OPINION: Corbyn shoved a dummy in the community’s mouth to keep it quiet… for now
Jack Mendel is the former Online Editor at the Jewish News.
by Jack Mendel, web editor
Addressing Labour Friends of Israel may have been shrewd move by the new Labour leader, but it was largely a dummy gesture to get certain people to be quiet.
A parent gives a dummy to a baby to quieten them down. Instead of giving the infant something more substantial such as milk or food, they are given a piece of plastic to suck on so they can’t cry or talk. The baby is thus calmed, if not satisfied.
Jeremy Corbyn played a clever game in accepting the LFI invitation, placing a dummy firmly in its mouth.
It was a low-key event, after a long leadership campaign and a major conference speech; not exactly in the most prominent event to garner national media coverage.
Indeed, the one headline saw an attendee heckle him for not saying the word ‘Israel.’
What he said (or indeed didn’t say) is perhaps not as important as the fact he was actually there in the first place.
The address didn’t delve into detail. There was, indeed, no mention of Israel, or an endorsement of the two-state-solution. Ultimately, he gave nothing away.
It’s almost as if he simply wanted to cross the box off his long list. There. I did it. I Addressed Labour Friends of Israel. I’m not as bad as you think; now be my friend.
For a Jewish community of all political persuasions, this gesture was certainly a surprise. Many considered his presence unlikely, as he is a patron of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and until recently chair of the Stop The War Coalition.
It is high risk to say the least, to speak on such a controversial topic during a conference, which has historically been used to crown a successful election.
Any way you look at it, his election was emphatic.
That said, he wouldn’t have agreed to make this address if it would ever have really impacted upon his post-election-aura.
It was carefully managed, under the intense glaring lens of the media at the party’s major conference.The main goal was to ensure that nobody would really notice.
He said nothing of note. Nothing that could be taken out of context. He refused to even say the name of the country.
When you are openly anti-Israel politician, and agree to speak at Labour Friends of Israel, there is anticipation that something will go wrong.
If he had said the wrong thing, a new political wound could have opened, when an old one from his campaign hasn’t even begun to heal yet.
For the pro-Israel community, he made sure he appeared, and didn’t offend anyone.
For the anti-Israel community he wanted to remain passive and neutral. Not endorsing Israel. Not even mentioning it.
He placed a dummy in the mouth of the pro-Israel community, to get everyone to shut up.
He did it. He spoke at the event. What more do you want?
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.
