As Britain prepares for its 2024 general election results, the political landscape appears on the brink of a seismic shift. Recent polls suggest that Labour, under the leadership of Sir Keir Starmer, is headed for a historic landslide victory that could reshape UK politics for a generation.

Starmer, the former Director of Public Prosecutions who took Labour's helm in 2020, stands on the precipice of securing around 420 seats for his party. This projected outcome would not only dwarf Tony Blair's 1997 triumph but potentially mark Labour's most significant victory since Clement Attlee's post-war win in 1945. The scale of this predicted success has sent shockwaves through Westminster and beyond.

The most dramatic forecasts paint an even more stark picture. One July 2 poll suggests Labour could win an astonishing 484 seats – translating to a 238-seat majority – while the Conservatives might be reduced to a mere 64 seats. Political analysts emphasize that even accounting for potential polling errors, Starmer's Labour appears comfortably on track for a substantial majority.

If these projections hold, Starmer would lead Labour to gain over 300 seats, ending the Conservative Party's 15-year grip on power. Such a result would likely force Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who replaced Boris Johnson in 2022 without a general election, to vacate 10 Downing Street as early as this Friday. This would mark the most significant political realignment in the UK since the end of World War II.

Throughout the campaign, Starmer has focused on key issues including economic recovery in the wake of the pandemic, navigating the complexities of post-Brexit international trade, NHS reform, ambitious climate change targets, and tackling regional inequality across the UK. His vision for calm and stability after 14 years of tumult under the Tories – which included the nasty clashes over Brexit and the crippled economy – appears to have resonated strongly with voters, while the Conservatives have struggled to defend their record amid growing public dissatisfaction, especially after they switched five leaders in 6 years.

The international implications of such a decisive Labour victory under Starmer could be far-reaching. A new government with a substantial majority might seek to reset UK-EU relations, reassess the "special relationship" with the United States, and take a more proactive approach to global climate change initiatives. Starmer's potential shift in Britain's foreign policy stance has already caught the attention of international observers and allies.

Regardless of the final tally, Starmer and his team will face a daunting inbox if they secure victory. The challenge of steering post-Brexit Britain through uncertain economic waters while addressing pressing domestic issues will require decisive action and clear policy direction. The new Labour administration would also need to work to restore faith in political institutions after years of division and controversy.

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Former leader of Britain's Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn is considering founding a new political party, Britain's Telegraph newspaper reported Sunday.

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According to the report, Corbyn – who was ousted as Labour leader – is concerned he might never be elected an MP for Labour again, and is therefore looking at the option of changing his charity, called Peace and Justice Project, into a political party that could compete in parliamentary elections.

The Telegraph said that a number of Corbyn's close associates, including his wife, are encouraging him to form a new party.

Corbyn became head of Labour in 2015 and his five years as party leader were dogged with accusations of rising antisemitism among party members and a wave of resignations by Jewish Labour MPs and activists. When a formal inquiry into specific allegations of antisemitic behavior by Labor was launched, Corbyn angered many when he dismissed the accusations as "political" and "overstated."

His response to the antisemitism query led to Corbyn's removal as party leader. Since then, his party membership has been restored, but Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said that Corbyn will only be allowed back into Labour's parliamentary faction if he makes a formal apology for his comments.

If Corbyn proceeds with his plans to set up an independent political party, it could wind up siphoning Labour supporters from certain sectors away from the established party, which would be a blow to Labour's fortunes in a general election.

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Ex-Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said Tuesday he has been reinstated to the UK opposition party after a three-week suspension – a decision that touched off fury from Jewish leaders angry about anti-Semitism in Labour that flourished during his tenure.

Corbyn was suspended after he said the problem of anti-Semitism in the party had been "dramatically overstated" for political reasons. His comment followed a scathing report from the UK equalities watchdog, which found "significant failings" and a "lack of leadership" in how the left-of-center party handled allegations of anti-Semitism among its members.

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Before the meeting of the National Executive Committee on Tuesday, Corbyn issued a statement saying that concerns about anti-Semitism in Labour were neither "overstated" nor "exaggerated," and the party must "never tolerate anti-Semitism or belittle concerns about it."

Jeremy Corbyn is not the victim of Labour anti-Semitism – Jewish members are

"Our movement must now come together to oppose and defeat this deeply damaging Conservative government," he said in a tweet.

