No Yvette Cooper, I will not clap for you

Yesterday, I joined over 3,500 people in Victoria Tower Gardens outside Parliament to commemorate Yom Hashoah and 80 years since the liberation of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. 

I had the honour of listening to Holocaust survivors such as Susan Pollack who spoke about the moment a British soldier gently picked up her limp body during the liberation of the camp, too weak to stand up herself. In his testimonial, 100-year-old veteran Mervyn Kersh spoke about his experiences as a British Jew in the army at the gates of Bergen-Belsen as he helped to liberate it. 

One person who stood out amongst the speakers was Home Secretary Yvette Cooper. In his speech, President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews Phil Rosenberg thanked Yvette Cooper for ‘standing for our community not just with words but with actions’, to which some of the crowd applauded. However, myself and others around me refused to clap. 

In her carefully worded speech, the Home Secretary spoke of the role of British forces in liberating Bergen-Belsen 80 years ago, reminding us of what Britain did to fight against persecution and prejudice. I couldn’t help but wonder if she could see the glaring difference in how Britain is acting today against the same persecution and prejudice. In her next line, she spoke about how today antisemitism has remained ‘stubbornly present’ in our society, particularly following the October 7^th terrorist attack, and that ‘we will not stand for it, antisemitism has no place in our nation’. The applause lessened after that, the crowd surely feeling as frustrated with her as I did at the emptiness of her words. 

I appreciate the significance of this government allowing our Yom Hashoah event to be held by Parliament and all the logistics, security and money that is behind that privilege, but I refuse to lower the bar so much that I’m applauding someone who is only now recommending legislation to try to divert the pro-Palestinian marches away from Jewish places of worship. Marches where blatant antisemitism and glorification of terrorism is rife. Marches that have plagued our streets and terrorised British Jews for over 18 months. Marches where people are free to chant for intifada and violent resistance without consequence, yet people who correctly point out that Hamas are terrorists are arrested. Her actions, and the actions of the Metropolitan Police, are simply not enough.

Last weekend, a pro-Palestinian march was allowed to pass through a remote Jewish area in Essex. A march intended to intimidate Jewish people as they went to pray during the final days of Pesach. A march in close proximity to shuls and Jewish communities; something we’ve been told should not be allowed to happen. The fact that this march, and many others, have been permitted to run through Jewish areas is because of the cowardly government and the Metropolitan Police. So no Yvette Cooper, I will not clap for you. 

This week at music festival Coachella, a talentless Northern Irish band used the stage to accuse Israel of genocide, whilst simultaneously chanting the genocidal chant ‘from the river to the sea’ for the festival goers to repeat, apparently unaware or unbothered that 1,200 festival goers just like them were murdered on October 7^th by the terrorists this band so love to support. The same band was filmed last year at Kentish Town Forum saying ‘up Hamas, up Hezbollah’; a clear support of terrorism which is a criminal offense in this country. The fact that this band feels emboldened to support terrorism so openly is because of the cowardly government and the Metropolitan Police. So no Yvette Cooper, I will not clap for you. 

This month we witnessed an outrageous lawsuit from a British law firm who are suing the government on behalf of Hamas terrorists. They argue that Hamas poses no threat to Britain. I think the families of the British citizens that Hamas brutally kidnapped and murdered on October 7th might disagree. The fact that these lawyers have the chutzpah to publicly represent terrorists is because of the cowardly government and the Metropolitan Police. So no Yvette Cooper, I will not clap for you. 

I’ve had enough of false promises and empty words. “Urgent inquiries” mean nothing. Apologies after the fact are useless. 

In his closing words last night, veteran and liberator Mervyn Kersh told the crowd that when Oswald Mosley rallied his fascists against the Jewish people in Britain, the police did nothing. Instead, the Jews themselves formed the 43 Group to overthrow Mosley and defeat his evil ideology. Mervyn finished by reminding the crowd that ‘this country has had marches here every week, the marches are anti-Jewish and anyone who says differently is wrong’. I hope that Yvette Cooper stuck around after her speech to hear him say what we were thinking. Never again is now, and just like with Mosley, the government and police are not doing enough to stop the inevitable.

Yvette Cooper, it’s time for you to act. Prevent brazen antisemites and terrorist supporters from taking over our streets every week, chanting for genocide and intifada. Charge the Irish band under the Terrorism Act. Charge the lawyers representing Hamas under the terrorism act. Send a message that antisemitism and supporting terrorism has consequences, otherwise they will see through your empty words like we do and they’ll feel even more emboldened to attack us. The responsibility of our safety lies with you, and when these terrorists and their British supporters take their hatred of us to the next level, our blood will be on your hands.