Labour’s dark secrets exposed by the light of truth

As Britain’s Labour leader continues to face fire over anti-Semitism claims, I am reminded of the words of Jesus that what is said in the dark will be exposed to the light.

The light of truth has exposed the dark underbelly of Labour leadership, and it is surely time for serious questions about whether Jeremy Corbyn is fit for office.

The latest row has the Opposition Leader defending his decision to celebrate Passover with a controversial far-left Jewish group called ‘Jewdas’, which, at its 2017 seder, included a prayer asking God to “smash the state of Israel” and “burn down Parliament”.¹

This after Corbyn landed in hot water for his historic defence of an artist who painted a mural showing ‘hook-nosed’ bankers and businessmen sitting around a Monopoly board counting money.²

As the Tower Hamlets mayor rightly said at the time, the images “perpetuate anti-Semitic propaganda about conspiratorial Jewish domination of financial and political institutions”.

Mr Corbyn expressed regret that he did not look more closely at the image, “the contents of which are deeply disturbing and anti-Semitic,” he said.

Skeletons in the Cupboard

The fact that the string of allegations which have now come to light are historic as well as current just goes to prove how the past can come back to haunt us, as it often will for those with skeletons in their cupboard.

But there is a way of escape, and that is to make a clean breast of it all, to repent of past wrongs and put them right. After all, Jesus died for our sins, which is what we have been remembering over the last week!

In this respect, Mr Corbyn’s stated intention to meet with Jewish leaders to discuss the issue is to be commended.

It is surely time for serious questions about whether Jeremy Corbyn is fit for office.

With his reputation reeling, he has been forced to issue multiple statements and has MPs from his own party lining up against him. In addition, members of the Jewish community have taken to the streets in force, claiming “enough is enough”.

Calling on his party to get their act together, Labour MP John Mann asked: “What kind of Labour Party is this?”³ With 300+ allegations of anti-Semitism since 2015, numerous high-profile suspensions and resignations including discipline chief Christine Shawcroft, the issue is beginning to look like a cancer riddling the party’s entire body.

Owen Humphreys/PA Wire/PA Images

Indeed, Mr Corbyn and some of his colleagues are bringing a curse on the party from which it is unlikely to recover unless drastic repentance is forthcoming. For the Bible is absolutely clear in promising blessing to those who bless Israel, and cursing to those who don’t (Gen 12:3; Num 24:9).

Social Media Complicity

The latest furore comes just weeks after revelations that Mr Corbyn was part of several secret Facebook groups trafficking Jewish conspiracy theories, Holocaust denial and the like. One allegedly showed Corbyn participating “right up until his first weeks as leader of the Labour Party”, according to the UK’s Campaign Against Anti-Semitism, and another he only quit after his membership was exposed last month.

The Labour leader deleted his personal Facebook account over the weekend.

In turn, a number of Corbyn-supporting Facebook groups spreading anti-Semitic hate have now been reported to the police by a group of 11 Jewish peers, including Lord Alan Sugar.⁴ Whatever the Labour leader’s personal views, it is clear that he is a rallying point for anti-Semites around the country.

Too Close for Comfort

As I’ve said before, these shameful reports serve to emphasise all the more strongly how the squabbling Tories urgently need to get their own act together and line up squarely behind Prime Minister Theresa May. Or else, never mind Brexit – hard, soft, or none at all – Britain could find themselves undoing all the sacrifices made in two world wars by allowing something too close to Nazism for comfort to flourish on our own shores.

Corbyn and some of his colleagues are bringing a curse on the party from which it is unlikely to recover unless drastic repentance is forthcoming.

Labour’s hard-left leader has already come dangerously close to power despite negative press coverage linked with anti-Semitism such as his reference to terror groups Hamas and Hezbollah as ‘friends’.

What is Hidden Will Be Made Known

In light of the dark shadow of a possible war looming in the Middle East, there is surely an urgent need to hone and clarify our relationship with the Jewish state. We need to get used to the idea that Europe is not our future. But a strong relationship with Israel and the United States would most definitely be in our interest – certainly promising hope and blessing.

Speaking of Israel, the Prophet Isaiah warns: “For the nation or kingdom that will not serve you will perish; it will be utterly ruined” (Isa 60:12).

Battered and bruised by social disintegration as values based on our Judeo-Christian legacy are recklessly jettisoned, Britain could sure do with some blessing rather than the curse that would inevitably follow lack of comfort for the people who gave us the Bible, Jesus and indeed Western civilisation itself.

It’s time for our politicians to guard their words, say what they mean and mean what they say. Jesus was specifically warning against hypocrisy when he said: “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the housetops” (Luke 12:2f).

References

1 Corbyn criticised for attending Passover seder of group that prayed for Israel’s destruction. CUFI, 3 April 2018.

2 Daily Mail, 23 March 2018. 

3 BBC News, 27 March 2018.

4 Jewish News, 5 April 2018.

Party investigates shocking claims that Corbyn contributed to vile anti-Semitic group

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is under fire over yet more allegations of anti-Semitism.

Screenshots obtained by the UK’s Campaign Against Anti-Semitism (CAA) reportedly cite historic involvement of Mr Corbyn and other party members – as well as a BBC reporter – in a secret Facebook group trafficking Jewish conspiracy theories, Holocaust denial and the like.¹

They allegedly show Corbyn participating “right up until his first weeks as leader of the Labour Party”, the CAA claimed.

Labour are said to be investigating the allegations, which include group discussions on conspiracies about Israeli involvement in the 9/11 terror attacks on New York and members using terms such as ‘JewNazi’ along with a comment that “[I] am reading Mein Kampf [by Adolf Hitler]…everybody should be forced to read it, especially Jews who have their own agenda as to why they were not liked,” the Jewish Press reported.

During last year’s snap General Election, some sections of the media accused Christian candidates of being “not fit for office” because of their traditional views on sexual ethics and the unborn.

Well, if Mr Corbyn and his colleagues were indeed members of this odious group, they too are surely not fit for office – certainly not that of Leader of Her Majesty’s Opposition!

Too Close to Nazism for Comfort

This latest shocking revelation only serves to emphasise how the squabbling Tories urgently need to get their act together. Or else, never mind Brexit – hard, soft, or none at all – Britain could find themselves undoing all the sacrifices made in two world wars by allowing something too close to Nazism for comfort to flourish on our own shores.