After the Equalities and Human Rights Commission issued its report, Labour leader Keir Starmer promised "a culture change in the Labour Party," saying there would be "no more denials or excuses."

Labour has been grappling with allegations that anti-Semitism was allowed to fester under Corbyn, a long-time supporter of Palestinians and a critic of Israel who led the party for almost five years from 2015.

But the decision was met by outrage. The Jewish Labour Movement said it appeared Corbyn's case had been "expedited" by a "factionally aligned political committee."

"Once again we find ourselves having to remind the Labour Party that Jeremy Corbyn is not the victim of Labour anti-Semitism – Jewish members are,'' the group said.

Labour lawmaker Margaret Hodge tweeted: "This is a broken outcome from a broken system.''

"A factional, opaque and dysfunctional complaints process could never reach a fair conclusion,'' she said, adding that the watchdog had demanded an independent process.

"I simply cannot comprehend why it is acceptable for Corbyn to be a Labour MP if he thinks anti-Semitism is exaggerated and a political attack, refuses to apologize, never takes responsibility for his actions & rejects the findings of the EHRC report,'' she wrote. "Ridiculous."

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Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, the former chief rabbi in the UK who reached beyond the Jewish community with his regular broadcasts on radio, has died at 72.

A statement on his Twitter page said he died early Saturday.

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Sacks served as the chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, the figurehead of British Jews, for 22 years, stepping down in 2013.

He was succeeded by the current chief rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, who said the world had lost an "intellectual giant who had a transformative global impact."

President Reuven Rivlin issued a statement saying Israel was "mourning the loss of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks.
We will always remember his warning against violence in the name of God and his belief that we can heal a fractured world. Condolences to his family, to British Jewry and to his students. May his memory be a blessing."

For many people in the UK, Sacks was best known for his regular broadcasts on the "Thought of the Day" fixture on BBC Radio 4's "Today" program, the network's flagship morning news program.

Mohit Bakaya, the controller of the radio channel, said Sacks was a man of "great intellect, humanity and warmth," whose contributions to the "Thought of the Day" segment were "some of the most erudite."

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson joined in the tributes to Sacks, saying his leadership had a "profound impact on our whole country and across the world."

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Rabbi Sacks was a tireless crusader against anti-Semitism, particularly in the ranks of Britain's Labour Party.

In 2018, he warned that many of Britain's Jews were considering leaving the country because of anti-Semitism.

Sacks told the BBC that for the first time in the 362 years Jews have been in Britain, many questioned whether it was safe to raise children there.

He singled out then-Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn − who last week was suspended from the party − for failing to address anti-Semitic attitudes in the main opposition party, saying Corbyn would pose a danger as prime minister unless he expressed "clear remorse" for past statements.

Sacks said, "When people hear the kind of language that has been coming out of Labour, that's been brought to the surface among Jeremy Corbyn's earlier speeches, they cannot help but feel an existential threat."

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The row took place in 2019 under Labour's previous leader, far-left veteran Jeremy Corbyn, whose 4.5-year tenure as Britain's main opposition leader was marred by persistent allegations of anti-Semitism in party ranks.

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Labour's current leader, former public prosecutor Keir Starmer, has sought to draw a line under that aspect of the Corbyn era.

Corbyn's Labour was badly beaten by Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservatives in a December election, its fourth defeat in a row. Starmer is seeking to break with the past in time for the next election, in 2024.

Labour was being sued for defamation by seven ex-employees who said they were falsely accused of acting in bad faith after they cooperated with a BBC documentary entitled "Is Labour anti-Semitic?"

When the film was broadcast, Labour had said the staff members had "political axes to grind" because they did not support Corbyn's leadership. The party had also accused the BBC journalist who presented the program of maliciously seeking to mislead the public as part of an anti-Corbyn agenda.

In a settlement read out in court on Wednesday, Labour retracted the accusations against its former employees and the BBC journalist, apologized unreservedly to all of them and agreed to pay them a substantial sum to settle the case.

"Anti-Semitism has been a stain on the Labour Party in recent years," a party spokesman said. "If we are to restore the trust of the Jewish community, we must demonstrate a change of leadership."

