Jews in the New Parliament

By S. J.

GOLDSMITH
(Copyright 1970, JTA. Inc.)

LONDON—An analysis of the
voting in the 630 British constitu-
encies indicates that British Jews
may have contributed to a Con-
servative victory in six. Never-
theless, there is no Jewish vote
here. The reason British Jews
could influence the results in sev-
eral constituencies was the nar-
now margin between the two ni.:ior
parties in these places. The ma-
jority of the Conservative Party
over the rest is only 30 votes in a
House of 630 members. In normal
times, the Jews cannot influence
the results in any constituency,
which is not surprising, what with
less than half-a-million Jews
spread over the whole country.
In olden days, British Jews
tended to vote Liberal or Labor,
on the general assumption that the
Left is more likely to treat mi-
norities decently than the Right.
This assumption was blown sky-
high by Russia and other Eastern
European countries. Nor have the
British Jews forgotten that Ernest
Sevin was a Labor Foreign Min-
ister . . .
Thus, they can not go to the
polls and vote in accordance with
what they consider their best in-
terests as citizens. Mostly middle
class, they follow the British mid-
dle classes in voting Conservative.
In the same way, upper class and
intellectual Jews follow the British
upper classes and intellectuals in
voting Labor or Liberal. There
are few Jews among the real
proletriat, and they vote Labor
with the rest of the working
classes. Naturally, there are ex-
ceptions in all categories.

Israel was not exactly a play-
thing for the Great Powers, and
if pressed too hard, she might
resort to unorthodox means of
warfare, perhaps even exercise
her atomic option.

Sir Keith Joseph, the new sec-
retary for the social service, is
also a recognizable Jew. He keeps
out of Jewish or Zionist politics
but supports such causes as Youth
Aliya and the Hebrew University.
A new Conservative Jewish
member of Parliament, Harold
Soref, is rather an odd-man-out
among the Jewish members. He
is on the extreme right of the
Conservative Party, very near the
Enoch Powell position. Enoch
Powell, by the way, is not an anti-
Semite at all and very friendly
to Israel. On this score Soref
need not apologize. He comes from
South Africa but it will be seen
that he did not have to leave his
country for political reasons .. .
Among the Labor members, who
total 38 (oddly enough, Stanley
Cohen is not Jewish but a Roman
Catholic), are a number of inter-
esting characters. There is Harold
Lever, a former member of the
cabinet, an open and articulate
Zionist at all times. There is Ian
- 9kardo, a member of Labor's
national executive and a leader of
the left wing of the party. He
too, is a dedicated Zionist. His
two daughters live in Israel.
There is Greville Janner, chairman
of the Bridge, a popular society
which provides for exchange
visits of youth groups between
Britain and Israel. He was elected
in his father's constituency. An-
other Jewish member of Parlia-
ment is Maurice Edelman, a suc-
If anything could sway British
cessful novelist. Almost all the
Jews against a candidate or his
Labor members who are Jewish
party, it would be anti-Semitism
are members of the Labor Friends
or an anti-Israel policy. How-
of Israel.
ever, anti-Semitism is no longer
Lord Janner, who is 78 but looks
an issue here. Prejudices are
younger, is not leaving active
channeled into color rather politics. He is president of the
than faith. And as far as Israel
Zionist Federation, - and still active
is concerned, there is nothing to
in many other Jewish organiza-
choose between the two major tions. He told me the other day
parties : There never was. True,
that he had left Parliament very
Balfour was a Tory but then
reluctantly. He had been prepared
again, Neville Chamberlain, who
to fight another campaign but his
gave us the accursed
White
doctor thought that a man of his
Paper, was also a Tory. Sevin
age should not go canvassing for
was a Laborite but then again,
votes in Leicester on a rainly
it was the Labor Party who
day . . . He was first elected to
fought the White Paper all the
Parliament in 1931—as a Liberal.
way.
He was not re-elected in 1935
At present, the Conservative but came back in 1945, this time
government is generally friendly for Labor, and has been in the
to Israel, as the Labor govern- House ever since.
Lord Janner came nearest to
ment- was. But the foreign office
being spokesman for British
is not an elective body. It can
Jews in the House of Commons.
cause Israel trouble under any gov-
He gave a lifetime of service to
ernment . . . The new foreign
Zionism, and also to British
secretary, Sir Alec Douglas-Home,
Jewry, as president of the board
is a friend of Israel. But then
of deputies and in many other
again, it was already known before
capacities.
the election that Michael Stewart
Another veteran who is now go-
was on the way out and Denis
Healey would succeed him. Healey ing to the House of Lords, after
a
lifetime of service in the Com-
is also a friend of Israel.
In short, British Jews could mons is Emanuel Shinwell, who is
exercise their rights as citizens, 86. He was first elected to Parlia-
forgetting their commitment to ment in 1922. He served in all
Israel while in the polling booth. Labor governments except the
Unless there was an anti-Israel Wilson one. He was minister of
candidate in the constituency . . . mines, minister of war and finally
No British Jew sits in the House minister of defense and a senior
of Commons as a Jew. He sits as member of the Atlee government.
a citizen, as the representative He is a proud Jew, who has never
of his constituency. But there are been embarrassed by his Jewish-
a number of interesting British ness. He advised Israelis publicly
Jews among the 630 members of on many occasions to fight for
what they think right, even if it
the new Parliament.
Michael Fidler, president of the does not suit other people. But
board of deputies, was elected he was never active in Jewish
for the first time. He is a Con- politics, national or international.
A self-educated man of consider-
servative. This has no significance
in relation to the Board. A former able knowledge and a great orator,
president, Lord Janner, was a he was the darling of the Durham
Labor Member of Parliament. And miners, whom he represented and
there were also Liberal presidents served faithfully. He also had a
in the past, including one of the tenure as chairman of the Labor
Party. He had many rows with
Rothschilds.
Ernest Bevin. I once asked him
Another Jewish member of
why he did not make his protest
Parliament is Sir Henry d'Avig-
more spectacular, say by resign.
dor-Goldsmid, also a Conserva-
ing from the government. He said
tive. He is president of the Jew-
that this would not have helped
ish Colonization Association but
not active in Anglo-Jewish life. the Jews and it would have done
He is an unorganized Zionist harm to many fellow citizens who
with a distinctly hawkish stance. looked upon him as their repre;
It was he who warned Britain sentative and spokesman.

