Britain’s future threatened by ‘relentless surge of Jew hatred’

Briain must stand up to a “relentless surge of Jew hatred”, not just for the sake of the country’s Jewish communities but for the good of the whole nation, according to a former foreign minister who is appalled at the murderous extremism which has shaken his home city.

Ivan Lewis, who lives a short distance from the Manchester synagogue attacked this month, described the horror at the attempt to kill fellow Jews on October 2.

“It’s always a massive shock and trauma when a terrorist attack takes place on your own doorstep, targeting your friends and neighbours just because they are Jews,” he said.

The 58-year-old fears many of Britain’s Jews are now considering quitting the UK.

“What saddens and concerns me is many Jewish people are questioning whether they have a future in this country and whether they can stay here safely and securely,” he said. “That is a relatively new reality.

“It used to be a tiny minority maybe felt like that. It is now a significant number who are asking that question every day: Is Britain a place I want to live as a Jew? Am I going to be safe here and is it time to pack my bags and leave and go somewhere else?”

There was further alarm this month when Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were banned from next month’s match against Aston Villa on the advice of Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group.

Mr Lewis says British Jews are not only anxious for their own futures in the UK. They are worried about what is happening to the nation.

“It is not just the safety and security of the Jewish communities at stake,” he said. “It is the kind of society we want Britain to be – that is what is at stake here.”

He is appalled at the rhetoric heard at pro-Palestinian marches.

“Of course I believe in freedom of speech,” he said. “But I don’t believe in the right to incite hate and I think it should be stopped.”

Summing up his concerns, he said: “My message to Sunday Express readers is that this is not just a problem for British Jews. It is time for the silent majority to speak up and speak out against the Islamists and the far Left minority. They hate Britain as much as they hate Jews in Israel.”

Mr Lewis has long worried about the danger of antisemitism taking root in Britain.

He was suspended from Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour party in 2017 over sexual harassment claims he denied. He quit the party a year later, claiming there was a “politically motivated delay” to dealing with the matter and accused the then-leader of being “unwilling to condemn those whose hatred of Israel becomes Jew hatred”.

In 2019, he told people in his Bury South constituency that voting Conservative was “only way for decent people of all faiths and none to say no to anti-semitism”.

Mr Lewis remains concerned by the vitriol levelled at Jews and Israel.

“Why can’t you be pro-Palestinian – say you believe as I do the Palestinians have the right to have dignity, hope and self determination – without hating Israel?” he asked.

He is also scathing about Labour’s decision to recognise a Palestine state.

Arguing the move was not in Britain’s national interest, he said: “Let’s be frank: The recent recognition of a Palestinian state rewarded Hamas for their murderous rampage on October 7, it didn’t place any requirement on them to release any hostages or to make any concessions to achieve a ceasefire…

“That decision left Britain with little or no influence at all over the Israelis.”

The carnage in the Middle East has not crushed his hopes of a breakthrough in the region. He has been in touch with the Trump administration about two plans he is working on for post-conflict Gaza.

As a member of the 1997 intake of New Labour MPs he witnessed Tony Blair successfully secure a lasting peace in Northern Ireland, and he now wants to see an end to the turmoil and trauma which has broken Israeli and Palestinian lives.

“There is more mistrust and pain and trauma on both sides than there has been for a very, very long time,” he admitted.

Among the challenges are “tremendous cynicism in Israel about any peace processes after October 7” and a desire among Palestinians for a “one-state solution, which is taking over the Jewish state rather than having a peaceful state living alongside Israel”.

Securing dignity and hope for Palestinians is “absolutely vital” for peace and stability, he said. But, he warned, “too many people in the Middle East don’t want that. They are using the Palestinians as a pawn and their end game is the destruction of the Jewish state.

“Well, we’re not going to allow that to happen.”

President Trump, he argues, should be a “very strong” candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize.

He said: “He seems to be preoccupied in all conflict situations with bringing peace… That’s why [Left-wingers] can’t cope with Trump, because he completely disorientates them.

“They want to be able to say he is a warmonger.”

Mr Lewis retains a close interest in the fortunes of the Labour party and has clear advice for the Prime Minister

“Keir Starmer has to persuade the British people that he has a vision and a plan to improve their lives, restore their faith in Britain and get tough on those who abuse the system,” he said. “So far, he’s struggled to do this.”

He warned that perceived “unfairness” in the UK today has fuelled “massive levels of anger”. Arguing that Labour must recognise that people’s “sense that Britain is in decline is overwhelming at the moment”, he said: “They have a massive job on their hands to restore people’s faith in Britain.”

And as for the PM’s own future, he said: “Divided parties can’t govern and then they lose elections. Keir Starmer should be allowed to get on with being the best he can be.

“But if he isn’t good enough then I’m sure he will do the right thing.”

Mr Lewis supported Remain in the Brexit referendum but remembers being “incredibly angry” when “attempts that were made to subvert the result of that referendum”.

“If you live in a democracy, you can’t be selective about only liking the results that suit you,” he said.

Today, he warns against demonising voters who have genuine worries about the state of the nation.

“Ordinary British people concerned about immigration and who have had enough of a sense of unfairness in terms of this country, most of those people should not be labelled far Right,” he said. “People with legitimate grievances have to be heard and [these] have to be acted on.”

Right now, he is speaking up for his Jewish community which has come under attack and will never forget those who perished in the synagogue attack.

“The Jewish community loves Britain,” he said. “We’re not going to be driven out of the country.”