There’s no doubt that many have become hypnotised by the inexplicable magnetism of Labour’s hard left leader, who has already come dangerously close to power despite negative press coverage linked with anti-Semitism - such as his reference to terror groups Hamas and Hezbollah as ‘friends’.

If Mr Corbyn and his colleagues were indeed members of this odious group, they are surely not fit for office.

London Mayor Ken Livingstone was handed a year’s ban from the party last April, which has now been extended indefinitely, after claiming Hitler supported Zionism before he went ‘mad’.

Ken Livingstone, under extended suspension from Labour for his anti-Semitic remarks.The new claims emerged only days after a separate row over anti-Semitism begged yet more questions of the Labour Party. These revolve around tweets by a key Corbyn aide that Israel was guilty of ‘genocide’.² Joss MacDonald, a Labour Party speech writer, has also branded Israel an ‘apartheid’ state, arguing that people excuse its behaviour “because of the Holocaust”, according to a tweet he posted in the aftermath of the 2014 conflict with Gaza.³

And yet, ironically, Labour is also currently under fire for receiving £540,000 from Formula One tycoon Max Mosley who is said to have done much to keep apartheid South Africa on the world motor-racing circuit at the time of the global sporting ban on the then white-led nation.⁴

Tory MP Andrew Percy, who is Jewish, said MacDonald’s “disgusting slur” (accusing Israel of genocide) shows yet again that Labour have “a systematic problem with anti-Semitic racism”. And there is an urgent need for that problem to be addressed, he added.

Danger of Distraction

As I’ve already intimated in earlier articles, British politicians are once again in danger of being side-tracked by issues – including Brexit – that blur our focus on the bigger picture.

In God’s eyes, according to the Bible, Jerusalem is the very centre of his attention. The prophet Ezekiel records: “This is Jerusalem, which I have set in the centre of the nations, with countries all around her” (Ezek 5:5). Apparently the Hebrew for ‘Zion’ (another name for Jerusalem) suggests something that is ‘marked’. In other words, it is the focus of God’s attention, the most important city on earth. This is why it has been fought over so much through the centuries; it’s centre-stage for the great battle between God and his enemies, and it could all erupt into a global conflict before too long.

Already, there is much talk of a possible war looming between Israel and Iran (along with its Russian-backed proxies Hamas and Hezbollah). In light of such a dark shadow, there is surely an urgent need to hone and clarify our relationship with the Jewish state. We need to get used to the idea that Europe is not our future. But a strong relationship with Israel and the United States would most definitely be in our interest – certainly promising hope and blessing.

In God’s eyes, according to the Bible, Jerusalem is the very centre of his attention. 

Britain, Pick Your Side!

Speaking of Israel, the Prophet Isaiah warns: “For the nation or kingdom that will not serve you will perish; it will be utterly ruined” (Isa 60:12). We can surely take comfort from God’s word, promising blessing to those who bless Israel, and cursing on those who don’t (Gen 12:3; Num 24:9).

I am encouraged to hear that, thanks to the vision of a giant sword being planted in the ground in Parliament Square given to a lady vicar from London’s Notting Hill, plans are in hand to read the Bible (the sword of the Spirit – Ephesians 6:17) outside Parliament each day this year.⁴ We need to get back to the Bible, on which our great country was built.

Battered and bruised by social disintegration as values based on our Judeo-Christian legacy are recklessly jettisoned, Britain could sure do with some blessing rather than the curse that would inevitably follow lack of comfort for the people who gave us the Bible, Jesus and indeed Western civilisation itself.

It’s time to choose whose side we’re on!

Notes

1 World Israel News, 7 March 2018.

2 Carlin, B. Labour is plunged into new anti-Semitism row. The Mail on Sunday, 4 March 2018.

3 Ibid.

4 Daily Mail, 1 March 2018. See also the ‘Truth to Power’ campaign website.

Anti-Semitic ‘bullets’ fly at annual Labour Party conference.

On the day we heard news of the killing of three Israelis by a Palestinian gunman in the West Bank, the UK media was also reporting on anti-Semitic ‘bullets’ being fired at the annual conference of Her Majesty’s official Opposition.

Anti-Israel sentiment has been simmering in Britain’s Labour Party ever since hard-leftist Jeremy Corbyn took over as leader two years ago.

He had earlier promised to deal with it, but little if anything has been done and things got out of hand in Brighton, an otherwise gentle seaside resort designed for rest and refreshment.

One speaker suggested Labour should be free to debate whether the Holocaust had happened.

Amid reports of intimidation of a leading BBC correspondent, activists applauded panellists at a fringe meeting who likened supporters of Israel to Nazis. Delegates even demanded expulsion from the party of the Jewish Labour Movement and Labour Friends of Israel – one speaker suggested Labour should be free to debate whether the Holocaust had happened!¹

Clearly, anti-Semitism is still a big problem in Mr Corbyn’s party more than a year after he pledged to get to grips with the issue. Even the chairman of the parliamentary Labour Party, John Cryer, said he had tweets from party members which made his hair stand on end and were “redolent of the 1930s”.²

‘Natural’ Party for Britain’s Jews

All the more shocking is the fact that, until recently, Labour has been the ‘natural’ party for Britain’s 290,000 Jews – but no longer. So what has happened? Well, it was also once the natural party for Methodists and other non-conformist Christians who had emerged from the awakening of biblical truths following the Reformation sparked by Martin Luther 500 years ago.

After all, Labour was founded on the Christian ethics of men like Keir Hardie who were keen to translate the good neighbourliness and social justice taught by the Gospel into the lives of ordinary working people. Indeed, members still pride themselves on being ‘caring’ individuals, which is one reason, no doubt, why minorities such as the Jewish community felt at home among them. But in reality, the heart and passion of their message has been lost in Marxist dogma and ideology, far removed from the freedom from such ‘slavery’ expressed in the Bible.

Mr Corbyn said he wanted a ‘kinder politics’, but instead we have a bunch of bully-boys replicating the behaviour of the Palestinian Authority.

Put simply, God has been thrown out of the party window. At the same conference two years ago, Mr Corbyn said he wanted a ‘kinder politics’,³ but instead we have a bunch of bully-boys replicating the behaviour of the Palestinian Authority brainwashing their children to hate Jews.

Born into the caring world of Christianity, Labour has brought much good to society – most notably through the National Health Service which became the envy of the world – but has made the disastrous mistake of devouring the hand that has fed it (ideologically speaking). Worst of all, Labour has turned on the nation that brought God to the world, specifically through the Bible and the Jewish Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ!

