Extract from Culture,
Media and Sport questions: BBC Current Affairs Coverage:
Impartiality
(Aylesbury) (Con)
10. Whether she has had recent discussions with the BBC Board on
the impartiality of the BBC’s current affairs
coverage.(900897)
The Minister for Media, Tourism and Creative Industries ()
The BBC has a duty to deliver its impartial and accurate news and
current affairs coverage under its royal charter. It is
editorially independent, which means that editorial policies are
a matter for the BBC, but both the Secretary of State and I
regularly meet the BBC’s leadership team. We have discussed the
important issue of impartiality on multiple occasions. It is also
a key focus of the Government’s mid-term review of the BBC’s
governance and regulation.
As a former BBC journalist myself, I completely believe in its
editorial independence from the Government, but, just as
strongly, I consider it essential that the BBC, across all its
programming and from all presenters, should be absolutely and
unequivocally impartial. Given the concerns that we have heard
about the current coverage of Israel and the Occupied
Palestinian Territories, the reporting of the
resignation of the president of Harvard and examples of where
Ofcom has found significant editorial failings, does my hon.
Friend agree that the BBC needs to work consistently, constantly
and visibly to enforce that requirement on impartiality?
I thank my hon. Friend for his question. He is absolutely right:
trust is the BBC’s currency. That is especially important in
relation to its international coverage, particularly during
conflicts, so it must use its words with care. With regard to the
events in Israel and Gaza
the Government have been clear that the BBC should reflect on its
coverage and learn lessons for the future, but, of course, we
again emphasise impartiality and the highest editorial standards.
That is a strategic priority of the BBC’s leadership, and we are
talking to them about this in relation to the mid-term review and
licensing renewal.
Mr Speaker
I call the SNP spokesperson.
(Ochil and South Perthshire)
(SNP)
As an ex-BBC reporter, I am in awe of my former colleagues’
bravery and impartiality when they cover world affairs. We have
all followed with horror the Israeli bombardment
of Gaza
Reporters Without Borders says that it appears that
Israel is now directly targeting journalists.
The Al-Jazeera bureau chief has had three children killed,
including his journalist son—what unimaginable pain. Another
Palestinian journalist, Ayat Khaddoura, said:
“When will this war end? Who will tell the world what we went
through and what we saw?”
I bring her question to the House as she is no longer alive to do
so. Can the Minister share with journalists across the world how
the Government’s refusal to call for a ceasefire is advancing the
cause of journalistic freedom or peace in the region, and can she
tell us who the Government’s position has persuaded apart from
those on the Labour Front Bench who remain limpet close to the
Tory position on Gaza
as on so many other issues?
Mr Speaker
That question was a long way from the impartiality of the BBC. We
must ensure that we stick to the subject of the question. I
suggest to the hon. Gentleman that topicals would have been a
much better place for his question. Minister, can you pick out
the part that you need to?
I simply wish to pay tribute to every journalist who puts their
life on the line to bring truth to the public’s attention. They
play an incredibly important role. We are proud of what the BBC
journalists do in particular. They have also done some awesome
things in Ukraine. As a Government, we just want to say that we
support their work and pay tribute to them.
Extract from Church
Commissioners questions: Anglican Hospital in Gaza
(New Forest West) (Con)
10. What support the Church is providing to the Anglican Hospital
in Gaza (900778)
The Second Church Estates Commissioner ()
The House may not be aware that the Anglican Church is one of the
largest providers of healthcare and education globally. The
al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza is an example of
this. Before Christmas, the hospital was severely damaged again
and a tank demolished its front wall. Most of the hospital staff
were taken away by the Israeli Defence Force and the Church of
England has asked the Government here to inquire about their
wellbeing and whereabouts and to request that they be
released.
Intimidation by hard-line settlers has prompted the Patriarch to
say that clergy are fighting for their lives, and that the
Armenian quarter faces a violent demise. Is a Christian presence
in Jerusalem still viable?
I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for bringing this issue
before the House. He is right: a century ago, a quarter of
Jerusalem was Christian; now, just 1% of the population is, and
in the Armenian quarter of the old city, the Christian presence
has come under intensified threat from intimidation and
aggressive property acquisition by settlers. The Church of
England is very concerned that the rule of law should prevail in
Israel and the status quo be maintained. It is unconscionable
that Christians should be driven from the holy land.
Backbench Business
Committee debate on Proposed British Jewish History
Month
(Cities of London and
Westminster) (Con)
I beg to move,
That this House calls for the creation of a British Jewish
History Month.
I thank the Backbench Business Committee, which agreed to the
debate, and the more than 40 Members of Parliament from across
the House who signed my application. In particular, I thank the
hon. Member for East Renfrewshire () and my hon. Friend the
Member for Hastings and Rye () for attending the
Backbench Business Committee to support me. I thought long and
hard about the timing of the debate, particularly after the
horrendous 7 October attacks and the rise in antisemitism in this
country, with an increase in antisemitism of over 1,300% in
London alone in the past year.
We cannot conflate British Jews with the state of Israel; being a
British Jew means being a British citizen. That was really
brought home to me when I met a group of British Jewish
schoolchildren in November on behalf of my hon. Friend the Member
for Finchley and Golders Green (). When I asked the teacher why
10-year-olds were wearing baseball caps, he told me that it was
because they had to hide their kippah. I thought, how can we get
to a state where British children are hiding their identities? It
made me think that we have to celebrate the British Jewish
community and thank them for the outstanding contribution that
they have made to this country. I also thank Jonathan Abro, a
constituent of mine, who also led me to think that it is time to
change the narrative about the British Jewish community in this
country. He was incensed by Westminster City Council’s newsletter
on hate crime, which did not mention antisemitism.
I know that the Jewish community is interested in its own
history—the Jewish Historical Society of England was established
in Victorian times—but it is now time for the whole nation to
celebrate the history of our Jewish friends and neighbours. The
Jewish community is such a small one: 280,000 British citizens
identified as Jewish in the 2021 census. That is 0.5% of our
population. Compare that with the 6.5% of Muslims and 1.7% of
Hindus.
For a small minority, the impact the British Jewish community has
made in all walks of life in this country is outstanding, and
that is why we need to establish a British Jewish history month.
Jews throughout the centuries have arrived in the UK fleeing
persecution and murder in other countries and have had to rebuild
their lives here.
(Leeds North West)
(Lab/Co-op)
I am grateful to the hon. Member for securing the debate. Jews
have contributed hugely to this country over many centuries. In
fact, over 200 have served in this Chamber—218 by my count, but
that could be contested—including 70 Labour Members of
Parliament. I will briefly give an example of one: Manny Shinwell
was a trade unionist who served here and in the other place until
he was 101 and did great things in the Atlee Government, showing
that we are right across the breadth and spread of the political
establishment of the United Kingdom.
I thank the hon. Member for his intervention. I will make
reference to Jewish politicians in my speech.
Jews have often had to come to this country to rebuild their
lives, and that was brought home to me particularly when reading
Lord Danny Finkelstein’s book, “Hitler, Stalin, Mum and Dad”.
Danny’s family history is sadly not unique but is a clear example
of how two families rebuilt their lives after suffering such
trauma and whose members went on to make significant
contributions to both Jewish and British history, including the
establishment of the Wiener Holocaust Library.
British Jews have played key roles and made major contributions
over centuries in the fields of business, science, the arts and
politics. In business, perhaps the most-loved retail brand we
have in this country is Marks & Spencer, established by
Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer. The largest supermarket in this
country is Tesco, founded by Jack Cohen in 1919. Other businesses
of note are the cinema chain Odeon, Moss Bros. and
GlaxoSmithKline, all of which were started by Jewish Brits and
have provided so many jobs and so much prosperity for this
country.
In science, Rosalind Franklin was responsible for the discovery
of the structure of DNA. Sir Ernst Chain was the co-developer of
penicillin. Lord Robert Winston, now in the other place,
pioneered fertility treatment that is responsible for goodness
knows how many children born in this country and across the
world.
In the arts, Michael Balcon co-founded Ealing Studios, which is
one of the most important British studios to this day. The Ealing
comedies came from that studio and started the careers of Sir
Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers. Samuel Wanamaker rebuilt the
Globe theatre just down the river from us, which was perhaps one
of the most important cultural contributions of the 20th century.
Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice” was probably played there,
which is another example of witnessing historical incidents of
antisemitism. Monty Norman wrote the James Bond theme, which was
then rearranged by John Barry.
Actors of stage and screen are absolutely part of our
establishment. One of my personal favourites is Dame Maureen
Lipman, an outstanding actor but also a campaigner on ensuring
that antisemitism is understood. One British Jewish male
responsible for bringing us all together every couple of years to
sing and hopefully to bring football home is David Baddiel.
Obviously, the English Lionesses have brought football home; we
are still waiting for the boys to do it, but I am sure they will
eventually.
Turning to politics, the first Jewish MP was Lionel de
Rothschild, representing part of my seat—the City of London.
Lionel first took his seat in 1847, but it was not until the Jews
Relief Act 1858 that he was recognised as a Jewish MP. The first
Jewish peer was his son Nathaniel.
