Anti-Semitism - There Is No Excuse
The Herald carried two important articles about the fight against anti-Semitism in recent days - one involving hate crimes in the Labour Party which has been referred to the Metropolitan Police, the other focusing on Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, who has been drawn into a row about an SNP supporter and an 'anti-Semitic' blog.
Labour's failure to act before now has taken the matter out of the party's hands, but the SNP have acted more decisively, so far at least, by suspending the blogger Gareth Wardell and distancing itself from his ugly, hateful comments.
https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/17196479.scotland-yard-probes-claims-of-anti-semitic-hate-crimes-in-labour-party/
Scotland Yard probes claims of anti-Semitic hate crimes in Labour Party
By Michael Settle - The Herald
Met hate crime inquiry: Watson says not surprised by police probe but it is 'thoroughly depressing'
SCOTLAND Yard has launched a criminal investigation into allegations of anti-Semitic hate crimes within the Labour Party.
The force is acting on a dossier of information handed to Cressida Dick, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner.
A force spokesman said: "On Tuesday September 4, the Met Commissioner was handed a folder of paperwork following a radio interview with LBC Radio in London's Leicester Square.
"The complainant alleged that the documentation included evidence of anti-Semitic hate crimes. The contents have been examined by specialist officers.
"A criminal investigation has commenced into some of the allegations within the documentation. Early investigative advice is being sought from the Crown Prosecution Service."
LBC received an internal Labour dossier detailing 45 cases involving messages posted by party members on social media, including one which read: "We shall rid the Jews who are a cancer on us all."
The broadcaster passed the leaked material to former senior police officer Mak Chishty, who said that 17 instances should have been reported to the police for investigation and another four were potential race hate crimes.
These were the message detailed above; the sharing of a link to an allegedly anti-Semitic blog, and an entry referring to "a Zionist Extremist MP...who hates civilised people, about to get a good kicking".
The fourth related to a party member being accused of putting a child through "10 years of hell", using racial slurs against him and referring to him as "Jew boy".
It was also alleged that the member had chased a girl, aged six or seven, around with air freshener, saying she smelled of curry and calling her "a chocolate monkey".
Ms Dick stressed that the Labour Party itself was not under investigation.
"We are not going to investigate the Labour Party. We would always want institutions and political parties and similar to be able to regulate themselves," she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"However, if somebody passes us material which they say amounts to a crime we have a duty to look at that and not just dismiss it.
"We have been assessing some material that was passed to me, in a radio studio of all things, about two months ago and we are now investigating some of that material because it appears there may have been crime committed.”
The Commissioner added: "We are liaising immediately with the Crown Prosecution Service and I hope we will be able to clear that up very quickly."
The Labour Party said it had not been contacted by the police but was ready to co-operate with the investigation.
A spokesman said: "The Labour Party has a robust system for investigating complaints of alleged breaches of Labour Party rules by its members. Where someone feels they have been a victim of crime, they should report it to the police in the usual way."
Tom Watson, Labour’s deputy leader, said the Scotland Yard announcement was "thoroughly depressing" but "sadly, I'm not surprised".
Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland, he said: "If it does one thing, it will dispel the myth that has been propagated by some people in my own party and beyond it that there is an anti-Semitism in my own party and we are determined to root it out.
"I've not seen the details within the dossier, I just know it exists.”
He added: "I don't know how it ended up in the hands of the police but I'm very pleased it has done because we've not just said that we want to root out anti-Semitism in the Labour Party but if people have crossed the line on criminal behaviour through hate crime and I'm afraid it doesn't surprise me that some have, then I'm very pleased that this is being taken seriously by the police."
Sturgeon dragged into row over 'anti-Semitic' blog
By Tom Gordon - The Herald
A SENIOR SNP councillor who promoted a blog accused of anti-Semitism made “a significant error of judgment” out of ignorance, Nicola Sturgeon has said.
The First Minister said Frank Anderson, the leader of the SNP group in West Lothian, had now written an “unreserved apology” to a female Jewish Labour activist singled out for criticism.
“That error of judgment arose out of a lack of understanding and knowledge,” she said.
Ms Sturgeon was asked at FMQs what action the SNP was taking against Mr Anderson and another councillor, Carl John, who shared a blog that cited Hitler to attack the woman.
