By COLlive reporter
Boris Johnson will be the next Prime Minister of Britain after winning Tuesday’s vote of the governing Conservative party to succeed Theresa May.
Johnson, the former mayor of London and foreign secretary, will take office on Wednesday. He promised to “deliver Brexit, unite the country and defeat Jeremy Corbyn.”
Corbyn, leader of the sandal plagued Labour party, has been roiled by claims of anti-Semitism in his ranks and his association with anti-Israel terrorists and causes.
In contrast, Johnson has been a staunch supporter of Israel and has been a familiar face in the Jewish community in England.
Johnson as Prime Minister, his supporters told the Jewish Chronicle, will be a good thing for Britain’s Jews.
“At a time of rampant antisemitic discourse and with the threat of Jeremy Corbyn and his Stalinist lieutenants making their way into No 10, Johnson is said to represent the best hope of consigning the Corbynites to history,” they said.
The newspaper pointed out that throughout his time in City Hall, he proclaimed his staunch support for Israel and had excellent relations with the Board of Deputies, the Community Security Trust and the London Jewish Forum.
“Heartfelt congratulations from Jerusalem, @BorisJohnson,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quick to tweet. “Looking forward to working closely together, both in facing our common challenges and seizing the opportunities ahead.”
During his mayoral term, Johnson often joined Chabad-Lubavitch UK for the largest Menorah lighting in London at the landmark Trafalgar Square.
“One of the joys of being able to mark Chanukah in the Square is that it enables all Londoners to share in the rich cultural heritage of Jewish people,” he commented during one of the ceremonies.
The eccentric Johnson hugged Dreidel Man in one memorable moment and handed out latkes and donuts to the crowd. In another, he donned the Chassidic black fedora of Rabbi Levi Sudak of Chabad of Edgware during a campaign stop.
“Congratulations Boris. May Gd grant you the wisdom to lead the country through these uncertain times to bright days for all the citizens of this great country, Great Britain,” wrote Rabbi Bentzi Sudak of Chabad-Lubavitch UK.
Mazel Tov to @BorisJohnson #uk New #PrimeMinister pic.twitter.com/Daayh62KIr
— Rabbi Yossi Lazaroff 👍#AggieRabbi (@AggieRabbi) July 23, 2019
VIDEO: Boris Johnson told supporters in a speedy acceptance speech after he was named Britain’s next prime minister that “like some slumbering giant, we are going to rise and ping off the guy-ropes of self-doubt and negativity."
Full coverage at https://t.co/IZ3iBWyEML pic.twitter.com/sAwYPpJiwo— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) July 23, 2019
Wish us luck!!!
He Looks Like Trump.🙂🙂