Thanks To Corbyn, There's Never Been As Much Unity Among British Jews' - Europe

13/12/2019 ‘Thanks to Corbyn, there’s never been as much unity among British Jews’ - Europe - Haaretz.
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U.K. Election // ‘Thanks to

Corbyn, There’s Never Been
as Much Unity Among British
Jews’
Baroness Julia Neuberger literally wrote the book on anti-
Semitism. While she is skeptical of claims that U.K. Jews will
leave if Jeremy Corbyn becomes prime minister, she is
adamant that the community shouldn’t vote for him in
Thursday’s election
Judy Maltz | Send me email alerts
Dec 11, 2019 5:45 PM
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13/12/2019 ‘Thanks to Corbyn, there’s never been as much unity among British Jews’ - Europe - Haaretz.com
Baroness Julia Neuberger in Jerusalem, December 10, 2019. "A Labour-led government headed
by Corbyn would be bad for the Jews." Credit: Ohad Zwigenberg
Baroness Julia Neuberger won’t be voting in Britain’s election on

Thursday. As a member of the House of Lords, she is not allowed to.
“Convicts, lunatics and peers — none of us can vote,” she points out.
But here is what she tells Jewish friends seeking her advice on how
to cast their ballot: “Just don’t vote for Jeremy Corbyn. How else
you vote is clearly up to you.”
It’s not an easy thing to say for someone whose parents, like many
in Britain’s Jewish community, were ardent supporters of the
Labour Party and whose father once dreamed of serving the party in
Parliament. Indeed, before joining the centrist Liberal Democrats,
she too had considered Labour her political home.
Neuberger holds the distinction of being Britain’s second female

rabbi, and the first to head her own congregation. A widely admired
Jewish community leader, she is a voice people listen to.
The 69-year-old grandmother took a break from the action back

home this week to attend a special event at the Van Leer Jerusalem
Institute (where she serves as chairwoman of the board),
celebrating the publication of her latest book “Antisemitism: What
It Is. What It Isn’t. Why It Matters.”
It couldn’t have been more timely.
In an interview
All with Haaretz,
Share Neuberger
Tweet says she decided to write
Email
the book because she was so furious about what was happening
under Corbyn. “But apart from that,” she says, “my goal was to
answer all those people coming to me asking whether I really
believed there was anti-Semitism in the Labour Party.”
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your nose election’
To sum up the book in a few words — she does.
Neuberger doesn’t buy the argument that the Labour Party leader
has nothing against the Jews and that it is only Israel he can’t stand.
“What we’ve been hearing,

especially on social media, is often
code for a much older kind of anti-
Semitism that has existed long
before there was a State of Israel,”
she says.
But neither does she believe that it

is possible to completely separate
anti-Zionism from anti-Semitism.
“You can be as critical as you like of

the policies of the State of Israel —
and I often am myself,” she says.
“But if you’re the sort of anti-
Zionist who says Israel shouldn’t The cover of Baroness Julia
Neuberger's book "Antisemitism: What
exist, then you have to ask yourself,
It Is. What It Isn’t. Why It
‘How can you say Israel shouldn’t Matters." Credit: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
exist if it’s been here for 71 years?’
Are you saying that if the Scottish nationalists eventually win and
create an independent Scotland, then Scotland shouldn’t exist?
What does
All it mean
Shareto say that a state shouldn’t
Tweet Email exist? If that’s your
position, I think it’s challengeable as anti-Semitism.”
She is also suspicious of those who claim to advocate for the

oppressed of the world, but are hard-pressed to name any oppressor
other than Israel. “If you only criticize Israel, alone of all the
countries of the world,” she says, “it is unlikely that you’re not an
anti-Semite — because if you were really concerned about human
rights abuses, you would be criticizing China, Burma, Syria and a
long list of countries. If you’re not, then I think you’ve got some
questions to answer for.”
Old school anti-Semitism
What does she say to those Jews in Britain and elsewhere who
continue to defend Corbyn? “I cannot say hand on heart, because I
haven’t asked him, that Corbyn is an anti-Semite. But I can say that
he sure as hell has presided over a situation in which a lot of anti-
Semitism has been expressed — and it’s mostly this old-fashioned
‘Jews controlling the world’ sort of stuff that has nothing to do with
Israel-Palestine.”
Two weeks ago, British Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis took the
unprecedented step of publishing a scathing attack on Corbyn in
The Times of London. It goes without saying that Neuberger had his
back. “The chief rabbi let me know in advance that he was doing
this, and he and I were in touch throughout the day once it was
published,” she relays. Considering that she is a Reform rabbi and
he is Orthodox, such coordination is far from obvious. “In fact, it’s
quite unusual,” Neuberger notes. “I’d go so far as to say that there
has never been as much unity in the Jewish community in Britain as
there is now, thanks to Corbyn.”
Perhaps even more surprising, she says, is the support British Jews
are receiving from the U.K.’s Muslim community. “It’s been
enormous, and it’s really interesting,” she says. “After the chief
rabbi’s article was published, we had many Muslims reaching out to
us saying ‘We’re with you.’ Some even said, ‘It’s the Jews now. It’ll
be us next.’ Some cynics have said the Labour Party has been doing
what it’s doing to the Jews to please Muslim voters. I don’t think
that’s true at all, because I don’t think this is what it’s about.”
For many
Allprogressive-minded
Share British Jews,
Tweet Emailthe election has come
down to a choice between the lesser of two evils: a Boris Johnson-
led Conservative government or a Corbyn-led Labour one. For
Neuberger, it is clear that one is far more preferable — at least
insofar as the Jewish community is concerned.
“I come from the center-left, but I really don’t think a Tory-led