Westminster City Council, where I was proud to be a councillor
for 16 years, has been well served by Jewish councillors, both
Labour and Conservative, over the decades, including council
leaders Dame Shirley Porter, Melvyn Caplan and latterly Sir Simon
Milton, who was a major political influence on me as leader of
Westminster City Council and later Boris Johnson’s right-hand man
at City Hall when he was Mayor of London.
A British Jew who is probably responsible for the start of my
political career is my right hon. Friend the Member for Harlow
(), whom I met in our first
week at the University of Exeter. In the first conversation we
ever had, he told me I was a Conservative and I had to join the
Conservative party—and the rest is history.
In my constituency, we have evidence of a Jewish presence since
Roman Britain. In Threadneedle Street, the Bank of England stands
on the site of the London home of Aaron of Lincoln, a Jewish
banker who died in 1186. Those familiar with the city of London
will have come across the street called Old Jewry, and the name
is hardly a coincidence, because the Great Synagogue of London
was based there until it closed in 1272, a few short years before
the Jews of England were formally expelled in 1290 by Edward I.
It was only in 1656, during the protectorate of Oliver Cromwell,
that Jews were invited to return.
While Jewish communities would subsequently flourish all over
England and further afield in Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland, I am proud that my constituency was once again the heart
of the Jewish renaissance in this country. It is home to Bevis
Marks Synagogue, which was built in 1781 and is the oldest
synagogue in continuous use in Europe today. The first Jewish
Lord Mayor was Sir David Salomons in 1855.
Tens of thousands of Jewish soldiers fought bravely in both the
first and second world wars. Five Jewish soldiers have received
the Victoria Cross and even now, every year the Association of
Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women hold a Remembrance Day parade at
the Cenotaph on the Sunday after the official Remembrance
Day.
Having researched this topic, I could speak for hours on the
contributions made by individual Jewish people but I want to
pinpoint one person who I think has made the most significant
contribution in this country over decades: Dame Esther Rantzen.
She started so many incredible campaigns and has made a huge
impact on my life, starting with her “That’s Life!” programme,
where in the early ’80s she highlighted the Ben Hardwick
campaign, encouraging more people to consider organ donation. I
carry an organ donor card because of that campaign. Her seatbelt
campaign saw the law changed to make sure that children would be
wearing seatbelts in the back of cars; I note that the Father of
the House is in his place, and I know he played a significant
part in that campaign.
Perhaps the most significant campaign that Dame Esther has been
involved in since is Childline, lifting the lid off the heinous
crime of child abuse and giving child victims a voice. The work
that she has done on Childline, which is now run by the National
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, has changed
the way we deal with child social services as well and made a
significant difference to many children’s lives. She has since
moved on to the Silver Line, outlining the loneliness that so
many older people suffer, and is trying to help to change their
lives. The new film “One Life” tells the story of the
Kindertransport, set up by Nicholas Winton, and one scene in the
film shows “That’s Life!”, where all the survivors stand up and
thank him. One of those survivors was one Susie Lind, the
grandmother of one of my closest friends, Daniel Astaire.
Dame Esther is now sadly at the end of her life, but she has not
stopped campaigning, and with her assisted dying campaign she is
trying to make sure we all have a good death. I pay tribute to
her and thank her on behalf of the whole nation for her
outstanding contribution over the past 50 years.
It is perhaps no coincidence that today is Rosh—I am going to get
this wrong—[Hon. Members: “Chodesh.”] Rosh Chodesh, the new lunar
month. It is an important day of renewal in the Jewish faith and
the Jewish month of Shevat begins today. One of the great verses
from the 15th day of Shevat, spoken by Moses, goes as
follows:
“Remember the days of old, consider the years of ages past; ask
your parent who will inform you, your elders who will tell
you.”
It is therefore fitting to debate the merits of a British Jewish
history month.
We rightly already celebrate the achievements of many minorities
in this country, and continue to educate future generations,
through Black History Month, LGBT History Month, Pride and
Islamophobia Awareness Month. The United States established
Jewish American Heritage Month nearly two decades ago, and I
believe it is now time we reminded ourselves of the remarkable
contribution that the Jewish community has made to our nation,
often after suffering the greatest hardships, and to celebrate
the value of difference. It is time we used the achievements of
the British Jewish community to remind ourselves of the values we
all share and remind ourselves that this small minority is
British. I hope the Government will take that on board and
consider introducing a British Jewish history month.
Madam Deputy Speaker ( )
We will start with a time limit of six minutes but that will
rapidly decrease to five minutes. Anyone who wants to complain
can ask their colleagues to leave, because that is the only way
they will get any more time. I call .
3.39pm
(Leeds North East)
(Lab)
It is a privilege to speak in this debate, which was opened so
well by the hon. Member for Cities of London and Westminster
(). I thank her and her
colleagues for securing the debate.
I am proud to represent the constituency with the largest Jewish
population in Yorkshire, and indeed on the entire east side of
the United Kingdom. For over 150 years, Jewish people in Leeds
have contributed so much to our city’s culture, economy and
society. They stood at the frontline of the battle against Oswald
Mosley’s fascists in the Battle of Holbeck Moor in 1937, and have
often been at the forefront of our local political history across
the city.
The Jewish community in Leeds has a fantastic history, and it is
going from strength to strength in 2024. That is thanks in no
small measure to the hard work and dedication of everyone in the
community, but I thank in particular the Leeds Jewish
Representative Council and the Jewish Leadership Council for
their work to strengthen and represent the Jewish community in my
constituency, as well as for the fruitful relationship that we
have enjoyed for many decades, especially under the current
leadership of Simon Myerson KC and Laurence Saffer, who have done
a brilliant job.
In Leeds, we have Reform and Orthodox synagogues, flourishing
kosher bakeries and butchers, and the world-renowned Marjorie and
Arnold Ziff community centre. For more than 100 years, the Leeds
Jewish Welfare Board and the Leeds Jewish Housing Association
have supported at least 20% of the Jewish community in Leeds,
providing mental health support, residential care for people with
learning disabilities, practical help for struggling families and
much more. Given the current cost of living crisis, that work
could not be more important than it is today.
I want also to reflect on the legacy of a woman I had the
privilege of knowing as a close friend for many years: Sheila
Saunders, who died nearly 10 years ago. She was chief executive
of the welfare board and the housing association, and, along with
her friend Elaine Grazin, helped to found in the 1980s the Leeds
Jewish Women’s Aid, the only specialist organisation in the
United Kingdom supporting Jewish women and children affected by
domestic abuse and sexual violence. I still miss Sheila every
single day.
The hon. Member for Cities of London and Westminster mentioned
Danny Finkelstein’s book, which I am proud to be reading at the
moment having been given a copy of it. It reflects in many ways
the story of my own family. I hope the House will indulge me as I
use my last three minutes to tell a little about my family’s
history, which, in many ways, sums up the history of the Jewish
people in this country—the British Jews, as the hon. Member said
earlier.
My father, Mario Reynaldo Uziell, came to this country in 1934 to
escape the increasing persecution of Jews across Europe. At the
time, his family lived in the Hague, but they moved very quickly
to Paris. They lived in several major cities throughout Europe,
and my father himself was born in Vienna. When, at the age of 12,
he arrived at Brentwood School—a boarding school in Essex—he
could not speak a word of English, but he mastered it very
quickly. So much so that, by 1942, when he had been in the
country for only eight years and still had Portuguese
citizenship, he volunteered for the British Army.
However, because his first language was French, the Special
Operations Executive nabbed him and said, “You’re a French
speaker; we need you to help the resistance in France.” That was
dangerous for a Jewish man, but he volunteered to do it none the
less. I do not know what part he played in the resistance. I know
about his training, but he never spoke about his experience in
occupied France—probably for very good reason, and certainly
because he had signed the Official Secrets Act.
I still have the document that my father signed in 1948 pledging
his allegiance to King George VI so that he could become a
naturalised British citizen. There is an example of somebody who
started his life as a continental Jew speaking French, whose
family originated in Bulgaria, the Ottoman empire and
Thessaloniki—then known as Salonika, where my grandfather was
born—but who proudly became an Englishman. He never had an
accent—he learned English early enough to avoid speaking with any
accent, unlike both of my grandparents, one of whom had a French
accent and the other a German accent. On my mother’s side of the
family, we have a very proud connection to the late Rabbi
Jonathan Sacks, whose Aunt Rose was also my Aunt Rose—Rose
Goldberg. She lived until the end of her life—she died only about
15 years ago—in Brondesbury Park, which is very near where I grew
up in Willesden.
Finally, before my time is up, I want to pay tribute to some of
the holocaust survivors who found their homes here in Britain,
especially three of my constituents, one of whom is no longer
alive. One of them is Trude Silman, who is 95 this year. Trude
escaped from Bratislava to come to the city of Leeds, and she
because the first woman to qualify with a biochemistry degree
from the University of Leeds. She is still as clear and
articulate as she ever was—a very active mind. The second is Arek
Hersh, who was in the Polish ghetto in Łódź and was taken to the
concentration camps, and was finally released from Auschwitz when
he was 16 years old. The third is Iby Knill, who wrote two
excellent books but sadly passed away just two years ago. Along
with the many holocaust survivors, they contribute to our
collective knowledge of Judaism here in the United Kingdom. They
were proud British Jews.