Ridiculously Misinformed

And in berating Zionists as Nazis, they are ridiculously misinformed. For example, Israeli search-and-rescue teams are helping island communities shattered by the recent hurricanes, and their medics are tending to the wounds of those caught up in the Syrian civil war. In fact, dozens of Syrian civilians have written letters of gratitude to Israel and its defence forces. One 27-year-old Syrian woman wrote: “We thought that Israel was our enemy, but we realized that it’s good to us. I want to thank the hospitals in Israel and the Israeli army for all its help to the…Syrian children.”

A 30-year-old married man wrote: “After seven years of revolution in which we have lost lives and blood, there was nowhere for the wounded Syrians to go and receive treatment. I am grateful to the State of Israel for the help it provided to all the wounded people of Syria.”⁴

Was this how Nazis behaved in World War II?

‘What we are seeing is really dangerous…deeply sinister, nasty and quite frightening.’

Conservative MP Andrew Percy, who has also been a target of anti-Semitism, said of the shenanigans in Brighton: “What we are seeing is really dangerous. There is a cult of personality around Jeremy Corbyn that will not allow any questioning of him or his views. It is deeply sinister, nasty and quite frightening.”⁵

Another Tory MP, Sheryll Murray, had swastikas daubed on her General Election posters earlier this year.

These are the antics that remind us of Nazism, not the perfectly reasonable aspirations of Zionists seeking to secure the world’s only refuge for the Jewish people.

Confusing Ideological Alliance

What we are seeing, in fact, is a somewhat confusing ideological alliance been the Marxist-oriented hard left and the anti-Semitic rhetoric of the far-right Islamists who wish to drive Israel into the sea. Whatever you care to call this mish-mash of dogmas, they reflect long discredited, old-style, totalitarian regimes in which no other view is tolerated outside of what is judged to be politically correct.

This lack of tolerance is becoming endemic on our university campuses and is extremely worrying for the future of our democracy, with a vast swathe of young people very nearly sending Jeremy Corbyn – ‘friend’ of Palestinian terror groups Hamas and Hezbollah – to No. 10 Downing Street.

The God-haters are on the march; they’ve already dismantled the banners of truth and justice that launched the Labour movement.

Is this the kind of Orwellian police state the millennials really want? When will we wake up and smell the coffee?

God Help Us!

The God-haters are on the march; they’ve already dismantled the banners of truth and justice that launched the Labour movement, and decent people across the country sit idly by letting it all happen.

Journalists have joked about the way in which much of our youth have heaped Messiah-like status on Jeremy Corbyn, and even remarked on the fact he has the same initials as Jesus Christ. The trouble is that it’s not funny.

It’s so obvious that we need to restore the place of God in our society. Have we not learnt any lessons from the disastrous experiments of China, the Soviet Union, Venezuela and North Korea? Apparently not, because – in the very English, gentrified surroundings of Brighton, a Soviet-style UK is assembling before our very eyes.

God help us! And I mean, only God can help us!

Notes

1 Daily Mail, 26 September 2017.

2 Ibid.

3 He had urged delegates: “Cut out the personal abuse, cut out the cyber-bullying and especially the misogynistic abuse online and let’s get on with bringing real values back into politics.” BBC News, 29 September 2015.

4 Bridges for Peace, 15 September 2017.

5 Daily Mail, 26 September 2017.

Labour’s revival deserves close attention.

The re-emergence of the British Labour Party as a serious contender for power – following a period when they seemed unelectable under a new leader from the hard Left – is extremely worrying.

Although I recognise a clear resurrection of Marxism here, it is also worryingly comparable to the nightmare scenario of the rise of Nazism in the early 1930s when Hitler was swept to power by an electorate desperate for a restoration of pride and plenty. With the rise of socialist agendas in Britain and in other countries, the subtle agenda of anti-Semitism is once more being carried along by an increasingly angry undercurrent for change.

I am not suggesting Jeremy Corbyn is a new Hitler, but it is difficult not to be reminded of the Nazi era. After all, swathes of young people came out in support of Corbyn – the no-hoper turned celebrity almost overnight – in spite of much negative press coverage, including his evident anti-Semitic sympathies. But as someone has said, “the lesson we learn from history is that we never learn the lesson from history!”

Failure to Tackle Anti-Semitism

The latest victim of the menacing – some would say thuggish – behaviour of those surrounding Mr Corbyn is one of his own MPs, Luciana Berger, a 36-year-old Jewish mum representing a Liverpool constituency.

According to the Daily Mail,¹ she faces the threat of de-selection from party activists unless she apologises for previously criticising her leader. A former member of the Shadow Cabinet who quit her post in protest at Mr Corbyn’s stance, Miss Berger has received vile anti-Semitic abuse including 2,500 hate-filled messages in just three days from internet trolls. These included threats to rape or kill her, while some featured the yellow star used by the Nazis to identify Jews.

Corbyn is a no-hoper turned celebrity almost overnight - despite his evident anti-Semitic sympathies.

Mr Corbyn has faced repeated criticism that he has failed to tackle anti-Semitism in his party. He has personally referred to terror groups Hamas and Hezbollah as ‘friends’ and, in October 2014, travelled to Tunisia to visit the grave of a PLO terrorist linked with the massacre of Jewish athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics.²

But none of this seems to move the rising mass of ‘Corbynistas’, who instead turn out to cheer their man as if he were some kind of pop star. Meanwhile, Labour takes an eight-point lead over the Conservatives – 46 per cent to 38 – according to a YouGov poll for The Times.³

Red Line for Jews

Grassroots group Momentum, evidently responsible for Mr Corbyn’s meteoric rise to prominence, has clearly recruited a sea of red political soldiers waving flags of intolerance at anyone daring to oppose their ideologies.

Isi Leibler, a highly respected Jewish leader and commentator, advises Britain’s Jews to cross this ‘Red Sea’ by packing their bags for Israel. The threat to their well-being and safety may be worse than at any time since 1656, when Jews were invited back to Britain under Cromwell following their expulsion in 1290.

“It is a horrifying prospect that a man who publicly praises Hamas and Hezbollah as his ‘friends’, who attended a ceremony in Tunis commemorating the murderer of Israeli Olympic athletes, was employed by the state-controlled Iranian TV to present programs, and tolerated the proliferation of overt anti-Semitism in his party was so close to being elected Prime Minister,” he wrote.⁴

Jewish leader Isi Leibler is advising British Jews to pack their bags for Israel.

