Joseph Finlay
@josephfinlay.bsky.social
Historian of British Jews and race relations. Composer and Musical Director. Socialist and דאָיִקער. Writing on Jewish issues at www.toratalbion.org.uk
Dreaming of a future where rival Jewish sects take as their founding text Peter Beinart’s tweet of either November 25th or 26th.
November 28, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Dreaming of a future where rival Jewish sects take as their founding text Peter Beinart’s tweet of either November 25th or 26th.
To ruin everyone's day after Thanksgiving I thought I'd stoke some friendly arguments between British and US Jews for Vashti www.vashtimedia.com/us-uk-jewish...
The US and us
“The idea that British Jews hide their Jewishness behind closed doors is long out of date, to the extent it was ever true.”
www.vashtimedia.com
November 28, 2025 at 12:46 PM
To ruin everyone's day after Thanksgiving I thought I'd stoke some friendly arguments between British and US Jews for Vashti www.vashtimedia.com/us-uk-jewish...
I know everyone likes to laugh at Your Party, and there's been plenty of justification, but they are at least running a serious democratic process for their founding conference, with online as well as in person voting. That's no mean feat, and deserves engagement and credit.
November 28, 2025 at 11:19 AM
I know everyone likes to laugh at Your Party, and there's been plenty of justification, but they are at least running a serious democratic process for their founding conference, with online as well as in person voting. That's no mean feat, and deserves engagement and credit.
I feel Stephen Pollard might know a thing or two about the weaponisation of antisemitism www.thejc.com/opinion/the-...
The Guardian, the BBC and the weaponisation of antisemitism against Nigel Farage - The Jewish Chronicle
It’s an effort to cast the Reform UK leader as far right when he and his party are mainstream. He should be judged on his actions today, not on schoolboy insults from half a century ago
www.thejc.com
November 27, 2025 at 11:03 PM
I feel Stephen Pollard might know a thing or two about the weaponisation of antisemitism www.thejc.com/opinion/the-...
If you own a house worth £2 million you are, in fact, rich.
November 27, 2025 at 5:47 PM
If you own a house worth £2 million you are, in fact, rich.
This is that rarest of things, a decent piece in the Jewish Chronicle which admits how wildly divided the UK Jewish community is on Israel/Palestine www.thejc.com/life/i-resig...
‘I resigned from my synagogue because I disagree with its stance on Israel’ - The Jewish Chronicle
There is an ever-widening schism within the community, the emotion of which synagogues and their leadership seem unprepared to confront, shul-goers tell Eliana Jordan
www.thejc.com
November 27, 2025 at 11:47 AM
This is that rarest of things, a decent piece in the Jewish Chronicle which admits how wildly divided the UK Jewish community is on Israel/Palestine www.thejc.com/life/i-resig...
Since deleting my old Twitter account I am unable to read most of the content on X. It's great, highly recommended.
November 27, 2025 at 11:42 AM
Since deleting my old Twitter account I am unable to read most of the content on X. It's great, highly recommended.
Some question for interviewers to put to Farage that should be easy for him to answer: Have you ever in your life used the n-word? The p-word? Used the phrases ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas the Jews’? Called for British-born citizens to be forcibly expelled from the country?
November 27, 2025 at 9:12 AM
Some question for interviewers to put to Farage that should be easy for him to answer: Have you ever in your life used the n-word? The p-word? Used the phrases ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas the Jews’? Called for British-born citizens to be forcibly expelled from the country?
We’ve so internalised the idea that racism is ‘causing offence’ that we’ve forgotten that it was usually about structural oppression. In 1968 Powell, who Farage referenced tonight, was trying to prevent the 2nd Race Relations Act being passed. He wanted racial discrimination to remain legal.
November 26, 2025 at 10:58 PM
We’ve so internalised the idea that racism is ‘causing offence’ that we’ve forgotten that it was usually about structural oppression. In 1968 Powell, who Farage referenced tonight, was trying to prevent the 2nd Race Relations Act being passed. He wanted racial discrimination to remain legal.