Gareth Wardell, who runs the Grouse Beater website, has been suspended by the SNP are publishing an article on Monday about GMB Scotland organiser Rhea Wolfson.
He said Ms Wolfson had been "making the most" of Hitler’s fascist ideology in the equal pay dispute in SNP-run Glasgow, which led to 8000 women going on strike last week.
In a section titled “Hitler’s view”, the blog said: “In Part 1 of Mein Kampf, Hitler attacks unions over and over again. Unions are fascism’s Public Enemy Number 1. He went further.
“He accused ‘The Jew’ of gradually assuming leadership of the trade union movement. Hitler wanted a blindly obedient fighting force loyal only to the national leader of government.
“Whether or not Wolfson is intellectually aware of Hitler’s outlook is unknown but she certainly knows how to make the most of it.”
Labour described the blog as “vile anti-Semitism”, a charge the author denies.
Mr Wardell now faces an investigation by the SNP’s disciplinary committee.
However Mr Anderson and Mr John, who are councillors in Livingston, where Ms Wolfson is Labour’s Westminster candidate, have not been suspended for promoting the article.
After Ms Sturgeon, who this week visited the former Auschwitz concentration camp, spoke of the importance of tackling anti-Semitism, Labour MSP Neil Findlay raised Ms Wolfson.
He said: “This week the acting leader of West Lothian’s SNP councillors and one of his colleagues shared and then defended sharing an article attacking a young, female Jewish trade union leader for her work representing low paid workers.
“The article cited Adolf Hitler and Mein Kampf. The author of the article was rightly suspended by the First Minister’s party.
“Will the First Minister now take further action and suspend both elected councillors and others who spread such offensive, hateful material and attack and abuse people for simply doing their job?”
Ms Sturgeon said it was a “legitimate” question that she wanted to respond to seriously.
She said Mr Anderson had on Thursday written to Ms Wolfson “with an unreserved apology, fully recognising that he made a significant error of judgment”.
She said: “That error of judgment arose out of a lack of understanding and knowledge.”
She went on: “Where people do get things wrong through lack of understanding or knowledge, it is sometimes important that we give them a chance to learn, because education and learning is an important part of combating anti-Semitism and intolerance and racism of all forms.
“The SNP is responsible for the decisions that we take on those matters and is answerable for those decisions. We have consulted the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities, and we have done so this week in relation to the appropriate response to the situation.
“It is equally important that we do not rush to weaponise these things against each other for petty party-political reasons. We are all guilty of that sometimes.
“Fundamentally, it is really important that we stand united in saying that antisemitism, racism, bigotry and intolerance in any form are completely unacceptable.
“However, ultimately, on these issues there is a lot more that unites all of us than divides us.”
There Is No Excuse (30/10/18)
The Herald's take on an ugly side of Scottish nationalism which has come to the fore during the fight for equal pay in Glasgow City Council.
I do hope Nicola Sturgeon wades into the row because there is no excuse for this kind of loathsome behaviour - on Twitter or anywhere else.
Name, shame and kick 'Grouse Beater' into touch - that's what I would do.
https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/17186639.sturgeon-urged-to-probe-snp-links-to-anti-semitic-blogpost/
Sturgeon urged to probe SNP links to 'anti-Semitic' blogpost
By Tom Gordon - The Herald
Rhea Wolfson
NICOLA Sturgeon has been urged to launch an investigation after several SNPbranches promoted a Nationalist blog that cited Hitler to attack a prominent Jewish activist.
The Grouse Beater blog accused Labour candidate Rhea Wolfson was making the most of Hitler’s “fascist ideology” and referred to the GMB union as a “Cockney clique”.
A link to the article, which was denounced by Labour as "anti-Semitic", was shared by the SNP branches for Livingston East, Edinburgh Eastern and various councillors.
The Herald is aware of the blog owner's identity but has yet to speak to him for this article.
A diatribe against the GMB union and its role in the long-running equal pay dispute in Glasgow, the article focused on Ms Wolfson, using her picture as its sole illustration.
A frequent victim of anti-Semitic abuse, Ms Wolfson is a former member of Labour’s ruling National Executive, and the current Westminster candidate for Livingston.
In a section titled “Hitler’s view”, the blog said: “In Part 1 of Mein Kampf, Hitler attacks unions over and over again. Unions are fascism’s Public Enemy Number 1. He went further.