Corbyn, who remains a Labour lawmaker, criticized the settlement and apology, saying they were "a political decision, not a legal one."

In June, Starmer sacked one of his senior team members, staunch Corbyn ally Rebecca Long-Bailey, after she tweeted an article that he said contained an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory.

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Former Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott and the former Shadow Immigration Minister Bell Ribeiro-Addy both addressed the meeting on the Zoom online platform, as well as Tony Greenstein, who was expelled over anti-Semitism allegations, and Jackie Walker, who was kicked out of the party on misconduct charges.

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Both Abbott and Ribeiro-Addy gave speeches in which they responded to the recently leaked report on Labour anti-Semitism, but rather than addressing anti-Jewish discrimination in the party, both MPs attacked the party's wing who are against former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, blaming them for December's general election defeat.

"The participation of Diane Abbott and Bell Ribeiro-Addy in an online conference with Jackie Walker and Tony Greenstein is a brazen challenge to Sir Keir Starmer," said Gideon Falter, chief executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism, in a statement.

 "During his leadership campaign, Sir Keir pledged that any MP who provides a platform for Labour members expelled in connection with anti-Semitism will themselves be suspended from Labour," continued Falter. "Instead of keeping his promise and immediately suspending both Diane Abbott and Bell Ribeiro-Addy from the party, Labour has merely 'reminded them of their responsibilities.'"

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org

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A number of senior government ministers and members of French President Emmanuel Macron's party issued condemnations of Jean-Luc Mélenchon's remarks, while fellow members of Mélenchon's La France Insoumise ["Unbowed" or "Unsubmissive" France] party backed his attacks on the leaders of France's Jewish community.

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Mélenchon said that Corbyn had lost because of "arrogant orders from the [Jewish] communities and the council that represents Jewish institutions in France [CRIF]," and added that Corbyn had been "forced" to spend his time defending himself against insults and shots in the back from his own political camp.

"He was forced to run without being able to defend himself against gross accusations of anti-Semitism from the Chief Rabbi of England and the Likud's various networks of influence," Mélenchon said.

The politician said that rather than responding to the allegations, Corbyn had spent his time apologizing and "offering guarantees of good behavior," which Mélenchon said demonstrated "weakness."

France's Interior Minister, Christophe Castaner, responded to Mélenchon's remarks by saying that "hatred and the belief in conspiracy theories feed off one another."

French Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer characterized Mélenchon's opinions as "loathsome."

Gabriel Attal, secretary of state to the Minister of National Education and Youth, who is of Jewish heritage, said that Mélenchon's comments were "very serious" because they attributed Corbyn's – and the Labour Party's – defeat to the Jews.

Supporters of Mélenchon said that he was not anti-Semitic and that he had been trying to make it clear that he would "not be influenced by financial or community groups."

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"The elections may be over, but concerns about the resurgence of anti-Semitism remain," Mirvis said in a statement.

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"Islamophobia, racism, and other forms of prejudice continue to afflict our communities and, as has been well-publicized, even our political parties," he said.

"It is vital that we now bring the country together, ensuring that the voices of people from across our society are heard and respected. We must focus on our shared values and leave all hatred and prejudice far behind us," Mirvis added.

Outgoing Labor party leader Jeremy Corbyn, whose party was soundly defeated in Thursday's vote, has been criticized for years for having allowed anti-Semitism to flourish in the party ranks under his stewardship.

Last month, Mirvis denounced Corbyn as unfit to be prime minister, lamenting "a new poison – sanctioned from the top – has taken root in the Labour Party."

Following the results of Thursday's election, which saw the Conservatives' Boris Johnson win in a landslide, Board of Deputies of British Jews President Marie van der Zyl called for swift action to be taken to restore the Jewish community's faith in Britain's main opposition party.

"We urge the next leader of the Labour Party to act quickly to implement the steps repeatedly recommended by groups representing British Jews and to finally begin to resolve this crisis," she added.

In a concession speech, Corbyn said that he intended to step down as leader of Labour, but did not specify an exact date.

This article was originally published by i24NEWS.

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We begin our journey in Great Britain, where the third general election in the past four years is set to be held on Thursday. If we add the national Brexit referendum to the equation, it will be the country's fourth election in the past four years.

