Denial of anti-Semitism at the heart of the UK Labour party

[Mosby]

Last night, I went to an event at the student central in Malet Street organised by supporters of the Labour Party. Part of the Birkbeck campus. The event was titled ‘Anti-Semitism, Zionism and the left’. The purpose was to address the ‘witch hunt’ taking place against anyone who criticises Israel. Something that is seen by some as part of a co-ordinated attack to unsettle Corbyn and remove him from power.

Given what was said, it is clear that Corbyn’s issue with anti-Semitism runs far deeper than a few councillors or MP’s. There were about 150 people there. Had there been a vote, every single card carrying Labour member present would probably have agreed, reposted or repeated, every single comment made by those suspended. Anti-Semitism is not a comment made in careless anger by these people, it is embedded in their world vision.

-snip-

The whole event was all about the legitimate right to criticise Israel. Built around a flimsy straw man. Nobody, but nobody has *EVER* said that all criticism of Israel is anti-Semitsm. The argument goes of course, that once you dismantle the point, once you show that such an absolute stance of negating all criticism is unfair, then your side has won. The twisted logic then follows that anti-Semitsm is not present in ‘all criticism’ of Israel. Simply absurd.

According to the panel, it is okay to suggest that Israel has so much political control of the UK, that a new ambassador can create a witch hunt against innocent Labour members who simply support Palestinians. (Lindsey German). That anti-Semitism only really exists on the right (Weyman Bennett). That Zionists can’t find any archaeological evidence to support biblical claims (John Rose). That Israel sent a physical order out to its diplomats to call all criticism of Israel anti-Semitic (Tariq Ali). That anti-Semitism didn’t exist in the Middle East before Israel (Tariq Ali). That calling for an end to Israel is okay (pretty much everyone). That Israel is responsible for anti-Semitsm (almost everyone). To greatly exaggerate and demonise Israeli actions (absolutely everyone).

http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/denial-of-anti-semitism-at-the-heart-of-the-uk-labour-party/

[shira]

1. From OP, these assholes couldn't give 1 example of what antisemitism would look like.....

During the evening, logic, truth and fairness aside, the glaring omission was the presentation of an example of what was unacceptable. What would constitute a remark about Israel that would indicate Jewish hatred? There was acceptance in theory such a creature existed. Arthur Goodman had showed promise when he inferred lying about Israel is a signal you have crossed the line, but then said if the lie was made in good faith, in ignorance or out of anger, then it didn’t count. As race hatred is born in ignorance, logic dictates, that Arthur does not believe any form of racism exists. Nor indeed that any statement, however vile, ever becomes worth censuring. As long *as you believe it is true*, it is okay.

So is there such a comment? An example, any example of a statement about Zionists that would clearly be called anti-Semitic? After the talk I personally approached two of the panellists, John Rose and Lindsey German. Could such a comment exist? ‘Yes of course’ they both replied. ‘Can you give me an example of just one’. Silence. Mumbling. More silence. Eventual deflection. That silence, that inability to answer the question, shows you everything you need to know about the evening.

This is Corbyn’s critical power base. Stop the War coalition, rabid socialists, staunch trade unionists, activists, communists, anarchists. I doubt there were more than a handful who haven’t committed sins larger than those others have been suspended for. I also imagine many are card carrying labour supporters. Anti-Semitism isn’t something they do or say. It is in their world vision. Their enemy is the cabal, and for many, that cabal is predominately Jewish. Rothschild, the Judaized Illuminati. These people are the root of Corbyn’s Labour. His tree cannot grow, his vision cannot prosper, without them.

This isn’t the gene based anti-Semitism of Hitler. It is a version of the classic anti-Semitism of the past. You can convert and save yourself. Jew is money, Jew is control, Jew is the insidious enemy. If you leave the cult of ‘Jewish money’ and accept their way, if you condemn the settler state, if you reject ‘Jewish capitalism’, if you understand that Jew is white oppressor not minority victim, if you ’de-Jew’ yourself and become simply a universalist, then you may still be saved. For those who exist in the far left, those who believe that anti-Semitism is shaped like a swastika and the political spectrum is linear rather than a horseshoe, it cannot possibly exist where they stand. So however large it becomes, however dangerous a threat it poses, they will never, can never, see it.

