Owen Jones’s contribution to the discussion of left antisemitism (Labour’s mission is to transform Britain. It can’t let bigotry get in the way, 4 April) tackles several important issues, yet overlooks the elephant in the room: the obsessive and irrational hatred of the Jewish state.
When pro-Palestinian social media pages are awash with anti-Jewish vitriol, including neo-Nazi type Holocaust denial, we are looking at raw antisemitism dressed up as political concern.
When Zionists are portrayed as a sinister and malevolent influence on British democracy, we see a modern manifestation of that same ancient hatred.
When activists who have never called for a boycott of any of the Middle East’s many dictatorships embrace a boycott of the region’s only democracy, this is far more than just a double standard.
When British leftists proclaim solidarity not with their comrades on the Israeli left but with the homophobic, misogynistic and racist Islamists who seek to destroy Israel and murder its citizens, something is seriously wrong.
When parts of the left relentlessly vilify the modern Jewish state – the “collective Jew” – this is a contemporary expression of a lasting prejudice that has been labelled the “socialism of fools”.
Owen Jones experienced this irrational hatred first-hand when he was alleged to be “in the pay of the Israeli government”. It is time to stop ignoring the elephant in the room.
Mark Regev
Israel’s ambassador to the UK
Jonathan Freedland (Antisemitism matters: Jews are the canary in the coalmine, 31 March) acknowledges that there is a “strong case that plenty are acting in bad faith, trying to use this [antisemitism] issue as a stick to beat Labour, but insists that Jews themselves must be exempted from that charge – to do otherwise would be, of itself, antisemitic.
It is ludicrous to suggest that Jews are, by nature, incapable of acting in bad faith, or with an “ulterior motive or hidden agenda”, though it would indeed be blatantly antisemitic to claim that such behaviour is peculiar to, or typical of, Jews.
A survey of British Jews in 2015 found that 71% support the establishment of a Palestinian state, and 75% regard the expansion of Israeli settlements on the West Bank as “a major obstacle to peace”. This is good news, but it follows that a significant minority oppose the two-state solution, and support the settlement programme. Some will be alarmed at the prospect of Jeremy Corbyn, a long-time campaigner for Palestinian rights, becoming prime minister. Surely it is possible that some might be prepared to exploit this issue to undermine him?
Mr Freedland also argues that antisemitism is a unique form of racism as it embodies the belief that “Jews are the secret masters of the universe, pulling the strings that shape world events”. This is true, but in this respect it has something in common with Islamophobia. There is much fearmongering about the threat of “Islamification”, and, as Pankaj Mishra has observed (A culture of fear, Review, 15 August 2009), resurgent far-right groups throughout Europe have “repackaged their foundational antisemitism, and now accuse Muslims rather than Jews of secretly conspiring to control the world”.
Pete Winstanley
Durham
Jonathan Freedland is right to assert that antisemitism matters. Christians, having just celebrated Easter, should be in full agreement with him on this.
The traditional prayers said by Christians on Good Friday were revised in the late 1960s. No longer are Jews seen as responsible for the death of Jesus; the prayers now explicitly recognise that the Jewish people remain faithful to the covenant that God made first with them. But centuries of persecution by Christians will not soon or easily be forgotten, in spite of powerful statements of apology and gestures of reconciliation by recent popes.
In Britain, however, I wonder whether there is an issue beneath the antisemitism that lurks in pockets, or even in the open. Is there a deep disinclination on the part of the liberal-minded intelligentsia to take seriously those who believe in God and the agency of God in the creation of all that exists?
The freedom not to accept the existence of God has a legitimate and important place in a pluralist society such as ours. But surely any denigration of those who take a contrary view does not. Jews, Christians and Muslims, sharing a common commitment to belief in God, will also share an experience of antipathy in many forms from today’s western liberal consensus: antisemitism might be one of the masks beneath which it hides.
Rt Rev Dr Martin Warner
Bishop of Chichester
As a Jewish member of the Labour party I am confused. Is a good Jew someone who supports austerity and privatisation and a bad Jew someone who cares about poverty, injustice, education, the NHS and social care (Corbyn defends celebrating passover with anti-Zionist Jewish group after rebuke, 4 April)? If so, the Labour party must be full of us bad Jews. And these are the reasons why we should all vote Labour in the local and national elections.
Liza Dresner
London
Jeremy Corbyn is a guest at a local leftwing Jewish group’s Passover seder. That apparently is more confirmation of his antisemitism. His attendance is highlighted by Guido Fawkes and rightwing groups strongly opposed to Corbyn’s leftwing policies. That apparently shows that there is no political stirring. The matter receives more media attention than the Gaza/Israel border conflict (At least 15 Palestinians die as Israel responds to protest, 31 March). That apparently shows how fine our media’s reports, objectivity and sense of priorities are.
Peter Cave
London
As Jewish Labour party members in Islington North we know from experience that our MP, Jeremy Corbyn – a strong believer in human rights – respects and values minority communities here, including our Jewish one. We are sure that the same applies to his leadership of the Labour party.
We are dismayed by unbalanced media reporting ahead of the local elections of allegations of antisemitism against Jeremy. We believe this partly results from his legitimate criticism of Israel’s cruel and racist treatment towards its Palestinian and Bedouin populations. This is because one definition of antisemitism includes criticism of the Israeli state as racist. We reject that definition. Indeed, many Israelis criticise actions of their state.
Any genuine antisemites and racists among the 600,000 members of the Labour party should be challenged and, if necessary, expelled. The recommendations in the Chakrabarti report will greatly help deal with such abuse.
We dissociate ourselves from the accusations of antisemitism made against Jeremy by the Board of Jewish Deputies and some Labour MPs. We confirm our confidence and support for Jeremy as MP and as a future prime minister of this country.
Jenny Kassman Finsbury Park branch
Julia Bard St George’s branch
Cllr Kaya Comer-Schwartz Junction branch
Louisa S Kaplin Junction branch
Julian Lousada Highbury East branch
Sue Lukes Highbury East branch
Professor Mica Nava St George’s branch
Jenny Richardson Tollington branch
David Rosenberg St George’s branch
Monika Schwartz Junction branch
Professor Lynne Segal Highbury East branch
Professpr Annabelle Sreberny Highbury East branch
Ruth Steigman St George’s branch
Annette Thomas St George’s branch
Dr Gillian Yudkin St George’s branch
Professor John S Yudkin St George’s branch
Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com