The Labour government’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action was an act of moral clarity. This is no fringe protest group engaging in civil disobedience – it is a movement defined by harassment, criminal damage, and political intimidation. By banning it, Labour has shown a willingness to confront extremism, even at the risk of alienating voters in constituencies it cannot easily afford to lose. It was the right decision – and it took political courage.
It will take more of that courage to win back the trust of British Jews.
A Jewish Chronicle poll conducted before the ban found that 56% of British Jews believe Labour’s actions in government have made the community less secure. The party now trails not only the Conservatives but also Reform UK in Jewish support.
The reasons for this collapse in trust are not hard to identify. For 21 months, Britain’s streets have been dominated by anti-Israel protests – many of which have spilled into open antisemitism. These demonstrations have often taken place near Jewish homes and synagogues, with little concern for the fear and disruption they cause. Labour should have done more to help ensure that Britain’s Jewish community can lead their communal life without constant harassment. Yvette Cooper’s announcement in March that the government would bring in an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill to prevent intimidating protests taking place near places of worship was absolutely the right move. But why was such a common-sense policy not adopted much earlier?
Despite clear campaign promises, the government has still not proscribed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – even as it threatens British citizens on UK soil and targets Jewish communities specifically.
At the same time, Labour ministers and MPs have too often joined in sweeping, hyperbolic condemnations of Israel, echoing unverified claims – often disseminated originally by Hamas. The government’s decision to halt some arms sales to Israel has angered 72% of British Jews. The same proportion believe Labour is too afraid of losing Muslim votes to pursue a balanced and principled foreign policy.
And yet, something has shifted. The move to proscribe Palestine Action – even if triggered more by an attack on an RAF base rather than the group’s vandalism of a Jewish-owned shop in Stamford Hill – was a welcome line in the sand. Labour’s unequivocal condemnation of the Glastonbury hate act also showed real backbone.
If this marks a genuine change in direction, Labour may yet begin to repair the damage. But the government must now follow through with more concrete action. That starts with proscribing the IRGC – without further delay or excuse. It must adopt true zero tolerance: not just for antisemitism, but also for the socially acceptable anti-Israel bigotry that so often feeds it.
And it must resist the French folly of recognising a Palestinian state at this moment, particularly while Hamas is still in power. However well-intentioned, such a move would be seized upon by the jihadists as their victory. It would thus risk emboldening the terrorists and strengthening their support. It could thus make peace less likely, and inflame, not defuse, the protests on Britain’s streets. The activists marching through our cities would treat it as a vindication – and march louder.
If Labour is serious about rebuilding its relationship with Britain’s Jews, it must show – in deeds – that it understands both the scale of the threat and the depth of the community’s concerns.