Madam Deputy Speaker ( )
After the Father of the House, the time limit will go down to
five minutes, which we will have to enforce strictly, or else not
everybody will have the chance to speak.
3.46pm
(Worthing West) (Con)
It is an honour to follow the hon. Member for Leeds North East
(), and I thank him for what
he has done. He reminds me of the book written by our former
colleague about the original champagne
socialist, the communist Friedrich Engels, and the lives that
people had in his part of the world as well as in north London. I
also commend the book by Hadley Freeman, “House of Glass”, which
is three years old; it is about how her family came to survive
and what their lives have been like.
Were we to be having a debate on the history of Muslims, Hindus
or Sikhs in this country, I think we would have the same kind of
attendance. What is different about Jewish history is what was
put to me by one of my constituents after 7 October: “Why do they
keep picking on us?” There are 16 million Jews in the world, of
whom about a quarter of a million are in this country. Their
contributions have been magnificent, and not just those who are
known.
In my previous job—some time back—I put neon lights outside
theatres and cinemas in the west end. One day, our painter asked
whether he could have a day off. I said, “Of course” and asked
why. When he said that his mother had died, I asked whether I
could come to the funeral. He burst into tears, because he did
not know that anybody else knew that he was Jewish, and he was
overcome by the idea that someone would volunteer to come to that
kind of family event. I was shocked that someone in my country
could feel like that.
My hon. Friend the Member for Cities of London and Westminster
(), whom I thank for
introducing the debate, mentioned Esther Rantzen. I had not
actually known that Esther Rantzen was Jewish until I went to her
wedding—seeing Desmond Wilcox trying to become Jewish, in terms
of music, dance and everything else, was amazing.
However, it is not just the significant people we need to
consider. When I went on almost a pilgrimage to Gallipoli to see
the graves and names of the people from my constituency who had
died, I kept coming across memorials to Jews who had served in
our armed forces. The same thing applies in every walk of life,
whether notable or just noticed if we keep our eyes open.
One of the reasons why I have supported the proposals of the
national holocaust memorial commission to have a memorial and a
learning centre, and the stipulation by the UK Holocaust Memorial
Foundation that the majority of the money should be spent on
education, is that since that proposal first came out, I have
gained by knowing how many of my grandfather’s extended family
died in the holocaust. We thought it was 11, but that figure went
up to 60, and it is now well over 100. That is the kind of
education that matters.
I hope that my grandchildren and great-grandchildren—if there are
some—will learn about our history and how inclusive it is, and
how it is chance that allows some people to go on and put down
roots, while others do not get that chance because of ideology or
the murderous habits of too many people.
I also want my children and grandchildren to know about the way
Jews have been treated in this country over the past 800 years or
so, which has not been good and has not been easy. I remember
every time I go to church that Jesus was not a white Englishman
who belonged to the Church of England. We have to remember our
shared history and try to adjust the way we work together, and I
do not just want to talk about the Abrahamic faiths, because the
same thing applies to other faiths that have different traditions
and different origins.
Our future is together, and the sooner we learn what we can about
each other and what we share, the better.
Having said that, my hon. Friend the Member for Cities of London
and Westminster mentioned Sir Simon Milton. I have been to
two—well, more than two—Jewish funerals, but I went up to the
Bushey New cemetery when the bones were discovered in the
Imperial War museum, and its location cannot even be shown for
fear that it will be attacked, and when I went to the service for
Sir Simon Milton, that also had to have strict security. At one
of those funerals, a member of the Community Security Trust came
up to me and said, “You’re ,” and when I replied that I
was, he said, in words that I can hardly say, “You’re one of the
people why I believe it’s safe to remain in this country.”
If we can defend each other, we can do better together.
3.51pm
(North Antrim) (DUP)
The motion that has been so ably put before the House today poses
the question of the potential merits of a Jewish history month.
Potential merits? We have already heard some wonderful stories.
This is not about merit; this is a necessity. We must have such a
thing so that we can promote learning, as the Father of the House
said, as well as understanding and historical knowledge, because
it is through an understanding of the historic place that the
wonderful contribution many Jewish citizens have made across
these islands that we will ensure that the hatred and antisemitic
attitudes that have prevailed too often will be done away with.
So I commend the hon. Member for Cities of London and Westminster
() for moving this motion, and
I say, “Yes, absolutely; we must have such a month.”
The Holocaust Educational Trust, which has been cited by Members
already, has demonstrated how necessary historical knowledge of
the torture and persecution of the holocaust is for the children
of today. Taking forward that lesson, let us therefore apply it
in this way.
Many people today have proudly boasted of the great contribution
that Jewish people have made, and not only in their own lives and
those of their own constituencies, but across this country. The
President of Israel is Isaac Herzog, who I think previously held
three ministerial posts. His father, Chaim Herzog, who was the
sixth President before him, was born in Cliftonville Avenue in
Belfast. His father, Rabbi Herzog, who lived in Dublin, was
known, believe it or not, as the Sinn Féin rabbi because he was
so in favour of the new Dáil Éireann that had been created, and
he was recognised as such.
It hurts my heart today to see the horrible attitude that some
people—I just say some people—from a republican background now
have towards the Jewish people and towards the state of Israel.
So strong was the history of the Jewish tradition within the
history of the Irish that some of the founding fathers of the
Israeli state actually hailed from Ireland, both north and south,
and they have made a wonderful contribution.
Indeed, in our own history, in our great shipbuilding heritage of
Harland and Wolff, guess who Mr Wolff was. He was a prominent
Jewish politician from Belfast, and he made a wonderful
contribution. He was a close friend of Sir Otto Jaffe, a leading
politician and twice Lord Mayor of Belfast. He was also president
of the Belfast Hebrew congregation, and he served our country so
well.
Let us embrace that remarkable history. Rather than hiding it
under a bushel, we must let it shine, so that people can
understand that the rich tapestry of the Christian, the Hebrew
and the Arabic heritage that pertains on these islands is strong
and must be encouraged for all to see, so that we can understand
our future.
3.54pm
(Brigg and Goole) (Con)
It is a pleasure to speak in this debate, and I pay tribute to my
hon. Friend the Member for Cities of London and Westminster
() for securing it. I agree
with everything that has been said so far on the need for us to
have a Jewish history month.
As others have said, the history of Jews in Britain is wound up
in the history of this county, and at times, sadly, it is a
complex history. In my region of Yorkshire, that is clearly
demonstrated by the two cities nearest to me, one of which I grew
up in. People will remember the 1190 massacre of Jews in the City
of York, but York has a thriving Jewish community today. The
history of Jews in York is also seen in place names such as
Jewbury, where my ancestors lived. In more recent decades, the
relationship has been complicated. We see it now in the rise in
antisemitism, but in my birth city, Hull, we had the battle of
Corporation Field in 1936, when Mosley and his British Union of
Fascists turned up to be met by a crowd of 10,000 people who, I
am proud to say, were mainly there to see them off, and that is
indeed what happened.
I will talk today about the contribution made by Jews from the
City of Hull and Hull’s place in Jewish history more broadly.
Today, the Jewish community in Hull is small, but its
contribution to Jewish history is significant, especially in the
role the city played in the transmigration of Jews fleeing
eastern Europe at the end of the 19th century, who passed through
Hull largely on their way to North America. So many came to Hull
that the city was marketed as Britain’s cheapest port. Now, we in
the Humber do not like to think of ourselves as cheap, but that
is what we were at the time. It is estimated that over 2.2
million emigrants passed through the City of Hull in the century
before 1914, and 100,000 through our fellow Humber port of
Grimsby. Most were passing through on their way to North America
or to other cities, such as Leeds and Manchester, but a small
number remained in Hull.
At its height, the Jewish population of Hull accounted for 1% of
its people, but they had a huge impact on the life of the city.
Let me talk briefly about the public life of some of Hull’s
Jewish people. Between 1856 and 1983, Hull had two Jewish mayors,
seven Jewish lord mayors, and a Jewish leader of the council, who
served effectively from 1945 until 1979. This is a very
consensual debate, but here I must disagree slightly with my hon.
Friend the Member for Cities of London and Westminster, who
talked about her cities as the part of the county where Jews have
had the most impact. Hull newspaper editor Arthur Tidman wrote in
the 1940s:
“There is no town, no city of the UK where Jews have been more
closely identified with public life or where their natural
abilities have been more freely exercised to the advantage of the
community. It is doubtful if any other city can equal the record
of Hull in the number of Jewish citizens who have filled the
highest civic offices.”
Chief among those individuals was Alderman Sir Leo Schultz, the
Labour leader of Hull Council from 1945 to 1979. He was elected
to the council in 1926. Prior to that, he had won a scholarship
to Oxford, but was told that he could not attend because of his
background, so he took his fight into politics. He had the
foresight before the war to build bomb shelters, in opposition to
the Government at the time, who in the end relented and paid for
the shelters to be built. People who were bombed out of their
homes on the second night of bombing in 1941, including my
grandma, might not have survived were it not for Sir Leo’s
foresight. He had such an impact on our city, remaining as leader
of the council until 1979, being knighted and going on to become
an alderman. There is a statue of him in the city, and he is just
one of a number of individuals, including former mayor Henry
Feldman and Alderman John Symons, who have had a huge impact on
public life, and not only in our city but in our country.
