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Antisemite Gilad Atzmon condemns Google for deleting Youtube channel of convicted French antisemite Dieudonné M’bala M’bala

The antisemite Gilad Atzmon has condemned Google for deleting the Youtube channel of the convicted French antisemite Dieudonné M’bala M’bala.

Mr M’bala M’bala, generally known simply as Dieudonné, is a French comedian and political activist who has been convicted for hate speech and advocating terrorism, among other offences, in France and Belgium.

His Youtube channel was apparently reduced to a black screen reportedly as part of a crackdown on hate speech by Google, which owns Youtube.

Mr Aztmon, linking to the story, wrote: “This morning we learn that Black Voices do not matter at all,,, @MbalaDieudo’s YouTube channel is deleted by Google… We know who is behind it yet, the only question that bothers me is where is #BLM?”

Mr Atzmon is an antisemite who has reportedly blamed the Grenfell Tower tragedy on “Jerusalemites” as well as reportedly telling university students that “the Jews were expelled from Germany for misbehaving.” He is not shy about his antisemitism, telling a Jewish Twitter user in 2014: “I am not a Jew any more. I indeed despise the Jew in me (whatever is left). I absolutely detest the Jew in you.”

At one stage, Mr Atzmon was forced to make a humiliating apology to Campaign Against Antisemitism following defamation proceedings, and Campaign Against Antisemitism has successfully pressured venues not to feature Mr Atzmon due to his record of antisemitism.

Most recently, Mr Atzmon has disgracefully tweeted that “The #Left should decide whether it is ‘pro #Jewish’ or ‘pro #Black’ cos the two contradict each other…” Nevertheless, The Guardian newspaper thought it fitting to wish him a happy birthday.

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Nigel Farage condemned over repeated use of conspiratorial language popular on the far-right

Nigel Farage has been condemned over his repeated use of conspiratorial language popular in far-right circles.

Mr Farage, the leader of the Brexit Party, has recently made reference to “unelected globalists shaping the public’s lives based on secret recommendations from the big banks” and, commenting on the Black Lives Matter movement, has said that it is funded by “globalists”. Mr Farage has made use of these phrases repeatedly in the past.

He has also made continual reference to the Jewish financier, philanthropist and political activist George Soros, Goldman Sachs and “cultural Marxism”.

While these tropes are not necessarily antisemitic in isolation, Mr Farage’s repeated use of these tropes, which are very popular in far-right circles, has led to wide condemnation.

Mr Farage has previously courted controversy with comments about a “Jewish lobby” in the United States, and participated in a series of interviews on the far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ radio show.

Andrew Percy MP, The Conservative co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Inquiry into Antisemitism, reportedly said: “These conspiracy theories have real world and dangerous consequences and are without question antisemitic. So now he is being put on notice. Farage needs to cut it out before he causes further harm by providing further fuel to racist antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories.”

Catherine McKinnell, Mr Percy’s Labour co-Chair, said: “Talk of shadow cabals, Soros conspiracies and other nonsense has repeatedly been proven to find its roots in anti-Jewish racism. His choice of language, which echoes some of that circulating amongst the far-right online, is worrying and getting worse.”

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.

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All eyes on Sir Keir Starmer after Steve Reed tweets and deletes reference to Jewish millionaire as “puppet-master” amid calls for his resignation by leading Tory backbencher

Steve Reed MP tweeted a reference to a Jewish billionaire as a “puppet-master” before deleting the tweet, and now all eyes are on Sir Keir Starmer in anticipation of his response.

Mr Reed, the Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, tweeted on 4th July: “Is millionaire former porn-baron Desmond the puppet-master for the entire Tory cabinet? @Robert Jenrick @PritiPatel”.

The tweet was a reference to a planning controversy relating to Richard Desmond, the Jewish businessman, and the Communities Secretary, Robert Jenrick.

Andrew Percy MP, The Conservative co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Antisemitism, reportedly said: “Alluding to Jews as puppet-masters is an age old antisemitic trope and for a Shadow Cabinet member to use this trope is totally unacceptable. If Keir Starmer was serious about tackling antisemitism he would sack Steve Reed on the spot. Otherwise the British people will rightly conclude the action taken against Rebecca Long-Bailey last week was done out of political convenience rather than principle.”

Ms Long-Bailey was recently dismissed by Sir Keir after sharing an article in The Independent that contained an antisemitic trope.

It is understood that a source close to Mr Reed said: “Steve did not know Richard Desmond was Jewish. He deleted the tweet and did not mean to cause any offence.”

However, the tweet was retweeted (and also deleted) by another Labour MP, Mike Amesbury.

Sir Keir, appearing on LBC this morning, said that he “hasn’t seen” the tweet “but will take a look at it”. All eyes will be on Sir Keir to see what action, if any, he chooses to take.

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.

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.

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CAA video shows antisemitism in Black Lives Matter movement is betrayal of the legacy of real Civil Rights heroes

Campaign Against Antisemitism has produced a video showing how antisemitism in the Black Lives Matter movement is a betrayal of the legacy of real Civil Rights heroes.

The short video can be watched below. Please share it widely.

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CAA calls on Sandwell Council and Dudley Council to take action against current and former council leaders after Labour opens antisemitism investigations

Campaign Against Antisemitism has called for “strong and decisive action” against the Leader of Sandwell Council and the former leader of Dudley Council after it emerged that the Labour Party is investigating them over antisemitism.

Cllr Yvonne Davies, the current Council leader at Sandwell, is being investigated over tweets she sent in 2018, one of which promoted a petition calling for a parliamentary debate over whether Israel has an “improper influence” over British politics, a notion reminiscent of historically popular claims of excessive Jewish power in national politics. In another tweet, Cllr Davies linked to a story titled “Is Israel’s hand behind the attacks on Jeremy Corbyn?”, alongside which she commented: “This makes interesting reading if anyone is wanting to understand where all this emphasis on Labour and antisematism (sic) comes from…”

According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g. claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterise Israel or Israelis” is an example of antisemitism.

A complaint regarding Cllr Davies submitted to Labour reportedly accuses her of “breaching Labour’s social media policy”.

Cllr Davies reportedly commented: “I do retweet stuff that I probably shouldn’t, but I do not have an antisemitic bone in my body. I have a career of tackling discrimination and unfairness and I would certainly not consider that people who are Jewish have any influence at all over matters that we deal with in society. Whether countries do, and clearly Russia, China, Israel…a lot of countries get involved in stuff for political purposes…but I don’t relate that to anybody’s religion and I think anybody that does is making a big mistake. This is about politics, it’s not about religion at all. Certainly I will be careful in future about what I retweet, because clearly I’m aware that there is a lot of sensitivity around this issue and that things can be taken out of context.”

In Dudley, Cllr Pete Lowe, a former leader of the council, former parliamentary candidate and former Labour candidate for West Midlands Metro Mayor, posted a tweet purporting to shop historical maps of Israel, which he shared in order to criticise the dismissal of Rebecca Long-Bailey from the Shadow Cabinet for sharing an article that contained the antisemitic conspiracy theory. The picture was accompanied in the tweet by a caption from Cllr Lowe reading: “No words of explanation….just in case! #RebeccaLongBailey #LabourParty”. The tweet was subsequently deleted.

