Police are investigating after a spate of physical attacks against religious Jews in North London, all apparently at the hands of one assailant.
At least two of the attacks against religious Jews in the heavily Jewish neighbourhood of Stamford Hill have been caught on video.
One incident took place at 19:10 on 18th August on Holmdale Terrace, where the suspect slapped the back of the head of a child (crime reference number CAD6568 20/08/2021).
Another incident took place at 20:30 on the same day at the junction with Colberg Road, where the 64-year-old victim was on his way to synagogue before being struck and left unconscious on the ground. He suffered facial injuries and a broken foot (crime reference number CAD4492 20/08/2021).
Both incidents were reported by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.
The suspect in each video is a man dressed in religious Muslim garb with a black beard, dark skin and dark and thick-rimmed glasses. He was wearing a dark green bomber jacket, white kufi and thwab.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, condemned “this appalling attack,” adding: “Let me be clear, racist abuse and hate crime, including antisemitism, have absolutely no place in our city.” He urged anyone with information to contact the Metropolitan Police.
If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting the relevant reference number (listed above).
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “These attacks are not ‘random’ in the usual sense: these victims were chosen because they are Jews. Violent antisemitic crimes have surged in recent months, but they have already been prevalent against religious Jews for some time, particularly in Stamford Hill. We applaud the Shomrim for reporting these incidents and urge the police to act swiftly to apprehend the assailant and deliver justice for the victims.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews almost four times more likely to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.
Shocking footage of a vicious #Racist attack, the unconscious victim, was rushed to hospital with broken foot/ankle & nasty head injuries @MPSHackney specialist #HateCrime officers are keen to speak to this male 4492 20/08/21 pic.twitter.com/GWtip256E0
Holmdale Terrace #N16#Racist attacker strikes again!#Jewish child viciously punched in the face 18 Aug 7:10pm@MetPolice@MPSHackney detectives are linking a series of horrific unprovoked attacks this Wednesday evening
Scottish First Minister and Scottish National Party (SNP) Leader Nicola Sturgeon has reportedly said that she is “committed to tackling” antisemitism.
It was reported last week that Ms Sturgeon met with The Scottish Council of Jewish Communities and Glasgow Jewish Representative Council to discuss the rise in antisemitism, where it was said that she “understood the community’s anxieties” and seemingly expressed a desire to meet with university representatives to help tackle on-campus antisemitism.
Ms Sturgeon said afterwards that the meeting had been “incredibly useful” before adding that “antisemitism will not be tolerated in Scotland and we remain committed to tackling it”.
It is noteworthy, however, that so far this year, three reports have surfaced of SNP members making gratuitous comparisons between a major political party to the Nazis.
In April, an SNP candidate apologised after comments from 2017 emerged in which she had reportedly compared tactics by the Conservatives to Hitler and the Holocaust. Two weeks later, it had been revealed that another SNP candidate posted a comment on Facebook comparing the Labour Party’s political strategy in Scotland to that of the Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels.
Last month, an SNP MP apologised for, and deleted, a tweet in which he wrote that “Murdering babies wasn’t on the Nazi manifesto.” However, another tweet in which he appeared to compare the Conservative Party to the Nazis still remains on his Twitter account.
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.
It was reported yesterday that multiple Jewish graves have been toppled over in Layton, Blackpool.
Photographs posted on Twitter showed the graves lying on their sides and smashed. The graves are believed to belong in the Jewish section of Layton cemetery. The Twitter user wrote that one of the graves was “destroyed and filled with litter”.
It is not yet known whether this was an intentional act or not.
Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews almost four times more likely to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.
This is my litter pick in the small Jewish cemetery in Layton, Blackpool yesterday. I tweeted it & placed it on my Instagram. I'm a disgusted man of no faith, but a disgusted man of respect. This takes effort, stupidity and a lack of morality!!! pic.twitter.com/pInJ5gaBR4
Greater Manchester Police has begun rolling out a virtual reality project which allows its officers to experience what it is like to be the victim of a hate crime.
The first-of-its-kind project is designed to help officers sympathise with hate crime victims.
Officers run through three scenarios with three different victims, all based on true incidents that took place in Manchester but which were not reported to police.
One scenario focuses on antisemitism with elements of misogyny, while the other two cover disability and transgender hate crime.
The antisemitism scenario begins in a synagogue, where the victim – a young woman – tells the wearer of the virtual reality goggles about her experience and how it made her feel. The scene then shifts to a reconstruction of the incident, with the wearer becoming the victim in the scenario, including taking on their height and stance.
In the case of the disability scenario, the wearer also adopts the visual impairment of the victim as well.
The final stage of the scenario keeps the wearer in the position of the victim, but this time in conversation with police officers, one who re-enacts a response that received good victim feedback and the other whose response could be improved.
According to the police force, antisemitic and transgender hate crimes were included because of the surge in the number of incidents, while disability was included because it is considered to be significantly underreported. The fact that all three incidents were not reported is a reminder that many hate crimes and hate incidents go unreported.
Campaign Against Antisemitism was one of a number of organisations that provided input into the various scenarios, and we applaud Greater Manchester Police for its ingenuity in training officers about hate crimes.
Earlier this week, Campaign Against Antisemitism reported on very positive feedback from Cornwall and Devon Police following an antisemitism training series that we provided to the force.
It has been reported that people inside of a vehicle threw a Red bull can at a Jewish pedestrian in Stamford Hill, and then proceeded to yell racist abuse at him.
The reported incident was said to have occurred directly beneath Hackney Council’s number 64 CCTV camera at 23:18 on Tuesday.
The incident is believed to have taken place outside 21 Amhurst Park and was reported today by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.
If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123. Hackney Police are reportedly investigating it as a hate crime.
Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews almost four times more likely to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.
The proscribed group Labour Against the Witchhunt has reportedly told its members to lie about their political affiliation to avoid being kicked out of the Labour Party.
This news comes amidst reports that members of Labour Against the Witchhunt have begun receiving letters of automatic expulsion from Labour for their association to the antisemitism-denial faction.
Last month, Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) resolved to proscribe Labour Against the Witchhunt and the disgraced former Labour MP Chris Williamson’s Resist group, as well as two further far-left groups, paving the way for automatic expulsion of their members. It is believed that Labour Against the Witchhunt will be holding events in Brighton during Labour’s conference in the city.
On its website, Labour Against the Witchhunt writes that some members who are expecting the Labour Party to bring forth charges of association with the banned group have considered saying: “I am not now nor have I ever been a member of Labour Against the Witchhunt.”
Labour Against the Witchhunt adds that its steering committee does not “consider this kind of response to be a betrayal of the comrades’ support for our organisation” but rather “quite the opposite”. It adds: “Comrades should not feel under any moral obligation to tell the truth to the witch-hunters, who have lied, sabotaged and smeared thousands of us. Much better comrades are able to continue the fight against the right wing inside the Labour Party – if they can stomach it.”
It has also been reported that that members of Labour Against the Witchhunt may form a new political party after being purged by the Labour Party.
The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.
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.
Campaign Against Antisemitism is pleased to report on very positive feedback to a training series on antisemitism recently delivered to Cornwall and Devon Police.
After engaging with the police force on a particularly difficult case, in which we continue to support the victim, we were invited to deliver a programme of training.
The force observed that the imagery used in the presentation “was very useful,” as were the explanations of why certain videos and songs are offensive to Jewish people. Officers from the Diverse Communities Team described the training as “excellent”, particularly because it drew on the “personal perspectives” of the course leaders, and noted that the training “will support officers and staff in providing the best service to victims.” The Head of Equality, Diversity and Human Rights described the sessions as “highly informative”.
The Assistant Chief Constable found the training “extremely insightful, interesting and eye-opening,” noting that the presenters were “very approachable in their willingness to answer questions,” while the force’s Engagement Officer said that the course “gave me a deeper understanding of the issues faced by the Jewish community.”
One officer said: “I would recommend this training to anyone who wants to know more about antisemitism and for anyone who thinks that there is no longer a problem with hatred against Jews.”
The force submitted requests for additional training.
We are grateful to Devon and Cornwall Police officers for their positive engagement with the training and are confident that they will apply insights into their policing.
Campaign Against Antisemitism regularly provides antisemitism training to regulators, police forces, public bodies, university societies and other institutions, free of charge.
If you would like to arrange antisemitism training for your association, please e-mail [email protected].
A man is facing trial after being accused of creating the website “Radio Aryan” in order to upload antisemitic and racist podcasts.
James Allchurch, 49 from Pembrokeshire, appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court yesterday where he denied fifteen counts of distributing a sound recording stirring up racial hatred. He was bailed to appear at Swansea Crown Court on 15th September.
Mr Allchurch reportedly wore a mask, visor and sunglasses, and asked that people refer to him as “Sven Longshanks”. When asked why Mr Allchurch wished to be called Sven Longshanks, he allegedly replied: “This is my life’s work that is on trial and that’s the name that my work is published under.”
The court reportedly heard that Radio Aryan had been running since 2015, and that twelve of the charges related to material allegedly offensive to people from black or ethnic minority communities while three relate to podcasts accused of being antisemitic.
Mr Allchurch reportedly pleaded not guilty to all charges.
It has been reported that at a demonstration held outside Westminster yesterday, an anti-vaccination protester claimed that wearing the yellow star that was forced upon Jews during the Holocaust was the “ultimate tribute” to Holocaust victims.
The protester, identified as Jeff Wyatt, wore a yellow star armband with the words “Not Vaccinated” written below, as well as the German translation of “Nicht Geimpft”. “It’s the ultimate tribute – because where we are heading is where the Jews went,” Mr Wyatt reportedly said.
He added: “Bear in mind in the 1930s, the Nazis didn’t just suddenly become the tyrants they were – they slowly had their evil way over the public of Germany. And the Jews, for years and years, said ‘just do what they say’ – and eventually they gassed them.”
The individual is believed to be the same Jeff Wyatt as the former Deputy Leader of the For Britain Movement who stood as a UKIP candidate in Milton Keynes. The For Britain Movement has been described as a “far-right UKIP splinter group” and has been accused of antisemitism and racism.
On a video uploaded to the official YouTube account for UKIP Cambridge & SE Cambs, Mr Wyatt can be seen talking to the camera at an anti-lockdown rally from last year whilst holding a sign that reads “No Gestapo Policing”.
This is not the first time that the yellow star or comparisons to the Nazis have been used by anti-vaccination demonstrators.
In April, protesters at an anti-vaccination rally held in London were pictured wearing the yellow star. Comedian David Baddiel took to Twitter to share a photo of a woman wearing the yellow star, accompanying it with the caption: “Take. That. Off.”
Footage taken on 13th July showed Piers Corbyn comparing vaccinations to Nazi policy outside the Houses of Parliament, despite being arrested after a similar incident in February. The video shows Mr Corbyn and another man standing in front of a sign which reads “No Nazi forced jab” and yelling “arrest Matt Hancock” through a megaphone.
The inflammatory and misleading comparison has also been used among international anti-vaccination and anti-lockdown circles.
Earlier this week, we reported that antisemitic protest signs have prompted hate speech and incitement of violence investigations in France. In addition to this, several people have been spotted wearing yellow stars. In March, organisers of an anti-vaccine demonstration in the city of Avignon were described as “brainless” by Eric Ciotti, the Deputy (parliamentarian) for the region, for using the Nazi yellow star in their protest. Joseph Szwarc, a Holocaust survivor, spoke out against these acts, saying: “You can’t imagine how much that upset me. This comparison is hateful. We must all rise up against this ignominy.” With tears in his eyes, Mr Szwarc added: “I wore the star, I know what that is, I still have it in my flesh. It is everyone’s duty to not allow this outrageous, antisemitic, racist wave to pass over us.”
The comparison has been made across the world, including in the United States, Canada, Ukraine and elsewhere.
Anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination networks have become known as hotbeds of antisemitic conspiracy theories and tropes.
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.
On Tuesday, demonstrators campaigned outside of the headquarters of the actors’ union, Equity, alleging that the union helped to escalate the “upsurge in antisemitism in the UK”.
The protesters, wearing sashes that read “Equity’s Inequity”, said that they represent 300 “usually anonymous theatre-goers, who sit in the dark and applaud” and delivered an open letter to the union condemning its reported association with London’s anti-Israel rallies in May, which were revealed to have been infested with antisemitic chants and signs.
Judith Ornstein, one of the protest’s organisers, said: “How can we enjoy the theatre knowing there are creatives on stage and behind it whose union Equity has made them unsafe?”
Speaking of the “vile antisemitism and violence” that occurred at some of the anti-Israel rallies, Ms Ornstein said that “A union should protect and support its members. All its members.” She added that Paul Fleming, Equity’s General Secretary, “should have made that his priority.”
Ms Ornstein stated that the demonstrators called upon Mr Fleming and Equity President Maureen Beattie “to acknowledge how ill-judged and partisan their intervention has been, and also its role in escalating the upsurge in antisemitism in the UK”.
The open letter said that both Mr Fleming and Ms Beattie should “undertake antisemitism awareness training and rebuild bridges with those union members they have let down”.
In a video uploaded to Twitter by Ms Ornstein, the protesters can be seen outside Equity headquarters. Speaking to the camera, fellow demonstrator Dany Louise said: “It was very predictable that there would be a lot of antisemitism at that rally, and indeed there was. It was blatant, naked antisemitism on the streets of London. Equity was there, and Equity did not call it out, and we feel that this does a real disservice to its members who will not all agree with that position, and indeed, several have left as a result.”
In May, Dame Maureen Lipman, who was a member of Equity for 54 years before leaving after the union voiced its support for the anti-Israel demonstrations, warned Jewish members to “get the hell out”, adding: “I didn’t join a political union. I joined a union to protect its members. You don’t dictate to artists what they believe in, and don’t incite them to join a mob.”
The actress and columnist, Tracy-Ann Oberman, was another leading figure who criticised Equity, asking on Twitter: “How are UK Jewish performers and friends meant to feel safe?”
Demonstrators are seen in the video delivering the open letter to staff at Equity headquarters, before Ms Ornstein states how the anti-Israel demonstrations were “poisoned by antisemitism”. She said: “Paul Fleming should have known that five days before his call [urging Equity members to attend another anti-Israel rally], a convoy of cars displaying Palestine flags drove through Jewish areas of London. Through a megaphone, they shouted ‘f**k their mothers, rape their daughters’. Paul Fleming should have known that Jewish women had to lock themselves into their homes. Paul Fleming should have known the rallies were tainted.”
“We have done what we were going to do. We have seen Equity’s inequity. We don’t know what difference it will make but they need to know that we’re not going anywhere,” Ms Ornstein added.
Dany Louise is also a former councillor who bravely resigned from the Labour Party in 2019 and spearheaded the adoption of the International Definition of Antisemitism in Hastings Borough Council.
Ms Louise gave an impassioned speech at the meeting, saying: “In the last few years, antisemitism has entered the national public discourse in a truly frightening and morally repugnant way. Where once it was the preserve of the far right, it has now become commonplace on the left as well. Shockingly, there has been widespread denial of this fact, with far too many people somehow casting it as yet another Jewish conspiracy theory. The denial itself has become another form of antisemitism, enthusiastically entertained by many who would otherwise call themselves part of the Community of the Good.”
She also rightly noted that the eleven examples “are indivisible from the Definition”, and that any “modified version” of the Definition is “no longer the…Definition”.
On behalf of hundreds of theatre-goers we today delivered an open letter to Equity HQ. At a time of record antisemitism the union added to the distress of Jewish members with its support of one side in a conflict 3000 miles away. pic.twitter.com/OPxpJ78JTA
Campaign Against Antisemitism has written to all MPs calling on them to ask the Home Secretary to proscribe the Hamas terrorist group in its entirety in the UK under the Terrorism Act 2000.
Last month, we provided Priti Patel with a dossier making the case for the proscription of the genocidal antisemitic terrorist organisation. We have also now made the dossier available to MPs from all parties, urging them to write to the Home Secretary.
There exists a loophole in British law that allows Hamas to operate in the UK. Following the recent record-breaking surge in antisemitism in Britain during the conflict between Hamas and Israel, the time has undoubtedly come to close the loophole: it is time to proscribe Hamas in its entirety.
Hamas’ ideology and activities are Islamist, nationalist, antisemitic, misogynistic and homophobic. Many also consider its militant teachings to be a corruption of Islam.
Currently, the UK only proscribes the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades — the so-called ‘military wing’ of the terrorist group — relying until now on the European Union’s proscription of the entirety of Hamas as a de facto ban in the UK. Following the UK’s exit from the European Union, however, this reliance is no longer tenable, and the UK must now act to proscribe the entirety of Hamas.
There is no material distinction between the supposed ‘wings’ of Hamas, which share the same personnel and where political leaders launch military operations. However, because of this loophole, Hamas flags can be flown, its ideology can be promoted, funds can be raised, material can be disseminated, and its representatives can operate in the UK.
Over the years—and particularly in the last couple of months—our Demonstrations and Events Monitoring Unit has found evidence of support for Hamas on British streets, and this is undoubtedly tied to the recent surge in domestic antisemitism.
The proscription of the Islamist terrorist group Hizballah in its entirety in 2019 can serve as a case study for a similar ban of Hamas. Just as the proscription of Hizballah in its entirety, following a long campaign by CAA and others, sent a powerful message to the Jewish community — and Islamists — that antisemitism and terrorism will not be tolerated in the UK, so would the proscription of Hamas, particularly at a time of a record-breaking surge in antisemitism in Britain.
The first ever poll on the subject, conducted by Campaign Against Antisemitism last year, showed that an overwhelming 91% of British Jews want the Government to proscribe Hamas in its entirety.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “It is intolerable that Hamas representatives and supporters can operate in the UK on the pretence that they only back the group’s supposed ‘political wing’. There is no distinction between the units of this Islamist, antisemitic, misogynistic and homophobic terrorist organisation. Support for Hamas is tied to the recent surge in anti-Jewish racism on British streets. The Home Secretary must move to protect British Jews by banning Hamas in its entirety in the UK.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism applauds Labour Party councillors in Bassetlaw after they apologised for ‘liking’ a fellow councillor’s Facebook post which compared the Conservative Party to Adolf Hitler’s SS.
The SS, the abbreviation of Schutzstaffel, was the leading paramilitary organisation under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party.
Ian Ampleford, a Momentum activist, shared a Facebook post explaining that he had been banned from a Facebook group because he “made an innocent post comparing the Tories to the SS”. He added sarcastically: “I would like to take this opportunity to apologise unreservedly to anyone who voted for a German military organisation at the last general election.”
It is understood that Mr Ampleford’s original message, leading to his ban from the group, stated that his SS grandfather “would be proud of what the Tories have done to Britain”. This post was reportedly “liked” by Claire Plevin, a councillor for the ward of East Retford North.
Following this, East Retford West councillor, Jim Anderson, added to the inflammatory comparison with a post of his own, in which he stated that he was not surprised that Mr Ampleford had been “blackshirted”. He added: “Surely most self respecting SS thinkers would be appalled at being linked in such a way.” This post was then “liked” by Cllr Clarkson, the current Mayor of Retford.
Campaign Against Antisemitism called on the councillors to apologise. A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism told the Daily Express: “There is no reasonable basis for this offensive compariason. Such trivial equations of today’s politics with the darkest period in human history diminish the meaning and memory of the Holocaust. This is the opposite of the example politicians are supposed to be setting, both about Holocaust education and how to conduct public debate. Labour councillors must apologise.”
All three councillors were criticised by their Labour colleagues and fellow councillors, and were reportedly approached for comment by the media.
Cllr Clarkson said: “I would like to make an unreserved apology. I hold my hands up for innocently and naively liking a post by Jim Anderson as I was flicking through Facebook. I did not read the actual post, so did not know the context. I was merely liking a picture of what I assumed was Jim sat with a glass of wine and a copy of Private Eye whilst he was on holiday. That is my mistake and one which I will certainly learn from.”
He added: “I wholeheartedly support the Campaign Against Antisemitism’s comment that there is no excuse for comparing modern day politicians to the Nazis. Indeed, those with whom I have worked and been acquainted with over many years know that I would never sink to make these kind of comparisons and/or refer to Nazism or the Holocaust in any way other than within its historical context. Once again, I give my unreserved apology for any hurt that may have been caused by my flippant liking of an image on social media without reading the text associated with it.”
Cllr Plevin said: “My actions were wrong and inappropriate, and I apologise unreservedly.”
We applaud Cllr Clarkson and Cllr Plevin for recognising the impropriety of their endorsements of the inflammatory posts and apologising. No apology from Cllr Anderson – who posted one of the inflammatory comments himself – has yet been reported, and we call on him to follow his colleagues’ example.
The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.
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.
The notorious antisemite Alison Chabloz has today humiliatingly been sent back to prison for seven weeks after losing her own appeal last week.
The appeal was against her conviction under section 127 of the Communications Act for sending by a public communications network an offensive, indecent message or material. That conviction was secured following action by Campaign Against Antisemitism, which has been pursuing justice against Ms Chabloz for years.
Ms Chabloz had been held on remand since the two-day hearing before Judge Martin Beddoe at Southwark Crown Court ended last Friday, with sentencing due to take place on Monday. However, the court had not yet heard from the probation service about which elements of Ms Chabloz’s original sentence – nine weeks in prison (half of an eighteen week sentence), 180 hours of unpaid work and twenty days of Rehabilitation Activity Requirement (RAR) – had been served. The prosecution noted on Monday that “it’s a concern of the prosecution that she will do exactly the same thing again,” that Ms Chabloz has an “obsession” with Jewish people and Judaism and is “incapable of not abusing Jewish people,” and therefore should be sentenced accordingly. Without a complete update from the probation order, the court adjourned until this morning.
Today, the probation officer took the stand and revealed that, after serving her custodial sentence, Ms Chabloz had only served 43 of the 180-hour unpaid work requirement and only four days of RAR. Ms Chabloz had disputed part of this testimony, with Judge Beddoe, sitting today with magistrates, cautioning her: “If you don’t shut up, I’ll have to send you downstairs. Please be quiet. Just stop. This is the last order!”
“These records have a lot to be desired,” Judge Beddoe observed, noting that he would need to make adjustments to his anticipated sentence. After a brief adjournment, Judge Beddoe reminded Ms Chabloz that “you knew when you lodged the appeal and persisted that the sentence would be at large should it fail.” This is because defendants convicted in magistrates’ court, as Ms Chabloz was, are usually given leave to appeal their cases to a crown court, but with the risk that, if their appeal is dismissed, there is a possibility that their sentence may be increased.
Judge Beddoe noted that “the first of the offences was barely one month after the suspended sentence order and the second for the same thing was two months after that” and denied Ms Chabloz’s earlier claim that hate crimes do not generate violence, adding that the court’s experience was “that they very much do.”
Ms Chabloz presented herself as a victim of online trolling, claiming also that she lost her job in 2014 after someone wrote to her employer about her antisemitic views. Judge Beddoe dismissed these contentions, observing that this was the result of her behaviour, and that if she changed her ways, the supposed trolling would likely cease. He concluded that “there’s no mitigation that we can find.” Observing further that “there’s no remorse on your part, simply defiance,” he concluded that the enhanced sentencing is “entirely a consequence of your actions.”
Ms Chabloz was sentenced to 32 weeks in prison, which represents both an uplift from the original eighteen-week sentence and the re-imposition of part of the suspended sentence that Ms Chabloz received in her first conviction in 2018. That verdict arose from a private prosecution by Campaign Against Antisemitism that was later continued by the Crown Prosecution Service and set a major legal precedent, as Ms Chabloz became the first person in Britain to be convicted over Holocaust denial.
She must serve half of this 32-week sentence, i.e. sixteen weeks, of which she has already served nine, leaving seven weeks of the custodial sentence to be served. There is no criminal behaviour order, because the court did not consider that such an order would prevent Ms Chabloz from re-offending, but she must pay the court £1,800. Judge Beddoe warned her that, if she is convicted again, the sentence will be “merely more severe next time.”
On leaving court, Ms Chabloz was heard calling out: “I hope to have a jury trial next time.”
Ms Chabloz’s conviction arose on the basis of the previous landmark precedent secured against her by Campaign Against Antisemitism over her obsessive Holocaust denial used to hound Jews. Some of the offences of which Ms Chabloz was convicted in her more recent case arose from comments that she made on Graham Hart’s internet radio show. Since her earlier conviction and incarceration, Mr Hart, who called Jews “filth” and asked listeners for a gun, pleaded guilty to eight charges under the Public Order Act 1986 after investigations by Campaign Against Antisemitism, and was sentenced to 32 months in prison, of which he will serve half.
Ms Chabloz is a virulent antisemite and Holocaust denier who has an extensive record of using social media to publicise her hatred for Jews and to convert others to her views about Jewish people. She is fixated on the idea that the Holocaust did not occur, and that it was fabricated by Jews and their supporters as a vehicle for fraudulently extorting money in the form of reparations. This forms the basis for her second obsession, that Jews are liars and thieves who are working to undermine Western society. Ms Chabloz is also connected to extremist right-wing movements, at whose meetings she gives speeches and performs her songs, in the UK, France and North America.
Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “Six years ago, we watched in horror as Alison Chabloz made liberal use of social media to abuse and harass the descendants of Holocaust victims, accuse Jews of endorsing paedophilia and murdering Christian children and bait rabbis with tweets that exonerated Hitler. We decided then that, however long it took and whatever obstacles were put in our way, we would ensure that British Jews were protected against her virulent antisemitism.
“With this enhanced custodial sentence that draws together her numerous convictions, she is now reaping the rewards of her own hateful behaviour. Jew haters like Ms Chabloz and the recently-convicted radio host Graham Hart now know that we will not rest in our defence of the Jewish community. Others with similar views should take note.”
In separate proceedings also resulting from action by Campaign Against Antisemitism, Ms Chabloz is due back in court on 1st September to be tried for further alleged offences under the Communications Act (the original charges have been downgraded to this lesser offence).
Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews almost four times more likely to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.
John Ware, the maker of the BBC Panorama documentary “Is Labour Antisemitic”, has won the first stage of his libel lawsuit against two members of the antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation, Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL).
The libel action concerns comments made by Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi, one of the group’s founders and its Media Officer, on Jeremy Vine’s BBC Radio 2 show, in which she claimed that Mr Ware allegedly had a “terrible record of Islamophobia, far-right politics” and that the BBC had in the past had to “apologise” for his journalism and discipline him.
The claims were then repeated on the JVL website, and JVL’s Web Officer, Richard Kuper, is also a defendant. Mr Kuper is the founder of Pluto Press, which was previously the publishing arm of the International Socialists, now known as the Socialist Workers Party.
Mr Ware denies the claims made by Ms Wimborne-Idrissi.
The programme, which was televised in July 2019, showed former Labour Party employees speaking out publicly to reveal Jeremy Corbyn’s personal meddling in disciplinary cases relating to antisemitism. The programme explained how senior Labour Party staffers, some of whom Campaign Against Antisemitism has known for years, used to run Labour’s disciplinary process independently, but soon after Mr Corbyn’s election as Party leader found themselves contending with his most senior aides, who were brazen in their efforts to subvert due process. During the programme Labour’s press team made claims that the staffers featured had political axes to grind and lacked credibility, and the whistleblowers and Mr Ware commenced libel proceedings against the Labour Party.
At a preliminary hearing to determine the ordinary meaning of Ms Wimborne- Idrissi’s words, she argued that they were just “honest opinion.” However, Mrs Justice Steyn ruled that reasonable listeners would have understood the comments as statements of fact, namely that Mr Ware had “engaged in Islamophobia and extreme, far right politics, as a consequence of which the BBC has had to apologise for his conduct,” and that there were “reasonable grounds to suspect” that Mr Ware “has an extensive record of Islamophobia and of involvement in extreme, far’right politics.”
Mr Ware has observed that he has never been disciplined on any matter by the BBC, has no “record of Islamophobia” and has never promoted “extreme far-right politics”. Following this ruling, Ms Wimborne-Idrissi will have to prove that these assertions of fact are true, which is a higher threshold than showing that they are mere honest opinions.
Mr Ware said: “I’m pleased to have prevailed at this first stage of the proceedings and look forward to clearing my name from these very hurtful and false allegations that they have made against me. They need to understand that there’s a high price to pay if you go around making false claims. The accusations that I am an ‘Islamophobe, racist and engaged in far-right politics’ are grossly offensive. The Court will decide whether they are lies.”
Mr Ware’s cases have been brought by Mark Lewis, a highly esteemed media lawyer who is also an honorary patron of Campaign Against Antisemitism.
Mr Lewis said that “the case will now fight on to trial so that John can prove that these allegations were completely baseless. It’s one thing to hold a different opinion but you can’t have different facts.”
