Watch Michael Gove tell Jewish community “You should never have to live in fear again” as Britain rejects of politics of hate

Relief in the Jewish community is palpable after the country resoundingly rejected the politics of hate.

Conservative frontbencher Michael Gove gave a powerful reassurance to the Jewish community this morning, declaring that Britain has “comprehensively rejected Jeremy Corbyn’s politics of division, extremism and antisemitism”, adding that “I also want to say something to a very special group of people: our Jewish friends and neighbours. You have had to live in fear for months now, concerned that we would have a Prime Minister who trafficked in anti-Jewish rhetoric and embraced anti-Jewish terrorists. You should never have to live in fear again.” The clip can be watched below.

In his statement, Gideon Falter, Chief Executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “Not for the first time, our nation has stood firm against antisemitism. The British public has watched the once proudly anti-racist Labour Party become infested with Jew-hatred and it has resoundingly decided to stand with its Jewish community and give the antisemites a crushing rebuke. The faith that British Jews showed in our country has been vindicated.”

The historian Simon Sebag Montefiore, speaks for many when he says: “ Britain has spoken and it is the decent country we prayed it was. For Jews its nightmare [has been] redeemed. We so appreciate you non-Jews who dared support us. Thank you.”

From abroad, the ADL’s Jonathan Greenblatt expressed his pleasure at the rejection of Mr Corbyn’s “ugly antisemitism”. He regretted that certain American politicians had endorsed Mr Corbyn, but added: “Let’s hope this will push him from centre stage and drain the hate out of British politics, let alone the rest of the world.”

However, the Chief Rabbi, whose courageous intervention two weeks ago articulated the concerns of the Jewish community, rightly noted that “The election may be over, but concerns about the resurgence of antisemitism very much remain,” echoing fears expressed by Campaign Against Antisemitism.

Joan Ryan, one of those brave few former Labour MPs who resigned from the Party over antisemitism, wrote last night: “If exit poll confirmed it shows Britain rejects antisemitism extremism and Corbyn. British people [are] fundamentally decent, democratic and moderate.”

Chris Williamson, the disgraced former Labour MP and prominent Jew-baiter, not only lost his independent bid to return to Parliament, but was rejected by voters so overwhelmingly that he has reportedly lost the deposit that candidates must all pay and which is only refunded if they receive more than 5 percent of votes cast.

The unanimity of the Jewish reaction also underscores the negligibility of the fringe minority of Jewish apologists for Mr Corbyn. They never spoke for the Jewish community — and they should not be perceived to do so.

In the first release of its Antisemitism in Political Parties research, Campaign Against Antisemitism has shown that Jeremy Corbyn is personally responsible for 24 incidents of antisemitic discourse, which is equal to fifteen percent of all recorded incidents involving parliamentary candidates and party leaders. Overall, Labour Party candidates for Parliament account for 82 percent of all incidents.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2019 showed that antisemitism on the far-left of British politics has surpassed that of the far-right, and that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is the party leader of choice for those who hold multiple antisemitic views.

On 28th May, the Equality and Human Rights Commission launched a full statutory investigation following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant.