Torah for Today – 08/05/14
By Rabbi Zvi Solomons
What the Torah says about: The rise of the French far Right
Anyone watching events in Europe will currently be concerned. The media has made much of the rise of the far right in the run-up to the European Elections. Particularly worrying is the inexorable rise of Jobbik in Hungary and the seeming rehabilitation of the Front Nationale in France under Marine Le Pen, the charismatic daughter of Jean-Marie.
When I see Jews joining the EDL or forming their own extreme organisations suc as the JDL, I despair. These nationalists play to people’s weaknesses. Just as the Egyptians said of us Jews, so they say of the immigrants and the Jews of today: (Exodus I, 10) “Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.”
Today the language may be different, but the complaints are the same – there is an invasion of Muslims, or the immigrants take our jobs, or it’s not our country any more. The target is moveable and Jews are always in the frame, if not in the sights.
It’s not for nothing that the Torah repeatedly tells us to treat the stranger fairly and not to hate the Egyptian. We are told that in our own land of Israel we must act even-handedly and equitably towards everyone – there should be one law.
If this is true of Israel, all the more so of other countries where we have made our homes. When confronted with hate or xenophobia, it is a Jew’s duty to oppose and expose it. This applies wherever we are, and it is not accidental that Jews are at the forefront of fighting fascists in Europe.
We ourselves have memories stretching back to the battle of Cable Street and beyond, in our own country. When we look across the Channel at France, where LePen may well triumph in the elections, we must support French Jews in their desire for security in the face of the new fascism.
It is no accident that so many French Jews are leaving – some for Israel, others for the 10th largest French city, London. As for dealing with this resurgence in hate, we need to band together with the other potential victims and support them. In the Gemara, Talmud Bavli, Sanhendrin 72a, our rabbis tell us that when our enemy comes to kill us we should get up and kill them first.
Not for us meek acquiescence. And when we see someone like Nick Griffin or Marine Le Pen trying to be our friend, we need to recognise them for who they are and deal with the hate. For the hate of Jews, Muslims or Africans are different sides of the same hatred.
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.