Several weeks ago, Ms Wimborne-Idrissi was reportedly removed from Chingford and Woodford Green Constituency Labour Party’s executive committee.
Mr Ware is also reportedly suing the editor of the Press Gang blog, Paddy French, over claims made by Mr French that the Panorama documentary “bent the truth to breaking point” and that Mr Ware was a “rogue reporter.” Last February, Mr Ware won the first stage of that libel action as well, leaving Mr French having to defend his statements as assertions of fact.
Previously, in explaining why he was commencing these libel lawsuits, Mr Ware said: “It was an unwritten code amongst we journalists that we don’t sue because free speech is sacrosanct, but the world has changed thanks to social media. You either accept and shrug your shoulders when people call you a liar and say you fabricated evidence and deliberately promoted falsehoods – as the Labour Party did – or you decide to do something about it. So I decided to do something about it.”
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.
Police are investigating an assault on a Jewish pensioner that occurred outside a theatre in London’s West End.
Ronnie Phillips, 72, was leaving a performance of Leopoldstadt, a play about the Holocaust, at Wyndham’s Theatre last Thursday when he was “slapped round the head and his kippah thrown to the ground”, according to his wife Emma.
The Metropolitan Police said that officers attended “Charing Cross Road, WC2 shortly before 22:10hrs on Thursday 12th August to reports of a religiously-aggravated assault. Officers spoke to the victim. He was not injured during the incident. Enquiries are ongoing, no arrests. Anyone with information should call police on 101 or tweet @MetCC quoting 7778/12Aug.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews almost four times more likely to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.
Ken Loach has been expelled from the Labour Party.
Writing on Twitter, the controversial filmmaker said: “Labour HQ finally decided I’m not fit to be a member of their party, as I will not disown those already expelled. Well, I am proud to stand with the good friends and comrades victimised by the purge. There is indeed a witch hunt. [Sir Keir] Starmer and his clique will never lead a party of the people. We are many, they are few. Solidarity.”
Among the MPs calling for the outspoken director to be reinstated to the Party are the members of the Socialist Campaign Group, which includes former Party leader and antisemite, Jeremy Corbyn, former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, former Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott, former Shadow Justice Secretary Richard Burgon, former Shadow Education Secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey, and backbench MPs Apsana Begum, Tahir Ali and Zarah Sultana. The Group described Mr Loach as “an outstanding socialist and a fierce opponent of discrimination in all its forms” whose films embody that values of “solidarity, compassion, equality”.
Mr McDonnell also tweeted: “To expel such a fine socialist who has done so much to further the cause of socialism is a disgrace. Ken’s films have exposed the inequalities in our society, have given us hope for change & inspired us to fight back. I send my solidarity to my friend and comrade.”
Mr Loach’s voice has been among the loudest of those who attempt to dismiss Labour’s antisemitism crisis as non-existent and a right-wing smear campaign. He claimed that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was subjected to a “torrent of abuse” that was “off the scale” and that regardless of what he did, the “campaign” of antisemitism accusations was “going to run and run”. He described the BBC’s Panorama investigation into Labour antisemitism as “disgusting because it raised the horror of racism against Jews in the most atrocious propagandistic way, with crude journalism…and it bought the propaganda from people who were intent on destroying Corbyn.”
He was also reportedly behind a motion passed by Bath Labour Party branding the Panorama programme a “dishonest hatchet job with potentially undemocratic consequences” and asserting that it “disgraced the name of Panorama and exposed the bias endemic within the BBC.” John Ware, the programme’s reporter, is apparently considering legal action against Mr Loach for his comments.
In 2017, Mr Loach caused outrage when, during an interview with the BBC, he refused to denounce Holocaust denial. The International Definition of Antisemitism states that “denying the fact, scope, mechanisms (e.g. gas chambers) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World War II (the Holocaust)” is a manifestation of antisemitism. Although Mr Loach later sought to clarify his remarks, he has continued to make inflammatory and provocative statements about Labour’s antisemitism scandal.
While speaking at a meeting of the Kingswood Constituency Labour Party, Mr Loach advocated the removal from the Party of those Labour MPs, some of whom are Jewish, who have taken a principled stand against antisemitism. Shortly after that incident, the Labour Party announced that it would no longer use Mr Loach as a producer of their election broadcasts.
There were also reports that members of Labour Against the Witchhunt have begun receiving letters of automatic expulsion from Labour for their association to the antisemitism-denial faction.
Last month, Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) resolved to proscribe Labour Against the Witchhunt and the disgraced former Labour MP Chris Williamson’s Resist group, as well as two further far-left groups, paving the way for automatic expulsion of their members. It is believed that Labour Against the Witchhunt will be holding events in Brighton during Labour’s conference in the city.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “The apparent expulsion of Ken Loach is welcome news. He has been at the forefront of denying the scale of antisemitism in the Labour Party and gaslighting its Jewish victims. Labour cannot restore its anti-racist legacy with people like Mr Loach as members, so this, along with the reported automatic expulsion of members of Labour Against the Witchhunt, are a steps in the right direction.”
The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.
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.
Lancashire Police are looking into an incident of vile abuse that was reportedly sent from an Asda employee.
Yesterday, a Twitter user shared a screenshot revealing a torrent of abusive messages that they had received from someone on Facebook. The messages included calling the individual a “dirty Jew” that needed “gassing”, as well as a “Jewish c*nt”.
Accompanying the screenshot, the Twitter user wrote: “@AsdaServiceTeam @asda This disgusting, hate-filled antisemite states, on Facebook, that they work for you… @LancsPolice Please investigate this individual.”
Three hours later, Lancashire Police responded on Twitter, writing: “Hi there, thank you for raising your concern about this. We were made aware of this incident earlier today and can assure you that we are dealing with it appropriately. Thanks.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism continues its robust engagement with social media companies over the content that they enable to be published, and we continue to make representations to the Government in this connection.
Campaign Against Antisemitism has long called for tougher regulations on social media sites and that social networks proactively search for and remove hate speech from their platforms.
Hi there, thank you for raising your concern about this. We were made aware of this incident earlier today and can assure you that we are dealing with it appropriately. Thanks.
Notorious antisemite Alison Chabloz has humiliatingly been sent back to prison on remand, pending sentencing on Monday, after losing her own appeal.
The appeal was against her conviction under section 127 of the Communications Act for sending by a public communications network an offensive, indecent message or material. That conviction was secured following action by Campaign Against Antisemitism, which had been pursuing justice against Ms Chabloz for over four years.
In a two-day hearing at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday and Friday, Ms Chabloz, 57, sought to have her conviction overturned, having already served nine weeks in prison, representing half of her original eighteen week sentence. Defendants convicted in magistrates’ court are usually given leave to appeal their cases to a crown court, but with the risk that, if their appeal is dismissed, there is a possibility that their sentence may be increased. This looks likely to happen on Monday, after Ms Chabloz’s appeal was dismissed on Friday and she was held on remand, pending sentencing on Monday.
Judge Martin Beddoe said that he made his judgment in accordance with “standards of an open and multiracial society,” and that “the prosecution is proportionate in response to a pressing social need.” He also stated that there are consequences for being found guilty of being grossly offensive, as Ms Chabloz has been.
In his remarks, Judge Beddoe highlighted Ms Chabloz’s “hostility to people of Jewish extraction” and her “irrational” views and “misguided beliefs.” He said that he was quite sure that her grossly offensive statements were “deliberately said.”
Over the course of the hearing, Ms Chabloz said that she was upset that “an English court is applying the dictatorship of opinion imposed by Zionist organisations”, on several occasions also mentioning Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Director of Investigations and Enforcement by name.
Ms Chabloz, whose conviction arose on the basis of a previous landmark precedent secured against her by Campaign Against Antisemitism over her obsessive Holocaust denial used to hound Jews, also told the court this week that Jewish people turn their children into “psychopathic maniacs” by teaching them about the Holocaust, which she described as “frantic babble”.
She added that “English Zionists work together in their own group interests” and at one point declared that she would like English people to “remain the majority in my country.” Judge Beddoe asked her “Who is English? How do you distinguish?” She answered: “By identity and ethnicity.” The judge pressed her, “Are Jewish people in your view English?” to which she responded: “They may be half-English or a quarter English.”.
In her defence, Ms Chabloz claimed that she has Jewish collaborators in her work, has taught Jewish songs to children and that she received support from Jewish people while she was in prison. Scarce evidence was provided to support most of these contentions.
Her testimony was rambling, with the judge castigating her for failing to answer questions and even her own counsel urging her at times to focus. Despite this, she continued to insist that “the Holocaust narrative” is fraudulent, referring to “all the fake survivors who survived” and accusing the Auschwitz Museum of being “a fraudulent enterprise.”
She also repeated her claim that “the Holocaust is a state religion here and in the West,” and accused Jews of being “the main group behind clamping down on freedom of expression.”
Some of the offences of which Ms Chabloz was convicted arose from comments that she made on Graham Hart’s internet radio show. Since her earlier conviction and incarceration, Mr Hart pleaded guilty to eight charges under the Public Order Act 1986 after investigations by Campaign Against Antisemitism, and was sentenced to thirty-two months in prison, of which he will serve half.
Ms Chabloz is a virulent antisemite and Holocaust denier who has an extensive record of using social media to publicise her hatred for Jews and to convert others to her views about Jewish people. Following a private prosecution by Campaign Against Antisemitism, which was later continued by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Ms Chabloz became the first person in Britain to be convicted over Holocaust denial in a precedent-setting case. Ms Chabloz previously spent a short time in custody for breaching the conditions of her sentence, but this will be her first substantial period in prison.
Ms Chabloz is fixated on the idea that the Holocaust did not occur, and that it was fabricated by Jews and their supporters as a vehicle for fraudulently extorting money in the form of reparations. This forms the basis for her second obsession, that Jews are liars and thieves who are working to undermine Western society. Ms Chabloz is also connected to extremist right-wing movements, at whose meetings she gives speeches and performs her songs, in the UK, France and North America.
Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “Alison Chabloz’s repulsive opinions about Jews can be traced back to the beer halls of 1930s Germany. The dismissal of her appeal affirms the just decision of the magistrates’ court and its decision to incarcerate her, signaling that the judiciary is united in its disgust of people who make a vocation out of denying the Holocaust and baiting Jews. The likely enhancement of her sentence, which is entirely of her own making, is nothing less than she deserves.
“This decision comes on the heels of the imprisonment of Graham Hart, on whose radio show Ms Chabloz made some of the comments that lead to her conviction. We will continue to ensure not only that individual antisemites are brought to justice, but that their networks of indoctrination are disrupted as well.”
In separate proceedings also resulting from action by Campaign Against Antisemitism, Ms Chabloz is due back in court on 1st September to be tried for further alleged offences under the Communications Act (the original charges have been downgraded to this lesser offence).
Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews almost four times more likely to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.
Campaign Against Antisemitism applauds Moorlands College for adding a ground-breaking explanatory note to its editions of Kittel.
The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, edited in part by Gerhard Kittel and known colloquially as “Kittel”, is a reference book openly available in Christian seminaries. While we recognise that it is a useful resource, we are also acutely aware that its editor and some early contributors, for example K.G. Kuhn, were supporters and propagators of Nazi ideology. Mr Kittel and Mr Kuhn were particularly engaged with the “Jewish Question” and actively developed and encouraged antisemitic ideology and conduct. The former claimed that Christianity should act “not as a protector of the Jew but as an effective anti-Jewish force”, while the latter, who supported Hitler’s SS, was a member of the Committee for Jewish Atrocity Propaganda, which arranged the 1933 boycott of Jews. There is no shortage of evidence of their worldview.
The particular issue with Kittel is not merely the views of its editors and contributors, but that their views subtly but significantly impact its content, and therefore it behoves educational institutions to make their students aware of this influence when they consult the resource.
As Prof. Maurice Casey warns in his article, Some Antisemitic Assumptions in the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (1999): “The frames of reference never lie on the surface of the articles: they are buried in apparently historical statements. It follows that this dictionary should be used only with the utmost care. Students should be warned of this hidden menace, and all readers should consult it only with their critical wits sharpened to the highest degree.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism has accordingly written to numerous seminaries to inquire as to whether they make Kittel available to their students and, if so, urge them to include an explanatory note, which will assist both their students’ wider awareness of the historical influences on the resources that they use and also contribute to positive communal relations between Christians and Jews in the next generation.
Moorlands College, which has adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism, is the first institution holding Kittel to respond positively to our inquiry and request for an explanatory note. Moorlands College has willingly agreed to add the following ground-breaking explanatory note to its editions of Kittel:
“Readers of this multi-volume Dictionary should be aware that its first and main editor, Gerhard Kittel (1888-1948) was a member of the Nazi Party in Germany from 1933-1945. During this time, he wrote and lectured publicly on the so-called Judenfrage or ‘Jewish Problem’, repeating Nazi-fuelled antisemitic tropes and supporting the Nuremberg Racial Laws, which stripped Jews of German citizenship and various other rights. There is some debate about the precise degree to which Kittel’s Nazism affected his own exegetical work, but his associate and fellow Nazi K.G. Kuhn contributed this Dictionary’s entry on ‘Israel, Judah and Hebrews’ in Vol. 3. That entry was critiqued by Maurice Casey in a 1999 Novum Testamentum article (41:3, 280-91) for falsely suggesting that in the Intertestamental and NT era ‘Jew’ was used by some Jewish sources in a self-hating manner – a notion used by the Nazis to bolster their antisemitic propaganda. Casey also highlights the comments on Persistence in Prayer by W. Grundmann in Vol. 3 (kartereo etc) as suggesting that Jesus consistently rejected Jewish models of prayer, when this was not the case; Grundmann was a member not only of the Nazi Party, but of the SS.
“While many other entries in the Dictionary bear no obvious trace of antisemitism, and while later volumes were produced after Kittel’s death, readers are encouraged to approach it with this background in mind, and with their critical faculties suitably sharpened. Moorlands College has fully adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism and utterly repudiates antisemitism as contradicting the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the College’s Basis of Faith.”
Binyomin Gilbert, Programme Manager at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “We are incredibly proud of Moorlands College for acting as a model to other seminaries and educational institutions of all kinds for honouring its commitment to its students by giving them the fullest background of the resources they use and by instilling in them the importance of positive relations between faith communities. At Campaign Against Antisemitism, we try to act by the same principles, and I am indebted to our Christian colleagues for leading on this project. We now call on other seminaries to follow Moorlands’ example and add similar explanatory notes to their editions of Kittel.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism works to raise awareness of antisemitism among all faith and minority communities.
It was reported this week that the Labour Party is investigating Jenny Manson over comments she had made in an interview on BBC2’s Newsnight in November.
Ms Manson is the Co-Chair of Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL), the antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation.
The interview began by discussing the antisemitic former Party leader Jeremy Corbyn’s reaction to the report into Labour antisemitism by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), remarks that saw him get suspended from the Labour Party. Mr Corbyn had said: “Anyone claiming there is no antisemitism in the Labour Party is wrong. Of course there is, as there is throughout society, and sometimes it is voiced by people who think of themselves as on the left. Jewish members of our party and the wider community were right to expect us to deal with it, and I regret that it took longer to deliver that change than it should. One antisemite is one too many, but the scale of the problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents inside and outside the party, as well as by much of the media. That combination hurt Jewish people and must never be repeated.”
When asked on Newsnight immediately after the suspension why Mr Corbyn did not apologise, Ms Manson responded by saying: “Because, many of us know that these claims have been exaggerated.” Later in the interview she reiterated the sentiment, stating: “A lot of us would say, like he said, that the allegations were over-exaggerated, partly by the media.”
This week, Ms Manson reportedly confirmed that she has been issued a “notice of investigation” in an e-mail owing to her comments made during the programme.
Sir Keir Starmer has previously declared that anyone who thinks that accusations of antisemitism in the Labour Party are “exaggerated or a factional attack…are part of the problem” and “should be nowhere near the Labour Party”.
Last month, we reported that Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi, JVL’s Co-founder and Media Officer, had been removed from Chingford and Woodford Green constituency Labour Party’s (CLP) executive committee.
The Labour Party was found by the EHRC to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.
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.
Merchandise featuring the neo-Nazi slogans “Camp Auschwitz” and “6mwe” have been found on the image-sharing social media platform, Pinterest.
Last week, an article from The Markuprevealed that 64 ‘pins’ – images that can be uploaded and shared – featured merchandise containing the acronym “6mwe”, the neo-Nazi acronym for the phrase “6 million wasn’t enough”, which refers to Nazi Germany’s genocide of six million Jews in the Holocaust.
Nine pins were discovered that featured throw pillows, backpacks, travel mugs, and face masks with the phrase “Camp Auschwitz” over a skull and the phrase “Work brings freedom”, the slogan above the gates of Auschwitz, one of the most notorious concentration camps where over a million people were murdered.
These pins seemingly contravene several of Pinterest’s community guidelines, specifically the ones which prohibit content that features:
Support for hate groups and people promoting hateful activities, prejudice and conspiracy theories
Support for white supremacy, limiting women’s rights and other discriminatory ideas
Hate-based conspiracy theories and misinformation, like Holocaust denial
In fact, when searching for the term “6mwe” through the Pinterest website, you are met with the message: “Pinterest isn’t a place for hateful images, content or activities. Find out more about our policies.”
The means of accessing these pins were not found through the search function on the Pinterest website, but through Google. Typing “6mwe hoodie” will not yield any results when entered on Pinterest itself, but when typed into Google, you are presented with a backdoor portal that can allow you to view the hateful content on Pinterest. This is because Pinterest’s strategy on targeting hateful content revolves around restricting access to it, rather than taking it down. This means that Pinterest may have a blind spot when it comes to considering how individuals may be able to access its content using other methods.
When presented with the findings, the pins were removed. Crystal Espinosa, a spokesperson for the website, said that “there’s no place for content like this on Pinterest.” She added: “When we identify or are made aware of content that violates our policies, we review and take action.”
When asked why the pins were accessible in the first place, Ms Espinosa said that moderation over the website could be improved, and that “given the volume and complexity of content, there is always more work to do, and we also recognise that we have more opportunities to improve.”
The “Camp Auschwitz” pins all lead to Redbubble, an online marketplace that allows users to upload their custom designs to a variety of products. Marissa Hermo, a spokesperson for Redbubble, said that these items were violations of its policy and were removed on the same day as they were uploaded. “We have a suspend-for-review mechanism in place for specific topics, so this content should not have been available for public view,” Ms Hermo said.
38 antisemitic pins reportedly lead to actual products hosted by various online sellers. Most of the products had been removed or had inactive links, but nearly one-third were still available to buy from vendors like donefashion.com, funnysayingtshirts.com, myclothzoo.com, teesbuys.com, teeshirtxyz.com, and teejabs.com. These websites were approached for comment but did not respond.
When approached for comment, it was pointed out by Google spokesperson Jane Park that content can be taken down from the search engine when a website removes said content from its own platform first, and then uses the “Outdated Content” tool. “Our results reflect information available on the open web, and sites can choose if they want to have their pages indexed by Google,” said Ms Park.
Presented with this information, Ms Espinosa said: “We have oversight of the content that appears on our platform and work with Google to expedite removal of links to content that has been removed from Pinterest. We’re always working to speed up this process so that policy-violating content is not persistent elsewhere.”
At the time of writing, Campaign Against Antisemitism found that 6mwe merchandise was still available on Pinterest with an active link leading to the product from an online vendor. In the comment section, a user wrote: “sorry if you don’t like it, but if you don’t order this shirts its doesnt’t matter or may be do you have any idea or suggestion the interesting shirts. thanks : )”
Campaign Against Antisemitism also discovered several accounts on Pinterest sharing images of Nazis with the numbers “1488” in their profile name (examples can be seen here and here). 1488 is often used as a coded reference to the neo-Nazi fourteen-word oath: “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children”, a slogan initially devised by David Lane, a member of the white supremacist terrorist group “The Order” which was responsible for the murder of Jewish radio host Alan Berg. The number 88 refers to the eighth letter of the alphabet, H, and is intended as a code for “Heil Hitler.”
This is not the first instance of neo-Nazi items being advertised through large, online websites.
Last year, Amazon removed t-shirts, hoodies and cups, emblazoned with “6mwe”. The neo-Nazi items were allegedly also available for a short time at American online site Teespring, but the apparel site reportedly said that the neo-Nazi attire had been removed and the seller “permanently banned”, with a spokesperson noting that the site “categorically” did not “allow or condone” harmful content that may lead to “harassment or violence” or “threats to the health and safety of the public.”
Earlier this year, the online marketplace Etsy apologised for selling a t-shirt with the phrase “Camp Auschwitz” and reported that it had immediately banned the seller after being made aware of the item. The item, which came to prominence after photographs emerged of a protestor at the attack on Capitol Hill wearing similar apparel, was described on the website as “everything you’ve dreamed of and more” and “flattering for both men and women”.
Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.
Two men have allegedly assaulted two Jewish customers at a bicycle shop in Bournemouth.
Two men, who were returning their bicycles after a rental session, unleashed a tirade, which continued for some time, telling them: “F*** all the Jews, Allah will kill you all” and “Free Palestine”.
The two Jewish customers, who were speaking to the owner of the shop about renting bicycles, reported that, based on the assailants’ body language and hand gestures, they believed that the assailants were going to attack them physically. Legally, an assault is an attack in which violence is feared, even if it does not materialise.
The victims took photographs of the two alleged suspects.
The alleged incident took place at 15:55 on 3rd August at outside Front Bike Hire at Bournemouth beach and was reported by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.
If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: 5521 0129 860.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “This is just the latest incident in a record-breaking surge of anti-Jewish racism in Britain in the wake of the war between Hamas and Israel. Jewish people should be as free to live and holiday in Bournemouth without racist harassment as anyone else. There are clear photographs of the suspects so we expect a swift investigation.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews almost four times more likely to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.
Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2020 showed that three in five British Jews believe that the authorities, in general, are not doing enough to address and punish antisemitism.
Bedfordshire Police have removed a Nazi skull and crossbones flag flying outside a private home.
The flag bore the symbol of the SS-Totenkopfverbände (SS-TV), or ‘Death’s Head Units’, which were responsible for administering concentration camps and death camps in Nazi-controlled territories.
The flag was reported to the police, who visited the residence and issued a Community Resolution Order requiring the owner to remove it, which they did. The case was reported as a hate incident, as flying that flag is not a crime.
A spokesperson for Bedfordshire Police told the Bedford Independent: “Officers visited the resident who claimed it was his right to fly the flag. It was not a criminal act and was dealt with by way of a Community Resolution Order with the resident agreeing to take it down.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews almost four times more likely to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.
A Pro-Corbyn faction within the Labour Party is reportedly planning to present a motion at the Party’s conference in September to reinstate the whip to Jeremy Corbyn.
The proposal, drafted by the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy, would hand power over Labour’s disciplinary process as it affects MPs to members, enabling them to restore Mr Corbyn to the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP), from which he is indefinitely suspended.
The move is seen as a challenge by the far-left within the Party against Sir Keir Starmer, but Party sources have apparently dismissed the threat, insisting that Mr Corbyn has the power to return to the PLP himself by apologising. Motions that are legally impracticable can be prevented from coming forward at conference.
Last month, Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) resolved, in line with Labour’s Action Plan agreed with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), to put forward a semi-independent disciplinary system for a vote at this year’s Party conference. The proposal is still subject to approval at conference, and itremains to be seen whether Labour’s leadership is capable of implementing it in practice.
The NEC also voted to proscribe Labour Against the Witchhunt – an antisemitism-denial group – and the disgraced former Labour MP Chris Williamson’s Resist group, as well as two further far-left groups, paving the way for automatic expulsion of their members. It is believed that Labour Against the Witchhunt will be holding events in Brighton during Labour’s conference in the city.
Campaign Against Antisemitism has lodged a complaint against Jeremy Corbyn, holding him responsible for conduct that is prejudicial or grossly detrimental to the Labour Party, as the Leader during the period of the EHRC’s shameful findings. Given the serious detriment that this conduct has caused, we are seeking Mr Corbyn’s immediate resuspension and, if the complaint is upheld, we will be requesting his expulsion. On the day of the publication of the EHRC’s report, we also submitted a major complaint against Mr Corbyn and other sitting MPs. These complaints are yet to be acknowledged by the Party, and they must be investigated by an independent disciplinary process that the EHRC has demanded and Sir Keir has promised but has yet to introduce.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “It is regrettable that pro-Corbyn factions in Labour are looking to use the Party’s conference to sabotage the Action Plan agreed between Labour and the EHRC, which calls for an independent disciplinary process. Far from having the whip restored, Jeremy Corbyn should be expelled from the Party. Antisemitism-denial groups also intend to hold parallel events alongside the conference, which is part of the same enterprise to continue denying the scale of anti-Jewish racism in the Labour Party and stymie any progress in reversing the trend. This autumn will see a fight for Labour’s soul, and all eyes will be on the Party’s leadership to see whether it has the courage to win it.”
The Labour Party was found by the EHRC to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.
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.
Barely one year after his antisemitic social media rampage, Wiley has been accepted back on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
On 24th July 2020, the rapper Richard Kylea Cowie, who is known as Wiley, spent days engaged in an escalating rant on social media against Jews. After likening Jews to the Ku Klux Klan and claiming that Jews had cheated him and were “snakes”, Wiley tweeted that Jews should “hold some corn”, a slang expression meaning that they should be shot. He added: “Jewish community you deserve it”. He then also called on “black people” to go to “war” with Jews.
Wiley repeatedly evoked conspiracy theories that Jews were responsible for the slave trade and that modern-day Jews are in fact imposters who usurped black people — a conspiracy theory that has incited acts of terrorism against Jews, such as a shooting in Jersey City and a stabbing attack in Monsey, NY during the festival of Chanukah last December.
In the days that followed, Wiley continued to rail against Jews on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Following discussions with Campaign Against Antisemitism, a major 48-hour boycott of Twitter and Instagram in which we participated, and our projection of antisemitic tweets onto Twitter’s London headquarters, which then went viral, Twitter, Facebook (which owns Instagram), Google (which owns YouTube) and TikTok agreed to remove Wiley from their platforms, depriving him of access to his nearly one million social media followers.
However, it appears that all is forgiven as Wiley is once again active on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube in what is just the latest example of social media platforms not taking antisemitism seriously.
A few weeks ago, newly returned to Twitter, Wiley tweeted: “In all my years on earth I realised everyone wants you to care about their stuff like Holocaust etc but not one of them give a f*** about the enslavement and f***ery of black people so it’s hard for me to care for them knowing they don’t care for us #YaGetIt #JusSayin”
Recently, we published a major report that shows how Twitter fails to implement consistently its own policies on hate. The report showed how Twitter appointed Campaign Against Antisemitism as a partner to monitor anti-Jewish racism on its platform and promised regular meetings, only to cease those meetings and ignore offers of antisemitism training after we began alerting the company to the inconsistent application of its policies by personnel.
Not only were phrases like “f*** the Jews” not considered to breach Twitter’s rules, but other phrases such as “Hitler was right” were sometimes permitted and sometimes removed, without any form of coherent reasoning. Moreover, one of the few areas where Twitter has in the past said that it would take action is over Holocaust denial, pledging to remove “attempts to deny or diminish” violent events such as the Shoah. Our report, however, shows that Twitter personnel repeatedly raised no objection to phrases such as “#Holohoax” and other, more elaborate tweets of Holocaust denial.
A separate study revealed that 90% of antisemitic social media posts remain on Facebook and Twitter even after being reported. The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) conducted the study of 714 antisemitic posts across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. Its research found that 84% of antisemitic posts remained, with 90% remaining on Facebook and Twitter specifically. The findings from the CCDH noted that in particular, the social media giants’ response to tackling racist conspiracy theories was particularly disappointing. They ignored 89% of antisemitic conspiracy theories and addressed only 5% that blamed Jewish people for the COVID-19 pandemic. Only one in 20 posts that attacked Jewish people directly were removed. In situations where a post had clear links to violence or neo-Nazism, 30% of posts were removed.
Recently, Campaign Against Antisemitism called on the New World Fest music festival to drop the unrepentant antisemite Wiley from its line-up. The grime artist was due to appear at the festival last weekend, however, it was reported that he did not show up.