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Although the latest polls indicate a clear victory for the Boris Johnson-led Conservatives, it is far from certain that the people of Great Britain will awaken Friday morning with a stable Conservative-led government that will extricate them, at long last, from the European Union.

Johnson's rivals in Labour are promising a gigantic election surprise, and are basing their confidence on their perception of the atmosphere on the ground – which contradicts what the polls are predicting.

In Spain, the fourth general election in four years was conducted a month ago, without resolving the political impasse. The election winner, the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, can establish a coalition with the far-left Podemos party – maybe – if it gets support from the Catalonian separatists, who are thus far reticent to provide it.

In Austria, after the corruption scandal attributed to the young conservative chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, the Austrians returned to the voting stations after a mere two years, which gave the right-wing bloc a solid majority. But Kurz decided he was interested in talks with the Green Party. If these negotiations are finalized in the coming days, it would mark an interesting precedent in Europe that could influence the political situations in other countries. In recent months, Austria has been managed by a "caretaker government of technocrats experts" appointed by the country's president.

In Germany, the broad coalition between the conservatives and socialist-democrats could collapse very soon and trigger early elections. In the wake of the previous election in 2017, a precedent was already established: Although the right-wing bloc won the majority, Chancellor Angela Merkel and the leaders of her conservative party have steadfastly refused to partner with the right-wing nationalist, populist Alternative for Germany party – which has prevented the establishment of a right-wing government. Efforts to form an initial coalition with the liberals and greens have failed. Fearing that the more extremist parties would benefit from another election, the two large parties agreed on a unity government, the shoddy foundations of which are currently being tested anew.

In Italy, the political deadlock led to the creation of an unstable coalition between the leftist-populist Five Star movement and the right-wing-populist Lega party, which lasted for less than two years. The socialist-democratic Democratic Party replaced Lega in the coalition. The new coalition is holding firm, but recent polls say Lega, headed by Matteo Salvini, is expected to win big in the next election.

In the Netherlands, a national unity government was established in 2017, 208 days after the fall of the right-wing government and after elections failed to determine a clear winner. Conservative Prime Minister Mark Rutte's refusal to cooperate with Geert Wilders, the leader of the nationalist-populist Party for Freedom, fostered the formation of a flimsy coalition between the conservatives and left-wing parties, which hasn't fallen apart as of yet.

Belgium, the current record holder, went 589 days between 2009 and 2011 without a government.

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"Usually, you're not supposed to interfere with the election in other countries, but in this case I'm going to make an exception. Jeremy Corbyn is an anti-Semite," Lapid said on Monday.

Lapid made those comments in front of 25 pro-Israel parliamentarians from around the world during a question-and-answer session at the Israel Allies Foundation's annual Chairman's Conference.

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"If you want to know something [about anti-Semitism] there are experts," he added, "and the experts are called Jews. So I'm an expert on this one. And we can tell an anti-Semite when we see one. This is old-school, plain anti-Semitism, just using new excuses. And anyone in his right mind should take this into consideration while walking into the polling booth, because racists are racists are racists, and Jeremy Corbyn is a racist."

On the subject of Israel's current political stalemate, Lapid was asked to compare the stances of his Blue and White Party and the Likud, particularly on foreign policy issues.

"There is a complete consensus [between the parties] on the fight against boycott, divestment and sanctions movement. There is a complete consensus on the Golan Heights," he said. "So there are many similarities between us and Likud on the issues of national security, the fight against global terror led by Iran. The differences would be more on domestic issues – the fight against corruption, how we prioritize the budget, the fight against religious coercion in Israel."

The two parties' stances with regard to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was also mostly the same, but with one important difference, he said.

"Both Blue and White and Likud, if there will be a window of opportunity, we will walk through it trying to negotiate a peace deal with the Palestinians. The only difference is we mean it, and they [Likud] do not," he said.

However, he added that currently there was no point in creating a Palestinian state that is not peace-loving "and has no ability to control the dark forces of Islamic fundamentalism. But if there is a possibility, this is something we will explore with open hearts."

Lapid later said that any developments on the peace front will come only from the next generation of Palestinians, after the era of 84-year-old Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas. That era would likely come to an end in the not-too-distant future, he said.

"There will probably be a transfer of power in the near future," he said, "and we will have to explore if the positive forces within the Palestinian Authority will take over."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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