The British Government’s announcement of Feb. 23 as the date for the forthcoming general election set Jewish organizations here busily speeding up preparations today for countering any possible anti-Jewish attacks and, in general, safeguarding Jewish interests during the election campaign.
Whatever may be the outlook of these organizations on internal Jewish matters or their approach to controversial problems affecting Auglo-Jewish life, all are united in a desire to avoid anything that might be interpreted as an attempt to form a separate Jewish “election bloc” or to tie up the destinies of the Jewish community with any one party or political group.
This point was stressed today by Jewish leaders of different shades of opinion in London, who declared that the Jewish aspect of the election campaign will not be the only one to be taken into account by Jewish voters who fully participate in the country’s political life and will vote according to their general political convictions, which are often shared with their non-Jewish fellow citizens.
BOARD OF JEWISH DEPUTIES TO FORM POLICY REGARDING ANTI-JEWISH CANDIDATES
Meanwhile, the British Board of Jewish Deputies has established a special election subcommittee to devise a general policy toward any fascist, anti-Semitic or other candidates known to hold view harmful to the Jewish community and likely to affect the status of Jews as British citizens. Guidance will be given to local Jewish electorates as to means of determining the attitude of candidates on questions of vital interest to the community.
Similar soundings are likely to be organized by the various Zionist bodies as regards questions affecting Anglo-Israel relations. In this respect, special duties will devolve on Labor Zionists. Of the 29 Jewish members of the present House of Commons, 26 are members of the Labor Party. (There are 640 Members of Parliament.) The other three Jews are Leslie J. Solley, an Independent Socialist, Philip Piratin, Communist, and Daniel Lipson, Conservative, who is well-known for his strong anti-Zionist views.
It is expected that both major parties will nominate a number of candidates active in Anglo-Jewish communal life. Among them will probably be Leslie Hore-Belisha, former Minister for War. Whatever the outcome of the general election, the Jews will continue to have in the House of Lords such competent and effective spokesmen as the Marquess of Reading, Viscount Samuel and Lord Nathan.
Meanwhile, the British War Office today upheld the four-year sentence by vourtmartial on Trooper John Spriggs, of the Royal Armored Corps, who had been charged with joining the then illegal Jewish forces in Palestine and found guilty of desertion, stealing an armored car and Bren gun ammunition.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