Such huge support “for a primitive Trotskyite whose friends include terrorists…is simply mind-boggling”.

The ‘red line’ has now been crossed for British Jews who are considered pariahs by a substantial proportion of the nation, he added. Anti-Israel rhetoric has reached unprecedented levels both in street demonstrations and at universities, while armed guards are now required at schools, synagogues and other Jewish centres.

By contrast to the 1930s, he said, today’s Jews have a state willing to embrace them where they can enjoy the fruits of the Jewish national renaissance and leave behind the humiliation of anti-Semitism.

Anything Goes

1930s Germany might seem a world away from 21^st Century Britain, but what makes us think we are insured against totalitarianism, dictatorship, chaos and confusion, riots in the streets and even civil war?

We can insure our houses against a variety of risks, but there is no such insurance policy for our nation at this time. We have turned our backs on the Lord of glory – and he has left us to our own devices and dilemmas. We are now paying heavily for not taking out (everlasting) life insurance as we reap the consequences of worshipping the hedonistic idols of atheism, with society breaking down, terror stalking our streets and what we used to regard as ‘sin’ being celebrated and promoted.

In 1930s Germany, few dreamed that this apparently charismatic figure who talked of restoring German pride and was gaining in popularity by the day would, within a dozen years, have sent 50 million people to their deaths in a war that would see the destruction of the nation’s economy along with many of its great cities, and the most appalling crime in history – the murder of six million Jews.

Many believe the Holocaust could never happen again – and some actually believe it never took place at all – because it was wicked beyond belief. But in Britain’s brave new world where anything goes, a party whose leader has obvious anti-Semitic sympathies is now more popular than the newly re-elected Conservative Government of Theresa May, which has had to agree to work with Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party to carry out legislation.

1930s Germany might seem a world away from 21^st Century Britain, but what makes us think we are insured against totalitarianism?

Temporary Troubles

It’s worth recalling that homosexuals were also sent to Nazi death camps. But now, perversely, their lifestyle is held up as something for which we must all be proud – and those who disagree are, like the Jews, also pariahs. Of course both these scenarios are horribly wrong. God loves gay people as much as any of us, but not their lifestyle.

An estimated one million people joined the ‘Gay Pride’ march through London, seen by the BBC as something to lift our spirits in these difficult times blighted by terror and confusion. But the ‘happy’ scene is in fact a tragedy, underscored for me as I watched the TV cameras pan across the parade down Regent Street with the distinctive features of All Souls, Langham Place, in the background.

For many across the world, this church is seen as the very heart and soul of Christian evangelicalism – representing those who believe the Bible is the unchanging word of God for all time; and that it means what it says, and says what it means. But the contrast picked up by the cameras also reminds us that the current state of the union is only temporary, whereas our God is eternal. Comparing people to grass, the Prophet Isaiah wrote: “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever” (Isa 40:8).

And remember: “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Heb 4:13).

Notes

1 Ferguson, K. Labour MP is threatened with deselection by hard-left activists. Daily Mail, 6 July 2017.

2 Jerusalem News Network, 2 June 2017, quoting Jerusalem Post.

3 Joseph, A. Labour take shock poll lead over Conservatives. Daily Mail, 6 July 2017.

4 British Jews: A wake-up call. Jerusalem Post, 13 June 2017.

Acceptable anti-Semitism in Britain today.

In the wake of the Manchester and London Bridge terror attacks, Theresa May has pledged to open a new Commission for Countering Extremism¹ saying, "Enough is enough.”²

The new Commission would do well to look into the organisers of the recent Al-Quds Day rally held on Sunday, 18 June.³

The Jewish Chronicle (23 June 2017) reported that the police are investigating as a possible hate crime the statement by an organiser of the rally, Nazim Ali of the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC), that “Zionists” were responsible for the Grenfell fire. He is also reported to have said, “As we know in Grenfell, many innocents were murdered by Theresa May’s cronies, many of which are supporters of Zionist ideology.”⁴

Anti-Semitism on the Streets

Other choice sayings at the march apparently were, “Zionism is a fascist, evil ideology…Everyone knows that Zionist Israel and Isis are the same…We are all Hezbollah.”⁵ To prove this, the Hezbollah flag with its machine gun logo was waved even by children on the march. Hezbollah Military Wing is a banned terror group⁶ and the police are to investigate whether displaying the flags contravened UK terror laws. The organisers of the march apparently support the political rather than military wing of Hezbollah, even though the distinction has been acknowledged by the Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah to be non-existent.⁷

So, who are these “Zionists” that are being demonised?

Apparently, it is all Jews apart from the ones who reject the state of Israel. The only ‘real Jews’, in their view, are those who attended the march from a tiny fringe group called Neturei Karta (meaning ‘Guardians of the City’⁸) who reject the state of Israel’s right to exist. Since most UK Jews and a large number of Christians support the state of Israel’s right to exist, this logically makes them the hated “Zionists”.

Rewarded at the Ballot Box

Anti-Semitism continues to rise. In addition to overflowing onto our streets, it is being rewarded at the ballot box. Naz Shah, the MP for Bradford West was re-elected, increasing her share of the vote by 10,000 in the election. This was the Labour MP whose anti-Semitic remarks (despite holding a seat on the Home Affairs Committee investigating the rise of anti-Semitism in the UK) caused Ken Livingstone to weigh in on her behalf and pull the plug on his own career, being suspended from the Labour party for bringing it into disrepute with his remarks on Hitler and Israel in a radio interview.⁹

Police are investigating as a possible hate crime the statement by a rally organiser that “Zionists” were responsible for the Grenfell fire.

This led to Shami Chakrabarti’s inquiry into anti-Semitism in the Labour Party, which a recent documentary labelled a whitewash.¹⁰ During the inquiry, Jeremy Corbyn was questioned by Shami Chakrabarti as to why he has called Hamas his “friends” and has apparently called for them to be removed from the UK’s list of banned terror groups.¹¹ This inconvenient interview was omitted from the inquiry’s findings.¹² Shami Chakrabarti subsequently received a peerage.

Naz Shah has softened her stance on Israel. However, in Bradford, the Israel Palestinian question with attendant anti-Semitic rhetoric is central to political discourse. Consequently, when she said Israel had a right to exist during election hustings, an audience member shouted “Jew, Jew, Jew” at her, which the authorities are said to be investigating.^13,14

Usurping Spirit of Anti-Christ

The Labour Party has perhaps not been as forceful as it should have been in dealing with anti-Semitism, because it courts Muslim votes. After all, in Britain there are over 3 million Muslims but fewer than 270,000 Jews.

