Britain’s Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis came out strongly against the Labour Party on Monday ahead of next month’s election, expressing fear for the fate of British Jewry should Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn be elected prime minister.
In an article published on The Times website, Mirvis wrote that “just weeks before we go to the polls, the overwhelming majority of British Jews are gripped by anxiety.”
In recent years, he said, concern over the prospect of a Labour government has overshadowed the far-right and jihadist threat in the eyes of British Jews.
“During the past few years, on my travels through the U.K. and further afield, one concern has been expressed to me more than any other. Of course, the threats of the far right and violent jihadism never go away, but the question I am now most frequently asked is: What will become of Jews and Judaism in Britain if the Labour Party forms the next government?” he said.
“This anxiety is justified. Raising concerns about anti-Jewish racism in the context of a general election ranks among the most painful moments I have experienced since taking office,” he said.
“A new poison—sanctioned from the top—has taken root in the Labour Party,” he added.
Last week, a former British Labour MP denounced the party for being “institutionally anti-Semitic” and its leader, Jeremy Corbyn, as unfit to be Britain’s next prime minister.
Joan Ryan left the Labour Party in February, after being a member for more than 40 years, citing its tolerance of a “culture of anti-Jewish racism.”