“He accused ‘The Jew’ of gradually assuming leadership of the trade union movement. Hitler wanted a blindly obedient fighting force loyal only to the national leader of government.
“Whether or not Wolfson is intellectually aware of Hitler’s outlook is unknown but she certainly knows how to make the most of it, however, Labour’s travails over its alleged anti-Semitism isn’t for this essay.”
The reference to Ms Wolfson making the most of it was later deleted.
The blog went on: “We do not ostracise unions in Scotland, we encourage their participation, but note I am talking about indigenous unions not English orientated unions carrying the flag of British nationalism and its agenda.”
Referring to last week’s two-day strike over equal pay, it ended: “Wolfson turned an honourable goal into a giant hen party.
“Without a conscience, she left many young and old vulnerable for the length of the strike.
“She lied when she and her colleagues said they had no choice, two months away from the first payments to the women involved.
“I am sad to say, in her contorted way, Wolfson’s voice is the stuff of fascist demagoguery.
In his letter to Ms Sturgeon, Lothians Labour MSP Neil Findlay asked her to start an “urgent investigation” into the sharing of the blog by “a number of SNP social media accounts”.
He said: “The blog attacks the trade union movement in Scotland generally, the GMB union and organiser Rhea Wolfson in particular.
“This vile blog has been shared by the Livingston East SNP and Edinburgh East SNP social media accounts. It was also shared by West Lothian SNP councillors Frank Anderson and Carl John from their joint Facebook Page.
“Our parties clearly have different views in the role of the trade union movement in Scotland, but regardless of that we should stand united against hatred and racism. It is simply unacceptable that this vile anti-Semitic blog has been promoted by various SNP accounts.”
Ina series of tweets, Livingston East SNP also apologised and deleted its link.
It said: “Earlier tonight a link was posted from this account to an article which has been accused of antisemitism.
"Although we are sure the individual who posted the link holds no such views, the link was a bad misjudgement on their part.
“The linked article does not express the views of Livingston East SNP and the offending posts have been deleted from our accounts. The individual will no longer be posting on behalf on Livingston East SNP.
"We apologise for any offence caused.”
An SNP spokesperson said: "The SNP is resolute in our unqualified condemnation of anti-Semitism in all its forms.
The blog should not have been shared by any SNP member and Rhea Wolfson deserves a full apology from the author for the clear offence that has been caused.
"We will assess any complaints of antisemitism using the IHRA definition and all examples."
Rhea Wolfson
NICOLA Sturgeon has been urged to launch an investigation after several SNPbranches promoted a Nationalist blog that cited Hitler to attack a prominent Jewish activist.
The Grouse Beater blog accused Labour candidate Rhea Wolfson was making the most of Hitler’s “fascist ideology” and referred to the GMB union as a “Cockney clique”.
A link to the article, which was denounced by Labour as "anti-Semitic", was shared by the SNP branches for Livingston East, Edinburgh Eastern and various councillors.
The Herald is aware of the blog owner's identity but has yet to speak to him for this article.
A diatribe against the GMB union and its role in the long-running equal pay dispute in Glasgow, the article focused on Ms Wolfson, using her picture as its sole illustration.
A frequent victim of anti-Semitic abuse, Ms Wolfson is a former member of Labour’s ruling National Executive, and the current Westminster candidate for Livingston.
In a section titled “Hitler’s view”, the blog said: “In Part 1 of Mein Kampf, Hitler attacks unions over and over again. Unions are fascism’s Public Enemy Number 1. He went further.
“He accused ‘The Jew’ of gradually assuming leadership of the trade union movement. Hitler wanted a blindly obedient fighting force loyal only to the national leader of government.
“Whether or not Wolfson is intellectually aware of Hitler’s outlook is unknown but she certainly knows how to make the most of it, however, Labour’s travails over its alleged anti-Semitism isn’t for this essay.”
The reference to Ms Wolfson making the most of it was later deleted.
The blog went on: “We do not ostracise unions in Scotland, we encourage their participation, but note I am talking about indigenous unions not English orientated unions carrying the flag of British nationalism and its agenda.”
Referring to last week’s two-day strike over equal pay, it ended: “Wolfson turned an honourable goal into a giant hen party.
