British Jews

Jews march within a large rally for a ceasefire in Gaza in central London, November 11, 2023. (Alisdare Hickson/CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED)

A ‘no-go zone’ for Jews? The making of a moral panic in London

While antisemitism in the U.K. has certainly risen, politicians and the media are deliberately inflaming sensationalist narratives for a repressive agenda.

By Ben Reiff March 13, 2024

Pro-Israel activists stage a counter-demonstration during Quds Day, an annual event affiliated with the Iranian government to express support for the Palestinian cause, London, United Kingdom June 10, 2018.

British Jews, we cannot afford to align ourselves with the far right

The outcry over the protests against Ambassador Tzipi Hotovely shows how crucial it is to resist attempts to conflate criticism of Israel with antisemitism.

By Em Hilton November 16, 2021

Na'amod activists following a protest at a Zionist Federation event marking Israeli Ambassador to the UK Tzipi Hotovely's first year in the role, London, October 21, 2021. (Na'amod)

‘Racism isn’t kosher’: British Jews protest ongoing embrace of Israeli ambassador

Left-wing activists staged a walkout at an event marking Tzipi Hotovely's first year as Israel's U.K. ambassador, in protest at her hardline views and ties to the far right.

By Ben Reiff October 22, 2021

Latest

Progressive British Jewish group Na'amod project messages against Israel's plans to annex parts of the West Bank on Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office, London, July 15, 2020. (Courtesy of Na'amod)

British Jews must take the anti-occupation fight to our leaders

If mainstream representatives of British Jewry will not demand consequences for Israel's policies, a new generation of activists will speak for themselves.

By Daniel Lubin and Zac Lewis July 22, 2020

Launching the 2019 Labour Party General Election campaign (Jeremy Corbyn/Flickr)

Labour Party infighting exploited British Jews. How do we rebuild?

A leaked dossier reveals how Labour factions hindered the party's antisemitism responses in order to undermine Jeremy Corbyn. British Jews must revive partnerships with marginalized groups to end this manipulation.

By Em Hilton and Yael Shafritz April 26, 2020

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson at the Prime Minister's House in Jerusalem on September 30, 2016. (Kobi Gideon / GPO)

The Labour Party lost, but a new left is emerging in the UK

The grassroots movement supporting Corbyn's party in last week's election, which includes progressive Jews, didn't get the full attention it deserves.

By Dana Mills December 17, 2019

British Jewish activists with anti-occupation group Na'amod protest a U.K. Lawyers for Israel event featuring the head of Regavim, London, December 1, 2019. (Na'amod)

Hurt and hope: For left-wing British Jews, UK election is a moment of reckoning

With the U.K. at its most divided in living memory, progressive British Jews are facing a choice between a socialist Labour Party beset by anti-Semitism scandals and a Conservative Party empowering the far right, while battling communal divisions over political allegiances.

By Mia Rafalowicz-Campbell and Leeor Ohayon December 9, 2019

Israelis settlers and right wing activists attend a march in E1 from the Israeli settlement of Ma'ale Adumim on February 13, 2014, protesting Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's decision to block construction there. (Yonatan Sindel/FLASH90)

Why are British Jews opening their doors to far-right settler groups?

Settler NGO Regavim’s racist legal actions and fear-inducing public relations invert the facts of Israel's occupation and incite against Palestinians.

By Eliot Cohen December 5, 2019

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with British Prime Minister Teresa May in London, England, June 6, 2018. (Haim Zach/GPO)

Why won’t Jewish leaders condemn Netanyahu’s racism?

The silence of our communal leaders signals that remaining silent in the face of prejudice is legitimate, as long as it isn’t happening to Jews. By Emily Hilton One of the first things we are taught when as children is that racism is wrong, and that when we see it, we must call it out. As Jews,…

By +972 Magazine March 13, 2019

Palestinians try to climb over the separation wall at the Qalandyia checkpoint between the West Bank city of Ramallah and Jerusalem on their way to attend the last Friday prayers in Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque during Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Friday, July 1, 2016. (Photo by Flash90)

British Jews are speaking out on Israel. Will the progressive community have our back?

We expected attacks on anti-occupation voices by Britain’s Jewish communal leaders. Now our progressive Jewish institutions are turning their backs on us when we need them most. By Emily Hilton In May of this year, a group of U.K.-based Jewish anti-occupation activists held a demonstration in London’s Parliament Square, where we recited the kaddish, the Jewish mourner’s…

By +972 Magazine July 6, 2018

Left-wing Jews hold a protest in solidarity with Gaza, Parliament Square, London, May 16, 2018.

The British Jewish community won’t silence our solidarity with Gaza

Young British Jews are facing a torrent of hatred from their own community for expressing solidarity with Gaza. And yet, more British Jews are struggling to see the values they hold reflected in the Israeli government. By Rob Abrams A group of mostly young British Jews took a large step forward in shifting the British…

By +972 Magazine May 25, 2018

Eran Cohen, who is running for president of the U.K.'s Union of Jewish Students. (Lia Suissa)

Meet the radical Israeli looking to lead Britain’s Jewish students

A radical, left-wing British-Israeli has shaken up the race for the next president of the U.K.’s Union of Jewish students, and drawn international media attention. Eran Cohen talks BDS, diasporism, and being wounded by unfriendly IDF fire. By Matan Kaminer The election campaign for president of the U.K.’s Union of Jewish Students is not the…

By +972 Magazine December 7, 2016

Pro-Israel rally, Trafalgar Square, London, 11 January, 2009. (photo: Chris Beckett CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Fewer British Jews identifying as ‘Zionists,’ poll shows

According to a new poll, 75 percent of British Jews believe Israeli settlements are a ‘major’ obstacle to peace. Over 60 percent believe making peace with the Palestinians is Israel’s top priority. The British Jewish community is undergoing a shift in its attitudes towards the Israeli government, according to a new report released on Thursday. The…

By Natasha Roth-Rowland November 13, 2015