London’s Marvellous Menschen for Maureen

Dame Maureen Lipman has opened in London’s West End this week in Allegra, a new play written for her, about a woman of senior years who happily detaches herself from the world around her to live her life through song. It’s a touching and sensitive performance, in a story about growing old, that has no connection at all with the affairs of either Jews or Israel.

And yet, as Allegra has toured around the country before its London opening, at many of the UK’s regional theatres the show has been met by pro-Palestinian antizionist demonstrators incensed at Lipman’s starring role. A prominent member of the UK’s Jewish community, Lipman has been a staunch supporter of Israel. For this she has been damned by the demonstrators, to the extent that she has been forced to hire her own personal security.

At the show’s London opening night however, the pro-Palestinian haters were met by a magnificent counter response from the Our Fight campaign led by Mark Birbeck and Kurpa Patel. Predominantly made up of non-Jews, who proudly and deservedly call themselves Menschen, Our Fight have been magnificent in their solidarity alongside the Jewish people, frequently calling out antisemitic hatred.

With London becoming an increasingly threatening environment for Jews, Our Fight are a beacon of hope in a grim world.