But it is not only the Labour Party that has anti-Semitic elements. Former Liberal Democrat Leader Tim Farron instigated the barring of former Bradford East MP David Ward from standing for the party in the recent election.¹⁵ The right wing of the Conservative party has also had its anti-Semites, though David Cameron took care to re-position the party away from its “nasty” elements.

This should not surprise us. Anti-Semitism rises because it is the hallmark of the growing spirit of Anti-Christ.

In militant Islam, this jealous, usurping spirit finds its most violent, implacable expression. It is fuelled by an irrational spiritual jealousy that cannot be appeased (Prov 27:4). Only the Holy Spirit can withstand and conquer the spirit of Anti-Christ and in turn counter it with a Godly jealousy that cannot be withstood: “I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion” (Zech 1:14).¹⁶

In militant Islam, the jealous, usurping spirit of Anti-Christ finds its most violent, implacable expression. 

Different Fronts, Same Spirit

Anti-Semitism is also rife among Muslims who would not consider themselves to be extremists and we are tolerating it in political discourse.

Mehmood Naqshbandi, who visits mosques around the country and advises Government and police on Muslim matters, said:

It’s a problem which is endemic in the Muslim community. It’s widespread; it covers generations. It is taken for granted when Muslims are talking to other Muslims, people don’t feel any obligation to hold back from expressing the kind of casual racist views about Jews and about the Jewish community that fits the nasty stereotypes of caricatures of Jewish behaviour, expectations of Jewish conduct and so on. It’s a deep-rooted problem, a problem which is not challenged.¹⁷

Like a hydra, the lawless spirit of Anti-Christ is thrashing violently and emerging on multiple fronts. The enemy is angered by the UK’s impending freedom from the EU bloc and the political, social and ultimately spiritual freedom this could bring. An independent UK need not be constrained by and involved in EU condemnation of Israel. We will not be compelled to send soldiers to fight in an EU army, a force which could be deployed against Israel in future.

Seeing the Bigger Picture

We have won the battle to leave the EU, but the war continues. Yet all who rise up against the Lord and against his Anointed One will ultimately be defeated. Micah 4:11-12:

But now many nations [or gentiles] are gathered against you. They say, ‘Let her be defiled, let our eyes gloat over Zion!’ But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord; they do not understand his plan, that he has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing-floor.

When we oppose God’s people Israel, we fight against the Lord himself, who is the chief of all Zionists and the one who has declared that Zion will be the chief glory of the earth:

Beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth, like the heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city of the Great King. God is in her citadels; he has shown himself to be her fortress. (Ps 48:2-3)

When we oppose God’s people Israel, we fight against the Lord himself, who is the chief of all Zionists.

Zion is precious to the Lord:

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me. (Isa 49:16)

And it is the Lord who has regathered Israel. His ancient promise in Isaiah 61:4 has been fulfilled:

They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.

As for us, we declare:

For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her vindication shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch. (Isa 62:1)

References

1 Peck, T. Theresa May to set up commission for countering extremism. The Independent, 27 May 2017.

2 Rayner, G and Maidment, J. Theresa May says 'enough is enough' in wake of London Bridge terror attack as she confirms General Election will go ahead. The Telegraph, 4 June 2017.

3 See also our previous coverage here.

4 The Jewish Chronicle, 23 June 2017, pp6-7.

5 Ibid.

6 Proscribed Terrorist Organisations. UK Home Office, p10.

7 Ibid.

8 A group of Orthodox Jews, founded Jerusalem in 1938 – see here.

9 See Prophecy Today’s previous coverage of this issue here.

10 Whitewashed by J-TV.

11 Riley-Smith, B. Revealed: Jeremy Corbyn called for Hamas to be removed from banned terror list. The Telegraph, 3 June 2017.

12 Hope, C and Hughes, L. Shami Chakrabarti handed peerage weeks after suppressing Jeremy Corbyn interview from 'whitewash' anti-Semitism report. The Telegraph, 5 August 2016.

13 Murray, D. When did British voters start rewarding anti-Semitism? The Spectator, 11 June 2017.

14 Police probe ‘anti-Semitic’ heckling of Naz Shah for defending Israel’s existence. Jewish News, 3 June 2017.

15 Elgot, J. Tim Farron sacks Lib Dem candidate for 'offensive and antisemitic' remarks. The Guardian, 26 April 2017.

16 See this article from Prophecy Today’s launch issue warning about the rise of antisemitism.

17 Anti-Semitism in the UK: is it growing? BBC Radio 4, 5 March 2015.

A round-up of key resources for concerned Christians.

Christian Institute: General Election Resources

• Briefing on where the main parties stand on issues important to Christians.
  
• Questions to ask MPs.
  
• View your MP’s voting record.

Christian Concern: The Power of the Cross

• Campaign tools including church resources, social media resources, plus plenty of information on Christian freedoms in the UK and how to engage with the election in your area.
  
• View your constituency profile – including voting records for past and present candidates, as well as prospective candidate profiles.

CARE: engaGE2017

• Information on key election issues important to Christians.
  
• Resources for individuals and churches, designed to equip Christians to get involved in the election.

CUFI (Christian United for Israel): A Pledge for Israel

• Contact your prospective MPs and ask them if they are willing to pledge their support for Israel.
  
• See also CUFI’s coverage of Labour’s manifesto commitment to recognising a state of Palestine.
  

Voice for Justice UK

• VfJUK is not party-political but has launched a petition calling on Labour to drop their manifesto commitment to extending abortion ‘rights’ into Northern Ireland. Click here for more information.
  

If you know of any other useful resources, do post them below!

Examining the true spirit behind all the election promises.

The manifestoes are published! The day has arrived! No more leaks. No more fake news or half-truths. The real thing is now here. Each of the main parties has now published its policies for the next five years.

The politicians and their advisers have been poring over the texts, burning the midnight oil, arguing over each point and how to express it to the public. At last agreement has been reached and the results have been printed – there for all to see!

But how many voters will actually read the manifestoes? I decided to investigate what the politicians have actually said. I wanted to get past the big stuff on the NHS and migration; the economy and Brexit. I wanted to get the feel of what lies behind the policies. I wanted to read the small print – the things the politicians and their professional advisers have slipped in to the text – things they probably hope the public won’t really notice – the things they want to get away with undetected.

