Allegations of anti-Semitism are damaging to Labour, but not toxic

Ephraim Mirvis, the Chief Rabbi, was right to take the unprecedented action of denouncing Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour for endemic anti-Jewish prejudice. James Cleverly, the Conservative chairman, was right to draw attention to polls showing half of British Jews are contemplating emigration if Labour wins. The Jewish Chronicle was right to turn its cover into an unprecedented open letter, begging Britain’s non-Jews not to vote for Corbyn. But if support for Labour does not collapse as a result of all this condemnation, don’t be surprised.

In fact, Labour is doing rather well. Before the Commons voted to hold an election, Labour averaged 23 per cent support in the polls. Now, it’s nearly 31 per cent, as Remainers flock to the party that is being branded an anti-Semitic mob. Why should this be? The reason is simple: public awareness of Labour anti-Semitism will not swing very many votes. The Chief Rabbi may be right that ‘the soul of our nation is at stake’ in this election, but voters cannot agree on what the nation is and where its soul lies.

Once, a credible accusation of anti-Semitism would be enough to put a party leader beyond the pale. But times change. The Corbynites oppose big banks and transnational finance in general, and London’s legal-financial-media nexus in particular. That position is popular. They challenge the existence of the state of Israel and portray Palestinians as victims of a racist aggressor. That isn’t exactly going against the grain. When the Conservatives — the party of business and banks, with an Israeli-born co-treasurer — call Labour anti-Semitic, they’re giving Corbyn and his followers a perverse endorsement.

To call them ‘anti-Semitic’ is to admit that they have the courage of their convictions, Rothschild memes and all. This has a certain appeal to new generation of voters who have grown up seeing Israel as the bad guy and, as Primo Levi feared, the Holocaust as ancient history.