Cases This Week of Many British Jews and a Few Budding U.S. Rabbis Internalizing Antisemitism Canards
#1321 May 10, 2026
Last week I quoted JNS’ Jonathan Tobin warning that many Jews “have internalized some of the most unfortunate tropes of traditional antisemitism.” Here this very next week are cases of many British Jews and a small group of JTS rabbinical students doing just that.
Cases This Week of Many British Jews and a Few Budding U.S. Rabbis Internalizing Antisemitism Canards
The Fracturing of British Jewry
Britain’s Green Party won some impressive victories in local elections this week. Why should local elections in England concern us? Because that party’s current leader, Zack Polanski,
“has from the start made anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian politics a centerpiece of his party’s platform – a reflection of how the war in Gaza has reshaped politics, and a gateway for antisemitism allegations that have engulfed the Greens ahead of the election.”
While he has said that antisemitism is “completely unwelcome” in the Party, some say he “has failed to act strongly enough, and some charge he himself is complicit in inflaming antisemitic sentiment as violence against British Jews surges.” Polanski
“has called to end all arms sales, trade and diplomatic ties with Israel, and decried Starmer for complicity in what he says is ‘the very obvious genocide in Gaza.’ His pro-Palestinian stance has taken center stage in the Green Party’s platform, alongside the environment and affordability.”
Beyond Israel being a major issue in British local elections, two further concerns leap out at us. One is that anti-Israel Green Party leader Polanski is himself a Jew. The other (shades of New York Jews voting Mandami!) is what’s going on with British Jewry. This Times of Israel article, 5/8/26, UK Greens Engulfed in Antisemitism Scandals as Jewish Leader Targets Local Election Gains, sub-headed
“Polanski made anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian politics a centerpiece of his party’s platform, and he and many of his party’s candidates are also alleged to have engaged in antisemitism,”
that I’ve been quoting above ends “the way British Jews see Israel has fractured,” that while “some British Jews” have turned to the pro-Israel Reform Party, “a stronger contingent of disaffected Jewish voters turned to the Green Party, quoting an antisemitism analyst that
“Jews are increasingly divided politically, especially over core issues such as Zionism and Israel.”
Budding Rabbis Call On JTS to Disinvite President Herzog
Meanwhile, back in the U.S., wrote Rita Chat-Klein Thursday on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/232755700235105/posts/3434898340020809/), “a group of incoming Conservative rabbis signed a letter demanding that Israeli President Isaac Herzog be disinvited” as Jewish Theological Seminary’s commencement speaker.
“Their reasoning? They cited his support for Israel’s defensive war, a war backed by virtually the entire Israeli population across the political spectrum after the horrors of October 7th.”
Klein gives multiple reasons (summarized below, see her post for complete text) these students’ disinvitation demand “should deeply disturb anyone who cares about the future of the Jewish people”:
*** If Herzog, pro-“land for peace” and “as ‘Left’ as it gets in the Israeli mainstream” is “too staunch or radical for these soon-to-be rabbis, then they aren’t just out of touch with Israel; they are living on a different planet.”
*** “To be a Rabbi is to be a leader of the Jewish people—and the Jewish people are inextricably tied to Zion….”
*** These students “are signaling a divorce from the Jewish mainstream and the heart of our tradition….”
Klein concludes:
“And where does that leave the Conservative movement if these are its best and brightest? Zionism is supposed to be a core value of the Conservative movement. Will JTS grant Rabbinic diplomas to students undermining its values?”
Bottom Line
In these days of relentless worldwide unjust bashing of Israel, we didn’t need this week more disaffected British Jews turning to the anti-Israel Greens than pro-Israel Reform, or even a small number of budding U.S. rabbis calling on Jewish Theological Seminary to disinvite as its commencement speaker Israeli President Herzog. For all that I deplore his commitment to “the two-state solution” that would turn our people’s Jewish national home into an indefensible, Jewishly meaningless Jewish national ghetto, the President of Israel is the symbol of the State, not of a political party.
What we do need is for us pro-Israel U.S. Jewish grassroots to be proud of our people and its homeland, as President Trump urged us after the Bondi Beach murders, and to actively contest the genocide, apartheid, occupation, settler-colonial, settler violence [in-the-face-of-Pay-For-Slay], et cetera canards.
Emailed comments to #1321:
From Rainer in Germany:
Dear Jerry,
I was aware of the British leftist Greens – bringing in worrying results in some communal elections – being antisemitic or at least strongly anti-Israel – same as those leftist do-gooders Greens are in Germany. But I was dumbfounded to read in your circular that the party head Polanski is a Jew.
In history there have been much spread political affiliations in the Jewish diaspora but since 1948 with that valuable treasure Israel as a safe haven – how can a Jew fight her?! When the time arrives the crocodile will swallow him as a foremost victim – not as the last one in appreciation of his political considerations. In another era and area Stalin became the crocodile. And today there are so many hateful crocodiles in Europe and very much so in Britain working to take over the farm. And then…?
All the best and keep up your great work!
Rainer
from Germany
ME: Thanks, Rainer. This Jew who leads the British Greens says antisemitism is “completely unwelcome” in his party, and in the next breath condemns “the very obvious genocide in Gaza.” What’s very obvious is his craving contribution to welcoming wildfire antisemitism in Britain. For shame!
RAINER: Again great admiration, Jerry, for your precious unwavering work!
As an admirer of Israel and her people’s accomplishments in so many, also non-material ways I h a v e to be with Israel – knowing her quite well from around 40 visits (Germany is much nearer to Israel 🙂 than the US…). And having been around in most Arab and also in too many Muslim countries I am even more certain whom to side with. And nowadays one has a permanent reminder about it as one does not have to travel anymore to find oneself in a Muslim world in Germoney (misprint intentional).
Kind rgds & kol tov from Germany,
Rainer
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From Bob S:
moving backward, sad
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From Stu:
When the Brit Jews feel the need to flee, my vote would be . . . Go somewhere else.
ME: Where’d you suggest, Stu? Europe? New York?
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To Dov:
Thanks for highlighting and forwarding.
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Minka:
tragic world we live in now.
very very tragic.
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