These are the things that reveal the true spirit behind the political promises that are being poured out this election time.

The Spirit of the Age

Upon closer inspection, all three main party manifestoes are pandering to the spirit of the age, seeking to endorse and extend radically anti-Christian values. Just look at some of the social issues that crop up across all three:-

• Extending sex education to all children
  
• Promoting LGBT+ lifestyles
  
• Tackling hate crime
  
• Enforcing and strengthening equalities law
  
• Promoting humanist values worldwide
  

Let’s look at what the parties have to say on these issues. The following are a few quotes:

Not-so-hidden agendas: Tim Farron makes it clear where the Lib Dems stand on Brexit.

Sex Education

The Conservative Party “will introduce comprehensive relationships and sex education in all primary and secondary schools” (p79).

Labour will “make age appropriate sex and relationship education a compulsory part of the curriculum” (p77). Labour will “ensure that all teachers receive initial and ongoing training on the issues students face and how to address them. We will ensure that the new guidance for relationships and sex education is LGBT inclusive” (p111).

The Liberal Democrats will “include in SRE teaching about sexual consent, LGBT+ relationships, and issues surrounding explicit images and content” (p29).

Promoting LGBT+ Lifestyles

The Labour Party says “A Labour Government will reform the Gender Recognition Act and The Equality Act 2010 to ensure they protect trans-people” (p111).

The Liberal Democrats will “strengthen legal rights and obligations for couples by introducing mixed-sex civil partnerships and extending rights to cohabiting couples” (p72). They will also “extend The Equality Act to all large companies with more than 250 employees, requiring them to monitor and publish data on gender, BAME, and LGBT+ employment levels and pay gaps” (p71).

Tackling Hate Crime

The Conservative Party will “push forward with our plan for tackling hate crime committed on the basis of religion, disability, sexual orientation or transgender identity” (p44).

The Labour Party will “bring the law on LGBT hate crimes into line with hate crimes based on race and faith, by making them aggravated offences” (p111).

The Liberal Democrats will “tackle bullying in schools, including bullying on the basis of gender, sexuality, gender identity or gender expression” (p30).

Enforcing and Strengthening Equalities Law

Theresa May launches the Conservative manifesto, Thursday 18 May.

The Conservative Party will “strengthen the enforcement of equalities law – so that private landlords and businesses who deny people a service on the basis of ethnicity, religion or gender are properly investigated and prosecuted” (p56) (This is a direct threat to Christians).

“A Labour Government will enhance the powers and functions of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, making it truly independent” (p108).

The Liberal Democrats will “extend protection of gender reassignment in Equality Law to explicitly cover gender identity and expression, and streamline and simplify The Gender Recognition Act 2004 to allow individuals to change their legal gender without unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles” (p72).

Promoting Humanist Values Worldwide

The Conservative Party will “continue to champion British values around the globe: freedom, democracy, tolerance and the rule of law” (p38).

The Labour Party commits to “appoint dedicated global ambassadors for women’s rights, LGBT rights and religious freedom to fight discrimination and promote equality globally” (p118). Labour will also “continue to ensure a woman’s right to choose a safe, legal abortion – and we will work with the Assembly to extend that right to women in Northern Ireland” (p109).

British Values?

All of these policies are either expressly anti-biblical or more subtly so – dressed in language that seems to promise good for society. The protections of hate laws and equality legislation, for instance, are difficult to argue against from a Christian standpoint without being labelled hateful or bigoted. However, it is these catch-all policies that are being used to shut down freedom of conscience and speech for Christians, while enforcing the nation to not only accept but also endorse wrongdoing.

All of these policies are either expressly anti-biblical or more subtly so – dressed in language that seems to promise good for society.

Moreover, the Conservatives are the only ones who spell out the values that lie behind all their policy decisions: freedom, democracy, tolerance and the rule of law. They claim these to be British values - and to untrained ears they sound positive - but there has been no national debate upon what constitutes British values, where these concepts have come from and what they are being used to promote.

They certainly are not the values of our forefathers, which were the biblical values of truth, justice, righteousness, faithfulness, integrity and love. These are the values of our Judeo-Christian heritage that former generations embraced and became the foundations of our civilisation. Are we to allow them to be abandoned without even protest?

Aggressive Humanism

All the values underlying the policies put out by all three parties in their manifestoes have come from Darwin, Freud, Marx and other humanists. They are based fundamentally upon evolutionary/secular humanist beliefs, not on Judeo-Christian values. By what right do our politicians champion humanist values “around the globe”, calling them British?

This is the spirit of the age that is driving the political policies being promoted in Britain today – aggressive humanism. Continued unchecked, these policies will undoubtedly bring Christians into conflict with the law in the future. Our freedom of speech risks being curtailed by hate laws and soon we will not even be able to quote parts of the Bible in public worship services. No doubt the day may even come when our home-based Bible study groups will also be under threat.

All the party manifestoes are based fundamentally upon evolutionary/secular humanist beliefs.

We Need the Word of the Lord!

When similar things were happening in Israel the prophets thundered forth the word of God, but today our church leaders are silent. Why do we not hear the word of the Lord declared in our nation?

“This is what the Lord says, cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes…But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream…It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jer 17:5-8)

Storm-force winds are about to break across Britain.

The opening salvo was fired this week with Labour lobbying 170 questions at the Government,¹ all designed to throw stumbling blocks into the path of negotiations to get Britain out of the European Union.

Yesterday the battlefield widened and moved from Westminster to the High Court in London, where businesswoman Gina Miller began her challenge to the Government's right to trigger Article 50 using the Royal Prerogative. This avoids a vote in Parliament, which the Government would probably lose as most MPs voted to remain in the EU. Conservative MP Bernard Jenkin, who is chair of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, said "Treaty matters have always been done by royal prerogative, and Article 50 is a treaty matter".

He added: "Among those involved in the court case are a great many people who want to frustrate the UK from leaving the European Union or maintain a half in, half out solution. I think they want to protract the agony and uncertainty when in fact what business wants is certainty and a clear direction."²

Warnings of Difficulty

Prophetic warnings had already alerted us to expect these manoeuvres from those who want to frustrate Britain's exit from the EU. "Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7). These warnings have come from many prayer groups and ministries around the country. They acknowledge that God guided the Referendum vote on 23 June and that it was inevitable that the enemy would be angry and would do everything possible to obstruct the path of Brexit.

Warnings have already alerted us to expect manoeuvres from those who want to frustrate Britain's exit from the EU.