Ian Austin, the former Labour MP for Dudley North who quit over antisemitism in the Party, described the tweets as “completely unacceptable”. Mr Austin is an honorary patron of Campaign Against Antisemitism.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “The suggestion that Israel has an ‘improper influence’ in British politics and is ‘behind attacks’ on Jeremy Corbyn is totally unacceptable. The idea that the Jews – or the Jewish state – have outsized influence in national affairs is an infamous antisemitic trope that has no place in political parties or on a local council, let alone coming from the Leader of the council. Both the Labour Party and the council must take strong and decisive action. Those defending Rebecca Long-Bailey’s promotion of an antisemitic conspiracy theory, be they MPs or local councillors, must also be brought to book. At a time when so many are showing solidarity against racism, it is appalling that some individuals in Labour continue to defend or indulge in antisemitism.”

Meanwhile, in Greenwich in London, the Leader of the Council has reportedly referred a fellow Labour councillor to the Party over a series of tweets promoting the controversial group Labour Against Witchhunt” and defending Ms Long-Bailey. Cllr David Stanley reportedly promoted a petition in the form of an open letter to Mr Corbyn, who was then Leader of the Labour Party, worrying that “any criticism of the actions of the state of Israel is now immediately conflated with antisemitism” and “a cynical alliance between those who wish to deflect criticism of Israel and Zionism, and the right-wing in the Labour Party and the news media, who oppose your wider politics.” Cllr Stanley also apparently retweeted posts with the hashtag #IStandWithChrisWilliamson, in reference to the disgraced former Labour MP, Chris Williamson.

Cllr Stanley said: “I have always condemned antisemitism in the strongest possible terms, and fully supported Greenwich council signing up to the full [International Definition of Antisemitism]. I have no time for antisemitic conspiracy theories, but recognise that criticism of the state of Israel can sometimes be wrongly conflated with antisemitism. I support a fair and rigorous procedure for those Labour members who are subject to disciplinary measures due to alleged antisemitic comments.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism calls for action against these three councillors both by the Labour Party and by their own local authorities.

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.

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.

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Roger Waters apologises for saying a Jewish billionaire controls America because he had “no idea” saying that rich Jews control countries was an antisemitic trope

Roger Waters, a former musician with a long record of baiting Jews, has apologised for saying that American leaders are puppets of a Jewish billionaire and that Israel teaches America how to “murder the blacks”.

Mr Waters made the outrageous remarks in a friendly interview with an Arab channel, but has now apologised for the antisemitic outburst.

The former Pink Floyd star said of the “puppet” remark that “I had no idea that I was evoking an antisemitic trope. I regret any harm or hurt my use of words caused Jewish people, and also any ways it may have reinforced damaging lies about Jews. Nothing could have been further from my intentions.”

Regarding the antisemitic conspiracy theory that Israel was to blame for the racist killing of George Floyd, Mr Waters said: “A friend I called for guidance on this… told me that Israel does not train US police in tactics like those used to kill George Floyd. They don’t have to.”

Mr Waters has apparently not offered any apology for saying that Zionism needs to be “removed” or his similar past calls for Israel’s destruction.

In a past concert, Mr Waters unveiled a balloon pig with a Star of David emblazoned on its side.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “The fact that Mr Waters did not realise that saying that rich Jews control countries was an antisemitic trope speaks to the breathtaking ignorance of a man who holds very certain opinions on the Jews and other controversial topics. Perhaps Mr Waters will humbly reflect on his record and become less outspoken in future.”

Image credit: MEMRI

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John McDonnell’s Forward Momentum faction wins control of the pro-Corbyn pressure group

The Forward Momentum faction has prevailed in internal elections in the pro-Corbyn pressure group.

Forward Momentum was backed by John McDonnell, the former Shadow Chancellor and senior ally of former Leader Jeremy Corbyn, and won on a platform of critical engagement with the new Labour Leader, Sir Keir Starmer.

The Momentum Renewal slate, which was backed by former Shadow Justice Secretary Richard Burgon and called for an uncompromising opposition to Sir Keir’s leadership, was defeated.

It is understood that Forward Momentum is also critical of what it perceived as the autocratic leadership style of former leader Jon Lansman, who was among Mr Corbyn’s most vocal Jewish supporters.

Momentum played a leading role in whitewashing the Labour Party’s antisemitism scandal during the period of Mr Corbyn’s leadership.

Mr McDonnell too has a long record of defending Labour’s abominable record on antisemitism. Recently, he retweeted a Twitter user with a history of extreme views and questioning the Holocaust. When this was brought to Mr McDonnell’s attention he deleted the retweet and unfollowed the user.

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.

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.

 

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BBC orders presenters not to wear Black Lives Matter badges on air after CAA confronts antisemitism in the movement and other extreme views emerge

The BBC has reportedly ordered its television presenters not to wear Black Lives Matter (BLM) badges on air after Campaign Against Antisemitism exposed worrying antisemitism in the movement and its other extreme views emerged.

Executives at the public broadcaster declared that “visual symbols of support” for BLM should not be worn on screen after leaders within BLM hijacked the killing of George Floyd to spread antisemitism and to promote an extreme agenda. “The BBC cannot be seen to support any kind of cause over another, and Black Lives Matter is certainly a campaign,” the BBC ruled.

The decision was part of a wider backlash against the BLM movement after Campaign Against Antisemitism called out antisemitic tweets over the weekend. Police forces and several celebrities have distanced themselves from the movement, as has the Premier League.

Among the first football clubs to break with BLM were Tottenham Hotspur, which said that “it is unacceptable that a value-based action is being hijacked by those with their own political agenda,” and Crystal Palace, which announced: “We would like to make clear that we do not endorse any pressure group or body that carries the same term in its name, and we strongly believe that organisations should not use this important force for change and positivity to push their own political agendas. We want to be part of a world that is fair, inclusive and open to all.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “We are not surprised that the antisemitic outbursts and revelations of other extremist views from within the BLM movement are causing those who had lent their support to distance themselves. All decent people oppose racism, which is why seeing anti-Jewish racism emerging from within the movement against anti-black racism has been an ugly sight. Prejudice cannot be beaten with more prejudice.”

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Tory MP Chris Green retweets then deletes poem referencing “New World Order” and the Rothschilds

The Conservative MP Chris Green retweeted and then deleted a video in which the controversial comedian Chris McGlade reads a poem called “The Right to Hate”.

The poem is dedicated to “all those globalists out there” and criticises the “global New World Order”. The poem’s narrator also complains of being called an antisemite but insists that “the Rothschilds are the richest banking family in this world and that’s got nothing to do with them being Jewish and everything to do with them being multi-billionaires who really do influence the dollar, pound and yen.”

Mr Green retweeted the poem with the caption “If you love poetry, this is worth a listen.” The Bolton West MP has recently come under fire for his activity on social media.

The poem was also retweeted by the leader of the Social Democratic 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.

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Swastikas appear by River Lea in Stamford Hill while a man is charged by police over spate of antisemitic graffiti in Barnet

Swastikas have appeared by the River Lea in the North London neighbourhood of Stamford Hill.

The graffiti was observed this morning by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol. If you have any more information, please contact the Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123.

