That a march in London against antisemitism in 2023 was deemed both necessary and urgent ought to shame and alarm each and every one of us.
An estimated 50,000 people took to the streets on Sunday to protest against the explosion of anti-Jewish hatred in Britain. Even a cursory glance at the figures shows why. Between October 7, the day of the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel that killed 1,200 people, and November 22, the Community and Security Trust registered at least 1,563 antisemitic incidents across the UK, a record.
There were no racist chants, no glorifying of terrorism or genocidal placards yesterday. No marchers were arrested for inciting hatred, confirming, as if it were necessary, that it is entirely feasible to hold a large-scale protest without even a small minority spreading vile hate.
Indeed, Tommy Robinson, co-founder of the far-Right and Islamophobic English Defence League, was told by organisers not to attend. In contrast, speaking after the march, the Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, called for a “strengthening of community cohesion and to champion the finest of British values”.
This march was comprised of a small community of people seeking to reclaim their right to live without fear. Yet the reality is that many British Jews, who have long lived in this country and contributed so much to our society, now feel unsafe. A survey for the Campaign Against Antisemitism finds that more than six out of 10 British Jews have suffered or witnessed an antisemitic incident since the Hamas attack on Israel started the war in Gaza, or know someone who has. Nearly 70 per cent said they were more likely to hide their identity in public.
Conspicuous by their absence on the march were senior political figures. Neither the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition nor the Mayor of London deemed it appropriate to join a march protesting racism against Jews. This was a worrying statement in and of itself. Mr Khan pointed to his formal role as police and crime commissioner as the reason for not attending.
Enough is enough. Hatred against Jews will not be dismissed, tolerated or normalised. The time to act is now.
Farewell to a legend
Few football people could claim to be as widely admired as Terry Venables. As a manager, he brought success to north, south and west London, as well as to Barcelona, guiding the Catalan club in 1985 to its first league title in over a decade.
But it is perhaps with England that Venables will be most fondly remembered, taking the team to within a penalty shootout of the Euro 96 final and allowing a nation to dream. A character and a Londoner to his core, Venables was an ever-present for a certain generation of football fan. He will be sorely missed.