3.59pm
(Edinburgh West) (LD)
It is an honour to follow the hon. Member for Brigg and Goole
() and a pleasure to take part
in this debate. I thank the hon. Member for Cities of London and
Westminster () for securing it,
particularly at this moment. As it comes at a time when we are
acutely aware of the critical growth in antisemitism in this
country, it would be tempting to focus on that issue alone, but
as serious as antisemitism is, I do not think it is the sole
reason why we should be thinking about a British Jewish history
month.
When I started to think about this debate, I did not realise how
limited my appreciation was of the contribution that the Jewish
community has made to the rich, diverse culture that we enjoy
across the UK. Yes, I was aware of most of the entertainment and
industrial figures who have already been mentioned. On the
political figures, who could not be aware of Manny Shinwell, our
Liberal leader Herbert Samuel and others who have graced this
place, such as ?
One of my favourite authors, if I may focus on Scotland for a
minute, is Edinburgh’s own Muriel Spark, who gave us some real
gems, including the unique “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie”. Spark
was among the crème de la crème of not just British but
international literature, and what a contribution she made. I did
not know that my own alma mater, the University of Glasgow, was
groundbreaking when, in 1787, Levi Myers graduated without having
to take a Christian oath. That attracted an influx of students to
Scotland. The majority of Scotland’s Jewish community continues
to live in and around Glasgow. Many of them are descended from
those who came here to escape the Russian pogroms in the 1880s.
It was apparently cheaper to live in Glasgow in those days than
it was in Edinburgh, and I have absolutely no comment to make
about the current situation in the housing market.
A few hardy souls have made it across to our side of Scotland
over the years. Indeed, in Scotland, the history of Jewish
communities can be traced back to Edinburgh in 1691, when the
minutes of Edinburgh town council recorded the application of
David Brown, a professing Jew, to reside and trade in the city,
and 1816 saw the founding of the first formal Jewish community in
Edinburgh, of around 20 families. In 1825, a tenement in Richmond
Court in Newington was acquired and became a synagogue with 67
seats. By 1900, the community had reached around 500. In 1909,
the Edinburgh University Jewish society was founded. It is the
oldest in Scotland and possibly in Britain, and it is currently
the fastest growing.
Sadly, my more recent interaction with the Jewish community has
been as a result of the rising tide of antisemitism. I met Rabbi
Rose in a pub near that synagogue in Newington to discuss how I
can support our local community. I have done a tour of north
London with the CST and heard heartbreaking tales from Jewish
schoolchildren of the antisemitism they face on an all too
regular basis. I met Lord to discuss his report on
antisemitism in the UK, and last year I presented a Bill to try
to force social media companies to report on action taken against
the abuse of people with protected characteristics, which would
include religion.
To return to my original point, antisemitism should be a problem
that we overcome, like Islamophobia and every other form of
religious, racial or personal discrimination. It should never be
the dominant or only factor when we take into account what our
Jewish community has contributed to our history, but to do that
fully and properly and to value that contribution, we need to set
aside some time—a month, each year—to mark it, celebrate it and
record it, to ensure that coming generations know about it.
4.04pm
Sir (Northampton North) (Con)
It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Edinburgh West
() and to speak in this
debate about Jewish communities and the merits of having a Jewish
history month. Both, of course, have great merit. Recent events
alone exemplify why history is so important. As I think Winston
Churchill said, those who ignore history are condemned to repeat
it. One of the things that characterises Jewish communities
around the world, as well as in the United Kingdom, is hope.
Indeed, the Israeli national anthem is called “Hatikvah”—the
hope, and it is not an exuberant or jingoistic melody; in fact,
it is a rather melancholy, moving tune that somehow reflects its
message of hope rather than jubilation, as many national anthems
do.
Rather than speak about the Jewish community, as many Members on
both sides of the House have done, I would like to speak, as it
were, to the Jewish community. Some weeks ago, I spoke about why
there was cause for hope, despite the increase in antisemitism,
and I would like to continue on that theme. I say to the Jewish
people of the United Kingdom, and indeed any listening, that many
civilisations who have persecuted the Jews have risen and then
fallen; the Jews continue to thrive. One needs only to look at
the Arch of Titus in Rome to see how empires come and go and rise
and fall. The arch was built 2,000 years ago by the Romans under
Emperor Domitian to celebrate the destruction of the temple at
Jerusalem—it depicts the plundering of that temple—but, just a
few weeks ago, that arch, celebrating the destruction of the
Jews, was lit up in the colours of the Israeli flag by the
Government of Italy to mark the pogrom of 7 October.
There are many reasons to be hopeful. We should ignore the haters
in communities around the world who have clearly been responsible
for the massive increase in antisemitism. We should ignore the
haters on university campuses who are bullying Jewish children. I
have heard from those young people who are frightened even to go
on campus. Eventually, some of those accounts will become widely
known, and they will shock the nation. We should ignore those in
the international community, and even in the United Nations
organisation, where frankly there are blatant examples of
antisemitism and where, just before Christmas, Iran was selected
to sit on the Human Rights Council.
We should instead celebrate those who are doing so much; those
who are agents of peace and reconciliation whom we do not hear
enough about. We should applaud men like the Bedouin—not a Jewish
man—Youssef Ziadna, a minibus driver who saved 30 lives from the
Nova festival in Israel by responding to a call to pick up a
customer from that event. He drove into Hamas’s attack and drove
out with a minibus full of Jewish people. They are alive because
of him. We should applaud the hero Rami, whom I met in Israel a
few days ago, who saved over 700 lives by driving to and for,
into that war zone, to rescue people.
We should applaud people such as the Crown Prince of Bahrain, who
said:
“What Hamas did on 7 October was a war crime and an atrocity, and
it is important to get all the…abductees out of Gaza .
It is not easy for some leaders—Arab leaders especially—to say
those truths; that is a true leader. There are also the Emiratis.
Ali Rashid al-Nuaimi, a top Emirati official, said that the
Abraham accords
“are our future. It is not an agreement between two Governments,
but a platform that we believe should transform the region”.
That was an heroic statement. There is also the Saudi Defence
Minister, Khalid bin Salman, who visited the White House and
reaffirmed his country’s interest in pursuing the Abraham
accords. That is real courage and real leadership—things that the
Jewish community should and will value in this country and around
the world.
We should applaud our own political leaders on all sides—this is
not a partisan issue—for standing up and doing the right thing in
the face of dissent. We have of course a great hero in our
sovereign the King, who can influence events. He has
long-standing personal relationships, a love of the Arab culture
and a deep interest in the Muslim religion, but in fact he had
the Chief Rabbi as a guest before his coronation so that he was
able to walk there as it was the Sabbath. Heroes come in many
forms; hope comes through many routes.
4.09pm
(Strangford) (DUP)
I thank the hon. Member for Cities of London and Westminster
() for setting the scene so
well. I declare an interest, as a friend of Israel. My comments
will reflect the support for that wee nation with a big heart,
much like Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is a case in point,
showing not just the importance of the contribution made by the
Jewish community to the social, cultural and economic life of the
Province, but the interest in the history of contributions from
the wider community.
Since its inception, the Belfast Jewish heritage project has
attracted hundreds of people on its guided walking tours in
Belfast city centre. The tour includes familiar sites in Belfast
with a Jewish connection, some of which people born and bred in
Belfast have no idea about. For example, the oldest library in
the city, the Linen Hall library, was originally the linen
warehouse of a textile company called Moore and Weinberg. The
Jaffe fountain in Victoria Square is named after Daniel Joseph
Jaffe, the founder of the Belfast Jewish community and the father
of the only Jewish Lord Mayor of Belfast, Sir Otto Jaffe, as my
hon. Friend the Member for North Antrim () mentioned.
In 2021, the Belfast Jewish heritage project was awarded a grant
of £10,000 from the shared history fund, commemorating the
centenary of Northern Ireland. The shared history fund was funded
by the Northern Ireland Office and administered by the national
lottery. A lasting legacy of that grant is the interactive online
Jewish heritage map of Northern Ireland, which tells the Jewish
story of more than 70 locations right across Northern
Ireland.
We have much Jewish history in Northern Ireland, and that is by
no means an exhaustive list of the wonderful connections. I think
of McGill’s farm on Drumfad Road in Millisle in my Strangford
constituency, which was used to house children rescued from Nazi
Germany, as another place of interest. The Kindertransport
children came through there. It is clear that a Jewish history
month in Northern Ireland would have no shortage of material and
stories, and would have a great deal of support from across the
community. I can only imagine the scale of replication in other
communities across this great United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland, as we become aware of how intrinsically linked
the people of the Jewish faith are to the fabric of our British
culture. That is key in this debate, for which the hon. Member
for Cities of London and Westminster set the scene. They are part
of what we are as British people, and we should welcome them, as
the Leader of the House said in her excellent contribution
earlier today.