I see Nigel Farage is defending himself by saying that what he certainly did believe at school was that Enoch Powell was right. Going well then www.channel4.com/news/nigel-f...
Nigel Farage says school racism accusers have ‘different political views’
Reform's leaders gave their response to the budget at a press conference, but several of the questions asked of their leader Nigel Farage focussed on allegations of racism and antisemitism as a school...
www.channel4.com
November 26, 2025 at 8:27 PM
I see Nigel Farage is defending himself by saying that what he certainly did believe at school was that Enoch Powell was right. Going well then www.channel4.com/news/nigel-f...
Is there a good platform for community groups where members can login and share content, debate issues, maybe vote on things, hold video calls? A bit like Facebook groups before Facebook became unusable.
November 26, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Is there a good platform for community groups where members can login and share content, debate issues, maybe vote on things, hold video calls? A bit like Facebook groups before Facebook became unusable.
Keep them coming
new allegation concerning Farage’s behaviour when he was 18 years old
November 26, 2025 at 8:29 AM
Keep them coming
Reposted by Joseph Finlay
This is an incredibly powerful article by Peter Ettedgui. I hope people listen to him and to the others who are brave enough to come forward.
November 25, 2025 at 10:40 PM
This is an incredibly powerful article by Peter Ettedgui. I hope people listen to him and to the others who are brave enough to come forward.
I wrote here about the BBC resignations, Farage’s schoolboy racism and the Government’s disgraceful asylum reforms, and why it is deemed legitimate to bring up Jewish experience and antisemitism in some of these cases but not others. www.toratalbion.org.uk/when-is-it-a...
When is it, and When is it Not About the Jews?
The Beeb, Farage, Asylum and Us
www.toratalbion.org.uk
November 25, 2025 at 10:08 PM
I wrote here about the BBC resignations, Farage’s schoolboy racism and the Government’s disgraceful asylum reforms, and why it is deemed legitimate to bring up Jewish experience and antisemitism in some of these cases but not others. www.toratalbion.org.uk/when-is-it-a...
I really think this stuff can bring down Farage. It certainly should www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Three more ex-pupils at school with Nigel Farage reject ‘banter’ claims
Exclusive: Dulwich college contemporaries ‘rubbish’ Reform UK leader’s suggestion alleged racist taunts not intended to hurt
www.theguardian.com
November 25, 2025 at 9:22 PM
I really think this stuff can bring down Farage. It certainly should www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.toratalbion.org.uk/when-is-it-a...
'With the BBC story, people tried to make the story about Jews when it wasn’t. Re Farage's racism, nobody wanted to make the story about Jews even though it clearly was. And with the asylum reforms, those who connected the story to Jews got condemned for it.'
'With the BBC story, people tried to make the story about Jews when it wasn’t. Re Farage's racism, nobody wanted to make the story about Jews even though it clearly was. And with the asylum reforms, those who connected the story to Jews got condemned for it.'
When is it, and When is it Not About the Jews?
The Beeb, Farage, Asylum and Us
Audio version0:00/971.041×
Three people are asked to write an essay about elephants. The English person writes ‘Hunting Elephants’, the French person pens ‘The Love L...
www.toratalbion.org.uk
November 25, 2025 at 3:42 PM
www.toratalbion.org.uk/when-is-it-a...
'With the BBC story, people tried to make the story about Jews when it wasn’t. Re Farage's racism, nobody wanted to make the story about Jews even though it clearly was. And with the asylum reforms, those who connected the story to Jews got condemned for it.'
'With the BBC story, people tried to make the story about Jews when it wasn’t. Re Farage's racism, nobody wanted to make the story about Jews even though it clearly was. And with the asylum reforms, those who connected the story to Jews got condemned for it.'