Meanwhile, in Barnet, a man has been charged with 18 counts of racially or religiously aggravated criminal damage in connection with multiple incidents of antisemitic graffiti on bus stops in the borough between February and July 2019.

Nicholas Lalchan, 47, is due to appear at Willesden Magistrates’ Court on 21st July.

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.

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Premier League and footballers peel away from support of Black Lives Matter after CAA confronts activists over antisemitic and violent statements

The Premier League and various footballers and commentators have begun withdrawing support from Black Lives Matter (BLM) after Campaign Against Antisemitism exposed antisemitism within the movement.

The Premier League reportedly said in a statement it was “aware of the risk posed by groups that seek to hijack popular causes to promote their own political views” and that “these actions are entirely unwelcome and are rejected,” it added. The statement came after the ‘official’ Black Lives Matter movement Twitter account published an antisemitic tweet accusing Zionism of having “gagged” Britain, among other extreme views espoused by organs of the movement.

On Sky Sports, pundits and commentators Patrice Evra, Jamie Redknapp, Gary Neville and Kelly Cates all opted to stop wearing BLM badges in coverage this week. Matt Le Tissier had already revealed that he had worn the badge because studio executives had required him to do so and that he is reviewing the matter.

The developments came after Gary Lineker distanced himself from the Black Lives Matter movement. The footballer-turned-celebrity was asked by actor Laurence Fox on Twitter as to his views on the Black Lives Matter movement following the controversy this weekend, and he responded: “Why do you ask? I didn’t retweet it and wouldn’t dream of doing so, therefore I can’t really understand what your issue is.”

Other sportsmen are also understood to be reconsidering their support for the movement following numerous controversies, distinguishing between their strongly-felt opposition to racism against the black community and their disenchantment with the Black Lives Matter movement itself.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “We are not surprised that the antisemitic outbursts and revelations of other extremist views from within the BLM movement are causing those who had lent their support to distance themselves. All decent people oppose racism, which is why seeing anti-Jewish racism emerging from within the movement against anti-black racism has been an ugly sight. Prejudice cannot be beaten with more prejudice.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism called out the verified ‘@UKBLM’ Twitter account for its antisemitic tweets over the weekend.

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Man drives past Jews outside prominent synagogue in Jewish area and shouts “Hitler”

A man driving past a prominent synagogue in a Jewish area was heard shouting “Hitler” at the Jews gathered outside.

The incident took place on 29th June outside Hagers synagogue just off Golders Green Road in North London, and was reported by Shomrim North West London, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.

Witnesses should contact Campaign Against Antisemitism.

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.

Image credit: Google

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Black Lives Matter Movement condemns “antisemitism slurs” against the separate entity, BLM UK, which claimed that Zionism “gagged” Britain

The Black Lives Matter Movement has condemned “antisemitism slurs” directed at BLM UK, a separate entity which claimed that Zionism “gagged” Britain.

Campaign Against Antisemitism criticised BLM UK, an entity of unknown provenance that exists only on Twitter and GoFundMe, after it claimed that “British politics is gagged of the right to critique Zionism” following the dismissal of Rebecca Long-Bailey from the Shadow Cabinet for sharing an article that contained the antisemitic trope that Israel is somehow to blame for the racist killing of George Floyd.

Now the Black Lives Matter Movement, which describes itself as having been “formed in London in 2016 and is not affiliated to BLMUK,” published an article on its website titled “BLMUK, Palestine and media antisemitism slurs”, which insisted that the Black Lives Matter Movement “support[s] the struggle against racism in all its forms” including antisemitism, called for action against racism against black women MPs in the Labour Party (with reference to a controversial internal leaked report), and called the criticism of BLM UK a “witch hunt” which “weakens the fight against all forms of racism” and that this is “the aim of much of the media and the right in this country”.

It was not clear why standing up to antisemitism by BLM UK could “weaken the fight against all forms of racism”.

Following the exposure of antisemitism in the Black Lives Matter movement by Campaign Against Antisemitism, there has been a considerable withdrawal of support from the movement by mainstream society and celebrities who nonetheless rightly maintain an abhorrence of racism toward the black community.

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Divisive Corbyn aide Seumas Milne and Labour’s controversial complaints chief Thomas Gardiner reportedly both leave after years at centre of antisemitism crisis

Seumas Milne, Jeremy Corbyn’s divisive senior aide, and Thomas Gardiner, Labour’s Director of Governance and Legal Affairs, have both quit their employment with the Party.

Mr Milne, who has a record of espousing extreme political views, served as Executive Director of Strategy and Communications under Jeremy Corbyn. As a political appointee, his departure following the election of Sir Keir Starmer as Leader of the Party was widely considered inevitable.

Thomas Gardiner’s role in Labour Headquarters involved overseeing the catastrophic complaints process, and became known for his decision that a meme showing an alien crustacean with a Star of David emblazoned on its back sucking the life out of the Statue of Liberty was somehow not antisemitic.

Mr Gardiner’s departure represents the next stage of the clearout of controversial Labour staff by the new General-Secretary, David Evans, who replaced Corbyn ally Jennie Formby.

Mr Gardiner is being replaced by Alex Barros-Curtis, an aide of Sir Keir, on a temporary basis.

While the removal of tainted staff is a welcome development, the promised independent disciplinary process has yet to materialise.

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.

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.

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Piers Morgan does not respond to request for comment over historic photograph of him wearing Nazi uniform at costume party

The television personality and journalist Piers Morgan has not responded to comment regarding a historic photograph of him wearing a Nazi uniform at a costume party.

The photograph has been made exclusively available to Campaign Against Antisemitism by Guido Fawkes.

We have been told that the photograph was taken at a costume party about 30 years ago, at which Mr Morgan was heard saying “Heil Hitler!” and seen goose-stepping.

We wrote to Mr Morgan to advise that, while we do not imagine that he is an admirer of the Nazis and we recognise that he was very young at the time, nevertheless it did not appear to be an appropriate way to behave.

However, Mr Morgan has not responded. He has in the past demanded explanations and apologies from celebrities and politicians for their past conduct, however he seems not to apply the same rules to himself.

Image credit: Guido Fawkes

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After CAA exposes journalist’s record of inflammatory social media posts he is no longer featured as writer at online magazine for teenagers

Just days after Campaign Against Antisemitism exposed a journalist’s record of inflammatory social media posts, he is no longer featured as a writer at the online magazine for teenagers.

Toby Maxtone-Smith, who worked at The Day, responded to a report about antisemitic Chelsea fans performing Nazi salutes, singing about ‘Yids’ and imitating a gas chamber by complaining on Twitter about “snide journos [journalists] desperate to make a quick buck ruining someone’s life for behaving like a d***head while pissed”.

He also made jokes about foreskins and claimed that the reason the Labour Party’s antisemitism scandal was covered by the media supposedly to an extent greater than Jeremy Corbyn’s vote against the Falklands War was because “Jews are over-represented among the kind of people journalists know. The media is very bad at checking its own biases.”

Mr Maxtone-Smith has made further worrying comments on a different Twitter account, and he has also made derogatory comments about Chinese people and Roma, as well as women.

After Campaign Against Antisemitism exposed his record, he no longer features on the masthead of the online magazine.

