IT IS important for those of us who are Jewish to see how the same sort of controls which are imposed today on Africans, Asians and West Indians by the Immigration Acts were Imposed on us in 1905 by the Aliens Act. The only conclusion we can draw is to oppose all restrictions on immigraLikewise it is important for non-Jews to be aware of the nature and extent of anti-semitism in this something National Front has tried to play on with its campaign to 'brand" the Anti Nazi League as a "Jewish conspiracy -The background to the Aliens Act was the attacks on population in Eastern Europe at the turn of the century. As a result about 150,000 Jews fed to this country between 1880 and 1905.
There was immediate pressure to prevent further entry and to expel those already here. This fed on a long history of anti-semitism. from the the population in York in the early Middle Ages, through the expulsion of all Jews from the country in 1290 (they were only readmitted under Cromwell. to such literary carica tures as Fagin in Oliver Twist.
The daily press began to wage # relentless immigration. Here for instance is a poem pubiished in The 909 Tour vears after the Act had already restricted entry:
Subversive *1 would give them a chance, just one week to clear out/And if found in the land one hour later/ Then death without trial or fooling about/Whether Anarchill, Hanker or Waiter.' As well as reflecting the later fascist wish to murder poem predates fascist mythology of the Jew as both capitalist and worker and also general subversive.
man, Arnold published a host of popular books and pamphiets against immigration. His main argument was a sort of combination of the present NF attempt to prove that no Jews died in the concentration camps and the present racist argument that black Thus he denied that Jews (the dregs of Russian cities') were fleeing here to escape pogroms coming because they are hungry and the English are charitable' On top of all this, an organised para-military movement, the British Brothers League, was formed in 1901 1o fight for immigraton control.
In January 1902 it held a mass meeting of 4,000 at the People's Palace in Mile End Road, London. This rally, Jike those of the NE. today, was preceded procession decked with Union Jacks. under the slogan of 'England for the English 1 Sewage At the described as "scum" and "sewage" and accused of being responsible for "knivings Gi.e. 'muggings"). After the rally the crowd went on a rampage By 1905 the Brothers were able to present a petition of 45,000 signatures calling for control and threatening violence if it was not imposed (che issue can only be settled by agitation or revolt"). Demonstrations were also organised through the Jewish area of Brick Lane.
The Tories tried to put through immigration control legislation from 1893 onwards. Not surprisingly, their arguments were very similar to those used today by Enoch Powell against black people.
responsible unemployment ('taking workers jobs'). lowering living on the dole C'a charge on the spreading DISCUSE. overcrowding of an over populated country' 19051), and corruption (foreign women who carpet our streets').
Finally, one of the main 'charges against Jews was that they stirred up which the the Jewish Jewish against Jewish People in Jews, this White:
Jewish *live off the they were East Jews were working class organisation, The Jewish socialsts bousing, hesitale to English wages; example, they sermons on unemployment. sexual organise trade uncons there were One WIGnE unrest and were "anarchists". This sugeests a very real reason why the Act was brought in — a fear of Jewish which was often stronger and more direcily political than that of English workers argue against the established Jewish leadership. For large demonstracions round the synagogues in 1889 insisting that the rabbis gave They also helped Jewish workers were their Jewish which 36 in 1902. Many waged successful Smashing the windows of a Jewish shop in Mile End Road, In Loadon's East End, in the 1930 strikes against their (often Jewish) employers, and helped to stimulate similar agitation by English workers.
It is no wonder that Jews saw a need for their own unions given the artitude of the organised labour movement. As carly as 1692 the TUC passed a resolution cang for the restriction of 'alien (re.
Jewish) immigration By 1893, 43 labour organisations petitioning Parliantent control: Among those campaigning for this object was the famous leader of theed many it the ev Even many establishment supported the Aliens Act. They had been in the country a Jong time and wanted to be accepted "English'. several English Jewish Board of Guardians latter was immigrant Jews, but in fact sent many of them hack to Russia.
difficult contemporary accounts show that in for 1885 a protest meeting was held in the Jewish East End to protest against the Heard of Guardians' reactionary artitude on Jewish imunigration.
reading Immigration Suspects CHUHIALE 'alien" could be law today).
furthe spoke Tice This themselves altens Hundreds government 'reprimand"
should controls. working quest:on Secondly, Among them Were including ктир president of the The supposed to help poor to anything The activicy of Jewish workers is discover, althourh Workingmen's Club in the semitist of Zionist. TUC's anti-semitism. In 1902 an Alien Defence League was formed, and in 1904 a public meeting of workers (apparently including non Jews) was held in the Labour Hall in Strangeways (a Jewish quarter of Manchester) against the Act.
In fact it was after the Act was passed that the campaign seems to have grown. Inus there were two large demonstrations in 1907 in Leeds and Manchester against the Act and against the size of the naturalisation foe (which made it too expensive for any Jewish worker, once here, to take our Britich citizenship).
The Act was intended to keep out the sick and the poor (first chess passengers were exempe!), and the toll in human tragedy can be seen by the reports Boards, Jews were ruthlessly refused entry, deported, and raided by the police if they were thought to be harbouring relatives.
As immigration controls today racisms against black people by officially labelling them a the problem', so the passing of the Aliens Act in 1905 led to an increase in anti-semitic agitation. When the Ac amended in 1914 the fear of Jewish trade union activity led to thr insertion of a clause whereby an jailed for causing "industrial unrest" (this remains the light through the 1920, and "3 nti-Jewis control was advocated in Parliament. One MP 1925 absolute neceshits to preserve the purity of our and to prevent contamination with the riff raff of Eastern Europe the stiffs of the Mediterrandan, and the dead beats of the world"
agitation had tragic consequences — concealed by English historians for 40 years, When Hitler came to power, thousunds of Jews refused entry here groands that they could not suppers thinged Mary who did arive were were "tentine Then interned as suspected enemy were also forcibly deported to Australia. This briet came to linhi in 1941 when the Britist admitted that Jewish refugees had been shipped oll ic Australia on board the ship Dunera -and that Jewish women had been abused and their property looted, For This the officer in charge received a Two main conclusions сал be drawn from all this. First, that oppose all immigration Some members of the Labour Party say that we should argue for "non racially discriminatory" control. But to exclude it person trom onc "state because they happen to have been born in another "state is to recognise that it is legitimate for thai state to interpose barriers between the people of different Furthermore, the only time the of control is raised practice is to exclude particular races -be they Jewish or Asian, Inventing different criteria for control i not going to fighe this chauvinisen.
criticism of Zionism must also include a constant attack on anti-semitism, because it is this that provides the material basis for Zionism. It is no coincidence that the year the Aliens Act was passed 1905, saw the founding in Leeds of a Puole Zionist (Workers of Zion)
By the 1930s every major capitalist state had immigration restrictions against Jews. Thus Zionism came to be seen as an answer to persecution, even though it is not in fact a solution Today the immigration laws in the LISA and Britain similarly ensure that many Russian Jews sec emigration to Israci as the answer to their persecution A vigorous fight against anti therefore necessary in order to unmask the false solution Socialist Challenge 7 June page 13