government would be bad for the Jews,” she says. “And I say that as
someone very critical of its policies — Brexit being a prime example.
So a Tory victory wouldn’t be nice for the country, but it wouldn’t be
bad in any particular way for the Jews. Whereas a Labour-led
government headed by Corbyn would be bad for the Jews. Not to
the point where they should panic, as some are already. But I
definitely believe it’s something that should make them angry and
cause them to fight back.”
Britain's Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn attending an election campaign event in
northeastern England, December 11, 2019. Credit: AFP
Childhood dream
Neuberger, who had been active in Labour as a teenager, was on the

original list of Social Democrats who ran in the 1983 election, right
after the centrist party was formed. Among her reasons for splitting
with Labour (along with four moderate Labour lawmakers) were
concerns that the far left was having too much influence on the
party. The Social Democrats merged with the Liberal Party in 1988
to become
All the Liberal
Share Democrats,
Tweet and she was appointed to the
Email
House of Lords in 2004 as Baroness Neuberger of Primrose Hill.
She resigned from the party in 2011, though, after being appointed
senior rabbi at the West London Synagogue — the oldest Reform
congregation in Britain. “I don’t think you should have a political
party if you’re preaching from the pulpit,” she says, “so I went to the
crossbenches” where independent peers sit.
It had never been her intention growing up to become a rabbi. In

fact, her dream was to become an archaeologist. “I was fascinated
with the Babylonians and Assyrians,” she says, “and I wanted to
specialize in that area.”
She applied to work on a dig in Iraq during her first year at

Cambridge, but was refused entry because she was Jewish. A year
later she applied to work on a dig in Turkey, but was refused entry
because she was British. “The Turks thought the British had stolen
some finds from the site,” she explains.
With her nationality and religion both proving major obstacles to

her career plans, she decided to focus on Hebrew. One of her
teachers, Nicholas de Lange (best known for translating Amos Oz’s
works into English), suggested she become a rabbi. “I said to him,
‘That’s absurd. Women don’t become rabbis.’” Nonetheless, she
followed up on his suggestion and eventually was ordained at Leo
Baeck College in north London.
Upon her graduation in 1977, she assumed a rabbinical position at

the South London Liberal Synagogue and began teaching at Leo
Baeck. In 2003, a year prior to becoming a baroness, she was made
a Dame of the British Empire. Among her many positions over the
years, Neuberger has served as chair of the Commission on the
Future of Volunteering, Chancellor of the University of Ulster and
president of Liberal Judaism. She is scheduled to retire as senior
rabbi of her congregation in March, but says she will continue with
all her other work.
According to various polls, a significant number of British Jews

would leave the country if Corbyn wins. Neuberger is skeptical
about those findings. “I think people are nervous, but they aren’t
leaving and I don’t think they will,” she says.
Alternatively,
All if Share
Corbyn is defeated,
Tweet sheEmail
believes life will quickly go
back to normal for the Jewish community. “I think quite a lot of
what we’re seeing now will disappear,” she predicts. “I don’t think it
will go completely. I don’t think it ever goes completely, but I think
it will become much less of a public thing.”
The reason she says she is so confident is that, unlike many other
European countries, Britain never really had a problem with its
Jews before. “It doesn’t feel to me that this anti-Semitism we’re
seeing is something deeply ingrained in British society,” she says.
“It’s always been there on the hard right and now on the hard left —
but it’s not widespread. This has always been such a welcoming
place for Jews, and that’s why what’s happened in the Labour Party
has come as a shock to many of us.”
Neuberger’s mother had fled Nazi Germany in 1937, and her father
was born in Britain to Jewish immigrants from Germany. This year,
she exercised her right to obtain a German passport. But it’s not
because she is planning her escape, she insists.
“For me, this is not about anti-Semitism but more about Brexit and
the fact that I feel passionately European,” she explains.
Still, Neuberger concedes, there was also another thought running