in a speech
in the House of Commons, that

and everybody else,

course, but the odd thing is, that
Emanuel Shinwell has this kind of
temperament. Yet, he patiently
served under Atlee, with Bevin as
a colleague. Perhaps the explana-
tion is that Shinwell's Jewish roots
are not too deep. His Jewish
pride stems from instinct rather
than conviction about Jewish des-
tiny.
Two piquant episodes in Shin-
well's career: It was he who stood
against Ramsay Macdonald and
defeated him when Macdonald de-
fected from the Labor Party and
joined the national government
in 1931.
Manny Shinwell, as he used to
be known before becoming Lord
Shinwell, once struck a Conserva-
tive member of Parliament, Com-
mander Bower, who had muttered

something about Shinwell being a
Polish Jew. Actually, Shinwell

was born in London and brought
up in Glasgow, where his father
was a poor Jewish tailor. Shin-
well doesn't like to speak about
this incident. There are other
means of making a member of
Parliament withdraw a nasty re-
mark in the chamber . . but
Shinwell never had patience for
anti-Semites . . .

WSU Grad Views
Jews' Attitudes
Toward Negroes

Basing his senior essay on the
theory that going through the im-
migration process determines an
American Jew's attitude toward
Negroes, a Wayne State University
graduate discovered from a limited
study that the theory didn't hold
water.
For his essay submitted to Mon-
teith College of WSU, Stanley
Goldberg of Snowden Ave. inter-
viewed three groups of Jews—one
of immigrants to the United States,
one of native-born American citi-
zens and one of college students.
Goldberg's question focused on
the theory that one who has immi-
grated, having undergone difficul-
ties in assimilation, will be more
conservative in his attitude toward
another ethnic minority than will a
native-born American.
The sample was limited to 12
individuals, four within each group.
The adult respondents — all of
whom were professionals and col-
lege-educated — and young adults
followed a similar pattern: they
agreed in a liberal vein concerning
the same questions; and on other
occasions they presented some lib-
eral answers and some not liberal
across group lines.

Goldberg discovered that de-
gree of contact with Negroes
had nothing to do with the re-
sponses, nor did it matter how
long a span of time had lapsed
since the immigrant respondent
had come to this country.

He did find, however, that "eth-
nically enclosed patterns of inter-
action is one characteristic which
transcends all major differences
between our three groups," and he
believes the key to the results is
that the immigrant group had ac-
culturated to a great degree, over-
shadowing the effects of the immi-
gration process.
In the course of his study, Gold-
berg found that the young adults
were unaware of the adversities
faced by hteir grandparents in the
Old Country, the conditions that
brought them to this country from
Europe.

Harvey Zuckerberg
Heads State Assn.
for Retarded Children

Harvey D. Zuckerberg, former
city editor of The Jewish News,
has been appointed executive di-
rector of the Michigan Association
for Retarded Children.
Currently associate director of
the Illinois Association for the
Mentally Disturbed, Zuckerberg is

Spectacular. acts of deBance are a former reporter for the Detroit
a matter of temperament, of News and the Pontiac Press.

LauriBerin,Neilltladgy
Plan April Wedding

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, July 10, 1970-27

Akiva Day School
to Honor Pick

Akiva Hebrew Day School will
pay tribute to Rabbi Manfred Pick
who is leaving the principalship
at a testimonial dinner 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday at Young Israel of Oak-
Woods.
Rabbi Pick was Akiva's found-
ing principal in 1964. The school
will add a ninth grade next year
thus becoming a complete elemen-
tary and junior high schor.
Chairman of the event is Frank
Leiderman. For reservations call
the Akiva day school office, 545-
1060 evenings at 548-2266.

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