- Jeremy Corbyn did not equate Israel to ISIS
- No foundation for allegations of antisemitic attack on Ruth Smeeth MP
- Report places antisemitism in the context of racism
Free Speech on Israel (a Jewish-led coalition of Labour Party members and supporters and friends) broadly welcomes Shami Chakrabarti’s report and its focus on antisemitism in the context of racism. The report details steps the Party must take to be a progressive party in a diverse Britain, committed to representing people of all backgrounds.
Jeremy Corbyn’s response was thorough and brave in accepting the challenge to make the party one that people of all communities will look to to represent their interests.
The serious discussion which this report deserves has, however, been hijacked by two invented controversies.
Firstly the allegation by MP Ruth Smeeth that she had been the subject of antisemitic attack, in which she was accused of colluding with the media. Despite Ms Smeeth’s complaint, there is no evidence in her account of any antisemitic language or reference to her religion. The person accused of accosting her states he did not even know that she was Jewish.
Secondly, Corbyn’s forthright support for the Report on behalf of the Party has been hijacked by an invented allegation that he equated Israel and ISIS. He equated those who make false allegations about Jews to those who make false allegations about Muslims. He said: “Our Jewish friends are no more responsible for the actions of Israel or the Netanyahu government than our Muslim friends are for those of various self-styled Islamic states or organisations.” It is worse than vexatious to wilfully misinterpret that as saying that Israel is equivalent to ISIS. It only makes sense as part of a campaign to demonise and undermine Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour Party.
Free Speech on Israel looks forward in playing a full part in the hard work to help the Labour Party live up to the high expectations of the Chakrabarti report.
“He equated those who make false allegations about Jews to those who make false allegations about Muslims. He said: “Our Jewish friends are no more responsible for the actions of Israel or the Netanyahu government than our Muslim friends are for those of various self-styled Islamic states or organisations.” It is worse than vexatious to wilfully misinterpret that as saying that Israel is equivalent to ISIS.”
Just goes to show how desperate the anti Corbyn Mafia really is.
All happenin’, innit?
https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/asa-winstanley/first-boycott-ban-case-defeated-uk-high-court?utm_source=EI+readers&utm_campaign=901d474274-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e802a7602d-901d474274-294332501
Scandalously, Mark Wadsworth, the long time anti-racist activist who challenged Ruth Smeeth for her collusion with the Daily Telegraph, and who was libelled as an anti-semite for this even though he neither said nor implied anything about being Jewish and did not know she was Jewish, has been expelled fron Labour by the Compliance Unit.
We need to demand that Jeremy Corbyn and other leading Labour figures condemn the Compliance Unit and demand his reinstatement immediately. We also should demand the Compliance Unit be abolished. Arguably those involved in it should be charged with bringing the Labour Party into disrepute with their anti-democratic behaviour.
Thank you so much for saying this and supporting Jeremy Corbyn. The whipped up frenzy of the media which do nothing but bash him is an embarrassment to our intelligence, and an affront to democracy.