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Gary Lineker distances himself from BLM after it publishes antisemitic tweet

Gary Lineker has distanced himself from the Black Lives Matter movement after it published an antisemitic tweet accusing Zionism of having “gagged” Britain.

The footballer-turned-celebrity was asked by actor Laurence Fox on Twitter as to his views on the Black Lives Matter movement following the controversy this weekend, and he responded: “Why do you ask? I didn’t retweet it and wouldn’t dream of doing so, therefore I can’t really understand what your issue is.”

Meanwhile on Sky Sports, pundit Matt Le Tissier revealed that studio executives had required him to wear a badge supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and that he is reviewing doing so, while other sportsmen are also reconsidering their support for the movement following numerous controversies, distinguishing between their strongly-felt opposition to racism against the black community and their disenchantment with the Black Lives Matter movement itself.

Campaign Against Antisemitism called out the verified ‘@UKBLM’ Twitter account for its antisemitic tweets over the weekend.

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Facebook under pressure from advertisers to act against hate speech online

Facebook is under pressure from advertisers to act against hate speech on its platform, as part of a “Stop Hate for Profit” campaign.

Major brands are suspending their advertisements on Facebook in an effort to force the tech behemoth to address proliferating hate speech.

Among the brands who have joined the campaign are Coca Cola, Unilever, Verizon and Honda US.

However, concerns have been raised as to double standards regarding which hate speech is rightly banned from social media platforms and which hate speech, wrongly, is not banned. For example, the broadcaster Maajid Nawaz has observed that antisemitism – particularly when it emanates from the far-left, Islamist terrorist groups and minority users like Louis Farrakhan – is given a free ride.

Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “Withdrawing advertising revenue from online platforms works. It forces them to stop finding excuses and change their behaviour — we have been doing this for years; for example we just forced Urban Dictionary to remove an abhorrent antisemitic term of abuse. Tech platforms already successfully prevent the posting of certain types of content such as copyright works and child pornography. The failure to address the proliferating antisemitic and racist content on Facebook is therefore a failure of willpower. Vile antisemitic content on these platforms is not hard to find and it is a reason that the far-left, Islamist groups and the far-right, are so able not only to intimidate Jewish users but also incite the kind of violence that has left a trail of bodies in the real world, from Pittsburgh to Poway.”

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.

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Oxford branch of Black Lives Matter apologises for promoting event using antisemitic mural that Jeremy Corbyn defended

The Oxford branch of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has apologised for using the antisemitic ‘Freedom of Humanity’ mural as a cover photo for a Facebook event.

The mural originally appeared in East London in October 2012 after an outcry. In 2018 then-Leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, was discovered to have defended the mural, which featured apparently-Jewish bankers beneath a pyramid often used by conspiracy theorists playing Monopoly on a board carried by straining, oppressed workers, several of whom had dark or black skin.

After a local councillor criticised the advertisement, Oxford BLM issued an apology, saying that the matter was “deeply concerning and the person who used the image is deeply sorry. We absolutely do not condone the image used and have since removed it. We will use this time to learn from their mistakes and ensure every person who attends our events feels safe. We stand resolutely against antisemitism, and see our struggles for liberation as interconnected.”

The mural has recently been promoted without apology by the American rapper Ice Cube, also in connection with the Black Lives Matter movement. It is inexcusable to sully the noble cause of fighting anti-black racism by using expressions of anti-Jewish racism. Racism cannot be combated by recourse to other forms of racism.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “The use of a blatantly antisemitic mural – which has even been in the news in recent years due to Jeremy Corbyn’s defence of it – to promote an event is unacceptable, and we are pleased that the Oxford chapter of the BLM movement removed it within a few hours and issued an apology promising to learn from the mistake. It is regrettable that the national BLM movement did not show similar contrition when it tweeted that Zionism ‘gagged’ Britain yesterday. BLM should aspire to be a movement against racism that unifies people and achieves lasting change, not a movement that spreads hatred and achieves lasting division. You cannot fight prejudice with prejudice.”

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CAA urges BBC to ban Maxine Peake until she makes amends for promoting antisemitic conspiracy theory

Campaign Against Antisemitism has called on the BBC to ban Maxine Peake for appearances on its television and radio platforms until she makes amends for promoting an antisemitic conspiracy theory.

Ms Peake is reported in The Independent to have said: “The tactics used by the police in America, kneeling on George Floyd’s neck, that was learnt from seminars with Israeli secret services.” Rebecca Long-Bailey MP subsequently shared the article and was consequently sacked from the Shadow Cabinet.

Ms Peake subsequently said for promoting the notion that Israel is to blame for the racist killing of George Floyd, saying: “I feel it’s important for me to clarify that, when talking to The Independent, I was inaccurate in my assumption of American Police training & its sources. I find racism & antisemitism abhorrent & I in no way wished, nor intended, to add fodder to any views of the contrary.”

However, Ms Peake did not apologise.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Sir Keir Starmer has shown leadership by sacking a senior frontbencher for sharing Maxine Peake’s antisemitic conspiracy theory. The BBC should follow suit and end its work with Maxine Peake until she formally apologises for promoting an antisemitic trope and agrees to undertake antisemitism training. Her mealy-mouthed ‘clarification’ is not enough. If the BBC fails to act after having taken strong action against some of its own presenters for racial comments against other minorities, the public will rightly conclude that it has a double standard when it comes to antisemitism.”

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Labour’s Nia Griffith says defenders of Rebecca Long-Bailey are guilty of antisemitism while Claudia Webbe won’t say whether the conspiracy theory was antisemitic or not

Labour’s Nia Griffith has said that defenders of Rebecca Long-Bailey are guilty of antisemitism while her colleague, Claudia Webbe, has refused to say whether she believes that the conspiracy theory publicised by Ms Long-Bailey was antisemitic or not.

Ms Long-Bailey was sacked from the Shadow Cabinet last week for sharing an article in The Independent in which the actress Maxine Peake promoted an antisemitic conspiracy theory that Israel was somehow to blame for the racist killing of George Floyd. Far-left factions of the Labour Party, including MPs have rallied to Ms Long-Bailey’s defence.

Ms Griffith, the Shadow Welsh Secretary, when asked whether MPs who supported Ms Long-Bailey were themselves guilty of antisemitism, replied: “Well I think they are and I think they’re also in danger of going backwards and going back over old arguments and old mistakes because what we need now is clear, decisive action to make sure that we root out antisemitism in the party.”

Among those defending Ms Long-Bailey are John McDonnell, the former Shadow Chancellor who launched a petition calling for Ms Long-Bailey’s reinstatement, and other MPs such as Claudia Webbe.

Ms Webbe appeared on BBC radio and was asked whether she believed that the conspiracy theory that appeared in the article shared by Ms Long-Bailey was antisemitic but refused to answer. “Was it antisemitic or not?” the host, Emma Barnett, asked at least four times, and Ms Webbe responded that “the leader himself has said that he didn’t fire Rebecca because she did something antisemitic,” an erroneous assertion that was quickly corrected by Ms Barnett. Ms Webbe refused to be drawn on whether the conspiracy theory was antisemitic, saying only “I’ve given you my answer,” “you’re not actually going to get any further from me” and “the conspiracy theory is wrong. Of course it’s wrong…I do know that it is a conspiracy theory absolutely.”

