British Jews and their allies rally against antisemitism in London’s Parliament Square, December 8, 2019. Photo: Courtesy of the Campaign Against Antisemitism.

Thousands of British Jews and their supporters came together for a major rally against antisemitism on Sunday in London’s Parliament Square.

Concerns over antisemitism have skyrocketed in recent years, with the overwhelming majority of British Jews coming to see the opposition Labour party as institutionally antisemitic.

British Jews have expressed particular trepidation about the possibility of a Labour victory in the upcoming December 12 elections. Though the Conservative party still leads, Labour has narrowed the gap in recent polls.

At the rally, prominent actress and media personality Tracy Ann Oberman said, “Rabbis beaten up in the streets, people abused on the Tube, Nazi tropes at Glastonbury, antisemitic murals approved by politicians, Holocaust denial. How did it come to this?”

“It has never been more important for us all to stand up to racism,” she added.

Fiyaz Mughal of the group Muslims Against Antisemitism also spoke, saying, “Britain is not Britain without Jews.”

Gideon Falter, head of the organization Campaign Against Antisemitism said, “Today we here in this square stand before the Mother of Parliaments in the country of the Magna Carta. The country that stood alone as a light in Europe as the hatred of Nazi Germany enveloped the continent.”

“We stand here to say that Britain is better than this. We stand here to ask all of the people of our country to stand with us,” he said.