With barely a month to go to put forward motions to this year’s Labour Party conference, supporters of Free Speech on Israel are fighting back against the smear campaign which has branded anti-racist activists antisemitic because of their support for justice for Palestine. One of the most high-profile victims, Jackie Walker, had her suspension from the party revoked on Friday after taking an uncompromising stand.
Labour Party members have until June 24 to take decisions in their constituencies on resolutions, rule changes, constitutional amendments and delegates to represent them at the annual conference in Liverpool on September 24-28. The same deadline applies to nominations for places on the National Executive Committee (NEC).
The Zionist Jewish Labour Movement, backed by the right-wing “Progress” faction, is pushing relentlessly for a change to membership rules that would allow proponents of one particular ideology to intimidate and exclude people who oppose them. It is being deliberately rushed through in order to pre-empt the findings of the Shami Chakrabarti inquiry which is due to report after the June 24 conference deadline.
The rule change the JLM and Progress are proposing seeks to insert the following new paragraph E (at Clause I, section 4 (‘Exclusions’) in the party’s membership rules:
Where a member is responsible for a hate incident, being defined as something where the victim or anyone else think it was motivated by hostility or prejudice based on disability, race, religion, transgender identity, or sexual orientation, the NEC may have the right to impose the appropriate disciplinary options ….(our emphasis)
This is a deliberate misreading of the Macpherson report recommendation that a victim’s perception must be taken into account in a case of hate crime. Macpherson did NOT intend to empower an alleged “victim or anyone else” to determine when a hate crime was being committed without reference to any other criteria. If passed, Zionists will use their new rule to claim that someone attacking their political beliefs is attacking their race or religion, making them an antisemite and therefore guilty of a hate crime.
The rule change is being presented as if it is needed to protect Labour Party members from racism and has received the backing of some on the NEC. But if a hate crime is committed there are laws that can – and should – be brought into play. The motivation of JLM and Progress – neither of which has any record of support for anti-racist struggles in British society at large – is to make it impossible to question the ideology which gave rise to the creation of a racially exclusive Israeli state on land stolen from the Palestinians.
This pernicious rule change motion needs to be opposed, and it is being opposed. There is a fine example here of the incredulity of its supporters when they were thwarted in Hampstead and Kilburn Labour Party last Thursday.
There are also a growing number of examples of positive resolutions being passed after thoughtful debate in labour movement organisations around the country. Below are just a few that we have heard about. Please let us know if you are aware of others.
You can download this leaflet about the JLM to hand out at labour movement meetings.
BELOW ARE SEVERAL RESOLUTIONS PASSED IN LABOUR MOVEMENT ORGANISATIONS IN SUPPORT OF FREE SPEECH ON ISRAEL
Passed by Yorkshire and Humber Regional Meeting of Momentum, 14 May 2016
The Yorkshire and Humber Regional Momentum Meeting:
- Reiterates its strong commitment to combating all forms of racism and to defending those who are subjected to it. We actively oppose Islamophobia, prejudice against migrants and racism against ethnic and religious minorities, including anti-Jewish racism.
- Rejects the suggestion that questioning Zionist ideology entails anti-Semitic prejudice. We believe campaigning to end the injustices inflicted on the Palestinian people is in the very best traditions of the British Labour movement.
Urges the Labour Party to:
- Listen to the many Jews who are outraged by the lie that Jews are not safe in the Labour Party;
- Cease victimising those who work for justice for Palestine;
- Adhere to fair practice and transparency when investigating charges against members;
- Call to order Labour Party members who bring the Party into disrepute by spreading calumnies about widespread anti-Semitism in the Party;
- Defend Momentum members and other socialists who have been suspended from the Labour Party for unfounded allegations of anti-Semitism.
PASSED BY SOUTH CAMBRIDGESHIRE CLP
In response to the suspension of numerous Labour Party members following allegations of antisemitism, South Cambs CLP expresses its confidence in the Chakrabarti enquiry. We note that its terms of reference include making recommendations on appropriate disciplinary procedures. South Cambs CLP deplores the actions of senior figures in the party that appear to publicly pre-judge the outcome of the enquiry. South Cambs CLP will refrain from taking a position on or adopting any proposal for rule changes on disciplinary procedures relevant to this until the results of the enquiry are published.
PASSED BY CAMDEN TOWN WITH PRIMROSE HILL BRANCH
With respect to the suspensions of Labour Party members following allegations of antisemitism, this branch expresses full confidence in the Chakrabarti and Feldman enquiry, and notes that its terms of reference include making recommendations on appropriate disciplinary procedures.
Accordingly this branch shall refrain from taking a position on or adopting any proposal for rule changes on disciplinary procedures relevant to this until the results of the enquiry are published.
PASSED BY BOLTON WEST CLP, HEATON AND LOSTOCK LABOUR PARTY BRANCH, BOLTON TRADES COUNCIL AND CHINGFORD AND WOODFORD GREEN CLP
Preamble:
The run-up to the May 5 elections has seen a wave of hysteria over claims that the Labour Party is rife with antisemitism and has a “problem with Jews.” This is not true but there is indeed a problem. It is a problem with people – Jewish and otherwise, inside and outside the party – who wield antisemitism allegations as a stick to beat the Corbyn leadership, regardless of the damage caused.
They have targeted Malia Bouattia, the first Muslim woman to be elected president of the National Union of Students, on the thinnest of pretexts and despite her consistently principled anti-racist stance. Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) founder member and lifelong anti-racist Tony Greenstein has been suspended from the Labour Party without even being informed of the charges against him. Naz Shah MP has been suspended on the basis of a few inappropriate social media posts which she evidently regrets – swiftly followed by Ken Livingstone because of some ill-chosen remarks made when commenting on Shah’s case.
Jeremy Corbyn and other Labour leaders have done their best to respond, rightly asserting their impeccable anti-racist credentials, treating specific allegations of antisemitism seriously and taking appropriate action. This is no more and no less than should happen with allegations of racism or discrimination of any kind. In fact Corbyn has gone further and set up an independent inquiry headed by Shami Chakrabarti.
But this has not satisfied those sections of the pro-Israel lobby orchestrating the attacks. The campaign of vilification is intended to undermine Labour’s new leaders, because of their commendable record of supporting justice for Palestine. The wider aim is to crush support for the solidarity movement which is working to achieve for Palestinians basic rights that are endorsed by international legal bodies.
This organisation therefore:
– Reiterates its strong commitment to combating all forms of racism and to defending those who are subjected to it. We actively oppose Islamophobia, prejudice against migrants and racism against ethnic and religious minorities, including anti-Jewish racism.
– Rejects the suggestion that questioning the Zionist ideology of the Israeli state and its supporters – both Jews and non-Jews – entails antisemitic prejudice. On the contrary, campaigning to end the injustices inflicted by Israel on the Palestinian people is in the very best traditions of the British Labour movement.
– Urges the Labour Party NEC:
- to listen to the many Jews who are outraged by the lie that Jews are not safe in the Labour Party;
- cease victimising those who work for justice for Palestine;
- adhere to fair practice and transparency when investigating charges against members;
- call to order Labour Party members who bring the party into disrepute by spreading calumnies about widespread antisemitism in the party.