Ken Livingstone, who was suspended from Labour for comments about Hitler and Zionism, has also maintained, even following Ms Long-Bailey’s dismissal, that there is no antisemitism problem in the Party. Ms Webbe used to serve as a full-time advisor to Mr Livingstone.

The Socialist Campaign Group of councillors has also published a statement in support of Ms Long-Bailey, declaring: “It is not racist to criticise the repressive actions of states nor to point out the links between repressive authorities.” Incredibly the signatories have still not grasped why the conspiracy theory is antisemitic, but perhaps that is not surprising given one of their number – Cllr Jo Bird – has joked in the past about “Jew process” and has twice been suspended from the Labour Party. It is understood that senior trade unionists have also expressed support for Ms Long-Bailey.

Former leader and current Shadow Minister Ed Miliband insisted that those defending Ms Long-Bailey would not face disciplinary action.

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.

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.

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CAA calls out bigoted claim by Black Lives Matter UK that “Zionism” has “gagged” Britain

Campaign Against Antisemitism has called out the UK chapter of Black Lives Matter (BLM) today after it claimed that “Zionism” has “gagged” Britain.

BLM’s official UK account tweeted this morning: “As Israel moves forward with the annexation of the West Bank, and mainstream British politics is gagged of the right to critique Zionism, and Israel’s settler colonial pursuits, we loudly and clearly stand beside our Palestinian comrades. Free Palestine.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism responded: “The Black Lives Matter movement should embrace solidarity from Jews. There have been calls for violence against us from prominent BLM supporters with no official condemnation. Now from the official UK BLM account, we hear the lie that fighting antisemitism has ‘gagged’ legitimate debate.

“Zionism is the movement for the self-determination of Jews. The right to the ‘self-determination of peoples’ is universal and enshrined in Article 1 of the UN charter. So-called ‘anti-Zionism’ exclusively denies Jews that universal right and is therefore antisemitic.

“BLM should aspire to be a movement against racism that unifies people and achieves lasting change, not a movement that spreads hatred and achieves lasting division.

“Educate yourselves. You cannot fight prejudice with prejudice.”

As social media swiftly divided amongst those who firmly backed BLM and those who were appalled by their bigotry, BLM chose to entrench its position, issuing further tweets that ‘gaslight’ Jews and seek to redefine what antisemitism is.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has continued throughout the day to expose and explain their bigotry.

The far-right attacks the Jews for not being white enough and the far-left attacks the Jews for being too white.

BLM is treading a well-worn path walked by many extremists and abhorred by real civil rights leaders like Dr Martin Luther King Jr, who once told a student in Boston who had made a comment attacking ‘Zionists’: “When people criticise ‘Zionists’, they mean ‘Jews’. You’re talking antisemitism!”

This is not the first time that Campaign Against Antisemitism has had to contend with prejudice from supposed anti-racists, and no matter where the hatred comes from, we will always do whatever it takes to defend British Jews. It is why we are here.

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CAA calls on Sir Keir Starmer to discipline Jeremy Corbyn and group of far-left Labour MPs demanding reinstatement of Rebecca Long-Bailey despite her sharing antisemitic conspiracy theory

Labour’s far-left Socialist Campaign Group of MPs met with Sir Keir Starmer today to express their opposition to the sacking of Rebecca Long-Bailey from the Shadow Cabinet after she shared an article containing an antisemitic trope baselessly linking Israel to the killing of George Floyd. Not only did they call for Ms Long-Bailey’s punishment to be reversed, showing that they have learned nothing from this scandal, but they also revealed the extent of their obsession by then managing to spend the rest of the meeting discussing Israel.

Ms Long-Bailey was sacked for sharing an article in which the actress Maxine Peake claimed that Israel was to blame for the killing of Mr Floyd. Ms Peake is reported in The Independent to have said: “The tactics used by the police in America, kneeling on George Floyd’s neck, that was learnt from seminars with Israeli secret services.” This is an antisemitic conspiracy theory, as it needlessly and baselessly injects the Jewish state into a matter that has nothing to do with it. Even Ms Peake was forced to admit it was untrue.

Numerous far-left outriders and MPs have tried to claim that casting the trope as antisemitic is to silence criticism of Israeli policy, despite there being no grounds at all for the conspiracy theory that kneeling on people’s necks is an innovation of the Jewish state.

Jeremy Corbyn, the former Leader of the Labour Party, apparently urged Sir Keir in the meeting to take a tough line on Israeli policy and to meet the antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation, Jewish Voice for Labour, presumably in the hope that the group might persuade Sir Keir, contrary to the view of the mainstream Jewish community and elementary logic, that the conspiracy theory is not antisemitic.

It is extraordinary – but wholly unsurprising – that a meeting precipitated by the offensive injection of Israel into an unrelated matter is devoted to discussion of Israel.

Other far-left MPs have also weighed in on Ms Long-Bailey’s behalf in the last two days.

John McDonnell, the former Shadow Chancellor, launched a petition to reinstate Ms Long-Bailey.

Richard Burgon, a former Shadow minister under Mr Corbyn, stated: “I don’t think she should’ve been sacked for sharing The Independent’s interview with Maxine Peake.”

John Trickett MP wondered “what has Sir Keir got against Northern socialists from working class backgrounds?” and implicitly described Ms Long-Bailey’s sacking a “provocation”.

Claudia Webbe MP complained that Labour should be more focused on calling for Cabinet ministers to be sacked.

Ian Lavery MP simply tweeted: “I support @RLong_Bailey.” In a video he urged Labour members to stay and “fight” the “new direction” in the Party.

Bell Ribeiro-Addy, who has herself courted controversy, said that she was “disappointed” with Ms Long-Bailey’s dismissal.

Clive Lewis chimed in as well, and so did Aspana Begum. Nadia Whittome called the departure of Ms Long-Bailey from the Shadow Cabinet a “loss for our Party”.

Zarah Sultana, a new MP with one of the longest records of Jew-baiting statements, said that she was “disappointed” at the departure of Ms Long-Bailey.

Ms Long-Bailey herself revealed that she had learned nothing from the episode, reportedly saying that she understood why the claim made by Ms Peake had caused “extreme concern” but insisted that politicians should not shy away from talking about police brutality. “There is a valid concern about police practices across the world and I don’t think that, worded in the right way, it’s racist or antisemitic to draw attention to that,” she said, apparently unwilling or unable to grasp that her words still implied that the Jewish state has something to do with police brutality in the United States of America.

Campaign Against Antisemitism calls on Sir Keir Starmer to discipline the MPs who have defended Ms Long-Bailey, at best turning a blind eye to the racism that she promoted, or in some cases disagreeing that there was anything wrong with her having done so. That they raised the matter of Israeli policy at their meeting with Sir Keir suggests the latter.

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.

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.

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Plaid Cymru now implicated in Rebecca Long-Bailey scandal as former leader Leanne Wood and local councillor in Gwynedd come to her defence

Plaid Cymru has now become implicated in the scandal around Labour’s Rebecca Long-Bailey, who shared an article containing an antisemitic trope, as the Welsh party’s former leader and one of its local councillors come to Ms Long-Bailey’s defence.

