The internecine fights before the Extinguish Antisemitism rally in Whitehall are typical of British Jews, who tend to only speak with one voice when we think people are listening.  The Campaign Against Antisemitism had originally planned to demonstrate separately from the Board of Deputies, the Jewish Leadership Council, Stop the Hate and the Office of the Chief Rabbi, so there would be two rallies in two days. That is a variant of a Jewish joke: a Jew on a desert island builds two synagogues, one to attend, and one to refuse to set foot it. It’s not funny anymore, and someone backed down. The rallies merged.

We are told that most of the country is with us. If this is true, they were not there

We are told that most of the country is with us. If this is true, they were not there

Bring a million menschen (good men), people said: let non-Jewish people stand in solidarity with us. I knew a million non-Jews wouldn’t come through the metal detectors (you are always searched when you enter Jewish spaces. You submit, Pavlov’s Jews). This is not because they hate Jews, or are indifferent to us, but because our rallies are not fun. There are no fireworks, calls to non-specific uprising, or potential for facile spiritual renewal through projection.  They are not carnivals but wakes.

We are told that most of the country is with us. If this is true, they were not there. I doubt there........

© The Spectator