The furore around the Labour MP Diane Abbott and accusations of antisemitism, in which she equated the prejudice Jewish people face with the prejudice faced by redheads, hold important lessons for anyone considering how to talk about diversity, inclusion, equality, racism and (of course) antisemitism.
To explain, let me start with a story. A few years ago I was talking to a young black girl about the prejudice women face. She turned to me and said earnestly, “I understand it, it’s like racism against women.” I fought back a laugh and replied, “Yes, it’s called sexism.”
