Jews Breathe Heavy Sigh of Relief After Corbyn's Devastating UK Labour Loss

Emily Jones
12-13-2019

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JERUSALEM, Israel – Jews across the United Kingdom and the world are saying "Baruch Hashem" (Thank God) Friday after voters dealt a lethal blow to Jeremy Corbyn's far-left Labour Party.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party won a stunning majority over Labour - winning at least 358 seats - 155 more than Labour's 203 seats.

Labour's loss was so severe, Corbyn announced Friday morning that he is resigning from his position as leader of the party  for a time of "reflection."

Corbyn's Anti-Semitism

Labour has been riddled with repeated accusations of blatant anti-Semitism from some of its top leaders - including Corbyn himself. The party is currently under investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission "about allegations of antisemitism" and many Jews say Jew-hatred has proliferated at alarming rates under Corbyn's leadership. 

Corbyn said in a 2009 speech that the Hamas terror group is a "force for peace and social justice" and condemned Britain for making a "big historical mistake" by designating Hamas as a terrorist organization. 

Corbyn campaigned for the release of Jawad Botmeh and Samar Alami, two men convicted for their role in the car bombing of the Israeli embassy and a Jewish charity in the UK. 

In 2014, he was accused of being present at a wreath-laying ceremony that honored terrorists linked to those who murdered eleven Israeli athletes at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. Corbyn denied these reports despite photographic evidence and said he was there to commemorate those who died in the 1985 bombing by Israel of the PLO organization in Tunisia.

Corbyn apologized in 2010 for hosting an event on Holocaust Memorial Day titled "Never Again For Anyone, From Auschwitz to Gaza." During the event, speakers compared Israel to the Nazi regime.

Just last year, the leader was forced to apologize for publicly endorsing anti-Semitic art.

After Thursday's election, Sky News political correspondent Lewis Goodall tweeted reaction from Labour Party sources, who blamed the devastating loss on Corbyn's "antisemitism"

Several high profile figures in the party, including Ken Livingstone and Chris Williamson, were suspended for anti-Semitism and Louise Ellman resigned in October because she said anti-Semitism has "become mainstream in the Labour Party."

"Jewish members have been bullied, abused and driven out. Anti-Semites have felt comfortable and vile conspiracy theories have been propagated…The Labour Party is no longer a safe place for Jews," she wrote in her resignation letter.

Jewish Reaction

Now that Labour is defeated and Corbyn is out of the party, many UK Jews feel more hopeful about their future.

"Predicted worst Labour defeat in election history," tweeted Michael Dickson, Executive Director of StandWithUs Israel. "Corbyn should not have received a single vote but his name will now hopefully live in election infamy. Let's hope the exit poll is the final result. Britain's Jews will respond with 2 words: Baruch Hashem. (Thank God)"

Julie Lenarz from AJC Global Europe said she cried when she learned Corbyn would not lead the UK.

"Here I am sitting in my Paris hotel room crying tears of relief - this has been a brutal, morally exhausting campaign. Corbyn's Army of Hate defeated, crushed, humiliated. But the fight isn't over. We mean it when we say "never again". Thank you everyone who stood with us."

Pro-Israel activist David Collier thanked UK voters for sending a resounding message to the Labour Party.

"Dear UK voters Thank you so much for putting the party of Jew-hating, terrorist-supporting, Marxists in their place. Warmest regards British Jews," he tweeted

Non-Jews also joined the chorus of those celebrating Corbyn's defeat, but a UK-based Muslim Twitter user named Wasiq warned Jews that anti-Semitism has not left Europe simply because the Labour Party lost.

"A lot of my Jewish brothers and sisters are rightly feeling safer now that the #exitpoll has come out. But I remind them, antisemitism didn't start and will not end with Corbyn, it was just emboldened by him. The fight against it goes on and I will always stand with you."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Boris Johnson, and Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein said the election was "a glorious defeat" for "haters of Israel."

Conservative UK politician Michael Gove sent a special message to the UK's Jewish population after the election.

"You have had to live in fear for months now concerns we will have a prime minister who trafficked in anti-Jewish rhetoric and embraced anti-Jewish terrorists. You should never have to live in fear again," he said.

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About The Author

Emily
Jones

Emily Jones is a multi-media journalist for CBN News in Jerusalem. Before she moved to the Middle East in 2019, she spent years regularly traveling to the region to study the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, meet with government officials, and raise awareness about Christian persecution. During her college years, Emily served as president of Regent University's Christians United for Israel chapter and spoke alongside world leaders at numerous conferences and events. She is an active member of the Philos Project, an organization that seeks to promote positive Christian engagement with the Middle
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