At the time of Wiley’s original antisemitic tirade, Campaign Against Antisemitism immediately reported Wiley to the Metropolitan Police Service, but in September the police force confirmed to us that Wiley was not in the UK at the time of his antisemitic tirade. Under Home Office rules, that means that the Metropolitan Police must give primacy to police in the jurisdiction where Wiley was at the time. Lawyers acting for Campaign Against Antisemitism have filed a criminal complaint with the Public Prosecution Service in the Netherlands, which is where grime artist Wiley was located when he launched his tirade against Jews.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “One year after his antisemitic social media rampage, why on earth is Wiley back on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube? Not only have social media companies abjectly failed to take antisemitism on their platforms seriously, as evidenced by our recent report and other findings, but to permit Wiley back on their networks despite their pledges barely a year ago adds insult to injury. They have no shame.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism has long called for tougher regulations on social media sites and that social networks proactively search for and remove hate speech from their platforms. We also continue to make representations to the Government on this matter.
A policewoman who has been praised for confronting lockdown protesters is now alleged to have posted inflammatory social media messages and was reportedly in contact with a suspected Jihadist in Syria.
An urgent investigation has commenced into Ruby Begum, 26, who joined the Metropolitan Police in 2016 and has inspired others as a young officer wearing a hijab on the frontline of police work.
However, she is now alleged to have posted social media messages in 2014 comparing Israel to Nazis, in breach of the International Definition of Antisemitism, and referred to non-Muslims as “kuffars”.
The officer from the Met’s Taskforce, a unit which deals with public order, is alleged to have written on Twitter in January 2015: “It’s alright when Israel does it #HolocaustRemembranceDay,” as well as “Zionists have no hearts! They’ll get what’s coming to them subhanallah [glory be to God]” and “Dirty Zionist. Jahannam [hell] is awaiting.”
In 2014, on the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, she allegedly wrote: “Must be stupid if you think I’m gonna do 2mins silence for 9/11.” On the 2019 anniversary, by which time she was working in the Met, she is claimed to have written: “Omg it’s 9/11 today? Jokes, I only noticed.”
Ms Begum has also reportedly written, “Kuffar lips have been all over my mug there is no way I’m using that thing again” and is claimed to have described Pakistanis as “p***s”.
She is further believed to have communicated for many months with a woman thought to have left Europe for the ISIS caliphate in Syria in 2014, and Ms Begum also reportedly disclosed without explanation that her own passport had been confiscated for a month, raising serious questions about the Met’s vetting processes. It is understood that there is no indication that Ms Begum ever tried to join ISIS or travel to Syria herself, and that some of her tweets express disgust at the terrorist group’s activities.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct has apparently launched an investigation after The Mail on Sunday drew attention to the case, with Ms Begum placed on “restricted duties”.
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police is reported to have said: ‘There is no place within the Met for any racist, homophobic or otherwise hateful attitudes and officers and staff can expect robust action should they be found to hold or express such views. The information provided by The Mail on Sunday regarding a police constable’s social media posts is concerning and is being treated very seriously. Following that assessment, the Met made a voluntary referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct who determined that the matter should be investigated locally. The Directorate of Professional Standards will now conduct a thorough investigation to establish the full circumstances behind the social media posts. The officer has been notified of the investigation and placed on restricted duties.”
Recently, the Metropolitan Police saw one of its own convicted for far-right terrorism.
A Labour Party official and union activist who reportedly claimed that the “Israel lobby” had “manufactured” the Party’s antisemitism scandal is behind a motion condemning Labour’s recent ban on far-left factions.
Last month, Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee resolved to proscribe the antisemitism-denial group, Labour Against the Witchhunt, the disgraced former Labour MP Chris Williamson’s Resist group, Socialist Appeal and Labour In Exile Network, paving the way for automatic expulsion of their members.
Sheffield Heeley Constituency Labour Party, however, has passed a motion by 30 votes to thirteen, expressing “solidarity” with the factions, demanding that “all unjust proscriptions and expulsions are reversed”, and condemning the prospective creation of a ‘Star Chamber’ to decide on future proscriptions as a “shocking and repressive move.”
The motion was proposed by activist Martin Mayer, who has previously shared a post online claiming that “the Israel lobby manufactured [the] Labour Party’s antisemitism crisis”. He has also made other inflammatory comments and is reportedly active in Labour Against the Witchhunt.
Jawed Siddiqi, a Sheffield Hallam University professor emeritus and Labour Party official, seconded the motion. Mr Siddiqi is the branch’s BAME officer, and has previously spoken to defence of the outspoken filmmaker Ken Loach, the former London Mayor Ken Livingstone and the controversial Bristol University academic, David Miller. He has reportedly also suggested that accusations of antisemitism were “false”.
Elsewhere, the Labour group on Brighton and Hove City Council has written to the Council’s chief executive to exclude Councillor Anne Pissaridou from their faction. Cllr Pissaridou was suspended from Labour last year, reportedly in connection with antisemitism allegations, but it is understood that her suspension is about to end. Nevertheless, her colleagues do not wish her to be included in their group on the Council.
The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.
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.
Campaign Against Antisemitism is calling on the New World Fest music festival to drop the unrepentant antisemite Wiley from its line-up. The grime artist is due to appear at the festival this weekend, despite launching into an antisemitic tirade last summer.
On 24th July 2020, the rapper Richard Kylea Cowie, who is known as Wiley, spent days engaged in an escalating rant on social media against Jews. After likening Jews to the Ku Klux Klan and claiming that Jews had cheated him and were “snakes”, Wiley tweeted that Jews should “hold some corn”, a slang expression meaning that they should be shot. He added: “Jewish community you deserve it”. He then also called on “black people” to go to “war” with Jews.
Wiley repeatedly evoked conspiracy theories that Jews were responsible for the slave trade and that modern-day Jews are in fact imposters who usurped black people — a conspiracy theory that has incited acts of terrorism against Jews, such as a shooting in Jersey City and a stabbing attack in Monsey, NY during the festival of Chanukah last December.
In the days that followed, Wiley continued to rail against Jews on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Following discussions with Campaign Against Antisemitism, a major 48-hour boycott of Twitter and Instagram in which we participated, and our projection of antisemitic tweets onto Twitter’s London headquarters, which then went viral, Twitter, Facebook (which owns Instagram), Google (which owns YouTube) and TikTok agreed to remove Wiley from their platforms, depriving him of access to his nearly one million social media followers.
Campaign Against Antisemitism immediately reported Wiley to the Metropolitan Police Service, but in September the police force confirmed to us that Wiley was not in the UK at the time of his antisemitic tirade. Under Home Office rules, that means that the Metropolitan Police must give primacy to police in the jurisdiction where Wiley was at the time.
Lawyers acting for Campaign Against Antisemitism have filed a criminal complaint with the Public Prosecution Service in the Netherlands, which is where grime artist Wiley was located when he launched his tirade against Jews.
Ron Eisenmann, a partner at Eisenmann & Ravestijn, filed documents on behalf of Campaign Against Antisemitism seeking Wiley’s prosecution in the Netherlands over his antisemitic incitement. We are extremely grateful to Mr Eisenmann and his firm for agreeing to represent Campaign Against Antisemitism on a pro bono basis.
We are grateful to the Community Security Trust, which was able to provide us with evidence showing that Wiley was in Rotterdam at the time of his antisemitic abuse.
Campaign Against Antisemitism is continuing its response to this incident, including:
Filing our criminal complaint against Wiley in the Netherlands;
Continuing to meet with executives from Twitter, Facebook and Google to address their response to antisemitism on their platforms;
Working with the Cabinet Office’s Honours Forfeiture Committee to ensure that Wiley’s MBE is revoked;
Seeking a change in policy so that racists are automatically stripped of their honours in future;
Urging the Government to bring forward legislation to regulate social networks and force them to remove racist incitement which has recently borne fruit; and
Working with the music industry to remove Wiley’s awards and ensure that he is shunned for his racism.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “It is extraordinary that a festival would think it appropriate to try to rehabilitate an unrepentant antisemite on its stage. One wonders whether a musician who had targeted another minority would have been feted in this way. The festival must drop Wiley and explain how this racist came to be invited in the first place, especially as prosecutors consider our case against him.”
The Director of a charity has been suspended and reported to the Charity Commission after allegations of antisemitism have surfaced.
Bus Users UK, a charity that works to ensure transport is more inclusive and accessible, lists Hugh Jaeger as a Trustee, Director, and “Chair of Bus Users Oxford and an active campaigner for bus services” on its website. However, yesterday they took the decision to suspend him after a history of inflammatory tweets were revealed.
In a 2019 post, Mr Jaeger reportedly wrote that “In 1948 Zionists copied the Nazis to liquidate several villages” and also shared an inflammatory cartoon along with the caption: “Pic of an Israeli Magav border police thug sums up why Zionism is evil & why Palestinians must resist.”
According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” is an example of antisemitism.
In another post, Mr Jaeger allegedly condemned “racist Israel”, while in different one, he said that it was founded by “State terrorists who massacre, steal land, apply apartheid, murder children and commit war crimes have ruled Israel ever since.” He also defended the controversial Labour candidate Lisa Forbes, despite her deeply problematic social media activity.
In a blog post from December 2019, Mr Jaeger reportedly wrote that “No one has proved that antisemitism is any more common in Labour than it is in UK society as a whole.”
Taking action on Mr Jaeger’s surfaced tweets, Bus Users UK wrote from their Twitter account: “Hugh Jaeger has been asked to step back from his duties as a trustee of Bus Users while the Board considers his position. Bus Users is not a political organisation and is not aligned to any political viewpoint. We are a charity campaigning for accessible transport for everyone.”
Mr Jaeger was also reported to the Charity Commission by the GnasherJew Twitter account.
Larry Sanders, the former Green Party Spokesperson on Health and Social Care and brother to former Presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders, drew criticism for tweeting: “Hugh Jaeger is not antisemitic.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism has long called for tougher regulations on social media sites and that social networks proactively search for and remove hate speech from their platforms. We also continue to make representations to the Government on this matter.
The incident relates to last year’s complaint from a former student at SOAS who sought to have his fees refunded after he was forced to leave the University due to a ”toxic antisemitic environment”.
Noah Lewis was called a “white supremacist Nazi” and accused of covering up war crimes when he proposed to write a dissertation on bias against Israel at the United Nations. He said that fellow students labelled him and other Jews pejoratively as “Zionists” and left antisemitic slurs on lockers, desks and toilet walls.
The student, originally from Canada, matriculated in 2018 but lodged a formal complaint in May 2019 after finding his mental health adversely affected by the stress and extreme discomfort caused by the “toxic antisemitic environment” which ultimately led him to quit the University and return home.
In July 2019, the University offered an apology for the “emotional trauma…experienced due to the perceived antisemitic discrimination which he had to endure” and recommended compensation of £500.
Mr Lewis appealed the decision with assistance from UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI), however, and in March 2020 the appeal panel determined that the original decision “had not been adequate” and recommended an external investigation, even if the University reached a settlement with Mr Lewis.
A settlement was reportedly reached, with Mr Lewis refunded £15,000 in full in December 2020. However, the panel’s recommendation for an external investigation has since been ignored, Prof. Hirsh laments.
In a recent open letter, Prof. Hirsh reportedly stated: “The panel I chaired made clear and unanimous determinations which have so far been completely ignored. This is further prima facie evidence that there is a problem of institutional antisemitism at SOAS. It is clear enough by now that SOAS does not take the claim that it has a problem with institutional antisemitism seriously enough to do anything about it. Good practice requires that an institution is not well placed to make that kind of determination about its own culture, but that is what SOAS has done.”
Prof. Hirsh said that he believed SOAS’ reluctance to carry out the external investigation was due to its belief that the student’s complaint was a “bad faith move relating to politics around the conflicts between Israel and Palestine”.
Professor Hirsh added: “Since the summer of 2019, two new cohorts of students, some of them Jewish students, will have been at SOAS for a considerable period of time. SOAS owes those students a duty of care. It has not been carrying out that duty. It is further true that SOAS has a reputation, deserved or not, in particular amongst Jews, for being a place that has a toxic antisemitic environment that is tolerated and protected by the institutional practice and culture of the School itself…I do not feel that it would be right for me to keep what I know about this issue at SOAS secret.”
The University issued a public response to Prof. Hirsh that both defended its current statement on antisemitism and criticised the lecturer for speaking out. The statement read: “The route we have chosen to take to tackle discrimination goes well beyond the requirements placed on universities and other public institutions. We have spent many months since January engaging with our staff and student community to develop a comprehensive and widely-supported response to these challenges in drawing up our Charter on Discrimination which is formally titled our ‘Charter on Racism, Antisemitism and All Forms of Cultural, Ethnic and Religious Chauvinism’.”
The Charter in question stands in place of the International Definition of Antisemitism, which the University refuses to adopt. The Charter says: “We stand for anti-racism, and against antisemitism and all other forms of cultural, ethnic and religious chauvinism…We therefore welcome the renewed attention to discriminatory practices and the multiple separate calls to take a stand against racism, antisemitism, religious and cultural intolerance, xenophobia and the like.”
However, the Charter also states that “advocates of political causes may use academic freedom to articulate hateful words against other human beings and to advance racism and ethnic and cultural chauvinisms of any kind. Political advocacy may use the legitimate demands of anti-racism and calls against antisemitism, religious and cultural intolerance, to deflect from critical academic and political scrutiny. This occurs across the political, cultural and religious divide. Religious fundamentalists may equate religion and state, and demand not only acquiescence from all those within their nations who oppose their agendas but also silence others including scholars and journalists who subject their actions and words to critical reflection and scrutiny.”
Continuing in its response to Prof. Hirsh, SOAS’ statement said: “This Charter is now a mandatory policy for all individuals and stakeholders at SOAS and it comprehensively addresses the issues which have been raised in relation to antisemitism and other forms of discrimination. We stand firm against antisemitism, as we do against all forms of discrimination. Most importantly, we do this in a manner which is consistent with the principles of academic freedom. Our student community – newly arriving students and returning – can be assured that this charter will be applied rigorously and without fear or favour so that we genuinely address and tackle antisemitism, alongside action to address all forms of racism.”
Addressing Prof. Hirsh’s letter that criticised the University, SOAS wrote: “We note this story has arisen now (August 2021) after the Chair of a complaints panel that was held last year shared publicly with the press an email to a fellow panel member. We are disappointed that the chair of a properly constituted confidential student complaints panel should seek to publicly press for a particular action to be taken forward, and in the process draw into the public domain fellow members of the panel. We have a robust investigation process into complaints which makes recommendations confidentially to be considered by SOAS. This process relies on due confidentiality and respect for the process and for fellow panel members. We are disappointed that the chair of panel has chosen to act in this manner.”
SOAS has long been a hotbed of antisemitism among UK campuses. Last September, a professor at the University labelled Israel as a “virus” and said that it “exploited the Holocaust” for its own political agenda.
If any students are concerned about antisemitism on campus or need assistance, they can call us on 0330 822 0321, or e-mail [email protected]
A Hitler-loving radio host has today been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to eight counts of inciting racial hatred after action by Campaign Against Antisemitism.
Following an investigation by Campaign Against Antisemitism that was acted upon by Devon and Cornwall Police, Graham Hart, 68, of Penponds, Camborne, was charged earlier this year with five counts of incitement to racial hatred. The charges related to “using offending words or behaviour in a programme involving threatening, abusive or insulting visual images or sounds which was included in a programme service, intending thereby to stir up racial hatred or, having regard to all the circumstances, whereby racial hatred was likely to be stirred up.”
Three further charges were subsequently added following a further investigation by Campaign Against Antisemitism.
Mr Hart is an amateur singer-songwriter from Cornwall who has hosted numerous controversial figures on his online radio show, including the notorious antisemite Alison Chabloz, who was sentenced to eighteen weeks in prison in March of this year for offences committed during an interview with Mr Hart. Mr Hart also previously courted controversy after a local rugby team banned his music due to concerns about a Holocaust-denial song of his that was circulating on the internet.
An investigation by Campaign Against Antisemitism revealed that Mr Hart repeatedly claimed that Jews are “filth”; questioned whether six million Jews were really murdered in the Holocaust; praised Adolf Hitler as “the greatest man of the twentieth century”; said that “is isn’t just the white people who hate the Jews…it’s everyone hates the Jews. Everyone”; claimed that the Jews “run everything”, are “evil” and are “not of this world”; and argued that the Jews have “got to go down, they’ve just got to go down”.
Among numerous other inflammatory statements, he said: “To be honest, I get more and more pissed off every day at what I find out about the Jews. It just gets worse and worse and worse. And I have to say the more I find out, the more I hate you and the more I spread the word.”
The three further charges arose from comments that Mr Hart made on this radio show in late December, including: “Let’s get rid of the Jews. It’s time for them to go…I’ve had enough of these people now … the chaos that they cause”; and “it’s always these same people that are behind everything. So, they’ve got to go. That’s the bottom line. How we’re going to do it…I don’t know”.
Other comments included: “I can’t think what else we can do. I don’t want to go with bloodshed but if that’s what it’s going to take, let’s get it done” and “I’m not armed….I wish I was. If anyone in the chatroom or any of the listeners want to send me a gun, it would be nice.”
Invoking another antisemitic trope, he also compared Jews to vermin, saying: “‘Ah but they’re children… they’re children.’ Yeah I know. They’re like a rat. If you’ve got a rat with four babies, you don’t kill the babies because they’re cute, aren’t they? You just kill the mother. Well, guess what. If you don’t kill those babies, if you just leave them, they’ll grow up to be big rats. So, I hope you go…you go as well. Screw you, you’ve taken too many of our people. We’ve got to start looking after our own.”
He has also said: “I’m a little bit over the top but I say wipe them all out” and “So, if you’re listening out there Mr Jew, we’re coming to get you.”
Mr Hart has also referenced Campaign Against Antisemitism, saying: “I’m involved with the Campaign Against Antisemitism. I’ve got my own little thing going on there and when I’m ready, I’ll pounce. And I’m not far from it either. I’m not far from it. I’ve had enough of these people, guys. Call them out. They run the bloody world and it’s got to stop. And we’ve got to stop talking. That’s why I say … Can we get organised?”
Mr Hart appeared in Truro Crown Court on 26th April for a hearing but was held on remand after refusing to engage with the court or appoint legal counsel. He subsequently did so and appeared on 7th June in Truro Crown Court for the pre-trial hearing, where he entered pleas of guilty on all counts.
Today at the same venue, Judge Robert Linford sentenced Mr Hart to sixteen months in prison, which comprises two years’ imprisonment on the first five counts and 32 months for the remaining three counts to run concurrently and of which he will serve half. He was also sentenced to a criminal behaviour order of ten years, prohibiting him from engaging in similar activities on the internet, as well as a forfeiture order allowing the police to destroy the equipment that they seized. The sentence reflects the one-third discount for Mr Hart’s guilty pleas.
Mr Hart’s counsel had argued that Mr Hart was a victim of reading things on the internet that he came to believe, and that his twelve days’ incarceration (while he refused to engage with the court earlier this year) brought him to his senses and that he no longer holds any of the beliefs he expressed. Judge Linford rejected these arguments.
The Judge was visibly angry as he delivered his judgment, telling Mr Hart that “you set out to whip up feelings of hatred of people of the Jewish faith”. He pointed out that Mr Hart’s activities continued while he was already under investigation, and the judge considered that this showed a total unwillingness on Mr Hart’s part to reflect on his behaviour. Judge Linford added that Mr Hart’s performance in interviews with the police was almost as bad as his radio shows, and that police found further troubling evidence of entrenched antisemitic feeling in his home. The judge determined that the offending was far too serious for anything other than an immediate custodial sentence.
Campaign Against Antisemitism wishes to commend Devon and Cornwall Police — and in particular officers DC Sean McDonnell and DI Daniel Massey — for their tireless commitment to seeing Mr Hart face justice.
It was regrettable that, once again, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) was not nearly as proactive as the police in this case. It took an intervention by one of our honorary patrons, Lord Austin, for the CPS to issue charges thirteen months after the CPS received the file from the police. We do, however, commend the CPS for its diligence once it agreed to pursue the case, appointing the same counsel who recently prosecuted a neo-Nazi police officer in the Metropolitan Police.
In a statement, Detective Inspector Daniel Massey said: “The sentencing of Graham Hart brings an end to a lengthy and difficult investigation. Hart’s antisemitic views are completely unacceptable in every way and have caused considerable distress to the Jewish community and many other people over the years. His behaviour towards the Officer in the Case was also an issue at times and shows Hart’s complete disregard for anyone who dares to challenge his views or actions, however, I am grateful for the hard work, dedication and professionalism that brought about this conviction.
“I am also grateful to the Campaign Against Antisemitism, which initiated this investigation and has remained positively engaged throughout a protracted enquiry. Additionally, I would like to thank the CPS for its support and guidance in prosecuting this challenging case. This sends a strong message to Graham Hart, and those who share these types of views, that antisemitic behaviour and all hate crime will be dealt with robustly.”
Nick Price, Head of the Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division in the CPS, said: “Graham Hart used his position to influence people as a radio host to stir up racial hatred and incite violence against the Jewish race. I am pleased that he has been brought to justice and we have put an end to his abusive and insulting broadcasts. The CPS are committed to prosecuting hate crime and will continue to work as an independent body to ensure justice is served.”
Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “Thanks to the diligence of officers DC Sean McDonnell and DI Daniel Massey, who acted on our investigations, Graham Hart will be in prison and restricted from reoffending for the next ten years. The offences he committed constitute some of the most extreme hatred towards Jews that we have ever encountered. It is vital that the Jewish community is protected from this man, which this sentence achieves. It also sends a necessary message to like-minded people that hate towards British Jews will not be tolerated.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews almost four times more likely to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.
A teenager has admitted to shouting “I f***ing hate the Jews” at a Jewish man inside Oxford Circus Underground station.
The seventeen-year-old admitted to the charge of a religiously aggravated public order offence after the Jewish man was targeted with antisemitic abuse inside Oxford Circus Underground station on 4th July. It was reported that the teenager handed himself in to the police on 11th July and on 23rd July, he was charged with the offence.
Prosecutor Valerie Benjamin told Highbury Corner Youth Court on Monday that the victim had been wearing “distinctive Jewish attire”, and that “the defendant said ‘I f****** hate Jews’ while banging on the side of the escalator.” Ms Benjamin added that the victim was now too anxious to use public transport and was incurring significant costs due to having to take taxis instead.
It was also alleged that the defendant yelled “take off your hat”, although the teenager has denied this claim.
The defendant allegedly said during his police interview that he yelled the abuse as he thought “it might have been funny at the time”, but that he now knows that “it was stupid and offensive.”
Mohammed Zeb, defending, told the court that the defendant had “done the right thing” by handing himself in, but acknowledged that he “made a stupid comment for no reason”. Mr Zeb added: “He told me ‘I’ve got no problem with anybody, I’m not into religion, it was spur of the moment’.”
The defendant told District Judge Susan Williams: “I didn’t really think through [the comment], it just came out, and I just left and ran.” He added that he understands that the victim must have been frightened. “Especially as he was by himself – I think I would have been scared as well,” the defendant said.
Judge Williams told the teenager: “There is nothing wrong with a bit of friendly rivalry but we have fought a world war about this sort of racial discrimination, dreadful things were done and this sort of thing leaves scars on people’s memories. You don’t know if [the victim] lost a grandfather or a father or half his family in a concentration camp because of who he is.”
The judge continued: “That is the kind of memories that you are stirring up when you attack him about who he is…you give the beautiful game a bad name.”
It was also said that the teenager has previous convictions for theft and driving offences.
“You have got to take a serious decision about which way you are going in life – do you mind your manners, mind your mouth and mind the way you drive?”, the judge added. “Either cut [drinking] down or cut it out, or you are going to find yourself in serious trouble.”
The defendant is due to be sentenced on 3rd September. It has been reported that he has been granted bail on the condition that he does not “attend or loiter outside Wembley Stadium regardless of the event taking place inside”, in addition to any stadium where either Millwall or England are playing.
In a statement after the incident on 4th July, British Transport Police said: “We’re aware of a video posted online of…antisemitic behaviour on a London Underground escalator. We take such incidents very seriously and are investigating. If anybody has any information contact us on 0800 405040 or text 61016 quoting ref 90 of 4 July 2021.”
Immediately following the incident, Campaign Against Antisemitism released a statement thanking the victim’s brother for publicising the incident. The statement added: “We will be following up privately, but for those reading the thread [on Twitter] we wanted to note that police investigations have now been opened and we are in touch with police and Transport for London. #ZeroTolerance”
Earlier on in the night of the committed offence, the same Jewish man reported a separate incident of antisemitic abuse, in which an aggressive passenger can be heard threatening him and saying: “I’ve got a shank, I will slit your throat for Palestine” and “I’ll beat the s**t out of you.”
The passenger was then ordered off the bus, where he proceeded to swear at the Jewish man and bang on the doors of the bus.
Campaign Against Antisemitism recently launched an appeal for information about the suspect in the earlier incident.
Campaign Against Antisemitism recently met with Transport for London as part of work to improve the response to antisemitic incidents on public transport.
Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews almost four times more likely to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.
Do you recognise this man?
He is suspected of making #antisemitic threats against a #Jewish passenger on the @TfL 113 bus in #London on 4th July 2021.
Please contact us or the @metpoliceuk on 101 if you have any information.
A lawyer has reportedly been struck off the roll after allegedly making racist and sexist comments.
Complaints were reportedly brought by three women against Victor Stockinger, 61, of Bloomsbury. He is reported to have blamed their concerns on “wokeism”, but a panel of the Solicitors’ Disciplinary Tribunal found the evidence against him to be “entirely sincere”, leaving with him legal costs of £41,850.
Among the comments attributed to Mr Stockinger at a work event at the High Court, held by the Solicitors’ Association of Higher Court Advocates in 2019, was a question to a Jewish lawyer on whether she really was Jewish. He also allegedly made inflammatory remarks to a procurement boss of African heritage, as well as numerous sexist comments.
The Solicitors’ Regulatory Authority (SRA) argued that Stockinger’s remarks were racially, ethically, and religiously motivated. The Chair of the Tribunal observed that solicitors must conduct themselves in a way “which reflects everyone’s personal characteristics” and they should “embrace the qualities of equality, diversity and inclusion,” in contrast to Mr Stockinger, who had made “stereotypical assumptions and been patronising.”
Mr Stockinger had claimed that his comments were mere “icebreakers”, but the Tribunal found that “the depth of hurt, humiliation and anger felt, even two years later by the young and diverse legal professionals to whom Mr Stockinger misspoke at that meeting was plain by their evidence to us, which we found entirely sincere. People should not be expected to tolerate this on the basis that in the past people did so.”
Mr Stockinger was also reportedly found guilty of dishonesty – a more serious allegation – by misleading the regulator over a client complaint. He had denied all of the charges.
Mr Stockinger was struck off after 31 years of practice, and reacted to the verdict saying “I’m traumatised”.
Campaign Against Antisemitism is inviting Jewish students who studied at the University of Bristol in the academic year 2020-21 to join a lawsuit against the University over Prof. David Miller’s alleged harassment of Jewish students.
Lawyers working with Campaign Against Antisemitism have begun the pre-action process ahead of commencing litigation against the University.
The prospective lawsuit is being prepared over statements made by Prof. David Miller, who is employed by the University.
Campaign Against Antisemitism is issuing a call for additional students to come forward and add their names to the legal action by e-mailing [email protected].
The case against the University concerns alleged unlawful harassment on the basis of Jewish ethnicity and Judaism, amounting to breaches of the Equality Act 2010, as well as breaches of contract.
Much has been written about Prof. Miller, who has recently added to his record of inflammatory statements about the Jewish community, with the assertion earlier this year that “Zionism is racism” and a declaration that his objective is “to end Zionism as a functioning ideology of the world”. Prof. Miller has also suggested that people associated with Zionism should not be engaged in dialogue but “must only be faced and defeated,” that the “Zionist Movement” is “the enemy” that must be engaged, that it is “the enemy of world peace,” and that those associated with Zionism, including Jewish students on Bristol campus, “must be directly targeted”. Taken together, the implication of Prof. Miller’s remarks is that all decent people who support “world peace” should view Bristol Jewish Society and the Union of Jewish Students, and Jewish people, including those who identify with those bodies, and the vast majority of Jewish students as an “enemy” that must be “directly targeted”. Prof. Miller has said that interfaith work between Jewish and Muslim groups is “a trojan horse for normalising Zionism in the Muslim community”. Perhaps equally egregiously, he also suggested that Jewish students, by virtue of being Zionist, “encourage Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism”.
Prof. Miller’s statements and the University’s failure to condemn them and take swift action against him have been the subject of a great deal of attention from the Jewish community as well as hundreds of academics and Parliament, including a written question by Lord Austin, as well as a recent intervention from Robert Halfon MP.
The legal claim contends that Prof. Miller’s statements sought to create a hostile environment for Jewish students. It further alleges that the University is liable for Prof. Miller’s conduct, and is further liable in its own right, for unlawful conduct in breach of the Equality Act, and for its breach of its contract with students.