The content for the month is there. There is also a need for
people to understand the connections between us all. In Northern
Ireland I am painfully aware of the problem with identity
politics and forgetting the connections that bind us. As one
person who was on the Jewish heritage walk in Belfast put it, it
was amazing to have an hour-long history tour of Belfast that was
not about Protestants and Catholics.
Sadly, there is good cause to enhance an appreciation and
understanding of Jewish contribution to Northern Ireland, as it
is not immune from the surge of antisemitic incidents and
attitudes recorded by the Community Security Trust. There has
been so much, going back to 2014, including attacks by vandals,
desecrating headstones and the blue plaque to Chaim Herzog being
removed. All the things that have happened between Belfast and
Israel represent a remarkable connection. Just over a century
ago, Belfast had a future Israeli President, Chief Rabbi and
Foreign Minister living in it. Disgracefully, the disused Jewish
section of the city cemetery has been repeatedly desecrated and
vandalised. I would welcome a Jewish history month, because it
would increase awareness among the general population of the
remarkable place of the Jewish community in our society,
challenge antisemitic stereotypes and myths, and inject
confidence and pride for the Jewish community itself.
The Jewish people are not some sect to be observed, but a part of
us—the best of British. That should be understood and emphasised
not simply for a month but on an ongoing basis until these people
cease to be ostracised or hated simply because they worship God
in a different way from someone else. They are a people used to
persecution, but that does not make it right. They have hope in
God—the same God that I worship—but let them find hope in this
place as we highlight the wonderful good that has been done and
is still to come from those who are British and worship their God
with dignity and respect, in no way offensive to any other person
or religion. I do not have time to quote psalm 27, but I
recommend that Members read it afterwards, because it will tell
them all about the Israeli people and how their God looks after
them.
4.14pm
(West Bromwich East)
(Con)
I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Cities of London and
Westminster () for securing the debate.
Earlier this week, I led a Westminster Hall debate on the
appalling rise of antisemitism we have seen in the UK since the 7
October attacks. That debate was sadly necessary given the
circumstances, but I am glad that today we have the opportunity
for a much more positive debate to acknowledge the enormous
contribution of the Jewish community here in the UK.
I wish to open my remarks by recognising the Jewish community in
the west midlands, some of whom I met in the weeks following the
awful events in Israel on 7 October. Many in the Jewish community
have personal connections to those directly affected. Their
strength and bravery in the face of terror has been commendable,
and today I reaffirm my commitment to stand with the community in
their hour of need.
At Singers Hill synagogue in Birmingham, I met Rabbi Jacobs who
told me how the Jewish community stood with the Muslim community
in the wake of the attacks on innocent Muslims in the days after
9/11. The late Rabbi Tann visited the Imam at Birmingham central
mosque at the time to show solidarity, leading to the formation
of Birmingham Faith Leaders’ Group, which continues to this day.
Rabbi Tann’s gesture was reciprocated in the wake of last year’s
attacks, with the Imam visiting Singers Hill synagogue for a
Friday night service, alongside other faith leaders, to show
support for the local Jewish community. This is a more recent
development in the history of the Jewish community in the west
midlands, but one that they are proud of.
Most know that Birmingham has a long tradition of thriving Jewish
communities, but most are not aware that Wolverhampton once had
one too. Thanks to the Jewish Genealogical Society of Great
Britain, which has pulled together years of records, we know more
about that community. In Wolverhampton, the building of the
synagogue still stands, but today it is a church. In 1858, after
the community had collected £300, they built Wolverhampton
synagogue, which was opened by Chief Rabbi Dr Adler. In 1903,
after a fire, it was rebuilt by a local architect. When the
community stopped growing and numbers reduced, the congregation
merged with Singers Hill synagogue.
Today, we have five active synagogues in the region, all
contributing to the community and promoting understanding,
tolerance and harmony between people of different faiths in our
area. They open their doors to thousands of children each year to
learn more about Judaism and, commendably, they organise
donations to charities helping to provide for those in need. It
is only right to pay tribute to some of our local rabbis: Rabbi
Jacobs, Rabbi Hambling and Rabbi Pink. Like all religious
leaders, they inspire their communities. They are their support
and their guide. They are there for advice, celebrations and
difficult times, too.
It is not just religious leaders who do so much for others. Ruth
Jacobs is a perfect example of that, through organisations such
as the west midlands Jewish representative council, which she
chairs, as well as the Nisa-Nashim group, an interfaith forum for
Jewish and Muslim women to bridge the divide and discuss their
cultural and religious similarities. Ruth’s commitment to the
community extends to her role as chair of the West Midlands
Friends of Israel and her work with the local police and
political leaders. She also runs the local Hillel House, which
provides housing and support for Jewish students, and hosts many
social and religious events. It is people like Ruth who make the
west midlands community so warm and friendly, while playing their
part in making the region a better place for all communities.
It is not possible to mention all the contributions the Jewish
community in the west midlands makes to our region and across the
country, but I will try to fit in a few more. The King David
School in Birmingham is a beacon of light in the west midlands.
It is a Jewish primary school which welcomes all faiths and has a
majority of Muslim students.
I would like to mention Mindu Hornick MBE, a holocaust survivor
who settled in Birmingham with her family. She has given her
testimony of the holocaust to thousands of people across the
country and has spoken in countless schools in our region. Many
holocaust survivors like Mindu are selfless in the work they do
and we owe them a great deal. She is one of the many UK-based
survivors who have given their testimony in conjunction with the
Holocaust Educational Trust.
Chai Cancer Care is a London-based charity that offers 67
specialised support services to cancer patients around the
country, including in the west midlands. It provides advice,
counselling, physiotherapy and other support services from
Stirchley in Birmingham. I visited its headquarters in Hendon
last year with the Jewish Leadership Council and it is
incredible. There are many other Jewish organisations that sit
under the umbrella of the JLC that all do incredible work,
including Jewish Women’s Aid, United Jewish Israel Appeal and the
Union of Jewish Students.
Those are just some of the examples of the contribution of the
Jewish community in the west midlands and across the country. In
the west midlands, we are incredibly diverse. I have one of the
most diverse constituencies in the country. The Jewish community
in the west midlands is smaller than elsewhere, but it well and
truly punches above its weight. As I have given examples of
today, the Black Country also has a proud history of Jewish
communities. A Jewish history month would be the perfect
opportunity to educate others about the history of the community
that we may not otherwise know about, as well as celebrating the
enormous contribution the community makes today. I again thank my
hon. Friend the Member for Cities of London and Westminster for
securing the debate today.
4.19pm
(Warrington North)
(Lab)
A point that I have made on many occasions is that all too often,
public understanding of the Jewish community and the issues that
matter to us will be limited to antisemitism and the UK’s
relationship with Israel, and knowledge of Jewish history will
largely be limited to the holocaust. That is not for a second to
diminish the importance of those three topics, but to make the
case for the fact that Jewish history, Jewish culture and
tradition and the Jewish contribution to Britain constitute a
much richer tapestry, and we can all benefit from a much deeper
understanding of it.
Within the Jewish community in the UK are represented a mixture
of different denominations, ethnic and cultural backgrounds,
practices, histories and languages—and, of course, two of my
favourite features of that Jewish diversity: the food and the old
adage of “two Jews, three opinions”. With all this to teach and
share, our community, tiny in size relative to the population of
the UK and the globe, cannot be expected to undertake our
endeavours to bring greater awareness alone.
I thought it might be illustrative for the House if, in
demonstrating that every part of British history and culture is
also Jewish history and culture, I brought together two seemingly
unrelated parts of my parliamentary work to highlight the Jewish
contribution. As a British Jew and, of course, a member of the
all-party parliamentary groups relevant to our community, I am
also a vice-chair of the all-party parliamentary group on
wrestling. Thanks to the historian Bradley Craig, I know of
“Jewish Flash” Al Lipman from Aldgate, who was an immensely
popular lightweight wrestling star in the 1940s. In the wake of
the war, there was a major show in Manchester in aid of Jewish
charities, in which the “good guy”, who was Jewish, defeated the
“bad guy”, who was portraying a Nazi.
More recently, we have seen the Jewish global wrestling star Noam
Dar, who hails from Ayr in Scotland, wrestles for World Wrestling
Entertainment—performing for millions across the world—and has
won the NXT heritage cup. He even once wrestled at a Jewish Lads’
and Girls’ Brigade camp in Essex, an event organised by, among
others, Neil Martin and , two Jewish wrestling fans.
Dar was followed in the main event of the second ever JLGB
wrestling extravaganza by Simon Miller, who hosts the shows of
the UK independent promotion Progress, but has also wrestled
across the country. Other British wrestlers and former wrestlers
with Jewish links include “The Chutzpah” Lior Ben-David, Aviv
Maayan and Max “Voltage” Olesker, of the comedy duo Max &
Ivan—of course, there are numerous British comedians who are
Jewish or have Jewish roots.