“Without a conscience, she left many young and old vulnerable for the length of the strike.
“She lied when she and her colleagues said they had no choice, two months away from the first payments to the women involved.
“I am sad to say, in her contorted way, Wolfson’s voice is the stuff of fascist demagoguery.
In his letter to Ms Sturgeon, Lothians Labour MSP Neil Findlay asked her to start an “urgent investigation” into the sharing of the blog by “a number of SNP social media accounts”.
He said: “The blog attacks the trade union movement in Scotland generally, the GMB union and organiser Rhea Wolfson in particular.
“This vile blog has been shared by the Livingston East SNP and Edinburgh East SNP social media accounts. It was also shared by West Lothian SNP councillors Frank Anderson and Carl John from their joint Facebook Page.
“Our parties clearly have different views in the role of the trade union movement in Scotland, but regardless of that we should stand united against hatred and racism. It is simply unacceptable that this vile anti-Semitic blog has been promoted by various SNP accounts.”
Ina series of tweets, Livingston East SNP also apologised and deleted its link.
It said: “Earlier tonight a link was posted from this account to an article which has been accused of antisemitism.
"Although we are sure the individual who posted the link holds no such views, the link was a bad misjudgement on their part.
“The linked article does not express the views of Livingston East SNP and the offending posts have been deleted from our accounts. The individual will no longer be posting on behalf on Livingston East SNP.
"We apologise for any offence caused.”
An SNP spokesperson said: "The SNP is resolute in our unqualified condemnation of anti-Semitism in all its forms.
The blog should not have been shared by any SNP member and Rhea Wolfson deserves a full apology from the author for the clear offence that has been caused.
"We will assess any complaints of antisemitism using the IHRA definition and all examples."
Corbyn's Labour (27/03/18)
Ken Livingstone is one of Jeremy Corbyn's oldest political friends and allies - here he is making a follow himself on there BBC 'Newsnight' programme back in April 2017.
In the opposite corner Labour MP Wes Streeting speaks op for what the Labour Party used to stand for until the 'Corbynistas' came to the fore.
Debunking Livingstone
Comedian, author and TV presenter David Baddiel does a splendid job of debunking Ken Livingstone's malign argument that 'Hitler supported Zionism before he went mad and murdered millions of Jews'.
As David Baddiel points out this is an 'interpretation' and not a 'fact' as Livingstone likes to claim and it's a very slanted view of history that needs to be placed in proper context instead of being exploited as political propaganda.
Read the full put down in all its glory via the link to The Guardian below - and well said to David Baddiel for putting Livingstone well and truly in his place.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/apr/06/ken-livingstone-hitler-zionism-jews
Why Ken Livingstone has it so wrong over Hitler and Zionism
By David Baddiel - The Guardian
In confusing interpretations for facts he reveals that sense that runs deep in the left: that Jews don’t quite fit into the category of ‘the oppressed’
So … Ken … A lot of people – predominantly the good people, of course, of the British left – have been tweeting to tell me that Ken just “stated a fact”. Here is the problem with what Livingstone said. Because Ken Livingstone did not state a fact.
The statement “Hitler supported Zionism” is not a fact. It’s an interpretation. An interpretation of a particular historical moment, in the 1930s, when the forced emigration of Jews from Germany was pushed further along by various Nazi economic incentives allowing those who fled to Palestine to get some of their stolen assets back.
That is not Adolf Hitler supporting the idea of a Jewish state (even writing that sentence looks ridiculous). It is the Nazis taking advantage of the terror and despair of fleeing refugees to get more of them to leave the country. It is just the thin edge of the wedge of Nazi horror.
The real problem, in a way, is the tone of Livingstone when giving this interpretation. There’s no sympathy. No compassion – no sense of the tragedy behind this. It’s just complacently presented as a deal that Hitler made with German Zionists, and therefore – and this, of course, is the point, the banal, shit point – a way of confirming that Zionism is bad. Through an association with the top bad thing, Hitler.
What’s weird here is I am not, as some of you may know, a Zionist. I’m an atheist and I don’t hold with religion being the basis for statehood. And obviously – as all Jews have to say now when talking about this subject – I do not support the appalling actions of the present Israeli government.