We are asking additional students to step forward and add their names to the legal action to hold the University of Bristol to account for Prof. Miller’s conduct, and its own. If you are or were a student at the University of Bristol in the academic year 2020-21, please e-mail your name and telephone number to [email protected].
Pre-action correspondence has been exchanged with the University, which has refused even to set a date for completion of its already extended investigation of Prof. Miller.
A previous complaint against the University, concerning Prof. Miller’s conduct, did not report publicly and it is still unclear, two years later, what the outcome was.
Solicitors from Asserson Law Offices are acting, and have instructed barristers Derek Spitz of One Essex Court and Benjamin Gray of Littleton Chambers.
Asserson Law Offices and Derek Spitz were also instructed in our groundbreaking referral of the Labour Party to the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Benjamin Gray is an expert in employment and discrimination law who is currently instructed on workplace discrimination claims that Campaign Against Antisemitism is helping individuals to pursue.
The case is the latest step by Campaign Against Antisemitism to defend the rights of individual Jewish students. We believe that universities and students’ unions must be robustly held to account when they fail to defend Jewish students or when they allow their lecturers to discriminate against or harass them.
A man who admitted to defacing a Welsh war memorial with antisemitic graffiti has been spared jail, it was revealed earlier this week.
The graffiti on the memorial in Rhyl, Wales was discovered in February and included swastikas and vile messages which refer to the murder of Jews and gassing of soldiers.
The graffiti also contained the line, in German, that “the time has come for a Reich [empire]: we must exterminate the Jews.”
Gareth Bradley, 31, confessed last month to committing the act of hateful vandalism. He also pleaded guilty to defacing his prison cell with graffiti of a swastika in April.
After taking the defendant’s mental health into consideration, Judge Recorder Wyn Lloyd Jones handed him an eighteen-month sentence that has been suspended for two years for this offence, in addition to several other offences, which included racially abusing policing officers. Mr Bradley was also told to carry out a 50-day rehabilitation requirement.
Frances Wilmott, defending, told Caernarfon Crown Court: “None of the offences are sophisticated…they are the product of someone suffering ill mental health.”
The judge, taking Mr Bradley’s psychiatric reports into consideration, said: “It’s obvious he has serious mental health issues which go back to a very early age. His behaviour is disgraceful but anyone reading those documents will understand why he behaves the way he does.”
He added: “You clearly have long standing mental health problems which is a very important consideration in this case – a very difficult childhood clearly affected you in later life but I accept you are now remorseful for what you did.
“I have to consider and to decide what is best for society and what is best for you – it seems to me, having regard to your accommodation, your change of attitudes, possibly because of medication, there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation…that’s why I’ve suspended the sentence. Your mental health is at the heart of this case and I’ve tried to have regard to that at every stage.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism will be writing to talkSPORT to demand a live on-air apology after two of the radio show’s presenters allowed a hateful comment from a caller about Tottenham Hotspur’s chairman, Daniel Levy, to go unchallenged.
The show’s segment was presented by Perry Groves, a football pundit and former footballer, and Jordan Jarrett-Bryan, a reporter for Channel 4 News, and included a discussion about Tottenham Hotspur player Harry Kane.
Mr Jarrett-Bryan asks the caller: “Are you saying Spurs should get the fee that they feel he’s worth, and if they don’t get that, he’s not going anywhere?”
Referring to Mr Levy, the caller responds: “He’s a Jew, he’s not gonna let him go for nothing, is he?”
The presenters, visibly shocked, then cut off the caller and tried to swiftly move the conversation on without acknowledging the comment that had just been made.
This is not the first time talksSPORT has been involved in controversy relating to inflammatory comments. Phil Brown, the football player turned manager, issued a heartfelt apology in 2018 to Campaign Against Antisemitism after referring to Chelsea Football Club midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko as having had a “Holocaust of a game” on the radio show.
Last year on talkSPORT, Mr Groves made a nearly identical remark when he referred to goalkeeper Mat Ryan’s performance in the match, saying that the player “had a Holocaust of a game.”
Mr Levy has received antisemitic abuse in the past. One incident in April saw a tweet that was said to have contained several antisemitic tropes removed and reported to the police.
In a separate incident, a user wrote: “Them 3 fat AMERICAN C***S YOU F***ING BASTARDS. And as for that Jew levy your family should have been gassed. Inters owners also ruined the cal champions. Perez is in the f***ing mafia”.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Perry Groves and Jordan Jarrett-Bryan must apologise live on air for their failure to call out a remark by a caller disparaging Daniel Levy because he is Jewish. Perry Groves has his own inflammatory record to redeem, while, for Jarrett-Bryan, whose pinned tweet is all about stamping racism out of football, it is particularly disappointing that he missed the opportunity to do his part in achieving that aim. TalkSPORT’s listeners deserve better.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism monitors traditional media and regularly holds outlets to account. If members of the public are concerned about reportage in the media, they should contact us at [email protected].
I don’t know what’s worse the caller or the presenter not calling him out immediately instead of trying to move on @talkSPORTpic.twitter.com/3WVI29ac88
A freelance journalist formerly employed by Bloomberg has posted a tweet claiming that a witness against Roman Abramovich and other prominent Jewish businessmen may have changed his story in exchange for “a few shekels”.
The tweet relates to a recent case in the High Court, in which three prominent Jewish businessmen – Roman Abramovich, Mikhail Fridman and Petr Aven – have asserted that a book by author Catherine Belton makes defamatory claims about them.
Following last week’s hearing, one of the sources in the book, Sergei Pugachev, whose statements are central to Mr Abramovich’s High Court case, gave an interview about what he had and had not said to the author. In the interview, Mr Pugachev appeared to distance himself from some of the claims attributed to him in the book.
Responding to this interview, Jason Corcoran, a freelance journalist formerly at Bloomberg, tweeted: “Talk about throwing Belton under a trolleybus. What has Pugachev to gain? A few shekels from an oligarch or is he trying to curry favour with the Kremlin after burning his bridges years ago.”
The notion that someone takes ‘treacherous’ action in return for “shekels” is a classic trope going back millennia. It is particularly poignant, given that Mr Abramovich and his fellow claimants, to whom Mr Pugachev is supposedly endearing himself by allegedly backtracking, are Jewish. The Shekel is the currency of the State of Israel.
The trope was recently used by Labour Party MP Barry Sheerman, who claimed that two wealthy British Jewish businessmen missed out on seats in the House of Lords because there had been “a run on silver shekels”, before apologising.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Suggestions that wealthy Jewish businesspeople induce treachery by others in return for the payment of ‘shekels’ is about as old a trope as one could find. However passionately Jason Corcoran may feel about this court case, it is no justification for his appalling comment. He must apologise immediately, before any media outlet agrees to collaborate with him again.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism monitors traditional media and regularly holds outlets to account. If members of the public are concerned about reportage in the media, they should contact us at [email protected].
Talk about throwing Belton under a trolleybus. What has Pugachev to gain ? A few shekels from an oligarch or is he trying to curry favour with the Kremlin after burning his bridges years ago. https://t.co/8yhN896nkO
Piers Corbyn has suggested that “troublemakers” in Jewish areas posted leaflets created and distributed by Mr Corbyn, which compared the COVID-19 vaccines to the Auschwitz death camp, through their own doors in a “plot” to portray him as antisemitic.
Referencing a headline in the Evening Standard that the new COVID-19 vaccines are a “safe path to freedom”, the leaflets showed the slogan atop the infamous gates to Auschwitz.
In an interview clip that was uploaded to Twitter on Sunday, Mr Corbyn discussed the leaflets that he distributed last December, an incident that saw him arrested.
At one point during the interview, the interviewer held up a leaflet and said: “This was accused of being antisemitic,” to which Mr Corbyn responded by saying that he and his team were attacking the Evening Standard headline.
Mr Corbyn added: “We were then accused of being antisemitic, but that is insane. We were anti-Nazi. We’re against what the Nazis were doing.”
When asked “Why was it leafleted in Jewish areas?”, Mr Corbyn replied: “It wasn’t specifically leafleted in any particular areas. That is a lie made up by the media. Or, some troublemakers leafleted it through their own doors, I suspect, and then came forward.”
“To try and portray you as antisemitic?”, the interviewer asked, to which Mr Corbyn responded “Yes, yes.” When the interviewer asked whether it was a conspiracy or not, Mr Corbyn replied: “Well, certainly a plot.”
Mr Corbyn also stated that he was arrested before the police allegedly returned his leaflets and dropped the charge of “giving out leaflets of malicious intent.” Mr Corbyn then went on to reiterate that “there’s no justification whatsoever” that the leaflets were antisemitic.
Responding to his arrest in the past, Mr Corbyn absurdly argued that he could not be antisemitic because he had been married to a Jewish woman and once employed a Jewish person who was a “superb worker.” Mr Corbyn reportedly protested: “The idea we’re antisemitic in any way is completely absurd. I was married for 22 years to a Jewess and obviously her mother’s forebears fled the Baltic states just before the war because of Hitler or the Nazis in general. I’ve worked with Jewish leading world scientists over the last 30 years. I’ve also employed Jewish people in my business Weather Action, one of whom was a superb worker.”
Recent footage showed Mr Corbyn comparing vaccinations to Nazi policy outside the Houses of Parliament. The video showed Mr Corbyn and another man standing in front of a sign which reads “No Nazi forced jab” and yelling “arrest Matt Hancock” through a megaphone.
On 20th July, Mr Corbyn, alongside other anti-vaccination protesters, showed their support at a far-left demonstration that was held outside of Labour Party headquarters. Speaking about the COVID-19 vaccination and the lockdown, Mr Corbyn said: “You know what happened in Germany. The left there, they were begging Hitler to support them. They believed in Hitler. You know what happened. The rest is history…the Jews were labelled as a danger and were locked up.” Mr Corbyn also gave an interview at the demonstration in which he denied that he, or his brother Jeremy Corbyn, were antisemites.
Anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination networks have become known as hotbeds of antisemitic conspiracy theories and tropes.
Mr Corbyn has a history of controversy in relation to antisemitic conspiracy theories. He has previously retweeted @whiteknight0011, a notorious neo-Nazi who declared that “They will force Trump in to war What do you think happened to Hitler? Bilderberg CIA IMF Banker Gangsters They are the problem” along with four images. The @whiteknight0011 account has since been suspended. One image showed Lord Jacob Rothschild, the Jewish banker and philanthropist, against the background of a Nazi flag, claiming that he controls the world. A second showed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a puppeteer controlling ISIS through Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, orchestrating the war in Syria and Paris attacks as Lord Rothschild and the Queen look on approvingly. A third image showed the faces of supposed Jewish conspirators who run the world to society’s detriment, proclaiming: “Know your enemy”. The last image showed a family photo of the Royal Family, claiming that they are in cahoots with these Jewish conspirators in committing “the worst genocides, invasions and theft in all history.”
Mr Corbyn has also claimed that “Zionists” were conspiring against his brother: when Jewish then-MP Louise Ellman complained of antisemitic attacks against her, Piers accused her of using it as a cover for political attack, tweeting: “ABSURD! JC+ All #Corbyns are committed #AntiNazi. #Zionists can’t cope with anyone supporting rights for #Palestine”.
90% of antisemitic social media posts remain on Facebook and Twitter even after being reported, a new study has revealed.
The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) conducted the study of 714 antisemitic posts across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. Its research found that 84% of antisemitic posts remained, with 90% remaining on Facebook and Twitter specifically.
Imran Ahmed, the Chief Executive of CCDH, said that the study showed that social media was a “safe space for racists to normalise their conspiracies and hateful rhetoric without fear of consequences.”
He added: “This is not about algorithms or automation; our research shows that social media companies allow bigots to keep their accounts open and their hate to remain online, even when human moderators are notified.”
The findings from the CCDH noted that in particular, the social media giants’ response to tackling racist conspiracy theories was particularly disappointing. They ignored 89% of antisemitic conspiracy theories and addressed only 5% that blamed Jewish people for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Only one in 20 posts that attacked Jewish people directly were removed. In situations where a post had clear links to violence or neo-Nazism, 30% of posts were removed.
A spokesman for Facebook, which also owns Instagram, said: “These reports do not account for the fact that we have taken action on fifteen times the amount of hate speech since 2017, the prevalence of hate speech is decreasing on our platform and, of the hate speech we remove, 97 percent was found before someone reported it.”
A Twitter spokesman said: “We strongly condemn antisemitism. We’re working to make Twitter a safer place, and improving the speed and scale of our rule enforcement is a top priority. We recognise that there’s more to do.”
It was reported that TikTok said in a statement that “it condemns antisemitism and proactively removes accounts and content that violate its policies,” while it was said that YouTube “made significant progress” in removing hate speech over the past few years.
Recently, we published a report which revealed that Twitter invited Campaign Against Antisemitism to become a “Twitter partner”, allowing us to report problematic material directly through the company’s “partner portal” to Twitter personnel (rather than machines) for review, only for the platform to cease contact with us after we had flagged up hundreds of antisemitic tweets. Following the news of this report, Twitter has reportedly declined to respond.
Campaign Against Antisemitism has long called for tougher regulations on social media sites and that social networks proactively search for and remove hate speech from their platforms. We also continue to make representations to the Government on this matter.
A teenage neo-Nazi has been spared jail after the presiding judge was told that he could get all As in his A-level exams, it was reported last week.
It was said that police found images of the seventeen-year-old boy performing Nazi salutes, along with memes that glorified the Norwegian neo-Nazi terrorist Anders Breivik. It was also said that the boy had downloaded several terrorist manuals.
Kelly Brocklehurst, prosecuting, told the court how thousands of images depicting a “concerning level of commitment to an extreme ideology” were found by investigating officers. Ms Brocklehurst added that the boy had shown interest in James Mason’s “Siege Culture”, a collection of neo-Nazi writings which was found in his bedroom during the police raid.
Bristol Youth Court was also told that the teenager had swastikas, a noose, and the letters “DOTR” carved into his bedroom desk, a reference to the Day of the Rope ideology that advocates the mass lynching of all those considered to be “race traitors”. Detailed methods of how to murder someone were also allegedly found on his phone by Gloucestershire Police.
The teenager admitted eleven counts of collecting material of use to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism contrary to section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000, it was reported.
Stephen Donnelly, defending, was reportedly adamant that there was an “air of optimism for the future and the way [the youth] can be confronted by his actions in the past,” adding that the teenager is “very much loved.”
“The court can take assurance from the fact there is that network of support in the future,” Mr Donnelly said. He added: “He is still on course to achieve high grades if allowed to complete his A-level studies next year. That should be a pointer for the court. Rehabilitation outside the custodial environment is the best course.”
Chief Magistrate and Senior District Judge Paul Goldspring handed the boy, who was fifteen and sixteen-years-old at the time of the committed offenses, a twelve-month referral order at Bristol Youth Court for terror offences, after changing his mind about giving him a twelve-month custody sentence.
Senior District Judge Goldspring said: “My initial view was to send you into custody for twelve months, I have taken a step back, I am satisfied I don’t need to do that…it is really important that you take this opportunity to pause and think. I have to be honest there will be almost no way out if I see you in court again.”
He added: “You clearly work very hard in school and are obviously very, very intelligent. Although, I don’t want anyone to get the impression that someone less intelligent should be treated less well.”
Detective Superintendent Craig McWhinnie, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing South West, said: “Whilst there was no risk to the county, individuals such as this who promote dangerous extremist views and content have no place in our society. We will continue to seek them out and prosecute them.
“The entrenched views and hatred displayed by this young person combined with their consumption of violent and disturbing literature remain deeply concerning. This investigation is another stark reminder of the hateful and damaging material found online that for all of us, is only a few clicks away. This material creates a very real risk to the young and vulnerable in our communities, in our schools and indeed, in our own homes. This is especially true over the course of the pandemic where young people spend more time online, often alone and unsupervised.
“We would encourage those who care for young persons to have honest and frank conversations about online activity, to look out for the signs that indicate a potential shift in beliefs or attitude and to be intrusive on occasion to ensure they are safe online. The Act Early website has a wealth of information for anyone with concerns to help them understand what radicalisation looks like and provides advice on what to do in the first instance.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism has been monitoring and acting against the threat from the far-right for years and continues to support the authorities following suit.
Twitter has reportedly declined to respond to a major report by Campaign Against Antisemitism that shows how the social media giant fails to implement consistently its own policies on hate.
The report, published a few days ago, showed how Twitter appointed Campaign Against Antisemitism as a partner to monitor anti-Jewish racism on its platform and promised regular meetings, only to cease those meetings and ignore offers of antisemitism training after we began alerting the company to the inconsistent application of its policies by personnel.
Not only were phrases like “f*** the Jews” not considered to breach Twitter’s rules, but other phrases such as “Hitler was right” were sometimes permitted and sometimes removed, without any form of coherent reasoning.
Moreover, one of the few areas where Twitter has in the past said that it would take action is over Holocaust denial, pledging to remove “attempts to deny or diminish” violent events such as the Shoah. Our report, however, shows that Twitter personnel repeatedly raised no objection to phrases such as “#Holohoax” and other, more elaborate tweets of Holocaust denial.
To the extent that this is because Twitter staff are unschooled in recognising Holocaust denial or anti-Jewish racism, it is all the more disappointing that Twitter has failed to take up offers of antisemitism training for its personnel by Campaign Against Antisemitism.
Twitter reportedly told The Times, when confronted with Campaign Against Antisemitism’s findings, that “all online abuse — including antisemitic abuse — has no place on Twitter [and] is prohibited by our rules”. However, as the report shows, whatever the policies may or may not say is largely irrelevant when they are inconsistently applied. During the period of our partnership with Twitter, at no time did Twitter adequately explain to us the parameters for removing or permitting tweets or who is reviewing hateful material or how they have been trained.
The reality is that, contrary to Twitter’s stated position, antisemitic abuse very much has a “place on Twitter”. Twitter’s abysmal record and apparent disinclination to improve reveal that it is either incapable or unwilling to regulate itself, underscoring the need for Government legislation to compel it — and other social media companies — to do so.
On the publication of the report, Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “We do not have confidence in Twitter’s capacity to address the rampant antisemitism on its platform. As Twitter’s partner in trying to combat anti-Jewish hate, we have not come to this conclusion lightly. But the opacity of Twitter’s parameters, its inconsistent implementation of its own policies, its lack of interest in our offers of training for its personnel, and its decision ultimately to stop engaging with us at all, are not the actions of a company that takes antisemitism seriously.
“If Twitter brought us on as a partner as some sort of fig leaf for its inaction, we are now laying bare the true picture of the company. Having cut off contact with us after we provided clear evidence that Twitter’s policies on hateful material are failing, it is clear that the company is neither capable nor interested in tackling antisemitism, and it must now fall to an independent regulator to assume that role instead. We continue to urge the Government to take action now to stem the tide of antisemitic hate online.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism has long called for tougher regulations on social media sites and that social networks proactively search for and remove hate speech from their platforms. We also continue to make representations to the Government on this matter.
The children’s charity Barnardo’s is investigating one of its staffers for reportedly sharing inflammatory social media posts, including an image that resulted in Naz Shah MP’s suspenion from the Labour Party in 2016.
Rubina Halim, a Barnardo’s teacher, shared an image on Facebook that situates Israel in the middle of the United States and calls for the relocation of Israel to America. She added the comment: “The perfect solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.”
This was the same image for which Naz Shah MP apologised and was suspended from the Labour Party in 2016 under then Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn. Labour’s Deputy Chair of Newham Council, Cllr Nazir Ahmed, was also suspended for sharing the same image earlier this year.
Ms Halim made the inflammatory post on Facebook. In a separate post, she stated that Israel has “governments around the world in their pockets” and alluded to how Israel “controlled and manipulated” the media.
“Think about their spyware – can they not hack anyone anywhere? Think about how [Israel] have governments around the world in their pockets,” the Facebook post read. It continued: “Think about how the media is controlled and manipulated.”
Ms Halim’s posts were not limited to Facebook, however, as it appeared that she had shared several more on LinkedIn, including one that depicted an American dollar bill, folded into the shape of a Star of David. On a separate post, another comment written by Ms Halim read: “Are you surprised that the UK government have been bought by Israel.”
Ms Halim also appeared to endorse a controversial post that was shared by a user who went by the name of Mohammed Sadat Ali, in which he shared an article titled “Jewish Faith, Talmud, and Zionist in Islamic Review”. Mr Ali wrote that the article explained “why the Jewish state of Israel is referred to as a racist, chauvinistic, theocratic, conservative and highly dogmatic state,” a post that Ms Halim shared and added: “Need to read this!”
In response to the criticism surrounding her post, Ms Halim said: “I am not antisemitic and truly do not recognise how my post could be described as antisemitic. My sincerest apologies if my post has offended you in any way.”
In a statement, Barnardo’s said: “We would like to assure the public that these are strictly the personal views of the staff member and do not represent the views of Barnardo’s. Barnardo’s does not tolerate any kind of racism, including antisemitism and all our staff and volunteers are required to adhere to strict codes of conduct and policies on equality and diversity. The individual has been instructed to remove the offending content immediately and firm action has been taken pending a full and thorough investigation.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism continues its robust engagement with social media companies over the content that they enable to be published, and we continue to make representations to the Government in this connection.
Campaign Against Antisemitism has long called for tougher regulations on social media sites and that social networks proactively search for and remove hate speech from their platforms.
Sam Tarry has reportedly cited flooding as a pretext for his withdrawal from an event with an activist from Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL), the antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation.
The Labour Party MP for Ilford South announced that he was not attending Monday’s online launch of the Redbridge branch of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), due to recent flooding in his constituency. Research by Campaign Against Antisemitism has found the Palestine Solidarity Campaign to be riddled with bigotry.
Among the speakers at the launch event was Diana Neslen, a JVL activist with a history of inflammatory statements, including calling Israel a racist endeavour, in breach of the International Definition of Antisemitism.
Ms Neslen is also understood to have been one of a group of Labour activists – styled “Labour Activists For Justice” – who unsuccessfully sued the Party, arguing that Labour had broken its contractual agreement to treat the group fairly during disciplinary investigations. Not all members of the group of eight activists were investigated over antisemitism allegations.
Meanwhile, reports of Labour’s financial woes continue to grow, with The Timesalleging that the Party has spent some £2 million on antisemitism-related cases, and an additional £1 million to address a backlog of complaints. A significant drop in membership numbers – reportedly from 550,000 when Sir Keir Starmer was elected leader to 430,000, at a rate of 250 a day – has also impacted finances.
Earlier this week, members of Labour Against the Witchhunt – an antisemitism-denial group that was proscribed by the Party last week – claimed that the “biggest party in Britain today is the ex-Labour Party. People who’ve been expelled, people who’ve been suspended.” The likely inaccurate observation was made in the context of a discussion about forming a new far-left Party.
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.
There are reports that members of Labour Against the Witchhunt may form a new political party after being purged by the Labour Party.
Last week, Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) voted to proscribe Labour Against the Witchhunt – an antisemitism-denial group – and the disgraced former Labour MP Chris Williamson’s Resist group, as well as two further far-left groups, paving the way for automatic expulsion of their members.
It is understood that the NEC members to have voted against proscribing Labour Against the Witchhunt were Laura Pidcock, a pro-Corbyn former MP who recently spoke at an anti-Israel rally that featured antisemitic chanting; Yasmine Dar, the Corbyn-backed chair of the NEC’s disputes panel who previously claimed that the Party did not have a problem of institutional antisemitism even as her brother was suspended over antisemitism allegations; Gemma Bolton; Nadia Jama; Mish Rahman; Jayne Taylor; Andy Kerr; Mick Whelan; Andy Fox; and Ian Murray.
They also reportedly released a statement claiming that the proscriptions represented “a continuation of the destructive, factional behaviours from the leadership of the Party which have marked the last year. This isn’t just about the organisations we are being asked to consider [at the NEC meeting] on Tuesday it is about setting a precedent; proscribing these organisations as a forerunner to proscription of more and more groupings on the left of the party, to ultimately expel large sections of the Labour left.”
Following the proscription, there are reports that Labour Against the Witchhunt members are considering setting up their own political party. Over the weekend, some of the group’s members met for a virtual meeting during which they apparently also claimed that the “biggest party in Britain today is the ex-Labour Party. People who’ve been expelled, people who’ve been suspended.”
Labour Against the Witchhunt has previously said that it intends to hold an event in Brighton during the Labour Party conference in the city in late September.
Meanwhile, a group called Defend the Left has launched a petition whose signatories have reportedly left comments that blame “Zionazi Blairites” and Party Leader Sir Keir Starmer’s supposed “allegiance” to “foreign countries” for the proscription of the groups.
Campaign Against Antisemitism has for some time been monitoring the exodus of Labour members – particularly in the context of antisemitism allegations – and the prospect of a new political party or infiltration of another existing party by those former Labour members.
Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2019 showed that antisemitism on the far-left of British politics has surpassed that of the far-right.
A former nurse who had reportedly described the NHS as the “new Auschwitz” last year is now under investigation after comparing NHS workers to Nazis at an anti-vaccination rally on Saturday.
Kate Shemirani was removed from the nursing register after she was suspended as a registered nurse for eighteen months last July, pending an investigation into her past alleged comments on COVID-19 and 5G conspiracy theories.
However, it was reportedly decided last month by the NMC Fitness to Practise Committee that she would be permanently struck off from the register. Ms Shemrani can appeal this ruling in five years. In the meantime, however, she will be unable to practice as a registered nurse.
Ms Shemirani, a leading figure in the anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination movement, spoke at a rally on Saturday in which she allegedly called for the names of NHS workers before comparing them to Nazis, saying: “At the Nuremberg trials, the doctors and nurses stood trial and they hung.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan condemned the comments on Twitter, writing: “This is utterly appalling, and I have raised it directly with the Met Police. Our NHS staff are the heroes of this pandemic and Londoners from across this city roundly reject this hate.”
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police stated: “We are aware of [a] video circulating online showing a speech that occurred during a rally in Trafalgar Square on Saturday 24th July. Officers are carrying out enquiries to establish whether any offences have been committed. No arrests have been made.”
Ms Shemirani’s comments have also been condemned by both the Prime Minister and the Labour Party Leader, Sir Keir Starmer.
A spokesperson for Boris Johnson said: “The Prime Minister absolutely condemns those comments. Doctors and nurses have done a truly heroic job throughout this pandemic and continue to do so. Any violence, threats or intimidation is completely unacceptable,” while Sir Keir reportedly told the radio channel LBC that “some of the things that are said and done, in the names of some of these protests, I think are an affront to all of us that believe in everything the NHS and the frontline are doing.”
Last year, Ms Shemirani led protests against mask-wearing and lockdown restrictions, defending her use of comparisons to Auschwitz and Nazis. Ms Shemirani said at the time: “When I likened this to Auschwitz and the cattle trucks – you tell me the difference? Because the only time in history I could find where the doctors and nurses were able to end people’s lives was the nurses of the Third Reich. The nurses of the Third Reich are here today. I don’t care if they find it offensive. I find it offensive that our elderly have been murdered in care homes. Stop being a special snowflake and saying you’re offended. They are killing our elderly, our most vulnerable.”
It has also been reported that Ms Shemrani is a follower of the “Committee of 300” conspiracy theory, which over a century ago laid the foundations for the antisemitic fabrication, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.
Ms Shemirani said: “Can I state the obvious. There is no COVID-19. It’s a scam. There is however contaminated vaccines, contaminated tests and a lovely direct energy weapon system being primed to activate those nano particles you have injected, ingested and inhaled.”
She has also claimed: “Without the help of the doctors and nurses, the extermination of Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, blacks, disabled… in the Holocaust could not have been executed…”
According to the JC, Ms Shemirani has also made frequent reference to the Jewish financier, philanthropist and controversial political activist, George Soros, who is often the target of antisemitic conspiracy theories.
Anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination networks have become known as hotbeds of antisemitic conspiracy theories and tropes.
This is utterly appalling, and I have raised it directly with the Met Police. Our NHS staff are the heroes of this pandemic and Londoners from across this city roundly reject this hate.
“Threatening and antisemitic” messages were reportedly sent by a London hospital staff member to a fellow employee, it was revealed last week.
Police are investigating the messages that were reportedly sent to a critical care staff member at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in Bloomsbury.
In light of the event, senior officials at the University College London Hospitals Trust circulated a letter acknowledging that members of the neurological care team “had reported to have received unpleasant, threatening and antisemitic messages which appear to be sent from within the team.”
The letter continues: “As a team we do not tolerate antisemitism, homophobia, racism, transphobia or any other actions or behaviours which discriminate against others.
