Brighton and Hove PSC says “Solidarity with Black Lives Matter” requires opposition to the International Definition of Antisemitism
Brighton and Hove Palestine Solidarity Campaign (BHPSC), has claimed that “solidarity with Black Lives Matter” requires opposition to the International Definition of Antisemitism.
BHPSC released a statement trying to connect the racist killing of George Floyd to Israel and criticising its local authority’s adoption of the Definition back in 2018. The statement said (extracted): “When the Council adopted the [Definition] it deliberately ignored the views of 17 local anti-racist, Black and Muslim organisations in the City. It instead preferred to accept the views of white members of Sussex Friends of Israel that the [Definition] was essential to defend the Jewish community. It wasn’t and isn’t. The [Definition]’s only purpose is to defend the Apartheid State of Israel and to silence those campaigning for justice for the Palestinian people.”
As expert counsel for Campaign Against Antisemitism have shown, there is no basis for the claim that the Definition stifles legitimate criticism of Israel. That the BHPSC still wish the Definition away signals more about its extremist views than it does about the Definition.
It is abhorrent that BHPSC would try to undercut efforts to stamp out antisemitism by suggesting that such efforts are themselves racist. This is not the first time in recent weeks that this claim has been promoted by the far-left. Prejudice cannot be beaten by more prejudice.
It is notable that one of the signatories to the letter is apparently a vice chair of a Constituency Labour Party in the area.
On 28th May 2019, the Equality and Human Rights Commission launched a full statutory investigation into antisemitism in the Labour Party following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant.
Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2019 showed that antisemitism on the far-left of British politics has surpassed that of the far-right.
Campaign Against Antisemitism advocates for zero tolerance of antisemitism in public life. To that end we monitor all political parties and strive to ensure that any cases of concern are properly addressed.