Ms Long-Bailey was sacked for sharing an article in which the actress Maxine Peake claimed that Israel was to blame for the racist killing of George Floyd, an antisemitic trope. Ms Peake is reported in The Independent to have said: “The tactics used by the police in America, kneeling on George Floyd’s neck, that was learnt from seminars with Israeli secret services.”

Ms Wood, the former Plaid Cymru leader, asked: “If criticism of Israel’s government is antisemitism, is criticism of the Saudi Arabian regime Islamophobia / racism? Need to be clear on this, as I am a critic of the leadership of both of these countries & want to be neither antisemitic nor Islaphophobic [sic].” She then tweeted an Amnesty USA article that several far-left outriders have suggested evidences the conspiracy theory that Israel is linked to the death of Mr Floyd, even though the article itself makes no such claim and Amnesty International released a statement explicitly denying any linkage between Israel the death of Mr Floyd. As we have explained, the claim of a linkage between Israel and Mr Floyd’s death have nothing to do with Israeli policy.

Ms Wood posted further tweets linking to the Amnesty International statement and a Twitter thread that helped to explain why the link is antisemitic. But she did not apologise, instead only expressing gratitude for the “context”.

Meanwhile, Steve Collings, a Plaid Cymru local councillor in Gwynedd, which is the only local authority in the country controlled by Plaid Cymru, also came to Ms Long-Bailey’s defence.

In an extended Facebook post, Mr Collings wrote: “Maxine Peake made the accusation that the Israeli apartheid state trained the US police to use the deadly tactics that were used to kill George Floyd. She said this as part of the wider point that racism is an international phenomenon which is not limited to one country or regime.” He described the evidence of such a claim as “circumstantial” and the efforts to show why the claim is antisemitic as a “counter-attack” that “focuses on proving whether or not that ‘exact’ tactic was ‘taught’, and if it wasn’t anyone drawing this connection outlined above is an antisemitic conspiracy theorist and hates Jews.”

He went on to draw an analogy equating Israel with ISIS and Hamas, two genocidal antisemitic terrorist organisations, and said that there is a double standard in how this has been reported versus how it would be reported if it involved a Muslim protagonist.

Given the inexactitude of Mr Collings’ analogy, it is difficult to understand what his ramblings achieved other than to make the offensive and antisemitic equation of the Jewish state with racist genocidal terror groups that are obsessed with the annihilation of Jews.

We are grateful to a concerned member of the public for bringing Mr Collings’ post to our attention.

This is not Plaid Cymru’s first foray into antisemitic discourse. Earlier this year a Party activist who was suspended over antisemitism was reinstated with no sanction and was due to stand as a candidate for the Party in elections for the Welsh Assembly.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Plaid Cymru will now be under pressure to act after two of its leading politicians have come to the defence of Rebecca Long-Bailey, whom Sir Keir Starmer has demonstrated has no place in his Shadow Cabinet. Plaid Cymru will have to decide if its standards are level to Labour’s or not.”

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.

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Tahir Ali signs up to International Definition of Antisemitism in the presence of the Opposition Chief Whip, leaving Labour’s Grahame Morris as sole sitting MP not to endorse it

Tahir Ali, a new Labour MP, has become the second last of all sitting MPs to sign up to the International Definition of Antisemitism, according to the All Party Group Against Antisemitism, which organised the campaign. But he reportedly only did so in the presence of the Opposition Chief Whip, which suggests the Labour Party may have placed him under significant pressure.

Mr Ali was recently discovered to have been a member of a Facebook group backing Rebecca Long-Bailey for the leadership of the Labour Party – a group replete with antisemitic material.

Mr Ali’s signature means that of all the sitting MPs only Labour’s Grahame Morris has declined to sign the Definition.

Sinn Fein’s seven MPs have also not signed up, but they do not take their seats in Parliament.

Signing up to the Definition is an important first step in tackling antisemitism, however the Definition must now be used and appropriate policies adopted and implemented by all public bodies, local authorities and universities in order to combat anti-Jewish hatred.

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.

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.

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Leader of Social Democratic Party retweets a video referencing ‘New World Order’ and the Rothschilds

The leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has retweeted a video referencing a ‘New World Order’ and the Rothschilds, two tropes commonly associated with antisemitism.

William Clouston, who became leader of the minor party in 2018, retweeted a video in which a British man reads a poem called “The Right to Hate”. The caption in the tweet that Mr Clouston retweeted said: “This man is absolutely nailed on with this. Some really powerful points in this.”

Although Mr Clauston’s Twitter biography says “RTs [retweets] are not endorsements,” in this case it is difficult to understand how it could be anything other than an endorsement as there are no other tweets providing any other explanation.

The poem is dedicated to “all those globalists out there” and criticises the “global New World Order”. The poem’s narrator also complains of being called an antisemite but insists that “the Rothschilds are the richest banking family in this world and that’s got nothing to do with them being Jewish and everything to do with them being multi-billionaires who really do influence the dollar, pound and yen.”

The video was also shared by the SDP’s official North East 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.

https://twitter.com/RyanDarloUK/status/1275750223588048897

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Why it is antisemitic to claim that Israel was to blame for the killing of George Floyd

Rebecca Long-Bailey was sacked for sharing an article in which the actress Maxine Peake claimed that Israel was to blame for the racist killing of George Floyd. Ms Peake is reported in The Independent to have said: “The tactics used by the police in America, kneeling on George Floyd’s neck, that was learnt from seminars with Israeli secret services.”

Some people are wondering why this claim is antisemitic.

The idea that American police officers learned the techniques that caused Mr Floyd’s death from their Israeli counterparts is popular on the far-left. Sometimes reference has even been made to an Amnesty USA article that some, including the rapper Lowkey, the columnist Owen Jones, Novara Media’s Aaron Bastani and the expelled Labour member and antisemite Jackie Walker, understood to be evidencing the theory. In its interview with Ms Peake, The Independent also referenced the article, but mistakenly attributed it to Amnesty International.

However, not only did the Amnesty USA article not say that American police forces had learned specific policing techniques from Israel — merely that American police train with Israeli police, as police forces across the world do — but Amnesty International released a statement explicitly denying any linkage between Israel the death of Mr Floyd, saying that “the precise nature of the training offered to US police forces by Israeli officials is not something we’ve documented. Allegations that US police were taught tactics of ‘neck kneeling’ by Israeli secret services is not something we’ve ever reported and the article in question has rightly been amended to acknowledge that.”

The architect of the bilateral training programmes between American and Israeli police forces has also rejected the theory as “not only false, but dangerous,” elaborating to say: “Despite suggestions to the contrary, there is no field training involved in either the conferences or trips, and no training on holds or arrest mechanics. The exchanges, which are hosted by the Israel National Police, focus on effective techniques in thwarting terrorism. Participants learn how Israeli law enforcement deters, disrupts, and responds to terrorist attacks. They explore the ideology of suicide bombers and other attackers, ways to de-escalate an ongoing incident, and the intelligence-gathering and -sharing process.”

The theory is, therefore, without evidence, and accordingly a conspiracy.

Conspiracy theories make people stupid, because they allow them to believe stupid ideas — in this case that the Jewish state invented kneeling on people’s necks and taught American police how it is done — and to believe those stupid ideas in the absence of evidence.