Corbyn's Labour Party
The Times cartoonist Morten Morland has the perfect comment on Jeremy Corbyn's inept leadership of the Labour Party and the apparently uncontrollable narcissism of his great political friend, Ken Livingstone.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk
Looney Tune Livingstone (05/04/17)
The craziest aspect of Ken Livingstone's additional 1-year suspension by the Labour Party is that he still doesn't accept his behaviour was wrong or reprehensible.
Whatever the arguments over his 'Hitler was a Zionist' comments Livingstone has been disciplined by his peers (a panel of fellow Labour members) having been found guilty of the charge of bringing the party into disrepute.
Nonetheless, Livingstone is such an arrogant tosser that he has publicly compared Labour's ruling body to the Stalinist regime in North Korea with the following observation:
"It’s absolutely outrageous that such a serious smear is made and then the hearing is going to be in private. I mean, it’s more like North Korea. It’s literally the sort of hearing you’d expect in some dictatorship – not in a modern democracy."
Having heard the judgment of his Labour peers Livinsgtone's response was to insist he has nothing to answer for and that he is instead the victim of a political witch hunt.
If you ask me, Livingstone is completely out of control and his evident lack of remorse can only drag the Labour Party deeper into the mire just weeks away from the local elections.
The Guardian carries a full report which you can read via the link below although it is worth mentioning that Ken Livingstone and the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn are big friends.
Pressure mounts on Labour to review Ken Livingstone decision
Senior figures from party and Jewish community condemn decision not to expel Livingstone over comments linking Zionism to Nazism.
By Matthew Weaver - The Guardian
Labour is coming under increasing pressure, including from within the shadow cabinet, to review its decision not to expel Ken Livingstone from the party over comments about antisemitism, Hitler and Zionism.
Lord Levy, the party’s chief fundraiser under Tony Blair, is threatening to leave the party after a disciplinary panel ruled that Livingstone should be suspended for another year for bringing the party into disrepute, but not expelled.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme he said: “Do I stay in the party? It is something that I’m going to reflect on very seriously. I am very upset with the party’s attitude. I do not believe there has been a zero-tolerance policy towards antisemitism.”
Like many Levy has been angered by Livingstone’s lack of remorse since the decision. In a defiant series of interviews afterward Livingstone said he had nothing to apologise for and would need to consider whether to challenge the suspension.
Levy said: “The lack of sensitivity by him towards the Jewish community has been outrageous. Many of his colleagues have been outraged by the action of the party. But if all the good guys in the party leave, what is there left?”
Former Labour foreign secretary David Miliband is reported to have told the BBC that he was grieving for the party. He said he never thought he’d see the day when “antisemitism and Labour were discussed in the same sentence”, according to Paul Waugh from the Huffington Post.
While the country waits with baited breath on the outcome of Ken Livingstone's disciplinary hearing for allegedly bringing the Labour Party into disrepute, a wag on Twitter (Dai Lama) imagines how Ken would fare on a visit to Battersea Dogs Home
Ken Livingstone is mobbed by journalists outside Millbank following the controversial comments which led to his suspension. Picture: Anthony Devlin/PA
By EUAN MCCOLM - The Scotsman
IT’S not Jews, they say. They’re always adamant about that: they don’t hate Jews.
And then they say things that suggest they hate Jews. Instead of Jews, of course, they say Zionists.
But they mean Jews, don’t they? After events of the past few days, that’s a reasonable assumption to make, isn’t it?
The Labour Party hasn’t had controversy to seek since members last year took the, still baffling, decision to elect the incompetent Jeremy Corbyn as their leader.
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/commentisfree/2016/apr/30/labour-antisemitism-ken-livingstone-george-galloway
I saw the darkness of antisemitism, but I never thought it would get this dark
The party faces a huge problem that must be surmounted, if only for moral reasons
By Matthew Weaver - The Guardian
Labour is coming under increasing pressure, including from within the shadow cabinet, to review its decision not to expel Ken Livingstone from the party over comments about antisemitism, Hitler and Zionism.
Lord Levy, the party’s chief fundraiser under Tony Blair, is threatening to leave the party after a disciplinary panel ruled that Livingstone should be suspended for another year for bringing the party into disrepute, but not expelled.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme he said: “Do I stay in the party? It is something that I’m going to reflect on very seriously. I am very upset with the party’s attitude. I do not believe there has been a zero-tolerance policy towards antisemitism.”
