IT’S TIME TO JUMP SHIP NOT FORGE CLOSER TIES

I find it quite odd that Jewish people claim, as Daniel Finkelstein does ( JC, Mar 11), that remaining in the EU is a safer option for Jews. Europe is witnessing the worst bout of antisemitism seen since the end of the Second World War under the EU’s watch with rising support for extremism across the continent. And one can hardly make a case for the EU being supportive of Israel, having allowed EU taxpayers’ funds to find their way into the hands of those whose desire it is to harm the Jewish state.

The biggest problem for the EU is the single currency and unless this ends sooner rather than later, it will lead to chaos throughout Europe reminiscent of the 1930s. The single currency is a straitjacket. It prevents economies from growing at the pace suited to them. It creates a dependency culture where the rich nations (Germany) have to bail out the poor (Greece, Portugal, Spain etc), and the poor regions have no incentive to be competitive as they receive continual hand-outs. This in turn creates resentment, then nationalism, and ultimately could lead to war. This is the natural consequence of a single currency.

We should be encouraging everyone to bail out, for when the ship sinks, it will pull us all down in its wake. The Jewish community in Britain has prospered and may be afraid to rock the boat. The journey on the Titanic was also smooth before it hit trouble. We have to make a stand, lead the way, and disembarking now will hopefully provide a wake-up call to the rest. Lance Forman London E3