Reposted by Joseph Finlay
Still can't quite believe that "I only said 'gas the Jews' in a non-hurtful way" was the strategy Nigel Farage opted to go for
November 24, 2025 at 9:41 PM
Still can't quite believe that "I only said 'gas the Jews' in a non-hurtful way" was the strategy Nigel Farage opted to go for
If you are outraged at people protesting outside a synagogue maybe you should also be outraged at external political organisations hosting their events there and creating the conditions for said protest.
November 24, 2025 at 3:18 PM
If you are outraged at people protesting outside a synagogue maybe you should also be outraged at external political organisations hosting their events there and creating the conditions for said protest.
The JC report does as predicted, ignoring the Jewishness of the protestors and omitting the reason for the protest. It also, celebrates the vigilantism of the counter-protestors, saying that they blocked the tube exit to stop people joining the protest. JDL 2.0 www.thejc.com/news/uk/we-h...
November 24, 2025 at 3:11 PM
The JC report does as predicted, ignoring the Jewishness of the protestors and omitting the reason for the protest. It also, celebrates the vigilantism of the counter-protestors, saying that they blocked the tube exit to stop people joining the protest. JDL 2.0 www.thejc.com/news/uk/we-h...
Just got round to reading this excellent essay by Barnaby Raine salvage.zone/what-do-peop...
What Do People Panic About When They Panic About Anti-Semitism? - Salvage
In the streets for Palestine, today’s hated Semites are found. They are the children and grandchildren of Asia and Africa and Ireland and the Caribbean. In the multiracial city, they meet and forge ne...
salvage.zone
November 24, 2025 at 11:03 AM
Just got round to reading this excellent essay by Barnaby Raine salvage.zone/what-do-peop...
In case it makes news: there was a World Zionist Org aliyah fair at a London synagogue today and Jewish pro-Palestine groups protested against it. Various right wing or pro-Israel groups are pretending they were just protesting a synagogue for the sake of it and that the protestors were not Jews.
November 23, 2025 at 8:44 PM
In case it makes news: there was a World Zionist Org aliyah fair at a London synagogue today and Jewish pro-Palestine groups protested against it. Various right wing or pro-Israel groups are pretending they were just protesting a synagogue for the sake of it and that the protestors were not Jews.
This is a horrendous story that I’d never heard of before. Unless they are in physical danger or suffering abuse I don’t think the state should be taking away children from their parents in any circumstances, let alone due to some dubious parenting test www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Greenlandic families fight to get children back after parenting tests banned
The Danish government has banned the use of parental competency tests on Greenlandic families after decades of criticism.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 22, 2025 at 9:51 PM
This is a horrendous story that I’d never heard of before. Unless they are in physical danger or suffering abuse I don’t think the state should be taking away children from their parents in any circumstances, let alone due to some dubious parenting test www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
@jprdata.bsky.social suggests that the 18% of British Jews that support the Green Party do so in spite of its positions on Palestine. I'd say that many support it because of them. After all, JPR recently found that 23% of British Jews identify as non- or anti-Zionist. www.jpr.org.uk/reports/end-...
The end of two-party politics? Emerging changes in the political preferences of British Jews
www.jpr.org.uk
November 20, 2025 at 2:03 PM
@jprdata.bsky.social suggests that the 18% of British Jews that support the Green Party do so in spite of its positions on Palestine. I'd say that many support it because of them. After all, JPR recently found that 23% of British Jews identify as non- or anti-Zionist. www.jpr.org.uk/reports/end-...
If only there was some way to work out if Farage still holds these views, some political positions taken since then perhaps
This is damning and rings absolutely true. It ought to prevent Farage ever holding office but I fear it won't. www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-...
‘Deeply shocking’: Nigel Farage faces fresh claims of racism and antisemitism at school
Bafta-winning director among contemporaries urging contrition and apology from Reform UK leader, who denies the allegations
www.theguardian.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:10 PM
If only there was some way to work out if Farage still holds these views, some political positions taken since then perhaps