14 OPINION
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
OPINION
22 JULY 2021 The opinions on this page do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper
Four years on OPINION PIECE BY ROBERT FESTENSTEIN This week The Jewish Weekly is celebrating its 200th edition. In just over four years the paper has grown both online and on paper to become a major contributor to UK Jewish journalism. Those four years have seen some very significant changes in Israel, including the move of the US Embassy to Jerusalem and the formalisation of relations with the UAE and other Arab states. Most of us will remember the harbingers of doom claiming that the US moving their embassy to Jerusalem would bring the peace process to a grinding halt. Apparently also, reaching peace accords with Arab states was a betrayal of the Palestinian people. Those crying ‘betrayal’ were a lot less shrill in explaining how the stalled peace process might be restarted; they were quick to criticise yet remarkably slow in promoting a positive way forward. This ‘no’ attitude has, over the last 4 years become much more vocal. The idea of mutual respect of opposing ideas has been
replaced by the demand that only one idea be heard, that of the social media fascists who hunt in packs and seek to destroy the careers of those who dare to disagree with them. Sadly this is being seen in the Jewish community. Anyone who does not dance to the latest ‘woke tune’ is immediately suspect and excluded from discussion and refused entry to social groups or events. This is a very sinister move. The idea that if enough people get together they can stifle any debate is abhorrent, irrespective how much they might yell about democracy and human rights. In order for a proper consensus to arise, there has to be a wide range of ideas, not just trendy far left mantras which bear little relevance to day to day living. Over the last 4 years the community has become increasingly divided, across many
lines, not only those emanating from social media. So what is the answer to our increasingly fractured society? How has this animosity increased so much over the last four years? The answer is complicated, though availability of time has a lot to do with it. We all have so little time now. By the time we get to our thirties and forties, there is just no time. Work and children suck all the time out of the day leaving communal organisations being run by those under 30 or over 60. The older generation understand the importance of communication and debate. Those under 30 have no such understanding. Their aim is to press home their ideas and rubbish everything else. What the last four years has shown is that this intransigence is getting worse. It is time to stand up to these people who shut down
We need to push back against the far-left bullies so that come edition 400 of The Jewish Weekly the divisions will not be so pronounced and there is a more balanced range of ideas and groups in UK Jewry.
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debate and lie about their opponents. It is time to try and reach those from the centre and centre-right and involve them in Jewish activities and organisations. In order for the Jewish organisations to be relevant they must be broad based and not just run on a far-left agenda imposed upon them by those same shrill voices who hate any ideas not exactly the same as their own. We need to push back against the far-left bullies so that come edition 400 of The Jewish Weekly the divisions will not be so pronounced and there is a more balanced range of ideas and groups in UK Jewry. This will not be easy, though it will certainly be worth the effort since otherwise the divisiveness will just get worse and we will no longer be one community, just a series of groups yelling at each other all convinced they are the only ones who are right. Robert Festenstein is a practising solicitor and has been the principal of his Salford based firm for over 20 years. He has fought BDS motions to the Court of Appeal and is President of the Zionist Central Council in Manchester which serves to protect and defend the democratic State of Israel.