British Jews are also proudly involved in other areas of the
wrestling world. Examples are WWE’s head of external affairs,
TNA’s PR man, All Elite Wrestling’s press lead—although he is in
the United States—the global Jewish wrestling superstar MJF, and
the ring announcer Justin Roberts. Israel’s best-known wrestling
promoter, Gery Roif, came to Britain and visited the House
recently. There are others here at home, such as Emily Read,
co-founder of the all-women’s promotion Pro-Wrestling: Eve, and
Adam Cailler, who writes about wrestling for the Daily Star
following his stint at the Jewish Telegraph. There is also the
wrestling photographer Oli Sandler, and Danny Stone, the
secretariat to both the all-party parliamentary group against
antisemitism and the APPG on wrestling, is well known across the
House both for his expertise in antisemitism and in wrestling.
While small in number, British Jews have certainly made an impact
on wrestling here in the UK and overseas.
In the hope that this will be the kind of debate that we will see
much more in the future, I will not go through all the APPGs and
committees in which I take part through a Jewish lens, although
that would demonstrate the number of areas in the Jewish
contribution to British life—of which there are so many, beyond
those that are established or widely understood—that a Jewish
history month could explore. Indeed, what has become a running
joke with my friend Jonny Newton—occurring on so many occasions
that I worry that we are willing it into reality—is the idea of
starting a podcast called “Spicy Talmud”, in which we would
explore the volume-collecting centuries of rabbinic discussion on
not just every single worthy topic one could possibly conceive
of, but the more esoteric questions and the sometimes bizarre
stories that are recounted about whistling frogs, weasels
bringing chametz from house to house, snakes going where they
shouldn’t, and wine-drinking she-dogs.
Thankfully, for everyone’s sake, I think it safe to say that we
are both far too busy for the foreseeable future, but perhaps
there is another way in which the kind of love that we both have,
and our wider community has, for Jewishness, and our pride in
being part of the Jewish story, can be brought to as wide an
audience as possible so we can all share in it together—and what
better way to start than with a dedicated Jewish history
month?
4.24pm
(Buckingham) (Con)
It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Warrington North
(), not least because she
has improved my knowledge of wrestling from absolutely nothing to
slightly more than nothing. I celebrate all those Jewish stars of
the wrestling world, just as I celebrate all those individuals
whom my hon. Friend the Member for Cities of London and
Westminster () and others have listed from
the worlds of entertainment, politics, industry and many
more.
I am delighted to say that the Jewish population of
Buckinghamshire is growing—it grew by 7% between the 2011 and
2021 censuses. I stand shoulder to shoulder with the community,
which I am proud to represent. I want to see it thrive and go
from strength to strength.
Notwithstanding the powerful comments that have been made about
trying to ignore the haters, as my right hon. and learned Friend
the Member for Northampton North (Sir ) said, we have to acknowledge
that Jewish communities in Buckinghamshire and across the country
are hurting right now. I was privileged to join the south
Buckinghamshire Jewish community at a Hanukkah event at Waddesdon
Manor in my constituency in December, led by the wonderful Rabbi
Neil Janes. His opening words during the short ceremony really
shocked me. He said, “We no longer feel confident to gather as a
community.” That was in the United Kingdom in 2023. Of course,
every community should be confident to gather in the United
Kingdom in modern times. They should all be afforded our
protection; they should all feel safe.
I put my thoughts about the event on social media, as we in this
House have a tendency to do, and I said, not unreasonably, that
we must defeat antisemitism. It took 45 seconds for one of the
haters—whoever debbie.bennett21 is—to write underneath my
Instagram post:
“Strange words ‘must be defeated’”.
What on earth was going through that individual’s mind?
I saw it yesterday under another of my posts, and I have now
reported it to the police. A person taking issue with something I
said about the conflict between Israel and Hamas—it is perfectly
legitimate for someone to take issue with my view on that—asked
on Instagram:
“Are you married to a Jew?”
Such outrageous behaviour is happening in our country right now,
and it has to be stamped out.
I wanted to say this in the Chamber this afternoon, and to
support the call of my hon. Friend the Member for Cities of
London and Westminster for a Jewish history month, because one of
the most important reasons why we study history is to understand
what happened in the past and to ensure that the mistakes of the
past, the horrors of the past and the evil of the past are not
able to happen again. Yet we see history repeating itself, which
is why we simply must have a Jewish history month to celebrate
the contribution of all our Jewish communities and everything
they have achieved and will continue to achieve.
As Members of Parliament, we all receive very difficult emails.
We all have people come to see us at our surgeries in very
difficult circumstances, with horrendous stories to tell. It is
very rare that those stories reduce us to tears, but I received
an email from a Jewish constituent, whose identity I will
protect, openly saying:
“I have never felt as scared as I do right now to be in the UK…
I’ve considered converting… I’ve gone to ground.”
She has turned off the ability to be found on social media. That
should scare us all. It must put a bounce underneath us to ensure
that we defeat antisemitism and enable all Jewish communities,
all people of the Jewish faith, to live freely, securely and
safely, and to feel welcome, here in the United Kingdom, whether
they are British or otherwise.
4.29pm
(Aberconwy) (Con)
I must begin by thanking my hon. Friend the Member for Cities of
London and Westminster () for securing this debate. I
learned a great deal from listening to the contributions of
Members from across the House today. The variety and richness of
them reflects a lot of what we are talking about: the richness of
contribution to British society.
That is the point I wish to start with: the British Jewish
community has made a remarkable contribution to the prosperity of
our nation. In the face, sadly, of growing hostility abroad and,
shamefully, here at home, it is high time that we as a nation
celebrate its part in our national story. So I wish to do two
things in the few minutes available to me: highlight the
remarkable contribution made by the British Jewish community in
Aberconwy today—in doing that I wish to thank Professor Nathan
Abrams of Bangor University and the team at Llandudno museum for
their important work in tracing the history of the Jewish
residents of north Wales and Aberconwy; and raise and then
quickly dismiss an objection that we can anticipate to founding a
British Jewish history month.
In Aberconwy, although Jewish residents have never numbered more
than a few hundred individuals, they have played a prominent role
in the recent history of our community. Sadly, Aberconwy is not
without its reminders of a darker past. Conwy’s castle and walls
were, of course, built by Edward I, who was notable for both his
oppression of the Welsh and his expulsion of Jewish subjects in
1290. Primarily arriving in Llandudno in the Victorian era, the
new Jewish community was soon a key part of the area’s booming
economy and was actively involved in the development and
safeguarding of our local culture.
Families such as the Croops, Gubays, Wartskis and Blairmans
founded shops that have become fixtures of our high streets,
visible to this day, with the latter two founding international
antique businesses that continue to prosper. We can also thank
the Wartskis for the synagogue in Llandudno, which opened in
1909. It is a testament to this legacy that modern-day Llandudno
has the pleasure of welcoming a large number of Hasidic families
each year. In more recent times, the first woman mayor of
Aberconwy was Jewish—Vicki Lazar was elected in 1978. Most
recently, in a welcome twist of history, in 2012 the care of
those battlements in Conwy that King Edward I built was voted
into the competent hands of Cedric Rigal, the first Jewish
constable and mayor of Conwy, with a rabbi offering a prayer at
the inauguration.
However, in making the case for celebrating and formally
recognising such contributions in Aberconwy and across the UK, we
can anticipate an objection, albeit one raised in good faith. In
an era of increasingly divisive identitarian politics, it may
well be asked: will such recognition encourage British people to
think of themselves, and one another, in terms of ethnic or
religious group identity, and does this not risk compounding,
rather than easing, division?
As the MP for a bilingual constituency, a proud Welshman and
Brit, I think that that is a profound misunderstanding of
identity. Our British identity is not totalising; it does not
demand the erosion of the regional and religious identities that
make up our nation. We are privileged in Britain to inherit a
nation that evolved long before liberal nationalist revolutions
of the 19th century, when nations such as France, Italy and
Germany were engaged in assertive state-led nation building. In
contrast, Britain emerged slowly, as networks of kin, friendship
and trade bound together the destinies of the peoples of our
islands. In many European states, for example, standardised
education was seized on as a means to erode regional identity,
yet here—I speak of north Wales in this case—the fierce
independence and plurality of educations have represented
distinct religious and philosophical traditions. In north Wales,
I would count our fierce tradition of non-conformism in that
too.
When a community’s story has become intertwined with that of the
nation, it becomes part of the story of Britain, and such is the
story of British Jews. It is significant and it is part of our
story that deserves to be celebrated. In a world in which ethnic
grievances are increasingly and easily stoked for political
capital, here is a story of resilience and success. The British
Jewish contribution to the arts, literature, commerce and science
of the UK has enriched and elevated our national life, here and
in Aberconwy, and it has improved the condition of humanity the
world over. This story should serve to inspire people of all
backgrounds. For that reason, I support the motion put before us
today.
Mr Deputy Speaker ( )
We move on to the Front-Bench contributions of six, eight and
eight minutes, although I will not put the clock on. Please could
the Minister leave a couple of minutes for the final words from
?
4.35pm
(East Renfrewshire)
(SNP)
I congratulate the hon. Member for Cities of London and
Westminster () on securing the debate and
on the strength of her opening speech.
