British Prime Minister Boris Johnson marked the start of Hanukkah with a video message unequivocally condemning antisemitism and emphasizing the importance of the British Jewish population. In the video, Prime Minister Johnson declared that “Britain would not be Britain without its Jewish community" and encouraged Jews to celebrate their “unique identity” and to tell the world that they are proud of their Jewish identity.
Prime Minister Johnson acknowledged that “recent years have not been easy ones for British Jews,’’ as antisemites “have been emboldened to crawl out from under their rocks and begin once again to spread their brand of noxious hatred far and wide,” but ended his message reassuring his Jewish citizens that they are not alone in their fight against antisemitism, and that “every decent person in this country” is fighting by their side.
Johnson’s message comes shortly after he pledged last week to introduce legislation to undermine the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. Outlining his government’s priorities at the House of Commons, Prime Minister Johnson said his government would work to stop public bodies from developing “their own pseudo-foreign policy, against a country which with nauseating frequency turns out to be Israel.” If Johnson’s legislation passes, the new law would supplant current local law and prevent local councils from imposing boycotts, as well as ban universities from organizing BDS campaigns against any country.
Following Prime Minister Johnson’s election as prime minister in July, World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder noted that “The Jewish community is an integral pillar of British society, and the United Kingdom has long proven itself to be a haven for Jews seeking refuge from growing antisemitism in other parts of the world. The WJC and I have no doubt that this historic legacy will continue under the leadership of [Prime Minister Johnson].”