This particular conspiracy theory is antisemitic, because it observes an evil — police brutality or systemic racism in the United States — and looks to link it with Israel, in order to associate the Jews through the Jewish state with that evil. Moreover, for antisemites, associating a phenomenon with Jews not only makes Jews look bad but can also make the phenomenon itself seem worse.

The conspiracy theory has also regrettably tied into revolting claims that Jewish interests and the interests of the black community are somehow at odds or that fighting antisemitism might itself be racist against black people — claims that have repeatedly been made by far-left MPs in the Labour Party.

Some understood the condemnation of the conspiracy theory linking the death of Mr Floyd to Israel as showing that criticism of Israel is silenced by claims of antisemitism, for example by Leanne Wood, the former leader of Plaid Cymru. The Communist activist Ash Sarkar also said that the “disgraceful decision” to fire Ms Long-Bailey from the Shadow Cabinet “undermines the position the Labour Party has insisted on all along that it’s possible to criticise Israeli policy without being antisemitic. Shameful, shameful stuff.”

But the linkage of Mr Floyd’s death to Israel is not criticism of Israeli policy. It is criticism of American police brutality or systemic racism in the United States that unnecessarily — and, as we have seen, baselessly — blames the Jewish state for that evil. It has nothing to do with Israel or Israeli policy and serves only (and deliberately) to tarnish Israel by attaching it to a foreign evil entirely unrelated to it.

It is antisemitic.

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Two teenage brothers convicted for violent antisemitic beating of senior visiting rabbi last year

Two teenage brothers have been convicted for the violent antisemitic beating of a senior rabbi who was visiting the UK from Israel late last year.

The two offenders – who cannot be named for legal reasons – were said to have shouted “f*** Jews” and “dirty Jew” during the attack, which took place at approximately 21:45 on Friday 29th November as the rabbi walked along Amhurst Park in Stamford Hill. The assailants ran off laughing.

The incident took place during the Jewish Sabbath, when Orthodox Jews do not use telephones, but the incident was reported to the police and Stamford Hill Shomrim, a volunteer Jewish neighbourhood watch patrol.

The 54-year-old victim was in Stamford Hill for a wedding and was left shaken after the attack, with an injured back and a bleeding finger.

The suspects were charged in December.

The convictions for racially or religiously aggravated assault by beating were handed down at Stratford Magistrates’ Court on 25th June following a two-day hearing. Sentencing is expected on 21st July at the same venue. It is understood that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) will be applying for a longer sentence, as the attack was racially motivated.

Peter Alexandrou of the CPS, said: “This was an unprovoked and despicable act against a Jewish man who was holidaying in the UK. He was clearly targeted in this hate crime and should not have been subjected to such behaviour in our society The prosecution case included strong witness evidence and CCTV footage of the attack as well as CCTV tracking the defendants leaving the scene after the assault. I hope these convictions provide the victim with some closure and show just how seriously the CPS takes hate crime, which has a corrosive effect on our society and will be prosecuted robustly.”

A spokesman for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “This was an appalling violent attack on an innocent and eminent visitor to our country which left him not just with physical injuries but an impression of the UK that sadly our country is beginning to deserve, as attacks on Jews proliferate. The CPS is right to apply for a longer sentence, both to deliver justice for the victim and a deterrent to safeguard the Jewish community.”

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.

 

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Far-left Labour MPs and outriders defend Rebecca Long-Bailey after she is sacked for sharing antisemitic conspiracy theory even after Maxine Peake apologises for promoting it

A slew of far-left Labour MPs and outriders have come to the defence of Rebecca Long-Bailey after she was sacked for sharing an article in The Independent in which the actress Maxine Peake promoted an antisemitic conspiracy theory.

Ms Peake has apologised for promoting the notion that Israel is to blame for the racist killing of George Floyd, saying: “I feel it’s important for me to clarify that, when talking to The Independent, I was inaccurate in my assumption of American Police training & its sources. I find racism & antisemitism abhorrent & I in no way wished, nor intended, to add fodder to any views of the contrary.”

Sir Keir Starmer has been widely praised for dismissing Ms Long-Bailey, who has a long record of upsetting the Jewish community. (Kate Osborne also shared the article approvingly but subsequently deleted her tweet, which Ms Long-Bailey did not do.)

Nevertheless, several of his MPs have rallied to her defence, including John McDonnell, the former Shadow Chancellor, who denied that the conspiracy is antisemitic and said “I stand in solidarity with her”.

Richard Burgon, a former Shadow minister under Mr Corbyn, stated: “I don’t think she should’ve been sacked for sharing The Independent’s interview with Maxine Peake.”

John Trickett MP wondered “what has Sir Keir got against Northern socialists from working class backgrounds?”

Claudia Webbe MP complained that Labour should be more focused on calling for Cabinet ministers to be sacked, while Ian Lavery MP simply tweeted: “I support @RLong_Bailey.”

Meanwhile, the Socialist Campaign Group of far-left Labour MPs reportedly requested a meeting with Sir Keir about the dismissal of Ms Long-Bailey but the leader’s office declined. It is understood that the Group may be preparing a statement of solidarity.

Momentum, the pro-Corbyn pressure group, accused Sir Keir of a “reckless overreaction” and said “we stand in full solidarity with @RLong_Bailey”, while Manchester Momentum called the dismissal “shameful” and “spineless” and said it presented “any excuse they can get to purge socialists.”

Jon Lansman, a founder of Momentum who is also Jewish, said that he retweeted Ms Long-Bailey’s original tweet approving of the article and had done so – rather astonishingly – “in a break in a Labour Party antisemitism panel”, and denied that there was anything antisemitic about it. He went on to say: “Rebecca is every bit as committed to ending antisemitism in the Labour Party as I am.” Given that he had retweeted her offensive tweet during an antisemitism panel, it would appear that he is indeed as committed to ending antisemitism in Labour as she is, just not in the way he might have you think.

Matt Wracke of the Fire Brigades Union reportedly called the dismissal “hugely disappointing” and “factional”.

Others also came to Ms Long-Bailey’s defence. Owen Jones called the dismissal “an absurd overreaction” but agreed that the conspiracy theory tying Israel to the racist killing of Mr Floyd was not right and even called on The Independent to apologise for printing it, as Campaign Against Antisemitism has also done.

Others were less nuanced. Ash Sarkar called the dismissal an “utterly disgraceful decision” saying “It undermines the position the Labour Party has insisted on all along that it’s possible to criticise Israeli policy without being antisemitic. Shameful, shameful stuff.”

Aaron Bastani of the far-left Novara Media posted several tweets on the matter, saying that the dismissal was “clear absurd” and accused the Labour Party of a “double standard”.

Asa Winstanley, a former Labour member who quit the Party after being suspended pending an investigation, tweeted repeatedly on the topic, endorsing the conspiracy theory and calling accusations of antisemitism a “smear” and referencing “Labour’s manufactured antisemitism crisis”.

Kerry-Ann Mendoza, editor of The Canary, a controversial hard-left blog under investigation by the Government’s Independent Advisor on Antisemitism, who recently used violent language against Jewish anti-racism campaigners, called the episode a “witchhunt”, endorsed the conspiracy theory and tweeted further  on the matter.

