By Keith Black

I am angry. Angry beyond words.

My family has lived in Britain since the late 19th century. My grandfather arrived here from eastern Europe, grew up in Manchester, built a business, and raised three children. My father fought in World War II in Montgomery’s legendary 8th Army. I was born in 1959, received a great education, and joined the family business, building my own family and moving to London along the way.

We are a Jewish family, tied to our religion and our traditions, committed to our community, and connected to Israel, always astonished that a Jewish state has come into existence during our lifetime. But we are very British; this country is our home.

We are, or at least we have been, deeply comfortable, happy and secure living in this country. A country that gave refuge to my grandparents and has nourished and nurtured our family for the last 130 years. A country of tolerance that has a collective sense of citizenship and critically a country that looks after its tiny Jewish community.

Antisemitism has always existed, Jews are regularly ‘othered’, and we have always had to look after ourselves.........

© LBC