Chief Rabbi Mirvis doesn’t speak for all Jews.
Published
by
Richard Kuper
JVL Introduction
Julia Bard of the Jewish Socialists’ Group takes a closer look at Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis.
“He writes as though Jews are a people apart from everyone else, rather than celebrating our part in the fabric of a wonderfully diverse society, living, working and campaigning alongside and in solidarity with others.”
This article was originally published by The London Economic on Tue 26 Nov 2019. Read the original here.
Chief Rabbi Mirvis doesn’t speak for all Jews.
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Jeremy Corbyn has always associated with those who wish to kill Jews worldwide like Hamas and Hizballah.
He called them “ FRIENDS”
I hadn’t noticed Rabbi Mirvis noticeably distancing himself from the persecution and killing of Palestinians in their homeland. But seems to have time to make statements cuddling up to Boris Johnson whilst condemning a noted opponent of discrimination and violence.. Some massive hypocrisy here, methinks?
… and Welby (of rapid ecclesiastical ascent) ? Say no more.
Two not very impressive examples of pulpit cant.
Just came across the following in my inbox:
Rabbinical Executive of United European Jews write to Jeremy Corbyn dismissing UK media commentary as ‘propaganda’
https://politicsandinsights.org/2019/11/27/united-european-jews-rabbinical-executive-write-to-jeremy-corbyn-dismissing-uk-media-commentary-as-propaganda/
Well being friends Jonny is far, far better than being enemies!
Mr Corbyn was elected Leader of the Labour Party by 300,000 members.
How many people “elected” Mr Mirvis?
When socialist Jews like myself were abused and insulted (I was even called ‘kapo’ by one) because they are on the left, where was the Chief Rabbi to defend our right to choose our own political ideals? Nowhere to be seen. He has thrown mud to his post. Shame on him.
Jonny Bancroft you will need to give some strong evidence of Corbyn being friends with those who want to kill Jews world wide. Being at a meeting and welcoming speakers to a panel discussion does not constitute either being friends in the manner implied, or endorsing anything they have done.
John, Rabbi Mirvis is Chief Rabbi of The Commonwealth, which gives him a constituency of well over 300,000.
Dear JVL,
My wife, who is Jewish, and I were preparing to go out to canvass for Labour when we heard the news report on the Rabbi’s comments. We felt it like a body blow and were literally winded – having to sit down for a while before regaining the energy to get back on track. Thank you so much for this background information that helps throw perspective on this situation – and also for the policy statement. We and our children are all Labour Party Members and have decades of participation between us. As so many others have said, none of us have NEVER heard any anti-semitic comments at a Labour meeting and sometimes recently have felt as if we are in some kind of mad, post-Trump reality-shifting world. Thanks for your efforts to pull us all back to some kind of sanity. Best wishes, Frank Wills.
Jonny Bancroft, when you are trying to get people around a table to get them talking you use the language of diplomacy, and my friends is such a phrase, when Jeremy Corbyn and Boris Johnson spar in Parliament they say my right honourable friend, when in actual fact they can’t stand each other.
Diplomatic language has its place in international discourse because let’s face it, if he said they were murdering terrorist bastards he might not get anywhere! And if you’re going to bring up the IRA too to show he’s a terrorists friend, then you also have to paint others with the same brush, people like the Queen, Barak Obama, Nelson Mandela, the Dali Lhama, the Pope and thousands of others, so please use your brain before opening your mouth, you’re making yourself look idiotic
The Chief Rabbi does speak for the majority of Jews in the Uk.n Jewish Voice for Labour is a small minority group not affiliated to the Labour Party.Look and read the Jewish Labour Movement which is affiliated to the party ( since 1920) and reflected by far the majority of Jews in the Labour Party.Stop this constant denying of the huge problem we have in the Party. Over 500,000 Jewish votes lost in this election.
Bennet, There are some 300 thousand Jewish people in the UK. I undetsand that the Chief Rabbi only represents a certain sector of that group of around 40 thousand people. Did the Chief Rabbi take a vote of all 300k of the Jewish population or did he take it upon himself to effectively say, ‘vote conservative’
You state there is a ‘huge problem we have in the Party’. Can you let us have your evidence for that claim. Statements such as, ‘it is obvious’ or ‘listen to Mrs Hodge’, or ‘Luciana Berger was forced out of the party’, does not count as evidence. It is heresay or opinion.
Evidence is needed.
ps the JLM was redundant for decades it only relaunched itself as a direct response to the success of the BDS movement and the loss of the UCU Tribunal claim by Mr Fraser
Bennett Grower:
1) There is no evidence the Jewish Labour Movement represents the majority of Jews in the Labour Party.
2) You don’t have to identify as Jewish to be in the Jewish Labour Movement, or in the Labour Party, but you do have to be a Zionist:
https://www.jewishlabour.uk/what_is_the_jewish_labour_movement
3) The JLM is not campaigning for a Labour Government in this election:
https://www.jewishlabour.uk/general_election_statement_2019
4) It’s impossible for Labour to have lost 500,000 Jewish votes in this election. There are probably fewer than 400,000 Jews in the UK and some of them are too young to vote. Only about 20% of those Jews who voted voted Labour in 2015. I reckon that might be 40,000 maximum. The person who is reputed to have “lost the Jewish vote” is the (self-hating?) Jew Ed Miliband:
https://www.spectator.co.uk/2015/04/how-ed-miliband-lost-the-jewish-vote/
I think the only factually correct statement in your comment is that JVL is a small minority group not affiliated to the Labour Party. It has never claimed to be anything other than that.
Dear Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis,
I have a “long standing friend” and would welcome your advice on whether to continue my friendship?
As a “long standing friend” I always thought we had similar interests, outlooks on life and morals but over time I have come to doubt my judgement.
For several years now I have noticed a disturbing trend and I have become very concerned.
It all started when my “long-standing friend” was sacked for “fabricating quotes” in a national newspaper article. Some people even accused him of lying.
He also stated that homosexuals are “tank top bum boys” and classed same sex marriage as “three men and a dog”
He called black people “piccaninnies with watermelon smiles”.
Regarding women, he recommends voting Tory because “your wife will have bigger Breasts. He also said, to one of his successors “just pat her on the bottom and send her on her way”
He has also said “Muslim women look like letter box’s” and “bank robbers”.
It has been suggested that he even lied to the Queen recently too?
Due to the insurmountable evidence that my “long-standing friend” is a misogynist, homophobic racist who lies often, I have a question. Should I continue my friendship or do I apply the same moral standards and just overlook them?
Regards
Steve