I love where I live. I feel privileged every day to represent my
own local community, and to represent it in all its fantastic
diversity, because East Renfrewshire is home to people of all
faiths and none, including a vibrant and growing Muslim
community, Christian congregations of all kinds, significant Sikh
and Hindu communities, a lovely Baha’i community and the majority
of Jews living in Scotland. We are so much better for the
diversity of people who have made their homes in East
Renfrewshire. That is why I was pleased to join the hon. Member
for Cities of London and Westminster in seeking this debate,
because we should celebrate all the communities that make us who
we are.
Some people have referenced the timing of the debate in relation
to the challenging times we live in. That may be true to some
extent, but it is important to look at the issue through a
different prism—that of the history of the Jewish community in
its own right. So I will give a whistle-stop tour of that rich
history in Scotland, particularly in East Renfrewshire.
The former Chief Rabbi, the late Jonathan Sacks, wrote about the
Jewish communities of Scotland combining a strong loyalty to
their Jewish faith and way of life with a deep attachment to
Scottish culture and identity. That rings true to me and speaks
to the long history of the Jewish community in Scotland. We heard
about degrees being awarded in the 1700s, and the first
synagogues were opened in Edinburgh in 1817 and Glasgow in
1821.
Terrible events in Russia and then Germany, in particular, led to
mass movements of people and communities forming across Scotland.
In 1914, the Glasgow Jewish Representative Council was formed,
the only Jewish school in Scotland opened in 1962, and the
fantastic Scottish Jewish Archives Centre was founded in 1982, to
collect, preserve and display Scotland’s Jewish heritage. It is
worth thinking about that centre as this debate in a physical
form, as it is a phenomenally interesting place.
Throughout all that, every day contributions and less every day
contributions have been made, year upon year, to Scotland by our
Jewish citizens, whether in medicine, law, education or business.
That particular thread in the tartan of Scotland is woven deep
and clear. Given the time of year, I will push that a little
further in an appreciation of Rabbi Pete Tobias, not only for his
excellent work bringing people together to share Passover Seder,
but for sharing with me a very funny Burns supper speech
featuring someone named Rabbi Burns.
Today gives us an opportunity to focus on the personal and on
people. East Renfrewshire resident, the late Ernest Levy, a
survivor of Bergen-Belsen, Cantor of the then Giffnock and
Newlands synagogue for 40 years, was hugely influential in
sharing testimony on the holocaust. He wrote a very important
book, launched in the Scottish Parliament, and said at that time
that he had never felt so Scottish in his life.
The senior Rabbi of Scotland, Rabbi Moshe Rubin, who has
consistently welcomed people of all faiths, warmly extended a
welcome to our First Minister, , recently, when both men came
together at a hugely moving synagogue service, which very clearly
demonstrated the importance of common humanity and concern for
one another.
East Renfrewshire resident, Henry Wuga, will be 100 years old
next month. Along with his late wife, he influenced hundreds of
young Scottish people with their tireless focus on holocaust
education. Brigadier Monty Cowen is a brave veteran who leads the
Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and women, alongside doing a
great deal of community work. Evie Yedd’s work to support our
local area in many and varied ways is longstanding. She is the
hugely influential leader of the local Jewish Brownie and Guide
packs. She makes a profound difference to young lives.
The wide-ranging work of Cosgrove Care makes a positive
difference to people with additional needs, and Jewish Care makes
great efforts in supporting our community. There is the Scottish
Council of Jewish Communities and the Glasgow Jewish
Representative Council, which work tirelessly to support, to be a
voice and to encourage discussion. They work alongside other
groups, including Interfaith Glasgow and the Council for
Christians and Jews. That cross-community and cross- faith
dialogue is vital.
At a recent event, faith representatives and others heard from
staff at Woodfarm High School speaking about their work with
pupils on the Jane Haining project, ensuring that our young
people know our history. The continued efforts locally of
Gathering the Voices, Vision School and other educational
projects cement that and cement who we are. Then there are people
like my late friend, Frank Angell, whose work in dentistry and
education was important and influential. Frank was a political
fellow traveller and a scholar and is greatly missed.
I will finish by speaking about Calderwood Lodge Primary School,
which, 60 years on, is at the heart of our community, on a lovely
new campus with its partner school, St Clare’s Primary. A
Jewish-Catholic joint campus is a unique thing, and that shared
ethos of understanding is valuable beyond words. That is exactly
what we should be speaking about today. At this school, children
of all faiths and none work and play together, learning about
respect and friendship, and about enjoying each other’s
traditions.
My community is a special one and the contribution of Jewish
residents to East Renfrewshire is a huge part of who we are. It
is a big part of what makes us ourselves. We absolutely should
celebrate all the communities that make up the different
constituencies. I am very grateful to the hon. Member for Cities
of London and Westminster for bringing us here today and I
wholeheartedly support her efforts.
4.41pm
(Blaydon) (Lab)
I thank the hon. Member for Cities of London and Westminster
() for securing this debate,
which has been hugely interesting. I also thank both my hon.
Friend the Member for Leeds North East () who told us about his
family history, and my hon. Friend the Member for Warrington
North (), who talked to us about
wrestling in ways that I had never thought of before.
On Tuesday, in Westminster Hall, we heard from many Members about
shocking incidents of antisemitism on our streets, in schools and
on university campuses. That discussion was vital following the
rise in antisemitism that we have seen since the abhorrent
attacks carried out by Hamas on 7 October.
Today’s discussion is similarly vital. Now more than ever, it is
essential that we recognise and celebrate the rich contribution
of the Jewish community across the whole of British civil
society—the whole of British life. Just as I did on Tuesday, I
wish to thank the Community Security Trust, which works
relentlessly alongside the police to gather records of these
incidents and to tackle hateful antisemitism. Over the past 40
years, the CST has developed a widely recognised and commended
model for combating hate crime, and its work is essential.
There are many other examples of Jewish organisations that have
contributed the skills and experience that they have honed within
their own community to uplift our society as a whole. This serves
to highlight the extraordinary contribution that Jewish
communities have made to British social, cultural and political
life, despite the adversity that they have all too often
endured.
As we have heard, historical records show that there were Jewish
people in England at the time of the Norman conquest, but that
they were victims of appalling persecution. In 1190, the Jewish
community of York were massacred at the site of Clifford’s Tower.
One hundred years later, Jewish people were expelled on the
orders of Edward I—not to return until the time of Oliver
Cromwell.
I talk about these shameful episodes, because it is important
that we, in this country, recognise our own history of
discrimination, prejudice and violence. It is in the face of this
adversity that Jewish communities in Britain have contributed so
much to our vibrant and multicultural society, across every
region and in every sector. In my local authority of Gateshead,
there is a large Charedi community, with one of the largest
yeshivas outside of Israel. It is long established in the heart
of the town.
From their role in the trade union movement to the work of many
Jewish communal and charitable organisations today, we have much
to thank the Jewish community for. And, of course, to thank those
individuals that we have talked about today who have contributed
so much.
I want to say a bit about an organisation called Jami, which
provides mental health support for the Jewish community in the
UK. I was introduced to Jami through the Jewish Leadership
Council, which represents many Jewish communal organisations, as
part of my work with the all-party parliamentary group on suicide
and self-harm prevention. Jami’s Head Room café in Golders Green
offers open access to mental health support to anyone who needs
it. I was so blown away when I visited the café that I went on to
host a roundtable there, which was attended by other hon. Members
and many community organisations. I was really impressed by
Jami’s commitment not only to its own community, but to working
in partnership with other communities, organisations and local
authorities. I look forward to continuing to work with Jami.
Many other Jewish organisations are doing fantastic work across
the board. I think of Jewish Women’s Aid, which provides
specialist support to Jewish women and children affected by
domestic abuse. Such organisations are working in difficult
circumstances, as the community continues to feel the impact of
the 7 October attacks. As we know, between 7 October and 13
December the CST recorded more than 2,000 antisemitic incidents.
More than ever, it is vital to educate people across our
communities about the nature of antisemitism and hate crime, and
to combat it. Of course that must include a continued commitment
to education about the holocaust. Organisations such as the
Holocaust Education Trust have done much-needed work to embed
learning on the holocaust within our education system and within
broader society. On 27 January we have Holocaust Memorial Day,
and I know that the trust will be in Parliament in the coming
weeks to mark that important occasion.
Amid the threats of holocaust denial and distortion, it is
essential that such work continues. That is why we are proud to
support the proposals for a permanent holocaust memorial and
learning centre. It would be a fitting tribute to the 6 million
Jewish people who were brutally murdered during the holocaust,
and a much-needed bulwark against misinformation and conspiracy.
It is also important to remember the really positive
contributions, which we are talking about today, of individuals,
organisations and the community. I am pleased to do that.
On the specific proposal of a British Jewish history month, we
are enthusiastic about the calls to remember British Jewish
history, and Labour will work with Jewish community organisations
on the best shape that should take.
As events unfolding internationally risk divisions at home, we
would also welcome Government steps to work with local
authorities on bolstering community cohesion and bringing people
together. Labour is totally united with the Jewish community in
the fight against antisemitism, to acknowledge the wrongdoings of
the past and, as we have today, to celebrate the rich and diverse
contribution of British Jews to our proud multi- cultural
society.
