As I received the worst abuse possible, there was a letter saying that my children, being half Jewish and half Indian, should be treated as bastards of the two worst “races”. It was terrifying to think that such extreme views were being expressed so openly. The extremism we always knew existed on the fringes of our society was now being expressed openly in letters, on social media platforms and even in the headlines of the Daily Mail. “Enemies of the People,” a headline from 2016, arguably looked suspiciously like the front page of a 1930s German newspaper.
Around the world, we are witnessing the rise of extremism and populism. A tussle between the far left and the far right leads to significant political polarization among the public.
The Frenchman Eric Zémmour passes Marine Le Pen for moderate. Viktor Orbán in Hungary, Matteo Salvini in Italy, Geert Wilders in the Netherlands, Jarosław Kaczyński in Poland, Jimmie Åkesson in Sweden, Santiago Abascal in Spain. And let’s not forget Trump. For these illiberal leaders, the next two years could see a bonanza of election victories as they stoke the misery to come – a global food, living and energy crisis like the perfect storm of Ukraine war, post-Covid and climate change. their populations.
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All over the world we are witnessing the rise of extremism and populism
Fate seems to conspire against those of us who believe in tolerance, compassion and fairness.
The populist pendulum is also swinging in extreme directions across South America. In 2021, controversial elections took place in Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Honduras. In 2022 there will be key elections in Brazil and Colombia, with growing fears of alliances with the populist regime in Venezuela.
Extremism on one side ignites extremism on the other. This is why it is crucial to shift from a political spectrum of right and left to a perspective of good and evil, where we always prioritize fairness and humanity.
Each country has its own problems, but political divisions and polarized societies have always targeted Jewish communities. Look at the inflammatory language and propaganda that Putin is using in relation to the invasion of Ukraine. Another example of the rise of anti-Semitism. Extremists and anti-Semites across the ideological spectrum have jumped on Putin’s narrative to promote anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. Anti-Semites and white supremacists around the world — QAnon influencers and the Nordic Resistance Movement — are reusing all the classic tropes of Jewish power, financial control, and Holocaust “abuse.” Putin’s claim that the military action is aimed at the “denazification of Ukraine” and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov calling the Ukrainian president a “Nazi and a neo-Nazi”.
Every country has its own issues, but political divisions and polarized societies have always targeted Jewish communities
In the UK, the Community Security Trust, a charity that monitors anti-Semitism, recorded 2,255 incidents last year – the highest annual tally of anti-Semitic hate the CSE has recorded – including an increase in number of people shouting insults from passing cars as well as 173 violent attacks.
As a woman of color, married to a Jewish man, I experienced the most appalling racism when I took the governments of Theresa May and Boris Johnson to court in defense of our parliament. My personal experience has heightened my passion for fighting the toxic polarization of our societies.
The fightback begins with the True and Fair party, whose mission is to end toxic “otherness” in politics. The future of our country’s stability and success must not be based on division and abuse.
The moral principles of Judaism should also be the principles that underpin our politics.
