The International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network UK has condemned the hypocrisy of the Board of Deputies of British Jews (BOD) in seeking to lay claim to the radical history of Cable Street. This comes ahead of the 90th anniversary of the historic battle in London’s East End when the local community drove out Oswald Mosley and his fascists.
The BOD has organised a “festival of Jewish culture, history and solidarity” to mark the anniversary. In reality, in 1936, the BOD actively opposed Jews taking any part in the defence of Cable Street and its local communities. The Jewish Chronicle, the ever–reliable mouthpiece of the BOD warned:
Jews are urgently warned to keep away from the route of the Blackshirt march and from their meetings. Jews who, however innocently, become involved in any possible disorders will be actively helping anti-Semitism and Jew-baiting. Unless you want to help the Jew baiters, keep away.
Working-class Jews ignored the BOD, and formed part of more than a hundred thousand anti-fascists. This included local Jews, socialists, communists, anarchists, Somali sailors and Irish dockers. And miners came from as far away as Wales and the North of England.
Together they routed Mosley his thugs and the charging police. It was a hugely significant victory at a time of rising fascism across Europe. Mosley’s British Union of Fascists never recovered.
Not just Cable Street
The BOD is also claiming the radical history of Jews who volunteered to fight in the International Brigades against Franco’s fascists in Spain.
But again, deeply reactionary then as now, the BOD remained silent about the Spanish Civil War. It gave no help to the hundreds of working-class Jews from across the UK and the world, who went to Spain. Many of them gave their lives confronting fascism and in support of a truly socialist government.
It is a rarely mentioned fact that a number of Palestinians also volunteered and went to fight for the Republicans, including Muhammad Najati Sidqi, and other members of the Palestinian Communist Party.
Zionism is fascism today. The BOD and other Zionist groups have no place at Cable Street 90.
Featured image via the Canary
By The Canary
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