“Should we become aware of staff sending such messages this will be investigated as a serious disciplinary matter in line with our Disciplinary Policy.
“Where appropriate we will refer matters to the Metropolitan Police for their investigation to ensure that individuals responsible are held accountable for their actions.
“It is important that we all play our part in taking a stand against antisemitism and all discriminatory behaviour, and we ask that anyone who is subject to, sees or witnesses such behaviour raises their concerns to a member of the senior team below.”
An employee of the hospital said: “I went into the medical profession to care for people regardless of creed or colour, it’s upsetting to think that someone working in a hospital would choose to be antisemitic.”
“What’s happened has been really distressing. But it’s reassuring that the Trust are taking it seriously, even if it has taken them a long time, it’s good they’re saying they won’t tolerate antisemitism,” said another member of staff.
In May, Campaign Against Antisemitism reported that Jewish patients and a staffer had been targeted in multiple antisemitic incidents at two London hospitals.
We also welcomed a statement released by the British Medical Association (BMA) condemning antisemitism and racism.
Over the summer of last year, the British rapper Wiley delivered a multi-day antisemitic tirade over several social media networks, leading to a mass, online walkout. Following a protest by Campaign Against Antisemitism at Twitter’s London headquarters and interventions from the Prime Minister and Home Secretary, Twitter was finally forced to acknowledge the scale of antisemitic hatred on its platform and commit to addressing it.
Within weeks, Twitter invited Campaign Against Antisemitism to become a “Twitter partner”, allowing us to report problematic material directly through the company’s “partner portal” to Twitter personnel (rather than machines) for review. We were led to understand that these personnel were trained to identify antisemitism.
As well as submitting material for review on a regular basis, we also collated and summarised the material in monthly reports, which we submitted to Twitter at the end of December, January and February.
In aggregate, we submitted a selection of 1,000 of the most horrendous antisemitic tweets to Twitter incorporating classic antisemitic tropes, Holocaust denial and anti-Jewish incitement. Among them were numerous tweets incorporating the hashtag #HitlerWasRight or the phrase “Holohoax” and references to “fake Jewish Holocaust”, conspiracies about Jewish power and control, blood libels against Jews, calls to “Gas the Jews” and other extreme antisemitic hate speech and abuse.
The following is a sample of tweets from just one day – 4th December 2020 – all of which Twitter deemed acceptable for its platform.
“Wow. Biden’s now over 81 million votes? It’s like the Holohoax: you can just keep making up numbers” [complaint ticket 0183098131]
“G-d forbid anyone running for office condemn Israel for what they did and are currently doing to the Palestinians. They wouldn’t get elected considering Jews control our government, MSM [mainstream media], social media, Hollywood, financial institutions” [complaint ticket 0183100735]
“Except Hitler was right” [complaint ticket 0183140200]
“It’s probably the same useless junk that is in any other vaccines. All vaccines were created by Jews to control the population of the goyim. (((Jonas Salk)))” [complaint ticket 0183100251]
“What the f*** is this joke man???? What year are we living? THIS F***IN[‘] PROVES ZIONIST JEWS R PART OF THIS. WHY? VERY SIMPLE. THEY CONTROLLING THE WORLD. THEY CONTROL MEDIA. YET NOTHING IS GOING ON. THEY ENJOYING JUST LIKE THEY ENJOYED 1915 ARMENIAN GENOCIDE. SO F*** U ALL! [sic]” [complaint ticket 0183099274]
“3 baby Jew rats. 1 will grow up and Rob empires. 1 will go up committing sex act. 1 will grow up and become a Rabbi and will commit Jewish Talmudic Hebaric Terrrorism [sic]” [complaint ticket 0183140615]
This sample of tweets from just one single day showcases the variety of antisemitic tropes and the diversity of Anglophone Twitter users promoting them. But the degree of anti-Jewish racist vitriol on Twitter is well-established, and it has only intensified during the pandemic. What was remarkable, however, was that all of these tweets – and hundreds of others like them – were brought to Twitter’s attention over the course of several months by Campaign Against Antisemitism but were expressly deemed by the company to be acceptable on its platform.
Astonishingly, about 60 percent of the tweets that we submitted were not deemed to have breached Twitter’s policies on hate. For example, in December we reported 239 tweets, of which only 43 were found to be in violation of Twitter’s rules.
Meanwhile, although 194 of those tweets were found not to have violated the rules, the material in permitted and prohibited tweets was often the same. Moreover, 37 of the permitted tweets were subsequently reversed on re-submission or escalation, a token gesture that raised further questions about the consistency of Twitter’s implementation of its own rules: Why are some tweets removed while others incorporating the same antisemitic content are permitted to remain? Why do some Twitter operators deem certain tweets to be antisemitic but other operators take a different view on the same tweets?
At no time has Twitter adequately explained to us the parameters for removing or permitting tweets or who is reviewing hateful material or how they have been trained. Campaign Against Antisemitism’s offers of training for Twitter staff have been ignored.
After we raised concerns about the implementation of Twitter’s policies – following the grime artist Wiley’s antisemitic rampage on social media last summer – Twitter agreed to meet with us monthly to discuss progress. However, after the first meeting in December, notwithstanding that we continued to send reports over the ensuing months, Twitter cancelled further meetings. The tech giant welcomed the continued submission of the reports but asserted that the monthly meetings – of which only one had taken place – could not proceed. Although we continued to send reports, these have no longer been acknowledged or acted upon. In short, Twitter cut off contact with us after we provided clear evidence that their policies on hateful material were failing.
Remarkably, it was Twitter that invited Campaign Against Antisemitism to become its partner on tackling antisemitism on its platform, and it was Twitter that suggested monthly meetings to progress matters. But when its own partner alerted the social media giant to the scale of anti-Jewish hatred and the inconsistency of the implementation of its own rules, Twitter decided not to proceed at all. These are not the actions of a company interested in addressing antisemitism on its platform.
Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “We do not have confidence in Twitter’s capacity to address the rampant antisemitism on its platform. As Twitter’s partner in trying to combat anti-Jewish hate, we have not come to this conclusion lightly. But the opacity of Twitter’s parameters, its inconsistent implementation of its own policies, its lack of interest in our offers of training for its personnel, and its decision ultimately to stop engaging with us at all, are not the actions of a company that takes antisemitism seriously.
“If Twitter brought us on as a partner as some sort of fig leaf for its inaction, we are now laying bare the true picture of the company. Having cut off contact with us after we provided clear evidence that Twitter’s policies on hateful material are failing, it is clear that the company is neither capable nor interested in tackling antisemitism, and it must now fall to an independent regulator to assume that role instead. We continue to urge the Government to take action now to stem the tide of antisemitic hate online.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism has long called for tougher regulations on social media sites and that social networks proactively search for and remove hate speech from their platforms. We also continue to make representations to the Government on this matter.
A teenager has been charged with a religiously aggravated public order offence after a Jewish man was targeted with antisemitic abuse inside Oxford Circus Underground station on 4th July.
The seventeen-year-old suspect is due to appear at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on 2nd August.
The boy in question is believed to have been involved in an incident where a person shouted “I f***ing hate the Jews” at a Jewish man whilst he was travelling down the escalators at Oxford Circus station.
In a statement, British Transport Police said: “We’re aware of a video posted online of…antisemitic behaviour on a London Underground escalator. We take such incidents very seriously and are investigating. If anybody has any information contact us on 0800 405040 or text 61016 quoting ref 90 of 4 July 2021.”
Immediately following the incident, Campaign Against Antisemitism released a statement thanking the victim’s brother for publicising the incident. The statement added: “We will be following up privately, but for those reading the thread [on Twitter] we wanted to note that police investigations have now been opened and we are in touch with police and Transport for London. #ZeroTolerance”
Earlier that night, the same Jewish man reported a separate incident of antisemitic abuse, in which an aggressive passenger can be heard threatening him and saying: “I’ve got a shank, I will slit your throat for Palestine” and “I’ll beat the s**t out of you.”
The passenger was then ordered off the bus, where he proceeded to swear at the Jewish man and bang on the doors of the bus.
Campaign Against Antisemitism recently launched an appeal for information about the suspect in the earlier incident.
Campaign Against Antisemitism recently met with Transport for London as part of work to improve the response to antisemitic incidents on public transport.
Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews almost four times more likely to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.
Do you recognise this man?
He is suspected of making #antisemitic threats against a #Jewish passenger on the @TfL 113 bus in #London on 4th July 2021.
Please contact us or the @metpoliceuk on 101 if you have any information.
A lay magistrate in Scotland is alleged to have promoted an antisemitic video.
According to the JC, a video from 2016 remains visible on the Facebook profile of Amjid Bashir, a broadcaster and Justice of the Peace, which contains a link to a five minute video that claims that the Rothschild family – common protagonists in antisemitic conspiracy theories – “maintains its control through the US Federal Reserve”.
The video’s accompanying caption read: “Not really one for conspiracies but this is interesting on how 5 ultra wealthy families have some [sic] much power.”
A Judician Communications spokesperson reportedly said that “this matter is now under consideration by the Judicial Office for Scotland,” adding: “All judicial office holders receive training about, and are bound by, the Statement of Principles of Judicial Ethics, and must uphold high standards of professional conduct.”
Mr Bashir reportedly wrote on social media last week that he stood “against all hate and discrimination #islamophobia #racism #antisemitism #hate”.
A Labour Party panel conducting an internal review into the Party’s local operations in Liverpool was reportedly “presented with evidence of a history of antisemitism that already has led to expulsions and suspensions.”
The review was launched after allegations arose of “bullying”, “misogyny” and a “toxic culture” in the Labour Party in the city. The panel received 77 written submissions and conducted 53 interviews with 60 individuals, concluding that “Nothing less than a full reset of the Labour Party in Liverpool is needed.”
Included amongst the various problems were allegations of antisemitism, with the panel recommending compulsory antisemitism training for all elected officeholders, from MPs to branch officers. The panel has also recommended that such training should be mandatory for all candidates as well, a policy that Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) endorsed this week.
During the period of Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour Party, two Jewish women MPs from Liverpool – Luciana Berger and Dame Louise Ellman – were hounded from the Party, amid other local controversies relating to antisemitism.
The revelation came in the week of a major meeting of Labour’s NEC, in which it take numerous significant steps in the fight against antisemitism in the Party.
Those steps, however, come following weeks of support by Labour MPs and officeholders of anti-Israel rallies that featured antisemitic chanting and placards and strained relations with the Jewish community yet further. Just this week, another such rally, in Newcastle, was exposed, in which one NEC member and former Labour MP, Laura Pidcock, Cllr Ann Schofield and Daniel Kebede, the Senior Vice President of the the controversial National Education Union, spoke. At the rally, the chant “Khaybar, oh Jews” was heard, a reference to the antisemitic “Jews, remember Khaybar, the army of Muhammad is returning” chant. The “Khaybar” chant is a classic Arabic battle cry referencing the massacre and expulsion of the Jews of the town of Khaybar in northwestern Arabia, now Saudi Arabia, in the year 628 CE. The chant has been heard in numerous anti-Israel rallies in Britain and abroad.
The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.
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.
Here is Labour NEC member Laura Pidcock taking part in an awful racist rally in Newcastle on 15 May, organised by the self-styled “Palestine Solidarity Campaign”.
She earned blood chanting. “With our blood, with our souls, we will redeem you, al-Aqsa!” 1/13 pic.twitter.com/gjkHB4s2E7
The Executive Director of the controversial activist group, Human Rights Watch, posted a tweet with the phrase “Antisemitism is always wrong, but…”.
Kenneth Roth, an attorney who has headed the organisation since 1993, wrote on Twitter: “Antisemitism is always wrong, and it long preceded the creation of Israel, but the surge in UK antisemitic incidents during the recent Gaza conflict gives the lie to those who pretend that the Israeli government’s conduct doesn’t affect antisemitism.”
His tweet captioned an article about the surge in anti-Jewish racism in Britain over the past few weeks during the conflict between the antisemitic genocidal terrorist group, Hamas, and Israel.
Mr Roth’s tweet appeared to victim-blame the Jews for antisemitism, seeming to justify antisemites holding Jews responsible for the actions or perceived actions of the Israeli Government. According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the State of Israel” is an example of antisemitism.
Many observed that Mr Roth would never countenance blaming other minorities for the hatred visited upon them.
Mr Roth initially doubled down, posting another tweet that said: “Interesting how many people pretend that this tweet justifies antisemitism (it doesn’t and I don’t under any circumstances) rather than address the correlation noted in the Haaretz article between recent Israeli government conduct in Gaza and the rise of UK antisemitic incidents.”
He then deleted the original tweet and reposted the article in a tweet with the following caption: “I deleted an earlier tweet because people misinterpreted its wording. I repost the Haaretz article here without commentary: ‘UK Antisemitism Rose to Record Levels During Israel-Gaza Fighting’ ‘The most intense period of anti-Jewish hatred in recent years.’”
Campaign Against Antisemitism has long called for tougher regulations on social media sites and that social networks proactively search for and remove hate speech from their platforms.
When you start a tweet with the phrase: "Antisemitism is always wrong but…" it never ends well.
Ofcom is considering sanctions against radio station Rinse FM after they aired a song that was deemed to have contained “antisemitic hate speech.”
On 12th July 2020, Rinse FM’s presenter introduced the song “Better in Tune with the Infinite” by Jay Electronica as “one of my absolute favourites”. A complaint was then made over the following lyrics: “The synagogues of Satan might accuse or jail me. Strip, crown, nail me, brimstone hail me…To the lawyers, to the sheriffs, to the judges. To the debt holders and the law makers. [Bleeped] you, sue me, bill me.”
In their report, published on 19th July of this year, Ofcom stated that it referred to the International Definition of Antisemitism in making their assessment, citing the following paragraph: “Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”
The regulation company deemed the lyrics to have negative connotations containing antisemitic tropes, stating: “In our view, the UK listeners would be likely to understand the phrase ‘synagogues of Satan’ to be a reference to the Jewish place of worship, and that it makes an explicit association between Jewish place of worship and Satan. We considered that UK listeners would have understood this association to suggest that Jewish people are evil or worship the Devil, which is a well-established antisemitic trope
“Immediately following the reference to the ‘synagogues of Satan’ were the lyrics ‘Strip, crown, nail me, brimstone hail me’ which we considered to be a reference to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. In our view, the juxtaposition of the lyrics may have evoked for UK listeners the antisemitic allegation that Jewish people are collectively responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ
“These words were later followed by the lyrics ‘To the lawyers, to the sheriffs, to the judges. To the debt holders and the law makers’, whom the artist addresses with ‘[Bleep] you, sue me, bill me’. In the context of the preceding lines and in particular, reference to the phrase ‘synagogues of Satan’, we considered that some UK listeners may have interpreted these references to be references to the Jewish community.”
Rinse FM said that “as a full-time Community Radio station with limited resources it is not always possible to ‘nip in the bud’ any potentially controversial material” and went on to acknowledge that the lyrics “may be seen by some as an antisemitic trope” when taken out of context, but that the wording “Synagogues of Satan” was lifted from the Bible and that, therefore, finding it controversial “would ultimately lead to the accusation that the Bible itself is antisemitic which would open up a much wider and controversial debate.”
However, the station also stated that following the complaint, it was “reviewing [its] Programme Production processes and policies”, including:
• ensuring that at least two people review any potentially controversial track, commentary or statement;
• reviewing the “frequency and specific advice, messages and reminders that we give to all Presenters” in relation to “unconscious bias and the need… to look at themselves and seek greater awareness of any ‘isms’ of their own”, in particular “in the current climate of heightened community tensions and subjective judgements”; and,
• putting a greater emphasis on the types of issues raised in this complaint in all future training and training material.
Ofcom concluded that the radio station was had breached the following broadcasting codes:
Rule 3.2: “Material which contains hate speech must not be included in television and radio programmes […] except where it is justified by the context.”
Rule 3.3: “Material which contains abusive or derogatory treatment of individuals, groups, religions or communities, must not be included in television and radio services […] except where it is justified by the context.”
Rule 2.3: “In applying generally accepted standards broadcasters must ensure that material which may cause offence is justified by the context… Such material may include […] offensive language, […] discriminatory treatment or language (for example on the grounds of […] religion belief […]). Appropriate information should also be broadcast where it would assist in avoiding or minimising offence.”
This is not the first time the rapper was accused of antisemitism. Last year, he was criticised over the lyrics: “And I bet you a Rothschild I get a bang for my dollar…The synagogue of Satan want me to hang by my collar.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism monitors traditional media and regularly holds outlets to account. If members of the public are concerned about reportage in the media, they should contact us at [email protected].
Middlesex University has refused to disclose what, if anything, it has done to discipline a course leader who likened Zionism to Nazism. The lecturer, Raza Kazim, remains in post.
Earlier this year, Campaign Against Antisemitism wrote to the Vice-Chancellor of the University raising concerns about Mr Kazim, and the University confirmed that it was investigating.
Following a complaint from a member of the public, Campaign Against Antisemitism was able to confirm that on his WhatsApp profile, Mr Kazim likened Zionism to Nazism, writing: “World stopped Nazism. World stopped Apartheid. World must stop Zionism”. According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” is an example of antisemitism.
Middlesex University has adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism.
Mr Kazim is also a spokesman for the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC), an organisation known in the past for its pro-Hizballah “Al-Quds Day” parades. The IHRC has also previously been accused by a Holocaust education campaigner of “using false equivocations of the Holocaust and deliberately conflating, downgrading and revising the Holocaust.”
Additionally, Mr Kazim has appeared on Press TV, an Iranian state-owned news network whose British broadcasting licence was revoked by Ofcom in 2012. The network has a history of giving platforms to notorious antisemites and Holocaust deniers. In one appearance, Mr Kazim can be seen speaking on the ban of Hizballah in Britain and the impact that this will have on future Al-Quds Day parades. He states that “there’ll be surprises for the authorities and for the Zionists as there have been every year”. Mr Kazim can also be seen talking about the influence of Al-Quds Day parades whilst images of people burning an Israeli flag play in the background.
Middlesex University’s Code of Conduct states that staff “must conduct themselves outside of work in a manner which will not be reasonably regarded as bringing the University into disrepute.” It also states that the University “will not accept unlawful discrimination of any kind.”
However, in a response to Campaign Against Antisemitism, Vice-Chancellor Professor Nic Beech disclosed that the University “has now concluded its consideration of this matter and has taken appropriate steps in response to the issues raised”, but, citing “reasons of confidentiality” and “obligations under data protection legislation”, insisted that he is “not able to share with you details of the actions taken by the University.” Although Prof. Beech claimed that “the University is grateful to you for bringing this matter to our attention,” it is understood that Mr Kazim remains in post and has even gloated that he has not faced repercussions.
Binyomin Gilbert, Programme Manager at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “Adopting the International Definition of Antisemitism is only step one. Step two is actually applying it in the event of breaches. Raza Kazim breached the Definition that Middlesex adopted yet the University refuses to disclose whether it has imposed any sanctions on the course leader whatsoever. Until it reveals what action, if any, it has taken, Middlesex University cannot be said to be honouring its commitment to apply the International Definition of Antisemitism.”
During the trial at the Old Bailey, the court heard that Mr Dymock wrote and shared several antisemitic and hate-motivated articles through the website. He was being prosecuted for fifteen offences including encouraging terrorism through the use of propaganda.
One article was allegedly titled “Join your local Nazis”, while another, “The Truth about the Holocaust”, said that “the only guilt felt by the Germanic race in regard to the Holocaust should be that we did not finish the job.” The article reportedly went on to say that Jews were a “cancer on this earth…that must be eradicated in its entirety”. Numerous antisemitic stereotypes and tropes were also said to have been included, such as conspiracy theories about Jewish control of the banks and the Government.
Another article reportedly written by Mr Dymock read that white people needed to “wake up and bring slaughter to Europa, cleansing it of the unclean filth that pollutes her lands”.
System Resistance Network is the successor to National Action, which the government proscribed as a terrorist organisation in 2016 following a long campaign by Campaign Against Antisemitism and others.
Mr Dymock was convicted of a total of fifteen offences, which include five counts of encouraging terrorism, four of disseminating terrorist publications, two of terrorist fundraising, one of possessing material useful to a terrorist, one of possessing racially inflammatory material, one of stirring up racial hatred, and one of stirring up hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation.
During the trial, Mr Dymock denied all charges, stating: “I’m doing my dissertation on the rise of nationalism and why, and how, ranging from moderate to extreme. I kind of thought I might as well start preparing for my third year in advance.”
Mr Dymock told jurors “thank you for killing me” as they delivered their verdicts.
Detective Chief Superintendent Martin Snowden, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, the group that led the investigation into Mr Dymock, said: “Dymock represented a threat to our society, not simply because of his mindset but because of the considerable efforts he exerted spreading his ideology and misusing his abilities.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism has been monitoring and acting against the threat from the far-right for years and continues to support the authorities following suit.
Earlier this week, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick said that she expects those behind the antisemitic attacks in May to be held responsible and face justice.
In May, incidents of antisemitism in Britain skyrocketed after clashes erupted between Israel and Hamas, the antisemitic genocidal terrorist group. These incidents included signs that featured antisemitic themes at rallies, a rabbi in Essex being assaulted and hospitalised, and a convoy of cars that drove down the Finchley Road shouting “F*** the Jews…rape their daughters” through a megaphone.
Dame Cressida said that her officers “still have a number of investigations to complete” while adding that she expects her team will be “bringing people to justice.”
It was confirmed that the allegations that are currently under investigation so far include “a very offensive placard” and “somebody who was shouting vile abuse as they were driving along.”
“Antisemitic attacks are obviously vile – we all wish they didn’t happen,” the Commissioner said. She added: “We are working really hard to make sure we get ahead of the problem…we saw, yes a spike, a high in reported antisemitic crime.”
Commissioner Dick noted that “a fair proportion of reported crime was online” but also added that this “does not excuse it.”
Speaking on the anti-Israel demonstrations where several antisemitic signs and chants were present, Commissioner Dick said: “Policing those protests was challenging, although the amount of disorder associated with those protests was very much less than on the last two occasions when tensions had been particularly high in that region.”
Following a complaint from Campaign Against Antisemitism, the Metropolitan Police Service is investigating multiple police officers over their participation in antisemitic protests whilst in uniform.
Campaign Against Antisemitism wrote to Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick after two videos emerged, one showing a uniformed police officer embracing protestors and chanting “Free, free Palestine,” with another showing officers at the same demonstration greeting and shaking hands with the drivers of a convoy of cars that displayed Palestinian flags.
The protests were characterised by some of the worst incidents of antisemitism seen on the streets of London in recent years. Swastikas and pictures of Adolf Hitler as well as calls for Jews to be murdered and Jewish women to be raped were all accompanied by the constant beat of the same words that were chanted by the officer who appears in the first video.
The Chair of the Labour Party, Anneliese Dodds MP, has hailed Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) as having “acted decisively to put our own house in order” after it passed a serious of significant measures in the fight against antisemitism in the Party.
In its marathon nine-hour meeting yesterday – the last before the Party’s annual conference in September – the NEC voted to proscribe Labour Against the Witchhunt – an antisemitism-denial group – and the disgraced former Labour MP Chris Williamson’s Resist group, as well as two further far-left groups (Socialist Appeal and Labour In Exile Network), paving the way for automatic expulsion of their members.
The NEC has also resolved, in line with Labour’s Action Plan agreed with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), to put forward a semi-independent disciplinary system for a vote at this year’s Party conference. It is understood that an Independent Reviews Panel and an Independent Appeal Board will be formed, to deal with complaints involving protected characteristics, such as allegations of antisemitism. The Appeal Board will reportedly comprise four lawyers, four lay members, and four HR experts, with panels of 3 – including one from each category – hearing cases. It is believed that the process will only be “semi-independent” because, for reasons of cost and protection of the rights of members, it would not be feasible to outsource the complaints process entirely to an independent body.
Ms Dodds described the proposal as “the fairest, most robust process of any political party that we know of.” The National Constitutional Committee will continue to deal with complaints that do not involve protected characteristics. However, the proposal is still subject to approval at conference, and itremains to be seen whether Labour’s leadership is capable of implementing them in practice.
Another rule change to be proposed at conference, as agreed at yesterday’s NEC meeting, is that all Labour candidates seeking public office will need to undertake antisemitism training provided by Labour’s Jewish affiliate, in line with a requirement of the Action Plan.
The NEC was also apparently forced to agree to around one hundred redundancies due to the Party’s poor financial state, which is reportedly due in part to the legal ramifications of the raft of antisemitism cases that it has been involved in.
The Party’s General-Secretary, David Evans, also reportedly agreed to release “by the autumn” part of the Forde report into the leak of a spurious Party report into antisemitism conducted during the final weeks of Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership.
These steps are undoubtedly to be welcomed. However, much remains to be done. For example, organisations such as Jewish Voice for Labour, an antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation, have not been proscribed. Neither has the Labour Representation Committee, a pro-Corbyn pressure group with a long history of belittling claims of antisemitism and publishing extremely disturbing articles, where the former Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell, serves as President. Numerous individual councillors and members with records of antisemitic conduct are also yet to be disciplined.
Moreover, several of the key positive measures, including the independent disciplinary process and antisemitism training for all candidates, must be approved at Labour’s annual conference in autumn. Whilst this was expected, it is a reminder that the hardest step is yet to come. Even yesterday’s virtual NEC meeting was protested by a contingent of far-left activists, including “notorious antisemite” and expelled Labour member, Tony Greenstein, and the conspiracy theorist Piers Corbyn (brother of Jeremy). It is believed that Labour Against the Witchhunt will be holding events in Brighton during Labour’s conference in the city.
Then there is the problem of the far-left MPs in Labour’s Parliamentary Party. In the first release of its Antisemitism in Political Parties research, Campaign Against Antisemitism showed that Labour Party candidates for Parliament in the 2019 general election accounted for 82 percent of all incidents of antisemitic discourse by parliamentary candidates. On the day of the publication of the EHRC’s report, we submitted a major complaint against Jeremy Corbyn and other sitting MPs, which are yet even to be acknowledged by the Party, and they must be investigated only by an independent disciplinary process once it is installed. The incidents in those complaints were recently exacerbated by the involvement of numerous MPs in anti-Israel rallies that were addressed by antisemitic speakers and where antisemitic placards were seen and antisemitic chanting was heard. That period has strained relations between the Labour Party and the Jewish community even further.
Yesterday’s NEC meeting represented the revolt of those who have enabled the far-left over the past several years, including Sir Keir Starmer, who backed the antisemite Jeremy Corbyn “100%” even as Jewish MPs were hounded from the Party and others courageously left in solidarity with them. The enablers themselves have much to answer for, but yesterday’s meeting was a step in the right direction.
Joe Glasman, Head of Political Investigations at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “Throwing out the cranks, which no decent political party should have tolerated in the first place, is a positive step, but it is not a cure for a Party that became institutionally antisemitic. The problem is less the bad apples than the culture that enabled them to grow and rot. A new disciplinary process and mandatory training are part of the remedial process. The NEC has spoken, but now the Party must decide at conference, which means the hardest part is yet to come.
“The Parliamentary Labour Party must also confront those in its ranks who have made antisemitic comments, both within and beyond its Corbynist contingent. The indefinite suspension of Jeremy Corbyn was a start, but just as it was wrong for Labour to have tolerated Mr Corbyn over all his years on the backbenches, so it would be intolerable to ignore other MPs facing allegations of antisemitic conduct. We have outstanding complaints against many of these MPs, several of whom also recently endorsed rallies that featured antisemitic placards and chanting while the Party’s leadership stayed silent.
“Today’s announcement is a welcome step on what remains a long road to the possibility of Labour’s rehabilitation, which, given the Party’s record to date, is not a certainty.”
The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.
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.
A sign for a COVID-19 vaccination centre has been vandalised with swastikas and the word “extermination”, it was reported earlier today.
“9/11 lies” was also scrawled on the sign. This refers to the widespread, antisemitic conspiracy theory which says that Jews, not Islamist terrorists, were responsible for flying passenger jets into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, so that they would profit from the resulting war. This is backed up by the equally false belief that no Jews were killed in the attack, as they had all been warned to stay at home that day.
A photograph of the defaced sign was posted on Twitter by the Holocaust Educational Trust after it was discovered by one of its staff members. The British charity wrote: “Spotted on the way to work by one of our staff. This is vile, deeply offensive and antisemitic. Invoking the memory of the Holocaust does nothing but cause pain and hurt to Jews. There is no basis in reality. It is just wrong.”
Anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination networks have become known as hotbeds of antisemitic conspiracy theories and tropes.
