completely fail them.

Corbyn (r) with Livingstone (l) (Image: Islington Tribune)

In order to draw a line to this contentious debate, logical solutions are needed. Yet, I don't feel we're in a position to think about solutions, because nobody has really talked about where the problem came from in the first place. Where did Labour's anti-semitism 'problem' originate? All we hear are claims, not practical explanations.

In my eyes, the root is more widespread than just the Labour Party being guilty of such blasphemy. If you look back in history, while we hear Ken Livingstone badger on about Hitler and Nazi, it does bog down to those dark times. During the Second World War, the Jewish community were so catastrophically treated, those who don't follow the faith are still scarred on their behalf. It seems like anything people like Corbyn say or do, in a Jewish context - whether direct or indirect - they're guilty. When I interpreted the mural controversy, I didn't see it as anti-semitic. The painting was. Him questioning its removal was naive, but isn't against the entire Jewish community.

Once we get the notion that people who follow the Jewish faith are equal to every civilised member of society, and that decisions made on their behalf aren't personal, we're on a good footing. Another small step is to acknowledge where people like Corbyn and Livingstone aim their offence at. A lot of their criticism is aimed at the Israeli government. Corbyn is openly pro-Palestine and without delving into that state's relationship with Israel, it's easy to interpret that having this supportive stance towards a 'non-Jewish' country against one that is 'predominantly Jewish' is anti-semitic. I cannot help but think this is a cheap outlook fuelled by the government in Israel.

The Israeli government doesn't own the Jewish faith, just like the Middle Eastern governments don't own the Islamic faith, or Italy, Catholicism. Each individual who follows a certain faith has self-ownership, and their interpretation of their religion should be respected. Some Jewish people support Jeremy Corbyn, many are seen to despise him, that's a personal choice. Some choose to be offended by his interpretations of the Jewish faith, which is completely natural. But to put everything down to generalisations, it's difficult to come up with meaningful and positive solutions, which is deeply needed right now.