Why Mark Carney’s speech was woefully short

Is the golden age for Jews over? Last month, historian Simon Sebag Montefiore was being interviewed by Israel’s prominent journalist, Haviv Rettig Gur, about the state of British Jewry. Two U.K. Jews were murdered and three injured at the Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester on the Day of Atonement last year. Hate crimes involving arson, stabbings, and destruction of property were common despite Jews making up only 0.5 percent of the U.K.’s population.

With this rapid growth of antisemitism, Montefiore argues that the golden age for British Jewry, which started with the granting of full political rights in 1858, is now over since October 7th, 2023.

Asked why, Montefiore explained that British Jews are under siege by violence, intimidation, and the “hate marches,” often steered by Islamic or other extremists, in London and Manchester. Many Jews feel they must hide their identity to avoid being shunned or terrorized.

~

Dr. Jack Mintz is a member of the board at the Aristotle Foundation for Public Policy. To read the full column, click on The Hub. 

Photo Credit: iStock