Image credit: The Holocaust Educational Trust
Spotted on the way to work by one of our staff. This is vile, deeply offensive and antisemitic. Invoking the memory of the Holocaust does nothing but cause pain and hurt to Jews. There is no basis in reality. It is just wrong. pic.twitter.com/Czu9VL8DKm
A Scottish National Party (SNP) MP has apologised for, and deleted, a tweet in which he wrote that “Murdering babies wasn’t on the Nazi manifesto.” However, another tweet in which he appeared to compare the Conservative Party to the Nazis still remains on his Twitter account.
Peter Grant, MP for Glenrothes, posted the now-deleted inflammatory tweet last Thursday in reply to veteran broadcaster Andrew Neil after Mr Neil had shared a post from the Auschwitz Memorial. The post told of how a Jewish toddler from Hungary was murdered before his first birthday.
Mr Neil shared the post, adding: “As accusations of fascism are bandied about today like confetti by the ignorant, ludicrously devaluing the word of any meaning, a reminder of what real fascism can do. And of its unconscionable evil.”
Mr Grant replied to this tweet by saying: “You’re more right than you care to admit. Murdering babies wasn’t on the Nazi manifesto. Not until they’d been in power several years & stoked up fear & hatred against innocent citizens. Then, and only then, did they show their true colours.”
Mr Grant was heavily criticised for his tweet. Scottish Conservative Chief Whip, Stephen Kerr, said: “For an elected SNP MP to post this was hugely offensive as well as being completely inaccurate. It beggars belief that any elected representative would think this sort of language was appropriate as part of a political debate. It has absolutely no place in civil discourse. This was a warped tweet and gave a worrying insight into what this SNP MP believes. Peter Grant must urgently apologise and reflect on this shameful behaviour.”
Mr Grant posted an apology on Twitter for his tweet, writing: “I want to apologise unreservedly for a highly insensitive tweet I posted. While I strongly believe we must always be vigilant to the seeds of racism, antisemitism, and fascism, I deeply regret how I made that point and I have deleted the tweet.”
However, Mr Grant posted another inflammatory tweet only five minutes after his first, in which he appeared to compare the Conservative Party to the Nazis. Replying to fellow SNP MP Anne McLaughlin’s tweet, in which she also replied to Mr Neil’s post, Mr Grant wrote: “Nobody in Germany voted for the Holocaust. Murderous regimes don’t get elected because people deliberately vote for them. Elected governments evolve into murderous regimes very slowly and hope nobody will notice.”
While this tweet still remains on Mr Grant’s Twitter account, Ms McLaughlin’s tweet has since been deleted.
This is the third instance this year that reports of SNP members making gratuitous comparisons between a major political party to the Nazis have surfaced.
In April, an SNP candidate apologised after comments from 2017 emerged in which she had reportedly compared tactics by the Conservatives to Hitler and the Holocaust.
Two weeks later, it had been revealed that another SNP candidate posted a comment on Facebook comparing the Labour Party’s political strategy in Scotland to that of the Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels.
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.
Nazi comparisons abounded at a far-left demonstration outside Labour Party headquarters earlier today, with support for the antisemitic former Party leader Jeremy Corbyn on show and several references to antisemitism as a “smear“ campaign made by participants.
Among the speakers at the demonstration, which was observed by Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Demonstration and Monitoring Unit, were “notorious antisemite“ Tony Greenstein and the conspiracy theorist and Mr Corbyn’s brother, Piers Corbyn, both of whom made comparisons to the Nazis.
The demonstration was organised by far-left Labour activists who were protesting Sir Keir Starmer’s reported decision to purge the Party of “toxic” fringe groups, including Labour Against the Witchhunt, as well as to demand that Jeremy Corbyn have the whip reinstated after his suspension from the Parliamentary Labour Party.
One of the organisers of the demonstration was Labour Against the Witchhunt, which was set up to protest the expulsion of Labour members for alleged antisemitism and which opposes “the false antisemitism smear”. It is one of the groups whose members are reportedly threatened with expulsion from Labour.
Mr Greenstein, who was recently declared bankrupt by a judge after failing to comply with court orders to pay Campaign Against Antisemitism after his humiliating abortive defamation claim against us, was one of the speakers at the rally. In his speech, he referenced his past suspension for comparing Israel to the Nazis, in breach of the International Definition of Antisemitism.
Alluding to the “fake antisemitism campaign”, Mr Greenstein said: “I was told I was suspended for comments I’d made. They didn’t tell me what I’d said. But two weeks later, I read in The Telegraph and The Times that I had compared Israel’s marriage laws to that of Nazi Germany. So, I told my inquisitor, ‘Well, yes. The great political philosopher of the last century, Hannah Arendt, herself a refugee from Nazi Germany, made exactly that point’. So, let’s be clear. It’s not about antisemitism.” Mr Greenstein was also recorded giving an inflammatory interview at the rally.
Sheila Day, a former Labour councillor in Hove, said that a motion to boycott Israel that she had promoted was blocked on the basis that it would encourage antisemitism. Ms Day mentioned that she was advised that Jewish members may feel unsafe in discussion about boycotting the world’s only Jewish state, to which Ms Day recounted that remarked that she “doesn’t know how anyone can feel unsafe in a Zoom meeting,” and that if “they [the Jewish members] feel unsafe talking about Israel, let them go to Gaza and let them sit there with one of the women and one of the children that are being bombed, that are being starved, that are being mutilated, that are being oppressed like this.” Ms Day then confirmed that, while she had not been suspended, she was under investigation for allegations of antisemitism.
Greg Hadfield, a disgraced Labour activist who had reportedly been caught supporting Labour candidate Alex Braithwaite who was suspended from the Party for a series of tweets which included conspiracy theories about Israel and the Rothschild family, proudly told the crowd that he was suspended from the Labour Party for tweeting: “The State of Israel is a racist endeavour and always has been.” According to the Definition, “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination (e.g. by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour)” is another example of antisemitism.
Mike Cushman, a member of antisemitism-denial groups Jewish Voice for Labour and Labour Against The Witchhunt, also spoke. Mr Cushman has previously claimed that he has never observed antisemitism in the Labour Party and that the evidence on which antisemitism allegations are based emanates either from the Israeli Mossad or British security services, which he insists oppose the election of a Labour Government.
One speaker adapted Martin Niemöller’s “First they came” poem, which describes the guilt of not standing up to the Nazis in Germany as they persecuted minority groups, by instead referring to the perceived persecution of Labour Party members.
Two speakers, who stated that they were speaking on behalf of Labour members from North Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Constituency Labour Party, referred to the “false charges” of antisemitism whilst holding a sign that read: “NW Cambs & Peterborough Members smeared & silenced”.
Other signs included advocating for the opposition to the International Definition of Antisemitism and calling for justice for a group of eight Labour activists after the High Court recently dismissed their case that argued that an investigation into antisemitism-related allegations brought against them by the Party was unfair. Another sign alleged that only “informed Jews” were aware of the perceived actions of the Israeli Government.
The event attracted counter-demonstrators who bore signs that stated that Mr Corbyn is an antisemite. However, some far-left demonstrators made an effort to cover these signs up in an attempt to prevent them from being seen.
Towards the end of the rally, an anti-vaccination protest merged with the far-left demonstration. Piers Corbyn, who recently compared vaccinations to Nazi policy outside the Houses of Parliament after being arrested following a similar incident in February, took to the mic to speak about vaccinations.
Speaking about the Covid-19 vaccination and the lockdown, Mr Corbyn said: “You know what happened in Germany. The left there, they were begging Hitler to support them. They believed in Hitler. You know what happened. The rest is history…the Jews were labelled as a danger and were locked up.”
Mr Corbyn also gave an interview in which he denied that he, or his brother Jeremy, were antisemites.
The rally was intended to coincide with a major meeting of Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee, although the meeting is being held over Zoom rather than at the the Party’s headquarters where the rally was taking place. In addition to an anticipated vote on a purge of toxic groups and members, it is being reported that discussions will also be held over the Party’s dire financial state, blamed in part on the legal repercussions of the various antisemitism cases in which the Party has been involved. There will also reportedly be a vote on mandating that all candidates for elected public office representing the Part will be required to undertake antisemitism training provided by Labour’s Jewish affiliate.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Groups like Labour Against the Witchhunt have no place in Labour if the Party truly wants to tackle its antisemitism problem, which is exacerbated by its deniers. This ban, if successfully introduced, will be a welcome and necessary step forward in detoxifying the Labour Party. There remains a great deal more to do to address Labour’s institutional antisemitism – represented by the cranks who attended today’s rally – but this policy shows renewed seriousness on the part of Labour’s leadership.”
The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.
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.
In its latest attempt at recruiting young members, the far-right group, Patriotic Alternative, has held a “family summer camp” in the Lake District.
The fascist group was said to have waved signs that read “We will not be replaced” and “White lives matter.”
Shortly after the summer camp, several members allegedly sent racist abuse to black footballers online.
However, Patriotic Alternative’s Deputy Leader, Laura Towler, said that the group is a “family-focused organisation” that “gives young nationalists a positive direction in life”.
The group is known for its efforts to recruit youth to its white nationalist ideology. Previously, the far-right group published an online “alternative” home school curriculum condemned as “poison” and “hateful” and attempted to recruit children as young as twelve through livestreaming events on YouTube, according to The Times.
According to Hope Not Hate’s report, Patriotic Alliance is “a racist far-right organisation with antisemitism at its very core. They aim to combat the ‘replacement and displacement’ of white Britons by people who ‘have no right to these lands’.” The group reportedly holds that “it is Jewish elites, particularly, who are orchestrating the ‘replacement’ of white Britons.”
The group is led by the former head of the youth wing of the BNP, Mark Collett, who is reported to have dabbled in Holocaust denial, collaborated with the infamous American antisemite David Duke, and espoused antisemitic and racist views.
Earlier this year, the far-right group was found to be using the social media platform Telegram to create neo-Nazi channels dedicated to sharing vile messages, antisemitic conspiracy theories and images glorifying Hitler.
A report into Patriotic Alternative published last summer found that several members of the group engaged in Holocaust denial.
Campaign Against Antisemitism has been monitoring and acting against the threat from the far-right for years and continues to support the authorities following suit.
Sir Keir Starmer is reportedly set to ban 1,000 far-left Labour Party members active in four “toxic” fringe groups.
Labour’s National Executive Committee, the Party’s ruling body, will be asked to disaffiliate the four organisations, including Labour Against the Witchhunt, a group that was set up to protest the expulsion of Labour members for alleged antisemitism and that opposes “the false antisemitism smear.”
The other groups are Resist, Socialist Appeal and Labour In Exile Network, a group that welcomes suspended or expelled Party members. Membership within these groups will carry with it an automatic expulsion from the Party.
One Labour source said: “Under Corbyn those from the far-left fringes with poisonous beliefs and warped world-views were welcomed into the Party. Keir [Starmer] is right to stamp out antisemitism and toxic extremism and get the Party back into the decent mainstream of Labour values.”
Recently, the High Court rejected a case by eight Labour activists who argued that an investigation into antisemitism-related allegations brought against them by the Party was unfair.
The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.
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.
A Wolverhampton man has been handed a community order after he filmed his dog in a microwave and made antisemitic comments about the Holocaust.
Stephen Lee Short, 32, made five videos where he filmed a woman placing a dog into a microwave and other kitchen appliances.
In one of the clips, Mr Short was understood to have made antisemitic comments about the Holocaust.
At Wolverhampton Magistrates Court in May, Mr Short pleaded guilty to sending an offensive message by public communication. He was given a twelve-month community order which included fifteen rehabilitation activity requirement days, an alcohol treatment requirement and a 21-day thinking skills programme.
The court also ordered Mr Short to undergo 200 hours of unpaid work which, considering the racial aspect to the offense, had been increased by 50 hours.
Scottish Labour councillor Jim Sheridan has been suspended from the Party for a second time after his inflammatory comments led to an antisemitism investigation last month.
The investigation came after he appeared to double down on previous inflammatory comments, as well as claiming that former Party leader Jeremy Corbyn was suspended from the Party simply for “expressing free speech.”
Cllr Sheridan made the comments during a debate at Renfrewshire Council on the effect on free speech of the recently-passed Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill.
Cllr Sheridan was quoted as saying: “I feel I must make a contribution to this debate about free speech. As someone who was personally attacked for contributing, or making, what I thought was perfectly reasonable comments about antisemitism, I was attacked for free speech.
“And I also include, Provost, the former leader of the Labour Party, who was thrown out of the Labour Party for expressing free speech.”
Cllr Sheridan appeared to be referring to a comment that he posted on his Facebook page in 2018, saying: “For almost all my adult life I have had the utmost respect and empathy for the Jewish community and their historic suffering. No longer due to what they and their blairite [sic] plotters are doing to my party and the long suffering people of Britain who need a radical Labour government.”
He subsequently deleted the post, but, following a complaint, he was suspended by the Labour Party pending investigation. Last year, his suspension was reportedly lifted without explanation or apology from the councillor, who now seems to be doubling down on his previous comments as well as excusing the antisemitic former leader of the Labour Party.
A Scottish Labour spokesperson said: “The Labour Party takes all complaints of antisemitism extremely seriously and they are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures, and any appropriate disciplinary action is taken.”
A complaint by Campaign Against Antisemitism against Cllr Sheridan remains outstanding.
The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.
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.
The Sunday Times has removed a reference to Orthodox Jews in an article about “vultures preying” on shopping centres after a complaint from Campaign Against Antisemitism.
The article, titled “Vultures prey on bombed-out shopping centres”, focussed on investors who are purchasing the now-derelict shopping centres in Britain, with particular emphasis on vultures, which are a type of investor. However, the publication initially included a gratuitous reference to Orthodox Jews and thereby implied comparisons between Jews and vultures.
The article, brought to our attention by CAMERA UK, an organisation promoting fair coverage of Israel in British media, read: “Mark Garmon-Jones, head of shopping centre investing at Savills, said over a quarter of the buyers were backed by Israeli money, often invested via the UK’s Orthodox Jewish community.”
After Campaign Against Antisemitism contacted The Sunday Times to raise our concerns that the reference to Orthodox Jews was gratuitous and may promote the stereotype of Jewish greed or predatory behaviour, the publication advised us that it was removing the reference from the article.
We are also writing to Savills.
Campaign Against Antisemitism monitors traditional media and regularly holds outlets to account. If members of the public are concerned about reportage in the media, they should contact us at [email protected].
A cartoonist, known as Mumph, has been suspended from YesCymru, an organisation that campaigns for an independent Wales, after posting a cartoon on Twitter which has been described as a “blatantly antisemitic caricature” of a fellow member.
The incident was initially raised on Twitter by the group “Labour for an Independent Wales.” It stated that one of its members, who also sits on the YesCymru Central Committee, was the subject of antisemitic abuse and labelled the cartoon “a blatantly antisemitic caricature” that was “evocative of the darkest of the last century.”
The group continued: “As members of the Labour Party we’re acutely aware of how pernicious and dangerous antisemitism is and, as human beings, we’re shocked by its prominence in the indy movement. We are unequivocal in our opposition to any individual or organisation that tolerates antisemitism.”
The cartoon in question depicts the YesCymru member with exaggerated facial features, which one Twitter user described as “uncomfortably similar to Nazi antisemitic propaganda,” and is also shown carrying a sign that says “Yes But No” above a silhouette of Wales.
According to the Labour-affiliated group, the cartoon insinuated that the YesCymru member was “behind a conspiracy to bring down the independence movement internally due to a ‘dual loyalty’.”
The charge of dual loyalty and disloyalty is among the most widely held antisemitic slurs. According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations” is an example of antisemitism.
YesCymru released a statement in which the group announced Mumph’s suspension from its organisation. The statement read: “This morning YesCymru’s attention was drawn to a cartoon attacking a member of CC by a former service provider and member of YesCymru. We believe that this illustration repeats antisemitic tropes and is designed to cause hurt to the CC member.
“While YesCymru encourages debate and discussion amongst its members, supporters and the wider community, we cannot tolerate bullying, harassment or antisemitism and need to take action by suspending the member with immediate effect and withdrawing his work from our welcome pack while pending investigation.”
While Mumph has not released a statement of his own regarding the suspension, he has retweeted a post from a Twitter user which appeared to dismiss the allegations of antisemitism.
Campaign Against Antisemitism continues its robust engagement with social media companies over the content that they enable to be published, and we continue to make representations to the Government in this connection.
Campaign Against Antisemitism has long called for tougher regulations on social media sites and that social networks proactively search for and remove hate speech from their platforms.
The Green Party has failed to respond after Campaign Against Antisemitism notified the Party’s leadership of severe antisemitic conduct by two prominent members of the Party.
Claudine Letsae, who recently served as the Green Party Equalities and Diversity Coordinator and now holds the International Coordinator portfolio, has among the worst and most prolific record of antisemitic comments of any political officeholder that we have ever seen.
Using an anonymous account which has recently been suspended by Twitter, she has tweeted that “the Zionists Own the media and everything else inbetween [sic]” and said of London’s Royal Free Hospital that “They are run by Zionists, they are one NHS Trust that is extremely corrupt”.
She described antisemitism in the Labour Party as “the biggest con of the electorate”. She has also defended Ken Livingstone.
In reference to the Western coalition’s retaking of the Iraqi city of Mosul from ISIS, Ms Letsae commented: “The cruelty of this Zionist nations [sic] knows no limitations to their barbarity and cruelty #FreePalestine.”
Protesting the closure of the controversial Exhibit B installation at the Barbican Centre, she wrote: “It would not happen if it was Jewish exhibition #ExhibitB @BarbicanCentre because it is minority that has less of a voice-if its black people [sic].” Then, responding to a question by another user, she replied: “well the Jews are no longer persecuted and they have received their reparation. None for the African slaves yet.”
She has also promoted the antisemitic Khazar myth, which claims that Jews are descended from a Central Asian people and have no connection to the Land of Israel.
Ms Letsae was also a signatory to a letter published in the London Green Left blog that accused Campaign Against Antisemitism of being “a campaign which systematically makes accusations of antisemitism against pro-Palestine activists (esp. Jewish ones)” and that opposed the International Definition of Antisemitism.
These are just a sample of the incidents relating to Ms Letsae. It is astonishing that she could have been considered appropriate to serve as the Party’s Equalities and Diversity Coordinator or that she is deemed fit to continue to serve in a different portfolio now, as well as having been a Parliamentary candidate.
We have also drawn the Green Party’s attention to Jeremy Parker, a former Parliamentary and local council candidate who has applauded the description of Facebook as a “weapon of mass Zionist attack” and has repeatedly compared Israel to the Nazis, as well as having shared an article describing Zionism as “a variant of white supremacy”. According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” is an example of antisemitism.
He has also claimed that Israel controls the United States, writing, “Time for Trump to be honest and recognise Israeli sovereignty over the United States of America. #IsraelFirst,” and he has promoted articles undermining the fight against antisemitism.
Campaign Against Antisemitism has previously submitted numerous cases to the Green Party relating to antisemitism on the part of its officeholders and candidates. The Party’s response to these cases has largely been characterised by a lack of transparency, compounded by the failure to apply the International Definition of Antisemitism, which has been adopted by the British Government and all other major political parties, or indeed any discernible or consistent definition or metric, within the disciplinary process. Without the public adoption of the International Definition of Antisemitism, it is difficult to see how justice can be done and seen to be done for both victims and accused.
Campaign Against Antisemitism submitted this article to the Green Party for comment but did not receive a response.
Joe Glasman, Head of Political and Government Investigations at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “The various cases that we have brought to the attention of the Green Party are deeply concerning. It is remarkable that one of the worst cases we have ever encountered is the Party’s International Coordinator who until recently held the Equalities and Diversity portfolio, which is emblematic of how the far-left has a blind spot when it comes to antisemitism.
“The cases are bad enough, but the combination of the Party’s unwillingness to address the issue and its constitutional limitations on doing so point to more severe problems beneath the surface. In its report on antisemitism in the Labour Party, the EHRC was clear that parties must have the capacity to tackle discrimination and inequality within their membership and structures, and that its findings applied to all political parties.
“For the Greens to keep ignoring antisemitism among some of their leading officeholders, election candidates and members is unsustainable. We will continue to hold the Greens, and all parties, to account over anti-Jewish racism.”
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.
Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2019 showed that antisemitism on the far-left of British politics has surpassed that of the far-right.
A journalist who tweeted “Hitler was right” and other antisemitic comments and images has revealed that she was fired from the BBC in a supposedly “heartfelt apology” in which she blames “industrial scale pro-Israel censorship” for her termination.
Tala Halawa, until recently a Palestine Affairs Specialist at the BBC Monitoring Service, posted a series of antisemitic tweets in 2014, including one that read: “#Israel Is more #Nazi than #Hitler! Oh, #HitlerWasRight #IDF go to hell. #PrayForGaza”. She also asserted that “ur media is controlled by ur zionist government in order 2 produce ignorant people [sic]”, shared the graphic that caused Naz Shah MP to be suspended from the Labour Party several years ago as well as an image of a child being burned on a menorah, and posted on Facebook: “They [Zionists] are crying the holocaust every single moment but they’re practicing it every single moment as well.” The social media posts dated from prior to Ms Halawa’s employment at the BBC.
Campaign Against Antisemitism and others submitted complaints to the BBC, which subsequently announced that she no longer works for the BBC.
But in a social media post, Ms Halawa has revealed that the BBC fired her.
The post was ostensibly a “heartfelt apology”, focusing on the one Hitler tweet to the exclusion of her other inflammatory posts. She wrote: “The offensive and ignorant words I posted at the time do not reflect my political views then as much as they do not today. I hope those who were hurt by them will accept my heartfelt apology for posting without thinking”.
However, Ms Halawa then went on to blame “pro-Israel interest groups”, “right-wing media outlets”, a “pro-Israel mob” and a “pro-Israel censorship campaign…industrial in scale and international in its reach” for her termination, thereby implying that her posts were not in fact antisemitic and that those who campaigned for her to be disciplined or removed were acting in bad faith and potentially at the behest of Israel – accusations that, falling firmly within the Livingstone Formulation, are themselves antisemitic.
Campaign Against Antisemitism has “graded” Ms Halawa’s “apology” and found it severely wanting.
Campaign Against Antisemitism monitors traditional media and regularly holds outlets to account. If members of the public are concerned about reportage in the media, they should contact us at [email protected].
Tala Halawa, a journalist who tweeted “#HitlerWasRight”, has been fired by the BBC.
She issued a “heartfelt apology”, but we didn’t get the sense it was quite as “heartfelt” as it might have been.
Mr Burgon, the former Shadow Justice Secretary and MP for Leeds East, is best known for having stated that “Zionism is the enemy of peace” and then lied about having done so. He has also participated in rallies with suspended Labour activists without sanction. Mr Burgon is the subject of a complaint to the Labour Party by Campaign Against Antisemitism.
Ms Yaqoob, the former Respect Party leader, is a relatively recent member of the Labour Party who unsuccessfully ran for Mayor of the West Midlands this year, and has her own deeply troubling record in relation to the Jewish community. In a 2013 tweet that she has since deleted, Ms Yaqoob stated: “Iceland arrests 10 Rothschild bankers…wow”, and linked to an article making this false claim and featuring a prominent image of the banker and philanthropist Lord Jacob Rothschild. The article linked in turn to a longer piece on the “Political Vel Craft” website, which is known for disseminating extreme conspiracy theories.
Also scheduled to appear at the event is the former Liberal Democrat MP David Ward, who has had a number of antisemitism-related incidents, one of which involved him tweeting: “#Auschwitz happened and never can be compared but would be betrayal of its victims to use it to protect #Israel Govt from condemnation”. Mr Ward lost his council seat in this year’s local elections, running as an Independent after being expelled by the Liberal Democrats in 2017 for standing against the Party in an election, having previously been disciplined for comments about Jews, the Holocaust and Israel. He recently appeared at another anti-Israel rally in Bradford, along with the disgraced Labour MP Naz Shah, where calls were made to “lift the curse of the Jews off the Muslims in Palestine!”
Lindsey German, also billed to speak, is a controversial activist who has a history of denying antisemitism in the Labour Party and who backed the disgraced former Labour MP, Chris Williamson. She is a convener of the dubious group, Stop The War Coalition, which has appeared in the past to advocate war against Israel and whose marches routinely feature antisemitic tropes.
Mr Corbyn was suspended by the Labour Party following his disgraceful comments on the publication of the report into Labour antisemitism by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and a complaint by Campaign Against Antisemitism. He was then rapidly and controversially readmitted to the Party but the whip has not been restored to him, leaving him as an Independent MP outside of the Parliamentary Labour Party.
Campaign Against Antisemitism has lodged a complaint against Jeremy Corbyn, holding him responsible for conduct that is prejudicial or grossly detrimental to the Labour Party, as the Leader during the period of the EHRC’s shameful findings. Given the serious detriment that this conduct has caused, we are seeking Mr Corbyn’s immediate resuspension and, if the complaint is upheld, we will be requesting his expulsion. On the day of the publication of the EHRC’s report, we also submitted a major complaint against Mr Corbyn and other sitting MPs. These complaints are yet to be acknowledged by the Party, and they must be investigated by an independent disciplinary process that the EHRC has demanded and Sir Keir has promised but has yet to introduce.
The Labour Party was found by the EHRC to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.
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.
In a recent interview, Robert Rinder has said that there is an existential threat to Jews in Britain.
Discussing his nephews’ Jewish school in North London, the barrister and television personality spoke of how their school hires private security guards and is surrounded by barbed wire. “So anybody who is sceptical about the idea that there is an existential threat [to Jews] needs to know that,” Mr Rinder said.
He also described former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn’s defending of the antisemitic mural in East London in 2018 as “a moment of real tragedy and crisis.”
However, Mr Rinder was adamant that he still has hope for the future of British Jewry, stating: “It’s important to be mindful that there is still something in the British culture that eschews hate.
“I have an enduring belief in the British public. That ultimately, for every one loud antisemite, there are hundreds, no, thousands of people that have the courage to stand up to it. I really do believe that.”
Mr Rinder is very active in the field of Holocaust education and recently received an MBE, along with his mother, for services to Holocaust Education.
In 2019, Mr Rinder spoke at the #TogetherAgainstAntisemitism rally in Parliament Square.
A post office worker has reportedly demanded that a Jewish man denounce Israel in order to receive his biometric residence permit.
Johnathan Levartovsky, 30, is a new Israeli Jewish immigrant to the UK who was required by law to collect his permit in order to prove his legal residency in the country. The permit also contains a new immigrant’s national insurance number, enabling them to work and entitling them to public services. Mr Levartovsky has come to the UK on a Skilled Worker visa as a post-doctoral researcher in the chemical engineering department of a leading London university, where he will be funded by the Faraday Institute in the field of battery research.
On 5th July, less than a week after arriving in the UK, Mr Levartovsky visited the Post Office on Euston Road in King’s Cross to collect his permit and was reportedly treated with suspicion by the clerk, who, he claims, provided minimal assistance. He eventually asked the clerk why he was treating him “like a criminal”, to which the clerk reportedly responded that it was because he is a “criminal” and is “murdering Palestinians”.
He then told Mr Levartovsky that he would not provide him with service, and only after Mr Levartovsky begged him to give him his documents and was forced to assent to the clerk’s inflammatory opinions that the clerk provided the documents. Mr Levartovsky then told him that he is a racist and that he would report him.
The clerk refused to provide his name – and his colleague also declined to disclose it – but was reportedly in his forties or fifties and of Asian or Middle Eastern descent. He was the only male working in the post office at the time; his colleague, a woman, witnessed the exchange.
Mr Levartovsky has reported the incident to the police, who are investigating. He has also written to his local MP, Sir Keir Starmer, who is also the leader of the Labour Party.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “We are appalled at the abuse that Mr Levartovsky has suffered. New immigrants have to navigate complex bureaucratic and logistical challenges and should be welcomed and supported in doing so, rather than subjected to abuse because of their race, religion or nationality. We urge the police to investigate and are in contact with the victim. We shall also be writing to the Post Office to investigate.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2020 showed that three in five British Jews believe that the authorities, in general, are not doing enough to address and punish antisemitism.
Hastings Council has reportedly refused to condemn calls for the destruction of the Jewish state.
The chant, “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, which only makes sense as a call for the destruction of the world’s only Jewish state – and its replacement with a State of Palestine – and is thus an attempt to deny Jews, uniquely, the right to self-determination, was heard in an anti-Israel rally in Hastings town centre in May.
Hastings Borough Council, which is led by the Labour Party, adopted the Definition last year after a campaign by Dany Louise, a councillor who had bravely resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism.
