Then a missing segment was released. In it, Corbyn gives the clearest explanation yet of how he sees the British Jewish community.
The “progressive Jewish element in Britain…opposed [the Balfour Declaration] on the basis that it would only bring problems for a lot of Jewish people,” he explained. Indeed, the progressive leadership in London was “actually Jewish trade unionists and Jewish people in the East End of London.” So far, so good!
But then something bad happened.
“It was Zionism that rose up, and Zionism that drove them [i.e. the Jews] into this sort of ludicrous position they have at the present time.” He then says, “for example,” and leads into the anecdote about the “thankfully silent Zionists” who “don’t understand English irony.”
This shows, beyond any reasonable doubt, that Corbyn was telling a story about British Jews, not just “Zionists.” That they used to be good comrades, when they were poor socialists, but then Zionism rose up and “drove them” to somewhere else.
Corbyn’s views on Zionism and Jews are best understood in the context of Marxist revolutionary history.The Soviets initially supported Zionism. However, that changed in 1967 when the official position became virulent anti-Zionism, tinged with anti-Semitism. Zionism was chauvinistic, racist and anti-Soviet, a front for neo-colonialism and supported by international Jewish power.
I am not convinced that Corbyn subscribes to the more extreme version – but it is helpful in understanding his views. He has spent a lifetime only speaking to those who share his worldview, which unfortunately means he has little access to or interest in competing narratives.This is a huge problem for the British Jewish community as whilst our grandparents may have been “good Jews,” we, apparently, are not.
Jeremy Corbyn’s ‘good Jews’ are mostly dead | Opinion
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