Sunday 2 June 2019

Board of Deputies of British Jews/Labour Against Anti-Semitism: Statements on Labour's Peterborough Candidate

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The Labour Party's anti-Semitism crisis never seems to end. Hot on the heels of the suspension of Peter Willsman a member of Labour's National Executive Committee for his appalling remarks and not for the first time now their candidate in Peterborough has been exposed for her racism. Her apologies are frankly transparent and not accepted by this blogger for one.

The British Board of Deputies of Jews has issued the following statement:


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Marie van der Zyl, President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Simon Johnson, Chief Executive of the Jewish Leadership Council and David Delew, Chief Executive of the Community Security Trust, said:

“The revelation that Labour’s Peterborough candidate Lisa Forbes liked a racist Facebook post accusing Theresa May of having a “Zionist Slave Masters agenda” as recently as April – and previously welcomed a post indulging the bizarre conspiracy theory that Mossad and the CIA are behind Daesh – brings in to question her suitability for public office.

Ms Forbes has now apologised, saying she had not seen these words, but this stretches the limits of credulity, especially given the high profile problems in Labour and the previous antisemitism scandals in Peterborough Labour circles, such as Alan Bull and last November’s resignation of two senior councillors, who said they had been pressured against when trying to complain about antisemitism.

Ms Forbes also says she will seek antisemitism training. This is somewhat ironic given her previous rejection of the IHRA definition of antisemitism.

We are fed up hearing that Labour opposes antisemitism while repeatedly hearing excuses that its members accidentally missed the racism that was staring them in the face.

Unless Labour disowns Lisa Forbes as a candidate, it will only confirm the Party’s shameful descent into the racist mess for which they are now being investigated by the EHRC.”

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Labour Against Anti-Semitism: Statement on Lisa Forbes, Labour Candidate for Peterborough
The revelations that Lisa Forbes, Labour candidate for the Peterborough by-election, has allegedly and repeatedly endorsed antisemitic conspiracy theories are shocking, but not surprising. Evidence also suggests she opposes the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism. It appears to be simply par for the course in Jeremy Corbyn’s seemingly institutionally racist Labour Party, when day after day more evidence emerges of what looks like a toxic culture of prejudice and discrimination.

If Mr Corbyn was in any way interested in upholding decent British values of tolerance and fairness, he would have immediately demanded that Ms Forbes stand down as Labour candidate when this information emerged yesterday.

Instead, he travelled to Peterborough and campaigned for her in person - a tacit endorsement of her apparently appalling racist views.

We are once again witnessing an example of the Labour establishment failing to show moral leadership on the issue of anti-Jewish discrimination. Is it any wonder the Equalities and Human Rights Commission have opened a full investigation into the Labour Party? While Jeremy Corbyn and his team remain at the top of the Labour movement the entire party is charged guilty for letting down the best interests of the British public.

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