UK’s New Prime Minister Keir Starmer is a Jew

Video Transcript:

your wife is Jewish, you know, fried night dinners. You remember of a synagogue, your kids have some Jewish residency as well. Me, how did they feel when you were campaigning to put Mr Corbin in number 10? Well, my wife's family are Jewish, so her father is Jewish, they came over from Poland. We do observe some of the traditions and practices, including Friday night prayers, particularly when her father is over with us. And we're very... Where did they feel at the time when you were campaigning for Mr Corbin? We feel very strongly that we want our children to understand Vicks family and their history, and that's why we do have those traditions and prayers, not every Friday night, but on Friday nights. They know my position in relation to anti-Semitism. There's never been any doubt about that. They knew I was speaking out publicly and in the shadow cabinet. And therefore, you know, like everybody else, I think who's engaged with me in the last two years, I think there's no doubting the commitment I've got to changing the Labour Party and tearing out anti-Semitism by its roots. That's what we said we'd do. That's what we've done. And as I say, I don't want to be complacent, but I think in fairness, most people would say, he said he was going to tear out anti-Semitism by its roots, and he's gone with that, and that's involved difficult... Well, let's say decisions across the Labour Party that we've taken. Of course. Let me ask you by extension a question about Israel. You've spoken very fondly and warmly about Israel. In Israel, as you know... But we have extended family, though. Obviously, next week we see a Passover, a patient, a big Jewish festival. Will you be sitting down for a Passover, say, the year? We will, again, with family friends, and so we're looking forward to that. I can't claim to be part of the organising committee for that, but I'll certainly be there. Your children are now... They get their 10 Hebrew classes, that's correct, isn't it? No, they don't. What they... We have... Quite often on Friday, we have prayers, etc. Because my wife's father's family is Jewish, and he comes very often to us on the Friday night. So we want our children to know the tradition, know the family history, and therefore, we do have those special moments on Friday. The year of the end of Matt, sir? Of Unleavened Bread? Yeah. You know? The bitter homes? The bitter homes. Whether they'd be first on my list is another matter. And I've said that. But it's all part of... You know, it's part of history and tradition, and a story that we want our children to understand. All together. The Hebrew Factor of the night. The day you've never known, I share your shabbily with me, and I say, I'm not a shabbily, I'm not a shabbily, I'm not a shabbily, I think we've got to modern miracle. Think back a few years, and imagine this thing. Because this really does feel like a mess. It's not a mess. That's miracle. Very good. Very good. Kia Stammer interview. I will work to eradicate anti-Semitism from day one. Speaking exclusively to Jewish news, the Labor Leadership Foutrunner opens up about his Jewish family and plans to visit Israel for the first time with his kids. By Jack Mendel, February 14, 2020, Labor Leadership Foutrunner Sir Kia Stammer has pledged to work with the Jewish community from day one to eradicate anti-Semitism. As he becomes party leader and revealed plans for his first family holiday in Israel. Following the Jewish community's leadership hustings on Thursday night, the shadow Brexit spokesperson said he was among the loud voices in the shadow cabinet challenging on anti-Semitism and would take action on day one. If he got the top job, speaking exclusively to Jewish news, he opened up about his little known Jewish family ties, saying, my wife's family is Jewish. Her dad is Jewish, their family came over from Poland. The extended family live in Israel, in Tel Aviv. While he hasn't yet visited the Jewish state, he said he would of course like to go. Adding, I haven't been, but we're in regular contact with them. And we've got various visits planned, basically to take our kids for the first time. During this week's hustings event hosted at liberal Jewish synagogue, organized by the Jewish Labor Movement with this paper and Labor Friends of Israel. The leadership hopeful was criticised on Twitter, over he declined to call himself a Zionist. Other contenders, Emily Thornberry, Lisa Nandie and Rebecca Long, Bailey, did. Asked why he chose not to, he said, I do support Zionism, I said that last night. I absolutely support the right of Israel to exist as a homeland. My only concern is that Zionism can mean slightly different things to different people. And as Lisa Nandie said, to some extent, it has been weaponized. I wouldn't read too much into that. I said it loud and clear and meant it that I support Zionism without qualification. This purge of the left was epitomised by a manor, in which Starma used Prime Minister Rishi Soonak's decision to call a snap election, to remove some of his hard left critics, as parliamentary candidates, while promoting his moderate allies instead. Among their number, is a fail-anx of Jewish and pro-Israel rising stars, such as Luke Ackersd, a leading figure on the labor right and former director of the grassroots campaign group, we believe in Israel, and Josh Simons, ex-head of the pro-Starma labor together think tank. I think labor under Kyah Starma, has fulfilled his promise to tackle anti-Semitism in the party in a serious, effective way, said one Jewish community figure granted anonymity, to speak about politics. In many respects, he has gone further than he needed to, of than anyone expected. The recent pattern of handing safe seats to Jewish and pro-Israel candidates is an example. Starma's hatred of anti-Semitism also has a personal element. His wife, Victoria, is Jewish, the family are members of London's liberal Jewish synagogue, and Friday night dinners, the labor leader says, are strictly guarded. On the bigger scale, I think it's time that we made the argument, and I would do this as labor leader and hopefully Labor Minister, that we need stronger international agreements, because whatever we do here, we need stuff done globally. So local action, national action, but we've got to play on the international stage here as well. Well, in 2016, I campaigned and I voted for remain. Once the result came in, once the result came, because I'm... APPLAUSE As an internationalist, I profoundly believe in cooperating, collaborating across borders, whether that's on trade or anything else. It's in my DNA. But I remain committed to being an internationalist and believing cooperation and collaboration across borders, and I always will.