I cannot see this mixture of the deluded and the hatemongers ever taking power. But if they do, if the rabble I was with last night actually put their man in number 10, then I tell you this – there will be no place at all for Jews in the UK. We don’t need to pack our bags yet, but we need to appreciate there is a very dangerous enemy in town.

[leftynyc]

2. I'm seeing a lot of this

African Americans can decide what they think is racism, Muslims can decide what they consider anti-Muslim content, women can decide what they consider misogyny but heaven forbid actual Jews try and define anti-semitism. I have a question - how many of these Labour people agonizing over what is anti-semitism were actually Jewish?

[LeftishBrit]

3. No more than in any other party and less than some

All political parties will deny that they have a problem with anti-Semitism/ racism/ corruption/ you name it. And all do have these problems. But the Labour Party has been confronting anti-Semitism within its ranks more direcly than most other parties do. Perhaps that's why people think that it's a Labour Party thing, rather than a problem in virtually any organization.

Jenny Tonge made ridiculous CT-ish remarks about Israelis stealing organs in Haiti (and that was not her only anti-Semitic remark); David Ward made classic Protocols-ish remarks about Zionist control of UK institutions - and no one says that the Lib Dem party is intrinsically anti-Semitic. A Tory MP, Aidan Burley, organized a Nazi stag party, and students of the Oxford University Conservative Association got drunk and sang an anti-Semitic song mocking the Holocaust- and no one says that Tories are intrinsically anti-Semitic. The right-wing press smeared Ed Miliband and portrayed him in ways that were certainly xenophobic and sometimes at least bordered on anti-Semitic; if not for their smears, we might well now have an ethnically Jewish Prime Minister - and few mention that. UKIP is filled with CT-ers who are often anti-Semitic and half its members said they would never vote for a Jew, and no one says that UKIP is intrinsically anti-Semitic, though it bloody well is. George Galloway talks crap, and people use him as an example of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party, though he is certainly NOT Labour and has defeated several incumbent Labour politicians in his time!

I'm sick of anti-Semites and all racists and I'm also sick of those who imply that the Left is peculiarly anti-Semitic. Especially after what was done by the Right to Ed Miliband.

[leftynyc]

4. But they can't say they're confronting the problem

when this is what happens when they discuss it:

According to the panel, it is okay to suggest that Israel has so much political control of the UK, that a new ambassador can create a witch hunt against innocent Labour members who simply support Palestinians. (Lindsey German). That anti-Semitism only really exists on the right (Weyman Bennett). That Zionists can’t find any archaeological evidence to support biblical claims (John Rose). That Israel sent a physical order out to its diplomats to call all criticism of Israel anti-Semitic (Tariq Ali). That anti-Semitism didn’t exist in the Middle East before Israel (Tariq Ali). That calling for an end to Israel is okay (pretty much everyone). That Israel is responsible for anti-Semitsm (almost everyone). To greatly exaggerate and demonise Israeli actions (absolutely everyone).


That's just confirming what everyone already knew. They will say whatever they want about Israel - no problems at all. But say something perceived as anti-Muslim and the fucking sky fell in. They're sniveling hypocrites - that's the problem. If I were living in the US, I wouldn't have a party.

[shira]

5. It's not just that they're as or less racist than rightwingers. Whatever....

For all intents and purposes, they're Rightwingers too.

But it's the influence these imposters have with the BDS movement & certain NGO's that incite hatred & violence against Jews which is different. Rightwingers really can't do that unless they're teaming up with these Leftwing assholes, pretending to be human rights advocates.....which makes me want to throw up. Screw them all.

Rightwingers cannot get away with calling Jews Islamophobic when standing up for Israel's right to exist (not that they would) but Leftwingers can and will do so & claim they do it for the right reasons & call you racist if you disagree (and get away with it). They can and will define antisemitism in their own terms & then get away with it. The Right cannot do so to the extent the Left can.

It's for these reasons I believe the Far Left haters are more dangerous than their Far Right brothers in hate. Far Rightwingers for the most part ADMIT they hate Jews, or are too stupid to hide it, while the far Leftists pretend they don't - they're far more clever than their Rightwing fellow haters. Leftists do this, the Rightists not so much...