My chapter from the recent book Progressive Judaism, Zionism and the State of Israel, with a new introduction discussing what I think the book was trying to do and why I don’t believe it succeeded in its aim. www.toratalbion.org.uk/the-futility...

2026 marks 50 years since JCORE was founded and Parkes alumnus @josephfinlay.bsky.social has written the book to mark it. Join him and Lord Simon Woolley, Dawn Butler MP, Dr Edie Friedman, Rabbi David Mason at @jw3london.bsky.social on 17 June. Book here: hiasjcore.org/events/celeb...

Tell me you haven't read any Sartre without telling me you haven't read any Sartre

To say that NHS staff cannot wear Palestinian symbols or protest against genocide because it would upset Jewish patients again conflates British Jews with Israel and its oppression of Palestinians, and makes Jews less safe. It is the British state following its own agenda and using Jews as a shield.

This is very good analysis. John Mann would learn a lot if he could bring himself to read it shado-mag.com/articles/opi...

Do people seriously think that police brutality towards those they suspect of a crime is unusual, or requiring of some special explanation?

The ‘deal’ Trump claims to have brokered between Hezbollah and Israel allows the latter to continue occupying South Lebanon. It’s like making a deal under which Russia agrees to stop attacking Kyiv while continuing to occupy large tracts of Ukraine.

The BNP was essentially destroyed through legal action, on the basis of its racial discrimination. I suggest the same course of action needs to be taken against Reform and Restore on the basis of their repeated incitement to racial hatred and violence.

Anyone got any recommended reading on the (limited) forms of democracy the British Empire introduced in the late colonial period, particular in India and Kenya?

A rundown of all the incredibly niche fascist literature that Gove reads. An overlooked aspect of the bookshelf scandal is that Gove’s collection was exclusively niche fascist lit and biographies of politicians. No leftist, liberal, or even *conservative* theory! libcom.org/article/what...

If this indictment is proved in court it will show that the various attacks on British Jews in recent months had nothing to do with Palestine protests or with general antisemitism in society but were all organised by a small network of people in Iraq, funded by Iran. www.justice.gov/opa/pr/dual-...

This is really bad. Not allowing in Kanye West set a dangerous precedent. West is actually antisemitic, these two are not and Piker does a lot to challenge antisemitism. www.theguardian.com/media/2026/j...

Marion Miliband, survivor, activist, and matriarch of political dynasty, passed away in London last Wednesday

Sometimes New York Jews like to look down on London Jews, but at least we’ve never had an Israel Day Parade.

The funniest bit of Tony Blair’s screed is where he moans about Labour having moved left since 2007 - i.e. he’s still beefing with Gordon Brown.

Satan says we should move firmly to evil

This is not ‘offensive language’ it’s a call for immigrants to be forcibly deported to an uninhabitable island and left to die.

Does the Chief Rabbi believe that the humiliation and torture of Palestinian prisoners, which occurs every day in Israel, is also such an affront? www.thejc.com/news/uk/chie...

The rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia in this country should trouble us all. As with all of us, Muslims and Jews in Britain should be able to live in freedom and safety. Nobody should be targeted, discriminated against, attacked or hated because of who they are. www.quaker.org.uk/news-and-eve...

Why do people assume that if the Greens didn't stand in Makerfield it would benefit Labour? There are plenty of voters who would vote for a change / anti-establishment party and who likely swing between Reform and Green.

I get and often agree with critiques of Burhnam (or Rayner, Miliband) etc. not being left wing enough. But do people really think the Greens can get 326 seats at the next election? I can't see it, so surely a coalition with Labour under a soft left leader (+SNP, PC) is the best we are going to get.

Great to see this happening

Violent racism is becoming all too familiar. We’ve written to the Prime Minister expressing our deep concern, calling for an urgent meeting with anti-racist and faith groups to develop a serious anti-racist strategy, one that shows genuine leadership in response to this ugly chapter.

It’s 2056 and 93 year old Keir Starmer is still insisting that since nobody got the required 81 signatures he is technically still the Prime Minister

One of the oldest and most troubling forms of British anti-Jewish discourse: that it was right that Jews were expelled in 1290 and wrong that they were allowed back after 1656.

Good piece on Eurovision and Israel www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

“Far right anti-Zionism will not bring about a free Palestine; its racism will eventually be turned on Palestinians and Arabs. But given these distortions of the term… isn’t there a case for switching to the language of pro-Palestine?” Important, nuanced and positive from @josephfinlay.bsky.social

Heroic work by UNWRA staff www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...

1. If this is true isn’t it partly Mark Rowley’s fault? 2. This kind of statement makes Jews less safe, by tying them to police and to the state. 3 It’s not for him to say this. Jewish safety comes not from the police but via solidarity and collective action. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

This is not a bad piece by the Guardian, but all the people they speak too would be more accurately described as liberals, they didn't talk to anyone on the actual Jewish left like Na'amod, Jewish Socialists Group or, er, me. www.theguardian.com/news/2026/ma...

We might say that the entire party theme was the issue, not merely Harry’s costume

I would also like to make clear that I will not be standing down for Andy Burnham

Recommended reading

I signed this letter and would encourage others to www.theguardian.com/culture/2026...

Hell yeah he’s tough enough

"We need people on the Jewish left, like him, to step forward and try to offer a way through this clusterfuck of antisemitism, Zionism, and genocide." Vashti editors discuss with contributing writer Joseph Finlay the rise in antisemitic attacks in London. www.vashtimedia.com/the-present-...

Incredible

Starmer’s best move would be to say - ‘I know you all hate me. But it if I go now you might end up with Wes Streeting. And surely nobody wants that’

Lol at BBC reporting that various cabinet ministers have been into 10 Downing St, ‘but we don’t know if they are supporting the Prime Minister or telling him to go’.

Good extended takedown of Tucker Carlson’s racism by Peter Beinart peterbeinart.substack.com/p/progressiv...

Someone should ask him if he still stands for this

Feels like the quiet man is back, and he's turning up the volume

It’s not clear why Starmer ever want to be PM since being DPP was surely his ideal job: authoritarian, seen as consensual and above politics, gets you a knighthood.

Outrageous www.middleeastmonitor.com/20260508-bri...

Keir Starmer's big speech tomorrow is sure to sort everything out, as it always has in the past.

Livestream of the rally in case anyone want to watch (you don't) www.youtube.com/live/aFYFs7L...

So it was Tice rather than Farage in the end. No better. Still a fascist.

The Board of Deputies has said many ridiculous things over the years but this is another level. The fascist leader gets a hechsher (kosher stamp) while the Jewish one is beyond the pale.

Enjoyably bonkers from Jake Wallis-Simons www.thejc.com/opinion/the-...