ACT NOW! The Denial of Anti-Semitism in Labour

I woke up to the news that a dossier of anti-Semitic hate crimes inside the Labour Party handed to the police in September would now be investigated. There are some 48 examples which may face possible prosecution.  With this in mind I thought it prudent to look at continuing developments inside Labour.

At a meeting of Southend West Labour Party an innocuous motion was put forward by ordinary members following the murderous anti-Semitic attack on Jews in Pittsburgh. Left-wing" members demanded the following sentence was removed from the motion:

(That the CLP)

Recognises that anti-Semitism exists in our society and affirm our beleif that all forms of anti-Semitism be eradicated

And calls on the Labour Party to lead the way in opposing anti-Semitism and fighting racism in all levels of society.

A compromise motion saw these quite reasonable demands removed. Why and who is responsible. The source of this report (Red Roar) does not give us the identity of the group.

Meanwhile Keith Road reports on Shiraz Socialist:

Hornsey and Wood Green Labour Party affiliated to Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL) at its meeting on 25 October 2018.

Sadly, that cannot be seen as a prefigurative act of solidarity with Jewish communities facing such things as the gun attack on a Pittsburgh (USA) synagogue on 27 October as well as more everyday suspicion and abuse.

The problem is with the politics of JVL, especially some of its committee. At the launch meeting of Labour Against Racism and Fascism on 15 October, JVL secretary Glyn Secker spoke against a proposal to include antisemitism (alongside Afrophobia and Islamophobia) in the group’s definition of racism.

Antisemitism he said, is not an issue in Britain! He “as a white Ashkenazi Jew” experiences no discrimination as Muslims and black people do. The charge of antisemitism has been used by the right to undermine Corbyn, and so anti-racists should steer clear.

But the increase in reported antisemitic incidents is real. The security guards outside synagogues and Jewish schools are there for a reason. That Jews in Britain do not suffer discrimination in employment or housing or such does not wipe out those facts.

The left should not continue to ignore the fact that some criticism of Israel is being misused to promote antisemitism.

The rather disingenuously called Jewish Voice for Labour is a tiny unrepresentative group of individuals around the likes of Tony Greenstein, Stephen Marks, Jackie Walker and Jenny Manson who have launched a campaign in which they drag out a Dr Alan Maddison to dismiss concerns about anti-Semitism on the left:

In the aftermath of the Pittsburgh massacre it didn’t take long for some to blame the left and – in this country – Jeremy Corbyn, for “normalising” antisemitism....

Jeremy Corbyn has always spoken out against antisemitism and racism. He has done more than any political party leader to eliminate it in his own party. Allegations over three years involved only 0.07% of members and recent surveys show antisemitism to be more prevalent on the right and far right of the political spectrum. Since Corbyn became leader antisemitism seems to have declined amongst Labour and Tory voters.

Actually it's quite the opposite anti-Semitism was rare inside Labour until Corbyn came along and hordes of anti-Zionists

And then goes on to try and dismiss any concerns about anti-Semitism through the typical argument that Islamophobia is the bigger problem. This article totally ignores the developments inside Labour where members have been suspended and expelled for vile comments about Jews, sometimes not even bothering to use the "anti-Zionist" terminology.

Further reading: Tony Greenstein Defends Jenny Tongue

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ACT NOW!

The following draft motion is suggested for Labour Party and Trade Union branches to put forward at their meetings.

Motion on the Pittsburgh synagogue attack

We condemn the terrorist attack on the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, which killed 11 people and injured several others on 27 October 2018.

We note that the alleged perpetrator of this heinous act is reported to have had a long history of antisemitic views and held a deep hatred for Jewish people.

We believe that these murders tragically demonstrate the dangers posed by the growth in antisemitic sentiments and hate speech internationally, which has arisen in a political climate where governments and opportunist politicians have encouraged the scapegoating of minorities. This trend has been reflected in the growth in antisemitic conspiracy theories and a rise in antisemitic incidents and racist hate crime more generally in the UK, as shown in recent reports from the Community Security Trust and the Home Office.

We resolve:

• To stand in solidarity with the Jewish community around the world and send our condolences to all those affected by the tragic events in Pittsburgh.

• To recognise that antisemitism exists in society and affirm our belief that such prejudice must be confronted and eradicated wherever it arises.

• To call on the Labour Party to lead the way in opposing antisemitism and fighting racism in all its forms.

• To support political education about antisemitism so that its history, causes, manifestations and effects are better understood in the party and members are confident to challenge it.

• To publish this motion as a statement via our social media outlets.