JK Rowling attacks ‘Saint Jeremy’ in biblical tweet
Celebrated author under fire from far-left critics after targeting 'disciples' of the Labour leader in Twitter post
Jenni Frazer is a freelance journalist
JK Rowling has come under fire from hard-left critics for a blistering social media comment she has written, entitled “The Visitation of the Corbynites”.
Written as a Biblical parody, Rowling’s 16 scathing tweets attack “Saint Jeremy” and his “disciples”, whom she calls “the host”.
She devotes two of the tweets to Labour’s problem with antisemitism. She writes: “‘Speak not of the Jews!’ cried the host. ‘Why must thou speak so oft of the Jews?’ ‘Yea, I must speak,’ said she, ‘for when Jews no longer feel safe in Labour then I too must leave.’ And one of the host did shout something about the Rothschilds”.
That person, remarks Rowling, “was hastily hushed by his brethren, who did declare, ‘he is not one of ours, thou[gh] he sports a #JC4PM [Jeremy Corbyn for Prime Minister] halo.’ And another did speak and he said, ‘it is not antisemitic to criticise Israel,’ and she did put her face in her hands and want to weep”.
The author, creator of the Harry Potter series for children and a number of adult thriller novels, has been vocal in her criticism of Corbyn’s Labour, not least because she is one of the most high-profile donors to the Labour Party, giving it at least £1 million before Corbyn became leader.
Earlier this year she planted her flag firmly on the side of the Jewish community, speaking out vehemently in support of those at the receiving end of antisemitic abuse, and urging other non-Jews of goodwill to do the same.
Inevitably her latest attack on Corbyn and his supporters has drawn abuse from them, in particular Aaron Bastani, a co-founder of Novara Media, arguably Corbyn’s most ardent fan. He wrote: “You are worth hundreds of millions. It’s kind of reassuring that this is what you choose to do in the run up to Christmas. Money really doesn’t make people happy”.
This drew a sharp response from another tweeter, Armand d’Angour, a professor of classics at Oxford. He replied: “Antisemitism doesn’t make JK Rowling happy. And that makes you feel good?”
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.