Businesswoman Gina Miller has launched a legal challenge to the Brexit process.The prophetic words we have been hearing, some of which we have published in recent weeks, warn that this will not be an easy time and there will be many alarms and excursions, especially regarding the economic health of the nation.

But the assurance has always been that as a nation we will come through this and see considerable prosperity in the future, provided we hold onto a steady path and our negotiators seek the ways of righteousness, truth and justice.

Need for Prayer

This is where Christians have a role to play in upholding in prayer all those who are involved in the negotiations. We do not expect all our negotiators, businessmen, lawyers and politicians to be committed Christians - although undoubtedly some will be, and we hope that God will use their words to steer a clear path of truth and to be the most influential. God does not save by numbers – in fact, he loves to use small numbers and those whom the world considers weak.

Paul actually boasted in his weakness; he said "I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Cor 12:10). This may seem a strange statement, but God had made him a promise: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor 12:9).
This is a paradox that only Christians can understand. It means that when we acknowledge our powerlessness and put our trust totally in God, he is then able to take full control and we don't mess things up by trying to do everything in our own strength.

It is particularly important to learn this spiritual lesson at this stage in our nation's history, because God has responded to the prayers of large numbers of his people as well as using the frustrations of many who don't know him to achieve the vote to leave the EU. God is now looking for those who do know him to strengthen the fearful and uphold those who are weak. He says "Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees! Make level paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed" (Heb 12:12-13).

Christians have a role to play in upholding in prayer all those who are involved in the negotiations.

Word AND Spirit

How do we grow in spiritual strength? The prophet Ezekiel was faced with a very difficult task when he was taken to Babylon as one of the captives, but called by God to exercise leadership and strengthen the people.

Figuratively he was told to eat a scroll of the word of the Lord (at least, I think it was figuratively - it may have been a real scroll of the Torah!). He says that it tasted as sweet as honey in his mouth and then God promised "I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them though they are a rebellious house" (Ezek 3:9). In order to minister effectively to his fellow captives from Jerusalem in Babylon, Ezekiel had not only to know the word of God, but to be filled with the power of the Spirit of God.

Many of the prophetic words we have been receiving from Christians in different parts of Britain speak of the great opportunity that is being presented to us at this time to witness to the nation. It is God's intention and desire to bless Britain – indeed, I believe that God wants to use Britain to demonstrate to the world the power and prosperity that comes to those who put their trust in him.

He can only do that through those who understand his purposes; who know his word and are filled with his Spirit. We may not all be directly involved in negotiating the Brexit process – but in taking the opportunities God is providing for witness, in strengthening feeble arms and weak knees and in faithfully interceding for our nation at this important time, we can all play a role. For those who are willing, I believe that God stands ready to equip, strengthen and lead, providing a sure footing at every step.

References

1 The 170 questions were laid out in a letter sent by shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry and shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer to Brexit Secretary David Davis, earlier this week.

2 Clifford, M. Theresa May has no legal power to start Brexit, High Court told. Sky News, 13 October 2016.

Theresa May replaces David Cameron as Prime Minister and forms a new Government - but what will her leadership be like?

It used to be said that "a week is a long time in politics" – now political change is measured by the hour! The incredible changes that have taken place in the past three weeks since the Referendum have left the whole country breathless. The political landscape at Westminster has been turned upside-down. Only Jeremy Corbyn remains unchanged (at the time of writing!)!

It is really sad to see the tumultuous upheavals in the Labour Party at a time when we need to have a strong Opposition in order to make democracy work. Government should always be challenged when proposed legislation is under consideration. A strong and effective Opposition ensures such scrutiny for the good of the whole country. It ensures that we are not being ruled by a one-party system that favours those already in power.

Not Just the Privileged Few

The new Government being set up by Prime Minister Theresa May signals a wholesale change from David Cameron's Government, which was often accused of being a posh boys club. May's inaugural statement on reaching Downing Street said "The Government I lead will be driven not by the interests of the privileged few, but by yours."¹ This was a brave statement for an incoming Tory Prime Minister, and sounded more like the sort of thing that Harold Wilson or Jim Callaghan would have said.

Theresa May's new Government signals a wholesale change from David Cameron's.

In the same speech she had signalled her intention of working for social equality.

That means fighting against the burning injustice that, if you're born poor, you will die on average 9 years earlier than others. If you're black, you're treated more harshly by the criminal justice system than if you're white. If you're a white, working-class boy, you're less likely than anybody else in Britain to go to university.

If you're at a state school, you're less likely to reach the top professions than if you're educated privately. If you're a woman, you will earn less than a man. If you suffer from mental health problems, there's not enough help to hand. If you're young, you'll find it harder than ever before to own your own home.²

It may be that Mrs May has been impacted by the biblical values that she would have heard many times in her childhood from her Anglican clergyman father. Biblical values always favour the poor and powerless because they are based upon the two central values of love and justice that are part of the nature of God. Of course, it's part of our human nature to prefer love to justice, but if we wish to be righteous in the eyes of God we have to embrace both: we cannot have one without the other.

Our new Prime Minister has signalled her concern for those who are not the favoured ones enjoying the fruit of prosperity and good health: those who need assistance to enable them to achieve their full potential and contribute to society. A society that cares for its weaker members in biblical terms is 'a just society'. That is the kind of society that God blesses with peace and prosperity.

Our new PM has signalled her concern for the poor and powerless in our society – has she been influenced by biblical values?

A Transformed Future?

The prophets in the Bible roundly condemned those who misused their power to oppress others and gain personal advantage. Amos berated those who "oppress the righteous and take bribes and deprive the poor of justice in the courts" he said that God would not even listen to their worship or their prayers. "Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never failing stream!" (Amos 5:12, 23-24).

If Theresa May has appointed men and women to her Cabinet who share a commitment to lead Britain out of the entanglement of EU laws and regulations – re-enacting those that are just and righteous, and discarding those that are not – the future for Britain could be totally transformed in the next decade. It could become a land of peace and prosperity in a world of inequality which would be a model for other nations.

The Seeds of Destruction

The new PM comes to power at what keen observers see as the most difficult and threatening time since the days of World War II. The tensions in Europe are growing daily with increasing social unrest in many nations within the European Union, where inequality and poverty are the daily lot of millions and the financial crisis and austerity policies are impacting unfairly upon the poor. Far right parties are vying for power – a recipe for revolution; while the banks in Italy, Portugal, Spain and France are struggling and Deutsche Bank in Germany is heavily exposed to all of them.