Ms Louise, no longer a councillor, called on the Council to implement the Definition and condemn the recent chanting, which she described as “naked antisemitism on the streets of Hastings.” Ms Louise told Campaign Against Antisemitism that two other residents (one Jewish, one not) also sent in written questions to the Council on the same subject, but the Chief Legal Officer rejected all three questions late enough not to leave time for revised questions to be submitted.
The Officer wrote to her: “I have considered your question in accordance with…the Constitution and decided to reject your question as it is not about a matter for which the Council has a responsibility, power, duty or function.”
Ms Louise said: “I was absolutely shocked by the Chief Legal Officer’s rejection of my written questions. In truth, I doubted that the Council leader would take them seriously, but it did not occur to me that they would be rejected entirely, for spurious reasons unrelated to the content of the questions. I find it altogether unsatisfactory – it is an anti-democratic and morally bankrupt action from the Council.”
She added: “I’ve been dealing with this Labour group for about four years now. It has been heart-breaking and phenomenally frustrating attempting to encourage this group to engage or deal with the antisemitism in their ranks. They have simply refused to acknowledge the issue, let alone discuss it in any sensible adult manner.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2020 showed that three in five British Jews believe that the authorities, in general, are not doing enough to address and punish antisemitism.
In an update from the Vice-Chancellor on the University’s website that was published on 30th June, it was confirmed that “following a formal Government request,” the University has adopted the Definition.
However, the University has also chosen to adopt the Jerusalem Declaration of its own volition, a wrecking document intended to undermine the globally recognised Definition.
The University stated that this adoption was “to support with interpretation after feedback from staff, students, Senate and wider legal advice” and described it as “an important step in ensuring our Jewish community feel safe on campus and we will be shortly sharing more information on implementation as part of our continued work to tackle discrimination and racism.”
The University must revisit its decision and adopt, exclusively, the International Definition of Antisemitism.
A spokesperson from Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “By undermining the International Definition of Antisemitism in this way, the University shows no regard for the wellbeing and consideration of its Jewish students. The Definition is widely accepted by the mainstream Jewish community and has been adopted by the British Government, public bodies and over half of British universities. To adopt alongside it a second definition, designed to contradict and sabotage the first, is entirely counterproductive.”
Following a speech to students at the University in 2016 in which journalist Amira Hass reportedly claimed that the “Elders of Zion” planned “colonial” hegemony over Palestinians, the Head of the Office of the Vice-Chancellor told Campaign Against Antisemitism that no action would be taken.
A Conservative councillor in Bury who had the Party whip removed after he allegedly made antisemitic comments in a job interview has reportedly been reinstated by the Party “with immediate effect”.
Cllr Robert (Bob) Caserta was found to have breached the Code of Conduct for Councillors and Other Voting Representatives four times when he appeared before the Standards Sub-Committee earlier this year.
The comments in question were apparently made during an interview to recruit a senior officer at the Council in July 2019, when Cllr Caserta is alleged to have referred to “grot spots” in Sedgley and said that it would be difficult to communicate with residents “unless you are able to speak Hebrew”.
He was found to have “used inappropriate language that was disrespectful and wholly inappropriate” which “may affect Bury Council’s ability to recruit high calibre candidates in the future”, and was suspended pending a full investigation.
However, it has now been reported that Cllr Caserta, who represents the Pilkington Park ward on Bury Council, has been reinstated. A message reportedly disseminated to Bury Council members read: “I want to inform you that Cllr Caserta has been re-instated as a member of the Conservative with immediate effect.”
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “A suspension pending investigation is not in itself generally an appropriate sanction, and the Conservative Party must disclose the outcome of that investigation and what sanctions or training have been imposed on Cllr Caserta.”
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.
UPDATE: In the evening following the publication of our article, the full statement was made available: “Bury Conservative council group can confirm that the Party whip has been restored to Councillor Robert Caserta following his suspension in March 2021. This follows an extensive internal inquiry which came to the same conclusion that Bury Council’s Standards panel found. We are satisfied that all sanctions decided by the Council’s Standards panel have now been fulfilled by Councillor Caserta. He has also undertaken the Conservative Party’s diversity training. Bury Conservatives will make no further comment on this matter.”
The Home Secretary, Priti Patel, has called for the proscription of The Base, a neo-Nazi group based in the United States. This would make being a member of the group, or showing support for it, punishable by up to fourteen years in prison.
Founded in 2018, The Base is an American neo-Nazi hate group comprising of self-proclaimed white supremacists and fascists. The group’s founder, Rinaldo Nazzaro, reportedly once told a potential recruit that The Base was mostly made up of “National Socialists and/or fascists, although we also have some run-of-the-mill white nationalists.” He added that the recruit would “be stepping into probably the most extreme group of pro-white people that you can probably come across.”
The Home Secretary said: “We continue to take robust action against evil white supremacist groups, who target vulnerable people across the world to join in their hateful ideologies and their sick promotion of violence. I am committed to making it as difficult as possible for these organisations to operate in the UK, both by banning them and increasing the penalties for membership or support, in order to protect the public and our national security.”
Earlier this year, Ms Patel called for the proscription of the neo-Nazi group, Atomwaffen Division (AWD). This would make membership of the group punishable by up to ten years in prison.
Last year, Ms Patel proscribed the neo-Nazi Sonnenkrieg Division as a terrorist group. This followed the proscription of National Action in 2016, for which Campaign Against Antisemitism had called.
Campaign Against Antisemitism has been monitoring and acting against the threat from the far-right for years and continues to support the authorities following suit.
A judge has today declared Tony Greenstein legally bankrupt in a brief hearing that follows his predictable failure to comply with court orders to pay Campaign Against Antisemitism tens of thousands of pounds after his humiliating failed defamation claim against us.
Mr Greenstein has been ordered by judges to pay Campaign Against Antisemitism £81,854, over a libel claim brought by Mr Greenstein after we called him a “notorious antisemite”. In an example of litigation humiliatingly backfiring, the High Court struck out Mr Greenstein’s libel claim against us, ruling that it was permissible for us to call the co-founder of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and expelled Labour Party member a “notorious antisemite” in articles on our website. Mr Greenstein then brought an appeal against aspects of the High Court ruling, which he also lost earlier this month.
Following an Insolvency and Companies Court hearing today that lasted only a quarter of an hour, Judge Catherine Burton, noting that Mr Greenstein has been properly served and failed to attend or make representations, concluded proceedings by saying: “I make a bankruptcy order this day against Tony Greenstein at 10:46am.”
Today’s declaration makes it far more difficult for Mr Greenstein to litigate against individuals and organisations, as he is wont to do.
Additionally, it means that Mr Greenstein may now meet the criteria for automatic disqualification as a charity trustee. We have written to the Charity Commission in order to notify them of his bankruptcy order given that he is listed as a trustee of The Brighton Trust, formerly known as the “Trust 4 Unpopular Causes”.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “The wheels of justice may grind slow at times, but they grind sure. Our defamation win against Tony Greenstein secured our ability to call out anti-Jewish racism in order to combat it. The bankruptcy order against Mr Greenstein will greatly reduce his capacity to litigate against others without any ability or intention to pay when he loses. Today’s ruling should serve as a warning to others that we will be unrelenting in the pursuit of justice for the Jewish community.”
At the insolvency hearing, Campaign Against Antisemitism was represented by Karl Anderson. Over the course of the legal case, Campaign Against Antisemitism was represented by Adam Speker QC, to whom we are extremely grateful for appearing at the appeal hearing pro bono, instructed by solicitors Keith Mathieson and Alex Wilson of RPC, and advised pro bono by solicitor Dr Mark Lewis who is an honorary patron of Campaign Against Antisemitism.
The Church of England is set to apologise next year for its contributions towards antisemitism in England during the Middle Ages, which included creating several antisemitic laws that ultimately led to the expulsion of the Jews.
The apology is set to coincide with the 800th anniversary of the Synod of Oxford in 1222, the council that created the antisemitic laws. These laws included the forcing of Jews to wear badges, limiting them to certain occupations, and prohibiting new synagogues from being built. Eventually, King Edward I would expel England’s 3,000 Jews in 1290.
Although the Church was not established until the 16th-century, it was stated that its apology will act as a “symbolic repentance.” This comes after the recent increase in antisemitic incidents in Britain, which include a Jewish man having faced two separate antisemitic incidents on London transport within one hour, a rabbi in Essex being assaulted and hospitalised, and a convoy of cars that drove down the Finchley Road shouting “F*** the Jews…rape their daughters” through a megaphone.
The Bishop of Lichfield and Right Reverend Dr Michael Ipgrave said: “The Archbishop’s office has indeed received a letter proposing a service that might offer an act of repentance at the 800th anniversary of the Synod of Oxford and its antisemitic laws. We are exploring the idea of such a service to be planned in conjunction with the Council of Christians and Jews, as well as the potential for a liturgical resource that might be offered to local churches to model an appropriate symbolic repentance.”
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “The Church of England, inspired by decrees from Rome, was absolutely central to the horrific antisemitism suffered by English Jews in the Middle Ages, including religious propaganda, badges of shame, the invention of the blood libel, massacres and the first national expulsion of an entire Jewish community from a European country.
“There is much to repent for in this ignominious record. For the Church to confront its past is laudable, and we commend the Church of England for taking this historic step, which sends a powerful message not just about historic misdeeds but about how our faiths and society can better themselves today.”
Oliver Dowden’s letter to Facebook, Twitter, Google, Snapchat, and TikTok has said that although the Definition is not legally binding, it is “an invaluable tool for organisations to understand how antisemitism manifests itself in the 21st century and to tackle it.”
“It will require platforms to take effective steps to remove and limit the spread of illegal content, including criminal antisemitic abuse,” the letter added.
We recently reported that antisemitism on TikTok had increased by 912%, while on Twitter, abhorrent hashtags such as #HitlerWasRight, #HitlerTheGreat and #Holocaust_was_right were all trending internationally. However, Twitter has confirmed that it is reviewing Mr Dowden’s letter and reaffirmed its condemnation of antisemitism.
Recently, speaking at Bevis Marks, the oldest synagogue in Britain, about the Definition, Mr Dowden said: “There may be some practicalities about exactly how [social media giants] incorporate it, but the essence of the International Definition [of Antisemitism] I want them to adopt, just as the Government has committed to that.”
Last year, the Culture Secretary announced that social media companies will have a duty of care to users under new legislation, and that “criminal antisemitic posts will need to be removed without delay.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism has been at the forefront of calls for Online Harms legislation, and last year joined a global coalition calling on Facebook to adopt the Definition.
Campaign Against Antisemitism has consistently backed efforts by the Government to encourage widespread adoption of the Definition by local authorities, universities, public bodies and other institutions. The UK was the first country in the world to adopt the Definition, something for which Campaign Against Antisemitism, Lord Pickles and others worked hard over many meetings with officials at Downing Street.
A man has admitted to defacing a war memorial with antisemitic graffiti in Wales.
The graffiti on the memorial in Rhyl, Wales was discovered in February and included swastikas and vile messages which refer to the murder of Jews and gassing of soldiers.
The graffiti also contained the line, in German, that “the time has come for a Reich [empire]: we must exterminate the Jews.”
Gareth Bradley, 31, confessed earlier this week to committing the act of hateful vandalism. He also pleaded guilty to defacing his prison cell with graffiti of a swastika in April.
Mr Bradley was granted bail and is due to be sentenced by a crown court judge next month.
District Judge Paul Conlon said at Llandudno court: “The offences are too serious for this court to deal with.”
The Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), Kevin Courtney, appeared today at a testy hearing of the House of Commons Education Committee, where he attempted to defend a number of controversial stances that he and his union have taken in relation to antisemitism.
The Committee Chair, Conservative Robert Halfon MP, shifted the conversation to “the very difficult area of antisemitism” and asked about a number of matters of grave concern to the Jewish community.
First, he asked why the NEU has not adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism. He noted that the Definition has been adopted by the British Government, all major political parties and anti-racism organisations, including Campaign Against Antisemitism. He also quoted a Jewish former member of the NEU who has pushed for adoption of the Definition by the union.
Mr Halfon further noted that there is nothing stopping the NEU’s executive from adopting the Definition, and asked: “Why does the NEU think it knows better and why do you as yet refuse to adopt the Definition, and why won’t you adopt it and use it as a starting point to address issues within your membership body?”
Mr Courtney replied that he would like the former member to re-join, and disclosed that he has written to several Jewish members recently, emphasising that “there is definitely a very strong place for them in this union. For people who see Israel as the homeland of a nation, who see it as a refuge of last resort, who see it as a response to the Holocaust, there is a place for people with those views in the union.”
Mr Halfon pressed Mr Courtney specifically on the matter of adoption, however, asking: “As a leadership why not adopt it?” Mr Courtney replied: “That is an option that’s open to us.” Mr Halfon: “Why haven’t you done it?” Mr Courtney responded that “We haven’t even discussed it actually…we are definitely a union that is working very hard against antisemitism, we are organising training against antisemitism,” suggesting that there was no impediment to the NEU adopting the Definition other than that it has not bothered to discuss the matter and apparently has no plans to do so.
Mr Halfon then asked Mr Courtney about the more than 100 Jewish members who have quit the NEU because of their concerns over how it handles antisemitism. “Why do you think they have resigned from the union?” Mr Halfon asked. Mr Courtney replied that he has written to the members, and that he has also addressed the NEU’s National Executive and branch secretaries on the topic.
In this connection, Mr Halfon also asked about the conflict between Israel and Hamas, an antisemitic genocidal terrorist organisation. The conflict inspired numerous demonstrations across Britain over the past two months and a surge in antisemitism, including in schools and on campuses. Mr Courtney replied in respect of the “dispute between Israel and Hamas” that “we started getting involved in those demonstrations. I personally spoke at those demonstrations. And they were about the evictions of Palestinian families from Sheikh Jarrah. Now those evictions…were condemned by the British Government. They were condemned by the United Nations…”
Mr Courtney was interrupted by Mr Halfon who observed that “Jewish members of your union feel that their union support is secondary to their campaigns criticising the State of Israel for one action or another.” Mr Courtney denied this, insisting that “it’s really relevant that the demonstration was about Sheikh Jarrah” before going on to say that “the union put out statements saying that both Israel and Hamas should stop the bombings” and that “when I spoke at the demonstrations, I said that.”
Mr Courtney did not appear to be prepared to accept that the NEU or its officers may be responsible for why so many Jewish members have resigned.
The conversation then turned to a recent controversial series of antisemitism training sessions organised by the Warsaw Ghetto vandal and NEU official, Ewa Jasiewicz. Campaign Against Antisemitism recently revealed that, although Ms Jasiewicz did not lead the sessions herself, she did organise them and they were led by two activists from the far-left fringe Jewish group, Jewdas.
Mr Halfon pointed out that Ms Jasiewicz is “infamous for defacing the walls of the Warsaw Ghetto” and that “Campaign Against Antisemitism has noted that the sessions were led by two activists from a fringe organisation called Jewdas.” He asked Mr Courtney: “Why did you choose a controversial fringe group to do this when you could have used many mainstream Jewish organisations?”
Mr Courtney responded: “I welcome these questions, and I would like an opportunity to talk with you in more detail about them.” In the meantime, he offered a “potted history” of the matter, noting that the NEU allocates staff to work with the union’s various forums, including the black members’ forum in the North West, which requested sessions on racism, Islamophobia and antisemitism, including dealing with the topics from a more “intellectual” and historical perspective. He said that “Ewa did a very good job of sourcing the sort of people that that group wanted.”
Pressed on the Warsaw Ghetto vandalism, Mr Courtney insisted that Ms Jasiewicz “didn’t teach about it” and that “she [merely] sourced the people”.
Mr Courtney thus confirmed that, despite Ms Jasiewicz’s appalling history in relation to antisemitism, it was she who was empowered to invite the fringe activists to deliver antisemitism training.
Mr Courtney also disclosed, regarding the vandalism, that “it was completely wrong. We didn’t know about it when we employed her. We didn’t know about it until 2018. When we did know about it, we met with her immediately at a very senior level in the union, with her union rep, we discussed the fact that that action was absolutely wrong, that defacing a Holocaust memorial was wrong, that drawing an equivalency between the Israeli Government and the Nazis was wrong. We went through with her that we weren’t saying those things because we thought they might cause bad publicity or because they were at variance with the [International] Definition but because we believed them to be wrong in absolute terms. They [the actions] were wrong. We discussed that with her.” He added: “She had apologised for them before that time. She repeated that apology at that moment. And I believe in redemption. She has apologised for those actions and they were wrong.”
Mr Halfon proceeded then to ask about the recent antisemitism-infested anti-Israel rallies. Mr Halfon noted that many of these rallies, including at least one which Mr Courtney addressed, featured antisemitic placards. “You failed to condemn them yet you spoke at that rally,” Mr Halfon observed, adding that another NEU official, Louise Regan, had also spoken at a rally in Nottingham at which another speaker had openly supported Hamas and spoke of “resistance by any means necessary”. Ms Regan was suspended by the Labour Party last year over a motion of support for Jeremy Corbyn at the Nottingham East Constituency Labour Party, which she chairs, and has reportedly been reinstated in recent weeks.
“Do you believe it is appropriate for you to speak at rallies with antisemitic placards and chants?” Mr Halfon asked.
Mr Courtney declared: “I condemn all acts of antisemitism”. He also insisted that antisemitic placards were not everywhere, and that the “vast majority of placards at that demonstration were not antisemitic.” He also emphasised that “there were hundreds my members of my union at those demonstrations,” singling out “young Muslim members of my union” in particular as having participated. He went on to say that “at the demonstration, I made a point of saying that we are all here in our diversity against all forms of racism, against all forms of Islamophobia, and against all forms of antisemitism. That line from my speech was the most applauded line of my speech.” He declared that “I’m proud of speaking at the demonstration. All three of the demonstrations that I spoke at.”
Mr Courtney thus justified his appearances at antisemitism-infested rallies while insisting that he condemns “all forms of racism, against all forms of Islamophobia, and against all forms of antisemitism”.
Mr Halfon ended his questioning by asking: “Do you feel that the NEU is safe for Jewish people, because I can’t see it from where I’m sitting?” He added that it seemed that “Jews don’t count” at the NEU, where there appears to be a “hostile environment” for Jewish people.
Mr Courtney, by this point aggravated, replied that “Jewish people absolutely count in our union. And we want those 100 people to re-join. There are many more Jewish people who haven’t left our union, because they see that we are a union committed to opposing all forms of racism, and Islamophobia, including Islamophobia [sic], including antisemitism.”
Mr Halfon interjected: “Except when it comes to antisemitism, when you turn a blind eye.”
Mr Courtney’s temper appeared to flare as he responded: “That is absolutely untrue. That is a disgraceful slur on me and my union.”
It is notable that, throughout the proceedings, Mr Courtney used the familiar refrain of speaking of antisemitism almost exclusively alongside “Islamophobia” and “all forms of racism”, rather than exclusively about anti-Jewish racism, even though that was the topic that he was being asked about.
Having concluded his questioning, Mr Halfon then yielded to his committee colleague, Ian Mearns, the Labour MP for Gateshead, who opened by noting that he did not have advance warning of Mr Halfon’s line of questioning and said: “Personally I think it’s regrettable what you’ve done.” It is not clear why Mr Mearns thinks that asking the Joint General Secretary of a controversial union about how it is addressing the mass resignation of Jewish members is a regrettable line of questioning.
Mr Halfon referred to research by Campaign Against Antisemitism over the course of his questioning of Mr Courtney.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “We commend Robert Halfon MP for his robust examination of Mr Courtney. It is not often that the leadership of a controversial union is held to account, and it was clear from Mr Courtney’s answers that he and his union see no shortcomings in their conduct in relation to antisemitism and the Jewish community, despite the mass resignation of Jewish NEU members.
“While Mr Courtney professes his opposition to antisemitism, he nevertheless addressed rallies featuring antisemitic placards, allowed the Warsaw Ghetto vandal to invite fringe figures to deliver antisemitism training to his members, will not commit to adopting the International Definition of Antisemitism, and, above all, has presided over a union that has lost a significant portion of its Jewish membership, for which he apparently offers no apology.
“The Jewish community has long had concerns about the NEU, and Mr Courtney’s performance today showed him to be unapologetic and without any kind of plan to take robust action.”
John McDonnell, the Labour MP former Shadow Chancellor, has tweeted his support for The Canary, a controversial hard-left blog, despite the fact that it is under investigation by the Government’s Independent Advisor on Antisemitism and its editor’s history of antisemitic statements.
Mr McDonnell was supporting a crowdfunding campaign for the website, even though its editor, Kerry-Ann Mendoza, has repeatedly compared Israel to the Nazis, in breach of the International Definition of Antisemitism.
Ms Mendoza has also previously attacked Campaign Against Antisemitism using violent language, saying “The antisemitism witch hunt is seriously about to face off with #BlackLivesMatter I’m telling you now, those anti-Black, anti-Palestinian racists are gonna get their asses dragged all over town. And they have no clue. Because…entitlement.”
Recently, Mr McDonnell tweeted a photo of an antisemitic sign which was featured at a rally that he himself attended. Last year, Mc McDonnell was accused of sharing a platform with expelled Labour members at the Labour Representation Committee’s Annual General Meeting, namely Jackie Walker and Tony Greenstein, but he claimed that it was “ridiculous” to suggest that as it was an open meeting and that he could not control who spoke. He remains the Honorary President of the controversial group.
Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2019 showed that antisemitism on the far-left of British politics has surpassed that of the far-right.
Footage taken earlier today has shown Piers Corbyn comparing vaccinations to Nazi policy outside the Houses of Parliament, despite being arrested after a similar incident in February.
The video shows Mr Corbyn and another man standing in front of a sign which reads “No Nazi forced jab” and yelling “arrest Matt Hancock” through a megaphone.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “It is tempting not to take conspiracy theorists Piers Corbyn seriously, but simply dismissing his antics without calling them out is how he and others like David Icke are given the space to promote their absurd and inflammatory nonsense to the public.
“Whatever one thinks of pandemic lockdowns and vaccination drives, they are not comparable to Nazi Germany and the systematic slaughter of millions of Jews. Mr Corbyn has repeatedly shown his contempt for the Jewish community, including by distributing flyers in Jewish neighbourhoods equating lockdown rules to Auschwitz. If one is seeking reasonable debate about how governments and populaces have responded to the pandemic, Piers Corbyn is no role model.”
This incident echos a similar one from earlier of this year when Mr Corbyn was arrested after distributing grotesque flyers comparing lockdown rules to Auschwitz.
Responding to his arrest, Mr Corbyn absurdly argued that he could not be antisemitic because he had been married to a Jewish woman and once employed a Jewish person who was a “superb worker.” Mr Corbyn reportedly protested: “The idea we’re antisemitic in any way is completely absurd. I was married for 22 years to a Jewess and obviously her mother’s forebears fled the Baltic states just before the war because of Hitler or the Nazis in general. I’ve worked with Jewish leading world scientists over the last 30 years. I’ve also employed Jewish people in my business Weather Action, one of whom was a superb worker.”
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Service has since confirmed to Campaign Against Antisemitism that no further action would be taken against Mr Corbyn.
Anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination networks have become known as hotbeds of antisemitic conspiracy theories and tropes.
Mr Corbyn has a history of controversy in relation to antisemitic conspiracy theories. He has previously retweeted @whiteknight0011, a notorious neo-Nazi who declared that “They will force Trump in to war What do you think happened to Hitler? Bilderberg CIA IMF Banker Gangsters They are the problem” along with four images. The @whiteknight0011 account has since been suspended. One image showed Lord Jacob Rothschild, the Jewish banker and philanthropist, against the background of a Nazi flag, claiming that he controls the world. A second showed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a puppeteer controlling ISIS through Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, orchestrating the war in Syria and Paris attacks as Lord Rothschild and the Queen look on approvingly. A third image showed the faces of supposed Jewish conspirators who run the world to society’s detriment, proclaiming: “Know your enemy”. The last image showed a family photo of the Royal Family, claiming that they are in cahoots with these Jewish conspirators in committing “the worst genocides, invasions and theft in all history.”
Mr Corbyn has also claimed that “Zionists” were conspiring against his brother: when Jewish then-MP Louise Ellman complained of antisemitic attacks against her, Piers accused her of using it as a cover for political attack, tweeting: “ABSURD! JC+ All #Corbyns are committed #AntiNazi. #Zionists can’t cope with anyone supporting rights for #Palestine”.
Mr Gullis wrote to Professor Stuart Croft, Vice Chancellor and President at the University, voicing his concern at the University Assembly’s motion to challenge the Definition. Mr Gullis labelled the motion “disgraceful” before alleging that the University’s delay in adopting to Definition, as well as its hesitancy in tackling on-campus antisemitism, had caused “extreme distress for both Jewish students and the wider Jewish community.”
Mr Gullis went on to say that he was “appalled”, accusing the University’s academics of seeking to “provoke Jewish students and prolong their suffering.” Referring to the Macpherson principle on anti-racism, Mr Gullis reaffirmed the importance of allowing Jewish students to determine what constitutes antisemitism.
The MP for Stoke-on-Trent concluded by highlighting the University’s own statement on the welfare of its Jewish students and asking whether or not Prof. Croft would condemn the Assembly’s motion.
Mr Gullis’ letter comes after the University released a statement clarifying that the University’s Assembly is not a decision-making body, and that motions are not binding. It has also stated that the Definition will continue to be utilised in disciplinary matters relating to antisemitism.
Last month at an Education Select Committee, Mr Gullis asked the Secretary of State for Education, Gavin Williamson, about the adoption of the Definition by universities and whether those that failed to do so would be penalised financially. Mr Williamson said that he backs the campaign for widespread adoption of the Definition, and observed that “We’ve had an exceptionally large rise in the number of universities that have signed up”.
A Jewish fan has reported that he received abuse last night as he entered Wembley to watch the Euro 2020 final between England and Italy.
Jolyon Rubeinstein, a satirist, recounted on Twitter: “I was racially abused last night as I was entering Wembley stadium. My shirt has Rubinstein on the back. I took my coat off & immediately: ‘Are you even from this country’ & ‘he’s a Jew’ followed by laughs & jeers by a group of 6 men in their 50’s.”
He said that he “told them that my Granddad fought the Nazi’s. They laughed. My message to them is that you will never win. That this team represents unity & diversity. You are the past. You’re dying out.”
He added: “Your hatred only strengthens my Anti-racist belief. I stand with progress and a new progressive patriotism that is about inclusion and respect. We have work to do in this country. Those at the very top need to lead by example.”
The match, which England lost on penalties, has been marred with deplorable racist abuse online against three of the team’s black players.
I was racially abused last night as I was entering Wembley stadium. My shirt has Rubinstein on the back. I took my coat off & immediately: “Are you even from this country” & “he’s a Jew” followed by laughs & jeers by a group of 6 men in their 50’s.
A cryptocurrency company has used a Rothschild conspiracy theory in a marketing campaign, it was reported last week.
The British fintech company, Crypterium, sent out a customer e-mail that contained a quote which has been falsely attributed to the 18th-century Jewish banker, Baron Rothschild.
The line that was used by the company, “The best time to buy bitcoin is whenever blood is on the street, everyone is panicking and no one’s talking about it,” is a variation on the classic trope, “The time to buy is when there’s blood on the streets, even if the blood is your own.”
The line is attributed to Baron Rothschild who is falsely accused of having exploited the public’s panicked state after the Battle of Waterloo in order to turn a profit. However, the line and the story have since been debunked as without foundation and inspired by anti-Jewish hatred, and at one point were even weaponised by the Nazis to spread hatred towards Jews.
George Krasukhin, the Chief Marketing Officer for Crypterium, who is himself Jewish, said: “It is not related to antisemitic theme[s] at all. It was the quote from one of the richest [men] on the earth.”
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Rather than simply using clichéd phrases without a second thought, marketers should research where the phrases come from and why they become cliches. Using a classic antisemitic trope associating Jews, Rothschilds and money is an inappropriate and insulting way to promote a financial product. The campaign should be withdrawn with an apology and the company must think again.”
The Labour MP for Riverside has denied that Dame Louise Ellman was forced out of the Party over antisemitism.
Dame Louise quit the Labour Party in late 2019 after 22 years as an MP and 55 years as a member, claiming that she made the “agonising” decision because “the Labour Party is no longer a safe place for Jews and Jeremy Corbyn must bear responsibility for this.” She added that “Jewish members have been bullied, abused and driven out. Antisemites have felt comfortable and vile conspiracy theories have been propagated. A party that permits anti-Jewish racism to flourish cannot be called anti-racist.”
However, in a segment on misogyny against Muslim women in the Labour Party on BBC Politics North West yesterday, Kim Johnson MP denied that Dame Louise had quit over antisemitism.