through her mind when she applied for the German passport.
“There was that part of me saying, ‘You took it away from my
mother and I’ll have it back now, thank you very much.’”
Judy Maltz
Haaretz Correspondent
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Comments
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Sort comments by Newest first Expand all
9 Victor Murkies | 20:40 0 0
Discrimination is not just Corbyn or just against Jews.
8 Ben Alofs | 19:56 1 2
Some advice for Neuberger....
7 Amichai | 08:07 12.12.2019 8 3
Brexit
Avshalom Beni | 09:44 12.12.2019 3 0
@Amichai Looks like the Liberal Democrats are going

to get her vote
6 Amichai | 07:34 12.12.2019 10 4
Antisemitism
5 Paul | 22:52 11.12.2019 8 4
Jews not
All wanting Tweet
Share to be second class
Email citizens? Selfish! (no
content)
4 Arbuckle | 22:50 11.12.2019 12 11
Corbyn was given ample time to fix the problems in

Labour. He didn’t. Now his time is over (no content)
StJohn | 13:51 12.12.2019 0 7
@Arbuckle
3 Emory | 22:48 11.12.2019 12 1
why does no one ever seem to ask the most obvious

question: whose votes do you think the Labour Party
stand to win by ‘appearing’ anti-Semitic? Or whose votes
would they stand to lose by taking a clear stand against
antisemitism ? (no content)
2 Mike | 22:47 11.12.2019 8 12
Even Jewish leftists in Britain are finally getting it. Its a

warning flashing for Democrats tolerating their own anti
semites Al Sharpton, Jeremiah Wright, Ilhan Omar,
Rashida Tlaib and others (no content)
Levi | 09:25 12.12.2019 6 7
@Mike
Paul | 23:51 11.12.2019 9 4
@Mike don’t forget linda Sarsour
1 Players | 22:46 11.12.2019 3 7

See mosque handwriting on the Corbyn wall. (no content)
Tzila | 02:51 12.12.2019 7 6

@Players
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Thanks To Corbyn, There's Never Been As Much Unity Among British Jews' - Europe

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13/12/2019 ‘Thanks to Corbyn, there’s never been as much unity among British Jews’ - Europe - Haaretz.

All Share Tweet Email

Israeli, Jewish, and raising my kids Why a wave of suicide

Home > World News > Europe

U.K. Election // ‘Thanks to

Dec 11, 2019 5:45 PM

530 Tweet 14 Zen Subscribe

All Share Tweet Email

Baroness Julia Neuberger won’t be voting in Britain’s election on

Neuberger holds the distinction of being Britain’s second female

The 69-year-old grandmother took a break from the action back

It couldn’t have been more timely.

● The real reason Corbyn's 'anti-racist' Labour just can’t

To sum up the book in a few words — she does.

“What we’ve been hearing,

But neither does she believe that it

“You can be as critical as you like of

She is also suspicious of those who claim to advocate for the

Old school anti-Semitism

“I come from the center-left, but I really don’t think a Tory-led

Neuberger, who had been active in Labour as a teenager, was on the

It had never been her intention growing up to become a rabbi. In

She applied to work on a dig in Iraq during her first year at

With her nationality and religion both proving major obstacles to

Upon her graduation in 1977, she assumed a rabbinical position at

According to various polls, a significant number of British Jews

Still, Neuberger concedes, there was also another thought running

nSend me email alerts

You Might Also Like Recommended by

All Share Tweet Email

Haaretz | News Haaretz | News Sponsored - Mansion Sponsored -

Haaretz | News Haaretz | News Sponsored - Sponsored - Health

Sort comments by Newest first Expand all

9 Victor Murkies | 20:40 0 0

Discrimination is not just Corbyn or just against Jews.

8 Ben Alofs | 19:56 1 2

Some advice for Neuberger....

7 Amichai | 08:07 12.12.2019 8 3

Avshalom Beni | 09:44 12.12.2019 3 0

@Amichai Looks like the Liberal Democrats are going

6 Amichai | 07:34 12.12.2019 10 4

5 Paul | 22:52 11.12.2019 8 4

4 Arbuckle | 22:50 11.12.2019 12 11

Corbyn was given ample time to ﬁx the problems in

StJohn | 13:51 12.12.2019 0 7

3 Emory | 22:48 11.12.2019 12 1

why does no one ever seem to ask the most obvious

2 Mike | 22:47 11.12.2019 8 12

Even Jewish leftists in Britain are ﬁnally getting it. Its a

Levi | 09:25 12.12.2019 6 7

Paul | 23:51 11.12.2019 9 4

@Mike don’t forget linda Sarsour

1 Players | 22:46 11.12.2019 3 7

Tzila | 02:51 12.12.2019 7 6

All Share Tweet Email

Thanks to How Trump 'America's Dr. Election Day in the

In Israel’s Top Court, a Test Case for

All Share Tweet Email

Trump Signs anti-Semitism Executive Netanyahu to Resign From All

The Great British Disenfranchisement

Security & Aviation

Inside the Unlikely, Why Would Israel Hezbollah Trump Warms to

Did You Know?