Like many Levy has been angered by Livingstone’s lack of remorse since the decision. In a defiant series of interviews afterward Livingstone said he had nothing to apologise for and would need to consider whether to challenge the suspension.
Levy said: “The lack of sensitivity by him towards the Jewish community has been outrageous. Many of his colleagues have been outraged by the action of the party. But if all the good guys in the party leave, what is there left?”
Former Labour foreign secretary David Miliband is reported to have told the BBC that he was grieving for the party. He said he never thought he’d see the day when “antisemitism and Labour were discussed in the same sentence”, according to Paul Waugh from the Huffington Post.
Don't Mention 'You Know Who' (31/03/17)
While the country waits with baited breath on the outcome of Ken Livingstone's disciplinary hearing for allegedly bringing the Labour Party into disrepute, a wag on Twitter (Dai Lama) imagines how Ken would fare on a visit to Battersea Dogs Home
Labour in Denial (01/05/16)
The Labour Party has been plunged into crisis because of a stupid, yet deliberate attempt by Ken Livingstone (one of Jeremy Corbyn's closest allies) to claim that Adolf Hitler was a Zionist.
On top of that, Ken went on to share his view that someone can only be anti-semitic if they hate all Jews across the world, not just those living in Israel.
Noe there's been some powerful writing over the weekend about the background to this latest Labour farce and here are there examples from The Scotsman, The Observer and The Independent newspapers.
I think that the piece by Andrew Grice (Independent) is perhaps the most factual and even-handed, Nick Cohen's (Observer) the most passionate, but I would say the most telling is Euan McColm's (Scotsman) who gets to the heart of the problem facing the Labour Party with the following paragraph:
"None of this will, I fear, put an end to Corbyn’s leadership. He is supported by an overwhelming number of halfwits who are content to believe their man’s a victim of the malign actions of others."
I admire people who don't pull their punches.
http://www.scotsman.com/news/euan-mccolm-corbyn-the-last-person-to-tackle-anti-semitism-1-4115550
Euan McColm: Corbyn the last person to tackle anti-Semitism
On top of that, Ken went on to share his view that someone can only be anti-semitic if they hate all Jews across the world, not just those living in Israel.
Noe there's been some powerful writing over the weekend about the background to this latest Labour farce and here are there examples from The Scotsman, The Observer and The Independent newspapers.
I think that the piece by Andrew Grice (Independent) is perhaps the most factual and even-handed, Nick Cohen's (Observer) the most passionate, but I would say the most telling is Euan McColm's (Scotsman) who gets to the heart of the problem facing the Labour Party with the following paragraph:
"None of this will, I fear, put an end to Corbyn’s leadership. He is supported by an overwhelming number of halfwits who are content to believe their man’s a victim of the malign actions of others."
I admire people who don't pull their punches.
http://www.scotsman.com/news/euan-mccolm-corbyn-the-last-person-to-tackle-anti-semitism-1-4115550
Euan McColm: Corbyn the last person to tackle anti-Semitism
Ken Livingstone is mobbed by journalists outside Millbank following the controversial comments which led to his suspension. Picture: Anthony Devlin/PA
By EUAN MCCOLM - The Scotsman
IT’S not Jews, they say. They’re always adamant about that: they don’t hate Jews.
And then they say things that suggest they hate Jews. Instead of Jews, of course, they say Zionists.
But they mean Jews, don’t they? After events of the past few days, that’s a reasonable assumption to make, isn’t it?
The Labour Party hasn’t had controversy to seek since members last year took the, still baffling, decision to elect the incompetent Jeremy Corbyn as their leader.
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/commentisfree/2016/apr/30/labour-antisemitism-ken-livingstone-george-galloway
I saw the darkness of antisemitism, but I never thought it would get this dark
By Nick Cohen - The Observer
The party faces a huge problem that must be surmounted, if only for moral reasons
Ken Livingstone claimed Hitler was a Zionist. Photograph: Chris Ratcliffe/Getty Images
Racism is not a specific illness but a general sickness. Display one symptom and you display them all. If you show me an anti-Muslim bigot, I will be able to guess his or her views on the European Union, welfare state, crime and “political correctness”. Show me a leftwing or Islamist antisemite and, once again, he will carry a suitcase full of prejudices, which have nothing to do with Jews, but somehow have everything to do with Jews.
