ED MILIBAND: As a friend of Israel and a Jew, I’m a proud member of this community
By Ed Miliband, Leader of the Opposition
In these final few days before voting, it is right for the Jewish community, like so many other communities, to consider what an incoming Labour Government offers.
I have spent precious time with members of the Jewish community over the past five years. I have visited synagogues and schools; charities and student organisations, and I have been moved time and again by the energy, warmth and profound kindness of those I have met.
In these past years as Leader of the Opposition, I have learnt a lot from you. And I hope you have found me willing to listen and learn.
I quickly learnt that for many of those I have had the privilege to meet, you expect politicians’ good intentions to be backed up by firm actions. So I would like to take this opportunity to make three firm commitments if I am elected prime minister on 7 May.
Just over a year ago, I stood on the hilltop of Yad Vashem. It was one of my first official visits as Leader of the Opposition.
As you probably know, the visit was not only ceremonial – it was also deeply personal and very emotional at times. At the Nachshonim Kibbutz, where I had picked oranges as a child, I enjoyed a wonderful reunion with Sarah Ben Zvi, a treasured first cousin of my mother. I then had Shabbat dinner with my extended family in Tel Aviv.
I paid my respects at the Wailing Wall, and visited Yad Vashem, where after seeing the Hall of Names, I was given more details of the death of my grandfather, who was murdered by the Nazis in occupied Europe 70 years ago, along with 60 members of my wider family. Lighting a Yarzheit candle to honour his death reinforced my determination to fight the resurgence of anti-Semitism wherever it rears its ugly head.
So my first commitment to you is that a new Labour Government will take every opportunity to ensure that no expressions of anti-Semitism will be tolerated. There can be no no-go areas in our struggle against anti-Semitism. Our Government will strengthen hate crime laws, so crimes motivated by anti- Semitic hate are clearly marked on the criminal records of perpetrators and are an aggravating factor in prosecutions.
We will review police and Crown Prosecution Service guidance to ensure anti-Semitism and other hate crimes on social media are adequately covered. We will ensure central Government funding is allocated to protect the security of Jewish faith schools.
And as the experience of the Holocaust each year passes from memory to history, the importance of maintaining support for Holocaust education, remembrance and research grows.
My second commitment is to the Jewish community across the denominations. We will protect religious practices so that those who want to observe them are free to do so.
My Government will defend the right to practice shechita – we do not think shechita or halal practices should be singled out for food labelling.
And we will strongly support the continuation of the Jewish tradition of brit milah.
My third commitment is to work fervently for peace and a two-state solution – a secure Israel alongside a viable and independent Palestinian state.
A Labour Government I lead will defend Israel’s right to uphold the security and safety of its own citizens. No community should have to live in constant fear – whether from rockets, terror tunnels or suicide bombers. But, ultimately, only a return to meaningful negotiations will bring lasting peace.
Boycotts of Israel will never be a way of advancing the cause of peace. They are the wrong response and I will never support them. Labour will continue to resolutely oppose the isolation of Israel. The answer has to be greater dialogue and greater engagement rather than disengagement and boycotts.
Wherever I went in Israel, I found a zest for life, for peace and a great diversity of opinion. The recent Israeli elections highlighted just quite how diverse is the spectrum of opinion in Israel today.
I don’t deny that there may be moments when, like many Jews in Britain and indeed citizens of Israel, I do not agree with the policies of the Israeli Government. But as prime minister, I will always strive towards helping deliver a peaceful future for Israel and its citizens. And be assured that I will do so as a friend of Israel, as a Jew, and as a proud member of this community.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