May comes to power at what is the most difficult and threatening time since the days of World War II.

You don't have to be a Marxist to see that Marx was right when he said that capitalism contains within itself the seeds of its own destruction – what he didn't say was that those seeds are greed and corruption. America is engulfed in election fever, faced with the choice between a 'corrupt' Democrat and a 'lunatic' Republican (that's how they describe each other!) so the future looks highly uncertain.

Both Europe and America, bastions of Western civilisation, are coming apart at the seams while the Islamic world continues to tear itself apart with increasing violence in the Middle East. Tensions are growing between Russia and the West: and in the Far East China's ambitions to take possession of all the islands in the South China Sea and North Korea's nuclear ambitions pose a very real threat of war.

Everything That Can Be Shaken...

If we add to all this political and social instability the effects of climate change, drought and famine, storms and floods, hurricanes and earthquakes – the only conclusion is that the world is highly unstable and the biblical prophecies are coming true. We are indeed seeing God shaking everything in the world of nature and among the nations. The prophecy of Haggai 2:6-7 is being fulfilled in our lifetime – "This is what the Lord Almighty says: in a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations".

Surely it is time for Christians to seek the Lord to discover why God is shaking everything and what he is saying to his people today. Maybe this is the time when Britain can truly become a nation used by God – a nation founded upon biblical values of love and justice and exercising a powerful influence for good in the highly unstable world that faces us.

Wise word for the week -

"History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely when they have exhausted all the alternatives." – Abba Eban (Israeli diplomat)³

References

1 Statement from the new Prime Minister Theresa May. Prime Minister's Office, 13 July 2016.

2 Ibid.

3 Quoted in The Week, 7 July 2016.

Charles Gardner comments on the controversy.

I was struck with a mysterious sense of déjà vu when, having spent much of the afternoon researching the life and times of Theodor Herzl, inspiration for the Jewish nation, I heard on the news that a red-hot political row had broken out over anti-Semitism.

I had just been witnessing movie scenes¹ of the shocking racist incidents that probably drove Herzl into an early grave as he vowed to do something about it. Yet now, some 120 years after his campaign to establish a Jewish national home got off the ground, anti-Semitism is still rife in Europe's corridors of power.

The Labour Party, Britain's official opposition which has traditionally had the support of most Jews, is reeling from the shockwaves of anti-Jewish feeling expressed by some of its leading figures.

First we heard of the suspension of a Labour MP for having posted anti-Israel comments on social media,² then it was the resignation of an Oxford University Labour group leader sickened by anti-Semitism in its ranks.³ Then we learnt of a young Labour councillor forced to resign after it emerged she had tweeted that Hitler was "the greatest man in history".⁴

And now former London Mayor Ken Livingstone takes to the airwaves to defend a Labour MP suspended on similar grounds.

After claiming Hitler was a Zionist who, in 1932, believed Jews should be moved to Israel, Mr Livingstone invoked a tirade of invective not only from opponents, but from many within his own party including a Nottinghamshire MP, John Mann, who confronted him in the street and called him a "disgusting, lying racist" and "Nazi apologist".⁵

Britain's official opposition is reeling from shockwaves of anti-Jewish feeling expressed by some of its leading figures.

Around 30 Labour MPs, including several Shadow Cabinet members, demanded Mr Livingstone be expelled from the party (he has been suspended) and there was outrage over the decision by Mr Corbyn to issue a public telling off to Mr Mann.

Labour peer Lord Dubs – who escaped the Nazis as a child through Britain's Kindertransport scheme – is "enormously troubled" by the row. "What we need is firm leadership; the leadership has been a bit slow in responding [to anti-Semitism]", he told a British TV news programme. Jewish Labour donor David Abrahams, who has given £650,000 to the party, called for Mr Corbyn to resign, saying a new leader was needed to cut out the 'cancer' of anti-Semitism.⁶

As for Mr Livingstone's claim, historian Andrew Roberts says it's a "grotesque mangling of the historical record", adding: "The idea that Hitler ever wanted a fully-functioning successful Jewish state in Palestine...is ludicrous."⁷

Mr Corbyn, for his part, who has referred to terror groups Hamas and Hezbollah as "friends", denies the party is in crisis.

Godlessness in the Public Square

The chilling aspect of all this is that it is not something taking place in a dark corner. It's in the public square, at the very centre of British politics. And I have a hunch what lies behind it.

The root cause, I believe, is the growing godlessness in the nation, and especially in the Labour Party. What a travesty for a political movement launched by devout Christians like Keir Hardie determined to let their faith make a difference to society by campaigning for a fairer share of wealth (for example). But what motivates them now?

People who are godless hit out at those who are special to God. That's what happened in Hitler's case; it led to mass murder and mayhem, but ended in disaster and defeat for the dictator and his people. As Genesis 12:3 says, those who bless Israel will themselves be blessed - but those who curse Israel will be cursed.

The chilling aspect of all this is that it is not taking place in a dark corner. It's in the public square - at the centre of British politics.

Steven Jaffe, a member of the UK's Jewish Board of Deputies, made this point earlier in the year when he said that the Holocaust had been spawned by godlessness and the rejection of faith. He said the exodus from Egypt was immediately followed by the battle with Amalek, who had no reason to attack Israel. There was no territorial dispute or history of conflict, for example. And they attacked the sick and the elderly – those who were most vulnerable. (Deut 25:17-18)

"The conflict with Amalek is not over", he said. Amalek denied God and his power in the same way the Nazis did, and the latter mirrored their lack of mercy.

Never Again?

The poisonous view that God does not exist naturally leads to godless behaviour and thought. Pledges of never letting another Holocaust occur are not enough, in my opinion; without a recovery of faith in the God of Israel, there can be no guarantee that it won't happen again.

The only safe place to be – in the long term – is in God's hands, doing his work. I challenge the Labour Party to return to its Judeo-Christian roots.

References

1 It is no dream. Moriah Films collection, Simon Wiesenthal Centre.

2 MP Naz Shah suspended from Labour. BBC News, 27 April 2016.

3 Tran, M. Labour opens inquiry into antisemitism allegations at Oxford student club. The Guardian, 17 February 2016.

4 Labour councillor suspended over claims she called Hitler 'the greatest man in history'. The Telegraph, 10 April 2016.

5 Daily Mail, 29 April 2016

6 Ibid.

7 Ibid.