4.47pm
The Minister of State, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and
Communities ()
It is a privilege to respond on behalf of the Government and on
behalf of my colleague in the other place, , who formally holds this
portfolio, on this incredibly important issue. Many of us who are
here today were also in Westminster Hall on Tuesday to debate a
more difficult part of this discussion. It is such a pleasure to
be able to celebrate the contribution of the British Jewish
community to our country, and I intend to keep my remarks wholly
to the positives, having talked about the more challenging issues
in Tuesday’s debate.
I know from the contributions of all Members that we agree across
the House that Britain would not be the country it is today
without the enormous contribution made by the Jewish community,
and indeed by people of all faiths and ethnicities. It is crucial
that we celebrate that contribution. That is why the Government
are very supportive of having a Jewish history month—a brilliant
idea put forward in this debate by my hon. Friend the Member for
Cities of London and Westminster (). I congratulate her on
securing this important debate, because British Jews have played
a vital role in shaping the life of our country, stretching back
more than 2,000 years and producing, as so many colleagues have
outlined, leading talents in the arts, law, philosophy, medicine,
the media, finance, the charity sector, retail and wrestling.
From Peter George Davis, the founder of the Special Boat Service,
to Jack Cohen, the founder of Tesco, as my hon. Friend the Member
for Cities of London and Westminster already outlined; and from
Ludwig Guttmann, the founder of the Paralympics, to some of our
greatest artists, such as Lucian Freud, and poets, such as
Siegfried Sassoon, British Jews have made an outstanding
contribution to British public life. They have also done so from
all sides of this House, as was outlined by the hon. Member for
Leeds North West (), who is no longer in his place,
from our first Prime Minister of Jewish heritage, Benjamin
Disraeli, in the 19th century, to the iron Chancellor Nigel
Lawson, to the Liberal leader Herbert Samuel, and to celebrated
Labour figures, such as and Manny Shinwell, as was
mentioned.
The creation of a designated Jewish history month would give us
an opportunity as a nation to celebrate this history and the
vibrancy of Jewish culture, traditions, values and the importance
of the Jewish community to the fabric of our society today. That
could not be more important given the events of the past few
weeks. As my hon. Friend the Member for Cities of London and
Westminster said herself, we must remind ourselves of the huge
contribution that British citizens within the Jewish faith have
made for the benefit of us all, and a designated history month
would be a huge step towards that.
This is about celebrating Jewish history and culture, as well
as—the hon. Member for Strangford (), who is no longer in his place, said this—an
opportunity to foster greater community unity and cohesion
through inter-faith dialogue and understanding at a time of
growing division. I know that is something we would very much all
welcome. It would of course need to be meaningful and informed by
the wishes of the British Jewish community themselves. If this is
something that the British Jewish community would encourage the
Government to support, we would welcome their thoughts on this
motion, as we welcome the thoughts of all right hon. and hon.
Members across the House and anyone else inspired to take up this
important cause.
I want to spend a few minutes before I close to talk about some
of the contributions of colleagues today. The hon. Member for
Leeds North East () and my hon. Friend the
Member for Worthing West ( ) spoke about the history
and importance of the Jewish community and told incredible and—in
at least one instance—shocking stories, which remind us of the
very near-term challenges that this community has faced and the
importance of supporting them.
The hon. Members for North Antrim () and for Strangford reminded us of the contribution
of the British Jewish community in all parts of our Union,
including something I never thought I would hear: the Sinn Féin
rabbi. That demonstrates the absolute contribution in so many
different ways and with so many different opinions over many
decades and centuries. My hon. Friend the Member for Brigg and
Goole () made a hugely important point
about the importance of the British Jewish community to our
public life and our military life.
As the Minister has a little bit of time, because of the time
limit, I did not get a chance to mention some of the East
Yorkshire Jewish sons who fell in world war one. I would like to
memorialise their names, if he will give me a moment: James
Aaron, Isaac Reuben, Barnett Rubinstein, Bernard Shalgosky,
Soloman Sole, John Stone, David Gordon and Harry Furman. All fell
defending liberty.
My hon. Friend outlines another example of the hugely important
contribution the British Jewish community have made to our
freedom over so many decades.
The hon. Member for Edinburgh West () made a hugely important
point about how the vast contribution made is often not obvious.
Like the challenges she may have had in her home city, I had
challenges linking it to my home constituency where I grew up—it
has a very small Jewish community. Having looked at some of the
history from Derbyshire, it was heartening to hear that, just 20
years ago, when a small group of people from Derby at the other
side of the county found in the archives that the citizens of
Derby had paid an amount of money in the 12th century to stop
British Jews from living there, they compensated the British
Jewish community by the equivalent amount in 2002 so that the
edict could be removed. Such acts of kindness and recognition
show that what has been called a challenging history can be
acknowledged and worked through, even in places where there are
not large Jewish populations, such as Derbyshire.
My right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Northampton North
(Sir ) made the important point
that those who forget history are condemned to repeat it. We
heard from my hon. Friend the Member for West Bromwich East
(), who does so much on this
hugely important subject and who was the genesis of the important
debate we had on Tuesday. I know that she and Lord Austin from
the other place were keen to acknowledge a gentleman who is in
the Public Gallery today—Peter Madeley—a former reporter in the
west midlands who has done so much over so many years to report
on important issues for the Jewish community.
The hon. Member for Warrington North (), as I have already
mentioned, gave us some very interesting references to the
wrestling community, and pointed out the hugely important
history, culture and contribution to Britain from the Jewish
community and how deep and broad that contribution is. My hon.
Friend the Member for Buckingham () made a hugely important point
about the challenges that the community currently face. My hon.
Friend the Member for Aberconwy () spoke about the importance
of shared heritage and the ability to reconcile that in a way
that works for everybody, irrespective of faith, culture,
ethnicity or background.
Finally, I come to my hon. Friend the Member for Cities of London
and Westminster. We began our electoral journey together in the
same place in Westminster in 2006. I had the privilege of
representing a historically very Jewish area of Maida Vale, known
in the 1880s as “New Jerusalem”, which contains the Spanish &
Portuguese Synagogue, and we both had the privilege of serving
alongside such luminaries as Sir Simon Milton, Melvyn Caplan,
Daniel Astaire and the former Lord Mayor of Westminster,
Councillor Louise Hyams, who is also in the Public Gallery.
I am incredibly grateful to my hon. Friend for securing this
debate. It has been a privilege to be here and to hear about the
contributions the Jewish community have made to our country over
so many years, decades and centuries. This Government are wholly
committed to honouring, celebrating and safeguarding the security
of our Jewish communities. That is a commitment that I know
everybody shares, wherever they sit in this place, a commitment
that we must work together to uphold and a commitment that is
demonstrated by our support for the debate today.
Mr Deputy Speaker ( )
It has been a privilege and honour for me to chair this debate
today.
4.56pm
I thank everybody across the Chamber for taking part in what I
think is a timely and important debate. I thank the Board of
Deputies of British Jews, who have been very helpful to me and my
team on the research for my speech. I also thank the Jewish
Chronicle for providing me with my first-ever front-page lead
story this week, and the Jewish News, which has a triple-page
spread on the merits of a British Jewish history month. I hope
that they will continue to support our campaign to bring this
important month to fruition.
As we have a little bit of time, and as my hon. Friend has
started thanking everybody, may I also place on record my thanks
to the Hull History Centre, which has incredible resources
available on the history of the Jewish community in Hull and
helped me prepare some of my words for the debate?
It was a pleasure to allow that intervention.
It is absolutely right that we continue to educate ourselves and
future generations on antisemitism and the holocaust, and we will
be marking the holocaust later this month, but it is equally
important—or perhaps more important—that we highlight and
celebrate the achievements and contributions of the Jewish
community. The Jewish story in Britain is a positive and a
negative one. It is a history of human suffering, of human
perseverance and of human strength. Now more than ever, it is
important that British Jews know that their incredible
contribution to this country is valued and that the history of
antisemitism is understood.
I take this opportunity to thank the very special rabbi in my
constituency, Rabbi Daniel Epstein of Western Marble Arch
Synagogue; I am sure he is not impressed by my Hebrew in this
debate, but he provided me with the text from the Torah that I
repeated in my speech. The Jewish community in the Cities of
London and Westminster and across the nation is very important to
me and has been very supportive of me, and has led me to believe
that it is now more important than ever that we have a British
Jewish history month.
I look forward to working with this Government, who I believe are
very positive towards the suggestion, and with Jewish community
to make the proposal a reality. We must celebrate the British
Jewish community and we must have a British Jewish history
month.
Mr Deputy Speaker ( )
I have been an MP for 31 years, and it was not until one of my
researchers asked for time off because there was a Jewish
holiday, and then the other one asked for time off for the Jewish
holiday, and then the third one came to ask, that I appreciated
that all my members of staff were Jewish. I am incredibly
grateful for the contribution that they have made to my office
personally. Yet again, this debate demonstrates how good the
House is when it comes together.
Question put and agreed to.
Resolved,
That this House calls for the creation of a British Jewish
History Month.