In a dispute with the Conservative MP, Chris Green, Ms Johnson said that “The Labour Party acknowledges where we have failed. We did have an issue with antisemitism. We do have an Action Plan. We have improved our position on that. However, Baroness Warsi, who has called Islamophobia out in the Tory Party, nothing has happened there. So at least we acknowledge and deal with the issues within our Party.”
Mr Green reacted by recounting instances of alleged discrimination against women in the Labour Party, concluding with Dame Louise: “You look at Liverpool and the clearing out of Louise Ellman and other Jewish Labour members.”
Ms Johnson interjected, saying, “That’s ridiculous,” before Mr Green continued: “Labour is the only party to join the British National Party to be found guilty of racism by the Equality and Human Rights Council [sic]”. Mr Green was referring to the report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) that found that the Labour Party had unlawfully discriminated against Jewish people. Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant in the EHRC’s investigation. The only party to have been probed by the EHRC before Labour was the BNP, but unlike in the case of the Labour Party, the previous probe was not a full statutory investigation.
However, Ms Johnson then insisted: “Louise Ellman was not forced out. She took a decision to resign from the Party after 22 years as an MP.”
Ms Johnson succeeded Dame Louise as MP for Riverside, where there was a vacancy after Dame Louise resigned from the Party after suffering antisemitic abuse in the local Constituency Labour Party. Dame Louise later recounted: “The change in Liverpool Riverside, then my constituency, was speedy and traumatic. Membership increased from 500 to 2,700. The atmosphere in the regular meetings became deeply unpleasant. It was made clear that I was the target and I was to be removed. My crime was that I was a ‘Zionist’.”
Dame Louise has reacted to Ms Johnson’s claim, saying: “I am appalled by this statement. Keir Starmer has already apologised to me for the antisemitism that drove me out of the party.” She also accused her successor of gaslighting her, saying: “I’m appalled tha 4th current MP denies what I experienced. This is gaslighting.”
This incident comes just a month after Jeremy Corbyn made a similar claim about Luciana Berger in an interview at the Cambridge Union. When asked about Ms Berger being “hounded out” of the Labour Party due to antisemitism, Mr Corbyn insisted that “Luciana was not hounded out of the Party; she unfortunately decided to resign from the Party”. Ms Berger was among a number of MPs who quit the Labour Party in protest at its institutional antisemitism.
Sir Keir Starmer has previously declared that anyone who thinks that accusations of antisemitism in the Labour Party are “exaggerated or a factional attack…are part of the problem” and “should be nowhere near the Labour Party”.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “The tradition of downplaying antisemitism in the Labour Party clearly endures. First, Jeremy Corbyn denies that Luciana Berger was hounded out of the Party, and now Kim Johnson, who only became an MP because of the vacancy left by Dame Louise Ellman’s resignation over antisemitism, denies that Dame Louise was forced out of the Party. Sir Keir Starmer has previously declared that anyone who thinks that accusations of antisemitism in the Labour Party are exaggerated are part of the problem and should be nowhere near the Labour Party. What will he now do about a member of his own Parliamentary Party who apparently thinks such things?”
The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.
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.
Last year I documented how antisemitism in Liverpool Riverside CLP and in the Party nationally forced me out. I’m appalled that the current MP denies what I experienced. This is gaslighting. https://t.co/7E8feTDnTw
Three Lord and Lady Justices sitting at the Court of Appeal have dismissed an appeal by Tony Greenstein against aspects of a High Court ruling, deciding in favour of Campaign Against Antisemitism.
The High Court had struck out Mr Greenstein’s libel claims against us, ruling that it was permissible for us to call him a “notorious antisemite” in articles on our website, in an example of litigation humiliatingly backfiring.
Mr Greenstein’s attempt to appeal our successful defence over references to him as a “notorious antisemite” failed earlier this year when the Court of Appeal refused him permission to appeal. They did, however, allow him a hearing to argue that his claim that Campaign Against Antisemitism’s reference in one of the articles to his string of spent criminal convictions was made out of malice. That appeal has now been dismissed as well.
The Court of Appeal’s decision adds to Mr Greenstein’s financial woes. The High Court had ordered Mr Greenstein to pay £67,886 to Campaign Against Antisemitism, of which £10,000 had been stayed pending the outcome of the appeal. Now that the appeal has been dismissed, the £10,000 is now payable, along with £13,968 of additional costs relating to the failed appeal, making a total of £81,854.
Mr Greenstein now faces being made bankrupt at a hearing on 14th July after he failed to comply with a court order to send us payment, leading us to petition the High Court to appoint an Official Receiver in Insolvency to take control of Mr Greenstein’s assets and pay our costs from them.
Campaign Against Antisemitism was represented in the appeal by Adam Speker QC, to whom we are extremely grateful for appearing at the hearing pro bono, instructed by solicitors Keith Mathieson and Alex Wilson of RPC, and advised pro bono by solicitor Dr Mark Lewis who is an honorary patron of Campaign Against Antisemitism.
Jeremy Corbyn is under investigation by Parliament’s watchdog over allegations that he did not properly declare financial support given to him to pay for the legal fees behind antisemitism-related claims.
The former leader of the Labour Party is being investigated over the “registration of an interest under the Guide to the Rules” by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.
This comes after Labour MP Neil Coyle wrote a letter to the Commissioner, alledging that Mr Corbyn may have broken the code of conduct for MPs in regard to support for his legal disputes.
Mr Coyle said that Mr Corbyn had “received financial support for legal cases involving him in various legal disputes, principally surrounding antisemitism” which had not been properly declared.
Mr Corbyn stated that he would be “liaising with the Commissioner in response to Neil Coyle’s correspondence.”
Last year, a crowdfunder which raised hundreds of thousands for Mr Corbyn’s legal expenses drew attention after it was reported that the woman behind the initiative was involved with a company that aims to “end the politicisation of Jewish suffering,” and that donations had been received from donors calling themselves “Adolf Hitler” and “B*stard Son of Netanyahu and Starmer”.
Following claims of antisemitism, Mr Corbyn had the whip removed last year. However, according to a newly published YouGov poll, 60% of Labour members think that the antisemitic former leader should have the whip restored.
Campaign Against Antisemitism has lodged a complaint against Jeremy Corbyn, holding him responsible for conduct that is prejudicial or grossly detrimental to the Labour Party, as the Leader during the period of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) shameful findings. Given the serious detriment that this conduct has caused, we are seeking Mr Corbyn’s immediate resuspension and, if the complaint is upheld, we will be requesting his expulsion. On the day of the publication of the EHRC’s report, we also submitted a major complaint against Mr Corbyn and other sitting MPs. These complaints are yet to be acknowledged by the Party, and they must be investigated by an independent disciplinary process that the EHRC has demanded and Sir Keir has promised but has yet to introduce.
The Labour Party was found by the EHRC to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.
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.
The High Court has rejected a case by eight Labour activists who argued that an investigation into antisemitism-related allegations brought against them by the Party was unfair.
The ruling, made earlier today, concerned the group of claimants who call themselves “Labour Activists For Justice”. The group claimed that the Labour Party had broken its contractual agreement to treat the group fairly during the investigation process.
The group invoked the report from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and argued that the Party refused to disclose certain procedural codes, used an outdated code of conduct, and misled the group regarding matters of confidentiality.
However, Mr Justice Butcher, presiding over the case, dismissed their claim, stating: “I do not consider that the Claimants are entitled to any of the three declarations sought, and their claim for them will be dismissed.”
The judge concluded: “I do not consider that it is correct to say that the [EHRC] found that the Party’s disciplinary processes, as recently improved, were fundamentally unfair. While it was certainly the case that the [EHRC] considered that there were still matters which could be further improved, and that the commissioning of an independent process was necessary to rebuild trust and confidence, this did not amount to a finding or indication that the present system could no longer be used.”
A Labour spokesperson said: “We welcome this important ruling that confirms our right to determine how we handle complaints. We are getting on with the job of reforming our processes, structures and culture for the benefit of all of our members and to ensure Jewish people feel safe and welcome in our Party.”
Last year, the Labour Activists For Justice group launched a crowd-funder to cover its legal costs, describing itself as “Labour Party members who have been caught up in the absurdities of [its] disciplinary processes.”
The crowd-funder was backed by the antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation, Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL), some of the members of which were also among the claimants in the case.
The Labour Party was found by the EHRC to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.
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.
It has been reported that a Director at a London accountancy firm is no longer working there after Stephen Pollard, Editor at the JC, contacted the firm to report the accountant’s history of trolling Jewish people and organisations.
Tom Gauterin, “Director, Private Client Tax Services for Smith and Williamson”, went by the Twitter username of @Ruralmaestro, had a record of harassing Jewish people online, which included labelling Mr Pollard a “lifelong hard right racist.”
Regarding the Board of Deputies of British Jews (BOD), a Jewish community charity, Mr Gauterin said that Labour Party leader Keir Starmer would “do exactly as the BOD — a hard right, fanatically pro-Israel group — tells him.” Mr Gauterin went on to label the Jewish organisation a “hard right racist group” who would “attack” Sir Keir “the moment he says anything progressive or egalitarian they don’t like.”
On Rachel Riley, the Jewish TV personality and campaigner against Jew-hatred, the Mr Gauterin wrote: “No idea what Riley thinks she is doing and why, but she’s a proven liar and a fraud who harms those Jews who really *are* suffering from antisemitic abuse. She’s utterly vile and to pretend otherwise is to deny reality. Plus: if you know her, tell her to stop it pronto.”
Mr Pollard reported the tweets to the Chairman of Smith and Williamson. Within a matter of days, Mr Gauterin’s tweets had been made private, and within a few weeks, the firm’s CEO had called Mr Pollard to confirm that “Mr Gauterin no longer worked for Smith and Williamson.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism has long called for tougher regulations on social media sites and that social networks proactively search for and remove hate speech from their platforms.
More than 200 members of the University of Warwick Assembly – the representative body of the University’s academic staff – voted to “overwhelmingly” pass the motion on 21st June.
Members of staff also called upon the University to create a working group designed to handle matters relating to all allegations of antisemitism and other forms of racism that might be made against staff and students.
As a result, an amendment that called for the application of the Definition to be suspended in disciplinary matters was also passed until the findings from the working group could be reported back at the end of the year.
Speaking in support of the motion, Professor Maureen Freely of the Warwick Writing Programme, School of Creative Arts, Performance, and Visual Cultures said: “We are thrilled that this motion passed…the [D]efinition is not fit for purpose.”
She added: “The working party will give us the chance to develop an integrated set of policies that will balance academic freedom with our statutory and moral duty to protect all members of our community.”
A spokesperson for the Warwick Jewish society spoke of their disappointment to the news, saying: “We are absolutely disgusted with Warwick University Assembly’s rejection of the [D]efinition of antisemitism…this sends a clear message that they are not willing to listen to Jewish students and, frankly, hold us in contempt for simply trying to define prejudice against us.”
However, they also said in a separate statement that they “welcomed the University Assembly’s overwhelming vote to establish a working party that will make recommendations on the handling of allegations of all forms of racism, including antisemitism.”
The University has since released a statement clarifying that the University’s Assembly is not a decision-making body, and that motions are not binding. They have also stated that the Definition will continue to be utilised in disciplinary matters relating to antisemitism.
Last December, dubious disciplinary charges against a Jewish student who complained about antisemitism were dropped by the University.
In March, the University’s official Twitter account ‘liked’ a tweet endorsing inflammatory comments by the academic and conspiracy theorist David Miller, with the University subsequently deleting the ‘like’ and blaming “unauthorised access” to the account.
Last month, a controversial Warwick lecturer reportedly claimed that the Definition is part of a Conservative plot to “legitimate racist speech and de-legitimate anti-racist and anti-colonial research, teaching and activism”.
In the past, other concerns have been raised over the University’s failure to address a scandal over a group chat which gained national attention, in which antisemitic, misogynistic, abusive and threatening messages, including rape threats, were uncovered.
The Labour Party has begun an investigation after a Party member and former councillor allegedly claimed that “some Jewish people” didn’t learn the lessons of the Holocaust.
It was reported that the comment was made at a Hornsey and Wood Green local party meeting last Wednesday by former councillor Lucy Craig, after a motion was moved in which she condemned the recent actions of the Israeli Government during its conflict with Hamas.
It was allegedly at this point when Ms Craig made a comment blaming Jewish people for the perceived actions of the Israeli Government and claimed that “some Jewish people” had not learnt the lessons of the Holocaust.
An attendee at the local party meeting said: “The mover of the motion Lucy Craig began talking about Israel’s ‘power and wealth’ and then went on to condemn ‘some Jewish people’ who despite the Holocaust were now attacking Palestinians.
“The member who seconded the motion then went on to claim Israel had in fact ‘created Hamas’…both of the speeches caused a lot of anger amongst many members…several people, including myself raised concerns about antisemitism in the speech.”
According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the State of Israel” and “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” are both examples of antisemitism.
The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.
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.
Two Jewish pedestrians in North London were allegedly accosted on their way to synagogue on Saturday morning by a man who they said screamed at them that it is a “Shame Hitler did not wipe out all of you Jewish people!” and then followed them shouting “Hitler done a good job!”
The incident took place outside 198-202 Stamford Hill, and was reported by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.
If you have any more information or recognise the male pictured, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: 4616315/21.
Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews almost four times more likely to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.
Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2020 showed that three in five British Jews believe that the authorities, in general, are not doing enough to address and punish antisemitism.
Police are investigating after a Jewish man faced two separate antisemitic incidents on London transport within one hour. Campaign Against Antisemitism is in contact with the police and Transport for London.
A Twitter user uploaded audio and video footage of his brother facing the vile abuse aboard a London bus. The incident occurred on the 113 bus heading towards Oxford Circus this past Saturday at 23:33. An aggressive passenger can be heard threatening the Jewish man and telling him: “I’ve got a shank, I will slit your throat for Palestine.”
He can also be heard saying: “I’ll beat the s**t out of you, man.”
The passenger was then ordered off the bus, where he proceeded to swear at the Jewish man and bang on the doors of the bus.
An hour prior to this incident, the Jewish man was subjected to antisemitic chanting whilst travelling down the escalators at Oxford Circus station. A man is heard shouting: “I f***ing hate the Jews.”
In a statement, British Transport Police said: “We’re aware of a video posted online of…antisemitic behaviour on a London Underground escalator. We take such incidents very seriously and are investigating. If anybody has any information contact us on 0800 405040 or text 61016 quoting ref 90 of 4 July 2021.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism replied to the Twitter user, saying: “Thank you for exposing this appalling abuse. We will be following up privately, but for those reading the thread we wanted to note that police investigations have now been opened and we are in touch with police and Transport for London. #ZeroTolerance”
Earlier this year, we reported on a man who subjected a Jewish couple – including a disabled man – to ten minutes of verbal abuse on a London bus.
Campaign Against Antisemitism recently met with Transport for London as part of work to improve the response to antisemitic incidents on public transport.
Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews almost four times more likely to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.
My brother [who is visibly Jewish] was attacked on the 113 bus, heading in direction of Oxford Circus, London at 11:33PM and threatened to "slit his throat for Palestine". Will anything be done about this rampant #Antisemitism@tfl@CST_UK@antisemitismpic.twitter.com/iCKV62rA8b
Disgraced Bristol University professor David Miller has been accused of using a research grant of £401,552 to further his research on the “British Zionist scene.”
It was reported that between 2013 and 2016, Prof. Miller used this funding to produce a paper called “The Israel Lobby and the European Union”, in which he accused Israel “lobby groups” of coercing politicians and the public into looking favourably upon Israel.
He was also said to have made a map of the “British Zionist scene”, where he attempted to draw a link between the Israeli Government and pro-Zionist groups to political parties in Britain, and in an article that was based on his own research, Prof. Miller stated that the “Zionist movement” was one of the “five pillars of Islamophobia.”
Prof. Miller, a Professor of Political Sociology at the University of Bristol, is a conspiracy theorist with a history of controversy relating to Jewish students. In his latest outburst, which is being investigated by the University and the police, he asserted that “Zionism is racism”, declared his objective “to end Zionism as a functioning ideology of the world” and accused the Bristol University Jewish Society of being part of a worldwide Zionist conspiracy, adding that it is “fundamental to Zionism to encourage Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism”. At the same online event, Prof. Miller also observed that the Jewish Society and the Union of Jewish Students are Zionist, thereby implying that Jewish students (and the wider Jewish community) inherently “encourage Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism”.
He also portrayed the International Definition of Antisemitism as an attack on free speech and accused the Israeli Government of engaging in an “all-out attack” on the global Left as part of an “attempt by the Israelis to impose their will all over the world”. In comments reminiscent of the darkest years of the United Nations, Prof. Miller insisted that “Zionism is racism” and asked how “we defeat the ideology of Zionism in practice”, “how is Zionism ended” and about the way “to end Zionism as a functioning ideology of the world”.
Two months ago, it emerged that The University has permitted Prof. Miller to return to teaching, as it appears to drag its heels over its investigation.
Campaign Against Antisemitism monitors the adoption of the International Definition of Antisemitism by universities. Recently, we passed the threshold of over half of British universities having adopted the Definition.
Earlier this week, we reported that the Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson, said of the disgraced academic: “I do not expect universities to tolerate racists”.
If any students are concerned about antisemitism on campus or need assistance, they can call us on 0330 822 0321, or e-mail [email protected].
It was reported earlier this week that Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi has been removed from Chingford and Woodford Green Constituency Labour Party’s (CLP) executive committee.
Ms Wimborne-Idrissi, the co-founder and Media Officer of Jewish Voice for Labour, an antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation, was serving as the Vice-Chair of Chingford and Woodford Green’s CLP. However, the recent elections for the East London constituency saw Ms Wimborne-Idrissi, along with supportive CLP Chair Gary Lafley, replaced in a shake-up that was spearheaded by local members.
This latest development comes after it was reported last year that Ms Wimborne-Idrissi had been suspended from Labour pending an investigation after a rebellious meeting of her local Chingford and Woodford Green CLP.
The meeting reportedly featured speeches from both the former Chair, Gary Lefley, and Ms Wimborne-Idrissi criticising Sir Keir Starmer and General-Secretary David Evans over their response to the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) damning report into antisemitism in the Labour Party.
In her comments, Ms Wimborne-Idrissi allegedly said: “The cynical manipulation of Jewish fears and concerns is unforgivable and undermines all our work against racism of all kinds.” She also reportedly criticised the “weaponisation” of antisemitism, saying: “May I just say there are many Jews in the party, including me, who endorse 100 percent what Pippa said about the weaponisation.”
Earlier this week, we reported on the election of a Jewish woman as the Chair of Hendon Constituency Labour Party’s (CLP) executive committee, with supporters of both Jeremy Corbyn and Momentum being ousted from their positions.
The Labour Party was found by the EHRC to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.
In the first release of its Antisemitism in Political Parties research, Campaign Against Antisemitism showed that Labour Party candidates for Parliament in the 2019 general election accounted for 82 percent of all incidents of antisemitic discourse by parliamentary candidates.
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.
According to a newly published YouGov poll, 60% of Labour members think that the antisemitic former leader Jeremy Corbyn should have the whip restored.
This worrying result from the poll, which was conducted among a sample size of 871 Labour members in Britain and ran for a total of five days, comes nearly one year after he was initially suspended from the Party, and though he was readmitted only weeks later, the whip has still not been restored to him.
It is clear that Mr Corbyn has still not recognised the antisemitism problem that was prevalent within the Labour Party during his tenure. Last month, in an interview at the Cambridge Union, when asked about Luciana Berger being “hounded out” of the Labour Party due to antisemitism, Mr Corbyn insisted that “Luciana was not hounded out of the Party; she unfortunately decided to resign from the Party”. Ms Berger was among a number of MPs who quit the Labour Party in protest at its institutional antisemitism.
In another recent poll of Labour members, conducted in late March by YouGov, it was revealed that over two thirds believe that the problem of antisemitism in the Party has been “exaggerated” or that there is not a serious problem. Given that a separate poll by Lord Ashcroft shortly after the 2019 General Election found that nearly three quarters of Labour members believed that the issue of antisemitism in the Party was “invented or wildly exaggerated by the right-wing media and opponents of Jeremy Corbyn”, it is difficult to see how progress has been made in changing the culture of the Party over the past year.
Campaign Against Antisemitism’s latest Antisemitism Barometer, published at the start of the year (with polling conducted well over six months into Sir Keir’s tenure as leader), showed that British Jews feel that the Labour Party is more than twice as tolerant of antisemitism than any other political party. Remarkably, compared to the previous year’s figures (polled while Mr Corbyn was still leader of the Party), Labour performed worse, with 88 percent of respondents considering that the Party was too tolerant of antisemitism under Sir Keir compared with 86 percent the year before under Mr Corbyn. At times, this sentiment has spilled into the open.
Campaign Against Antisemitism has lodged a complaint against Jeremy Corbyn, holding him responsible for conduct that is prejudicial or grossly detrimental to the Labour Party, as the Leader during the period of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) shameful findings. Given the serious detriment that this conduct has caused, we are seeking Mr Corbyn’s immediate resuspension and, if the complaint is upheld, we will be requesting his expulsion. On the day of the publication of the EHRC’s report, we also submitted a major complaint against Mr Corbyn and other sitting MPs. These complaints are yet to be acknowledged by the Party, and they must be investigated by an independent disciplinary process that the EHRC has demanded and Sir Keir has promised but has yet to introduce.
The Labour Party was found by the EHRC to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.
In the first release of its Antisemitism in Political Parties research, Campaign Against Antisemitism showed that Labour Party candidates for Parliament in the 2019 general election accounted for 82 percent of all incidents of antisemitic discourse by parliamentary candidates.
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.
Graffiti reading “Zionist Fascist Police State” was found scrawled on a structure in a park in Stamford Hill.
The graffiti was spotted at the corner of Lee Valley Park by the River Lea, near Bakers Hill, and was reported by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.
If you have any more information, please contact Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123.
Similar graffiti has been found in London on numerous occasions this year and in the past.
Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2020 showed that three in five British Jews believe that the authorities, in general, are not doing enough to address and punish antisemitism.
The closely-watched Batley and Spen by-election, which takes place on Thursday, has been rocked with both allegations and evidence of antisemitism.
Much of the campaign has been focused on the ‘Free Palestine’ protests of recent weeks – a focus inflamed by the provocative and controversial politician George Galloway, who is running in the by-election for the Workers Party of Britain. Those protests have been associated with an unprecedented surge in antisemitism.
Newspapers have been full of reportage of concerns by local residents of the Labour Party’s handling of the issues, with one reportedly telling The Observer: “Keir [Starmer] took the time to condemn two idiots for being antisemitic last month but he won’t condemn the Israeli government for killing innocent people.”
Last week, it was alleged in The Mail on Sunday that an unnamed Labour official said that “We’re haemorrhaging votes among Muslim voters and the reason for that is what Keir [Starmer] has been doing on antisemitism. Nobody really wants to talk about it, but that’s the main factor. He challenged [Jeremy] Corbyn on it, and there’s been a backlash among certain sections of the community.”
Labour’s Deputy Leader Angela Rayner strenuously dissociated the Party from that comment. Ms Rayner is herself the subject of an outstanding complaint by Campaign Against Antisemitism, and recently appeared on a platform with an antisemite – Jeremy Corbyn – suspended by the Party over antisemitism.
There have also been claims of opposition to Sir Keir Starmer because his wife is Jewish or because, it is alleged, he is a “Zionist”.
Over the past few days, these allegations have apparently come to be supported by further evidence. One volunteer was dropped from Mr Galloway’s campaign after it emerged that he had denied the Holocaust, writing on social media that “I am not antisemitic” but claiming that “the holohoax…commonly referred as the holocaust” was “the big fat Zionist cow that’s been milked for the last 80 years” and describing the Holocaust as “an exaggerated version of events to beg indefinite public sympathy”.
Meanwhile, according to the JC, residents told the newspaper that one of the reasons they would not vote for Labour because its leader, Sir Keir, “follows the Zionist lobby”.
The election takes place on Thursday with candidates from all the major parties and smaller parties, as well as independents, running.
Stop Funding Hate (SFH), a campaign that encourages advertisers to boycott media whom they consider hateful, has been accused of “militant prejudice” after it was revealed by the JC that one of their strategic advisors had defended inflammatory tweets made by others.
Stu Moran, the CEO of Web Foundry, a consultancy that provides logistical and strategic support for SFH, took to Twitter in an attempt to justify tweets that promoted hate from both Labour MP Rebecca Long-Bailey and Kerry-Anne Mendoza, the editor of The Canary, who has a history of antisemitic comments and whose website is under investigation by the Government’s Independent Advisor on Antisemitism.
After Ms Long-Bailey was removed from the Shadow Cabinet by Sir Keir Starmer for sharing an article that promulgated an antisemitic conspiracy theory concerning the death of George Floyd, Mr Moran tweeted: “How have we ended up with criticism of the Israeli state – openly involved in US police training it seems – being branded antisemitic @Keir_Starmer?”
Associating the Jewish state with the murder of George Floyd is an antisemitic trope.
Mr Moran also defended Ms Mendoza after she received backlash for equating Brexit with Nazism by tweeting: “Get Brexit done; Build, build, build; Jobs, jobs, jobs; Arbeit macht frei.” He wrote: “Yes, I get that it’s not good but compared to things I’ve seen in almost every tabloid, the Times, Telegraph and even the BBC that cause hate crime on our streets a daily basis – I’d argue that tweet won’t – I’m struggling to understand the size of the furore against the Canary?”
Sir John Hayes MP said: “As is so often the case, the view of virtue amongst these groups and individuals is warped by militant prejudice. On both the hard left and hard right this cancerous preoccupation is rife and it’s time this cancer was cut out and the people involved cut off from civilised society.”
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “For Stop Funding Hate to collaborate with people making these sorts of comments is the height of hypocrisy. They should stop funding the hate spread by their own contractor.
“Sadly this seems to be yet another case of an extreme far-left worldview becoming entrenched amongst those who claim the mantle of campaigners against hatred. It is shameful.”
Numerous MPs from across parties appeared to excuse antisemitism in Palestinian Authority textbooks in a debate in Parliament today.
The debate focused on a recent “EU Review into Palestinian school textbooks”, which revealed that Palestinian Authority textbooks are rife with antisemitism. As Caroline Ansell MP put it, opening the debate, “The EU report clearly identifies evidence of anti-Jewish racism within the curriculum.”
Nevertheless, despite the evidence of incitement to murder Jews and glorification of terrorism against Jews in those textbooks, several MPs in the debate obscenely appeared to claim, without foundation, that Israeli textbooks might exhibit similar incitement, or that Israel was somehow to blame for the incitement in Palestinian Authority textbooks, or that the incitement did not really matter.
Labour Party MP Julie Elliott made the case for moral equivalence, insisting that “There is no doubt that there is room for improvement, but there is also room for improvement in Israeli schools. That is the nub of the problem.”
Her colleague Andy Slaughter blamed the Jewish state for anti-Jewish racism in the textbooks, conceding that there are “regrettable passages” in the textbooks but proceedings to say: “Above all, there is an inequality of arms. What the Israelis have been able to do to the Palestinians over 53 years of military occupation, with 650,000 Israelis in illegal settlements, and many other things during this crisis, needs to be addressed. That is the real root of the problem that has to be dealt with.”
The SNP’s Brendan O’Hara made a similar argument: “Perhaps we would pay greater heed to the howls of protest from the Benches opposite about the content of Palestinian children’s schoolbooks if they were equally vociferous in calling out the outrageous human rights abuses that those same Palestinian schoolchildren face every single day of their young lives.”
Alistair Carmichael of the Liberal Democrats seemed to suggest that antisemitic incitement did not really matter, saying: “If we really are concerned about the impact on young Palestinians…we should be considering that many Palestinian children may soon be fortunate to have any schools at all in which to have textbooks, because the hard fact is that no fewer than 53 Palestinian schools are slated for demolition by the Israeli Government. If there are no schools, frankly the content of textbooks becomes pretty academic.”
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “It is extraordinary that MPs from a variety of parties would look not to condemn antisemitic incitement in textbooks but to excuse or downplay it. There is little point condemning antisemitism when it arises in British schools while rationalising it when it occurs abroad. Racism is racism, and it should have no place in the education of children, no matter where in the world they happen to be learning.”
Earlier this year, Australia announced a review into UNRWA funding after a watchdog monitoring peace and tolerance in the Middle East accused UNRWA of distributing educational materials containing antisemitism and calling for jihad.
Antisemitism in Palestinian Authority and UNRWA textbooks funded by Britain, the EU and Western nations has been an ongoing problem for many years.
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