The Labour party does not have a “problem with antisemitism” it can isolate and treat, like a patient asking a doctor for a course of antibiotics. The party and much of the wider liberal-left have a chronic condition.
As I have written about the darkness on the left before, I am not going to crow now that it has turned darker than even I predicted. (There is not much to crow about, after all.) I have nothing but respect for the Labour MPs who are trying to stop their party becoming a playpen for fanatics and cranks. It just appears to me that they face interlocking difficulties that are close to insoluble.
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/corbyn-s-leadership-has-heightened-labour-s-jewish-problem-only-he-can-bring-this-row-to-an-end-a7005836.html
Corbyn’s leadership has heightened Labour’s 'Jewish problem'. Only he can bring this row to an end
Racism is not a specific illness but a general sickness. Display one symptom and you display them all. If you show me an anti-Muslim bigot, I will be able to guess his or her views on the European Union, welfare state, crime and “political correctness”. Show me a leftwing or Islamist antisemite and, once again, he will carry a suitcase full of prejudices, which have nothing to do with Jews, but somehow have everything to do with Jews.
The Labour party does not have a “problem with antisemitism” it can isolate and treat, like a patient asking a doctor for a course of antibiotics. The party and much of the wider liberal-left have a chronic condition.
As I have written about the darkness on the left before, I am not going to crow now that it has turned darker than even I predicted. (There is not much to crow about, after all.) I have nothing but respect for the Labour MPs who are trying to stop their party becoming a playpen for fanatics and cranks. It just appears to me that they face interlocking difficulties that are close to insoluble.
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/corbyn-s-leadership-has-heightened-labour-s-jewish-problem-only-he-can-bring-this-row-to-an-end-a7005836.html
Corbyn’s leadership has heightened Labour’s 'Jewish problem'. Only he can bring this row to an end
Corbyn is on a fast learning curve. A half-hearted approach by the Labour leader would not only lose Jewish voters but repel others too
By Andrew Grice - The Independent
Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the Labour Party, addresses the Commons PA
A debate inside the Labour Party over Israel, which has simmered for years, has suddenly exploded into Jeremy Corbyn’s biggest crisis in his seven months as party leader.
With the Conservatives advertising their deep divisions on Europe daily, it should have been a moment for Labour, broadly united in support for EU membership, to make progress – not least in next week’s elections to local authorities, the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and for London Mayor. Instead, Labour has somehow managed to give the impression it is just as divided as the Tories.
After a costly 32-hour delay before suspending the Labour MP Naz Shah for suggesting in 2014 that Israeli Jews be transported to America, Corbyn learnt his lesson and acted swiftly to bar his long-time ally Ken Livingstone. Bizarrely, the former London Mayor leapt to the defence of Shah when she was no longer defending herself. The story became a farce as Livingstone suggested that Hitler was a Zionist and clashed on the stairs of a TV studio with the Labour MP John Mann.
Livingstone, who was co-chairing a review of Labour’s foreign policy, claimed in a round of media interviews that, in his 47 years in the party, he had never come across anti-Semitism. This, too, was bizarre, since a series of such allegations have had a high media profile in recent weeks.
A debate inside the Labour Party over Israel, which has simmered for years, has suddenly exploded into Jeremy Corbyn’s biggest crisis in his seven months as party leader.
With the Conservatives advertising their deep divisions on Europe daily, it should have been a moment for Labour, broadly united in support for EU membership, to make progress – not least in next week’s elections to local authorities, the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and for London Mayor. Instead, Labour has somehow managed to give the impression it is just as divided as the Tories.
After a costly 32-hour delay before suspending the Labour MP Naz Shah for suggesting in 2014 that Israeli Jews be transported to America, Corbyn learnt his lesson and acted swiftly to bar his long-time ally Ken Livingstone. Bizarrely, the former London Mayor leapt to the defence of Shah when she was no longer defending herself. The story became a farce as Livingstone suggested that Hitler was a Zionist and clashed on the stairs of a TV studio with the Labour MP John Mann.
Livingstone, who was co-chairing a review of Labour’s foreign policy, claimed in a round of media interviews that, in his 47 years in the party, he had never come across anti-Semitism. This, too, was bizarre, since a series of such allegations have had a high media profile in recent weeks.
