Healing the Rift With Britain’s Jews

When Keir Starmer was elected leader of Britain’s Labour Party last weekend, he was careful to praise his predecessor. “I want to pay tribute to Jeremy Corbyn, who led our party through some really difficult times, who energized our movement, and who’s a friend as well as a colleague,” he said in a prerecorded speech.

But a minute or two later, using the same measured tone of voice, he disowned Corbyn’s most toxic legacy. “Anti-Semitism has been a stain on our party,” Starmer said. “I have seen the grief that it’s brought to so many Jewish communities. On behalf of the Labour Party, I am sorry. And I will tear out this poison by its roots.”

Starmer has been described as a “,” combining strong left-wing views with a calm, even staid, manner. The 57-year-old former lawyer chooses his words, and his interventions, carefully. Throughout the leadership race, he was careful not to criticize Corbyn directly—the former leader still has a strong base among the party’s membership. Apart from remarks about the coronavirus, though, Starmer’s first week in charge of Labour