Jackie Walker, the antisemite who was expelled from the Labour Party, also chimed in.

Matt Zarb Cousin, the former spokesman for Mr Corbyn, complained that Labour should have been more focused on criticising the Government and said that he is “staying in the party with Rebecca Long-Bailey”. He also slammed the reaction to Ms Long-Bailey’s tweet.

Andrew Fisher, a former policy adviser to Mr Corbyn, also described the dismissal as a “massive overreaction”.

Laura Alvarez, Mr Corbyn’s activist wife, said “I support RLB because she defends human rights”.

Other prominent activists also opined. Michael Walker called Sir Keir’s actions today “pretty snake-y”, while Rachel Shabi said: “Sacking Rebecca Long Bailey isn’t an example of ‘zero tolerance’ on antisemitism. It’s a sign of getting it wrong, over-reacting and setting a bad precedent.”

The far-left fringe group Jewdas criticised mainstream Jewish communal organisations for welcoming Sir Keir’s dismissal of Ms Long-Bailey, while the activist Barnaby Raine implicitly endorsed the conspiracy theory, saying: “Imagine caring so little about Jews that you casually equate opposition to global police violence with hating us, just so you have an excuse to sack an old political opponent.”

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.

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.

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The Independent reports on its own “story containing antisemitic conspiracy theory” after Rebecca Long-Bailey is sacked for sharing it, but the newspaper does not apologise for publishing it in the first place

The Independent online newspaper has reported that “Rebecca Long-Bailey has been sacked from the shadow cabinet after she shared an article containing an antisemitic conspiracy theory” but has not apologised for publishing the article in the first place.

The article was an interview with the actress Maxine Peake, in which she conspiratorially suggested that Israel was to blame for the racist killing of George Floyd.

After Rebecca Long-Bailey shared the tweat and reportedly refused to take it down (offering only a clarification), Sir Keir Starmer dismissed her as Shadow Education Secretary.

The Independent has now reported on the dismissal brought about by its article, but disgracefully has not itself apologised for publishing the offensive material in the first place.

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CAA applauds Sir Keir Starmer for sacking Rebecca Long-Bailey over antisemitic conspiracy theory as he appears to shifts up a gear in fight against antisemitism in Labour

Sir Keir Starmer has sacked Rebecca Long-Bailey for sharing an antisemitic conspiracy theory and appears to have shifted up a gear in his promise to “tear [antisemitism] out by its roots” in his Party.

The Labour leader removed his Shadow Education Secretary today after she earlier tweeted an endorsement of an offensive interview by the actress Maxine Peake, who claimed that Israel was to blame for the racist killing of George Floyd.

Ms Long-Bailey approvingly retweeted the article and subsequently clarified that earlier tweet, but without deleting it or condemning the trope.

Gideon Falter, Chief Executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “We have been critical of Sir Keir Starmer’s early handling of incidents within the Labour Party and the fact that he has not yet announced a timetable for reforming the Party’s broken disciplinary process.

“His swift and firm action in this case appears to indicate that he is taking our comments on board and has shifted up a gear. Sir Keir’s decision to sack Rebecca Long-Bailey for retweeting an antisemitic conspiracy theory sends a clear message to those in the Labour Party’s ranks who still think that antisemitism is a grey area.

“We were disconcerted that one of Sir Keir’s first moves was to appoint her to his Shadow Cabinet given her long history of denying the extent of antisemitism in the Labour Party, but he has put that right today. We now expect that Ms Long-Bailey will be the subject of disciplinary proceedings under an overhauled system which must be fair, transparent and efficient.”

A spokesperson for the Labour Party said: “This afternoon Keir Starmer asked Rebecca Long-Bailey to step down from the shadow cabinet. The article Rebecca shared earlier today contained an antisemitic conspiracy theory. As Leader of the Labour Party, Keir has been clear that restoring trust with the Jewish community is a number one priority. Antisemitism takes many different forms and it is important that we all are vigilant against it.”

Ms Long-Bailey has a record of denying the extent of antisemitism within the Labour Party and resisting attempts to fight it, including having:

  • Defended Jeremy Corbyn over the gushing foreword he wrote to a reissue of J.A. Hobson’s 1902 work, Imperialism: A Study, in which the author cast the blame for great wars on the Rothschild family, which was once predominantly Jewish, and their supposed control of the media — Mr Corbyn described the book as “correct and prescient”;
  • Voted against Labour’s adoption of the International Definition of Antisemitism, and backed the infamous ‘code’ that the Party proposed as an alternative;
  • Supported Jeremy Corbyn, an antisemite whose leadership she rated as “ten out of ten”, at every point;
  • Claimed to have never heard of the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions movement, whose tactics an overwhelming majority of Jews find intimidating;
  • Lied to the Jewish community by promising  to join Labour Friends of Israel and then failing to do so; and
  • Given an interview to the far-left website, The Canary, which is under investigation by the Government’s Independent Advisor on Antisemitism.

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.

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.

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Actress Maxine Peake’s conspiratorial views have no place in decent society, but Labour MPs Rebecca Long-Bailey and Kate Osborne endorsed them before retracting

The actress Maxine Peake’s conspiratorial view that Israel is somehow to blame for the racist killing of George Floyd has no place in decent society.

In an interview with The Independent, Ms Peake claimed that “The tactics used by the police in America, kneeling on George Floyd’s neck, that was learnt from seminars with Israeli secret services.”

The Independent clarified that “Though a spokesperson for the Israeli police has denied this, a 2016 Amnesty International report said that hundreds of law enforcement officials had travelled to Israel for training.” The conspiracy theory that such training has any connection to physical policing techniques has been thoroughly debunked but is still popular on the far-left.

Ms Peake also suggested that those who did not vote for Jeremy Corbyn “should hang their heads in shame”. Given Ms Peake purported to be concerned about “fascism”, she might have consulted with the Jewish community, which learned too well the effects of that ideology, and were terrified at the prospect of Mr Corbyn, an antisemite, becoming Prime Minister.

At least two Labour MPs tweeted the interview approvingly. The Shadow Education Secretary, Rebecca Long-Bailey, said that “Maxine Peake is an absolute diamond”, but later retracted her endorsement in a subsequent tweet, saying: “I retweeted Maxine Peake’s article because of her significant achievements and because the thrust of her argument is to stay in the Labour Party. It wasn’t intended to be an endorsement of all aspects of the article.”

Kate Osborne MP also tweeted that she was “finding it hard to disagree with the fantastic Maxine Peake”, before deleting the tweet.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Maxine Peake’s disgraceful promotion of a conspiracy theory tying Israel to the racist killing of George Floyd is unacceptable. Moreover, her attempt to shame those who felt threatened by the prospect of Jeremy Corbyn, an antisemite, becoming Prime Minister, is also outrageous. It is regrettable that Rebecca Long-Bailey and another Labour MP retweeted the interview but it is to their credit that they later clarified or deleted their tweets, recognising, however belatedly, that Ms Peake’s views have no place in decent society.”​

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.

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.

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Concerns raised over swastika graffiti in Newcastle park

Concerns have been raised over reports of swastika graffiti in a Newcastle park.

The graffiti sprayed at the popular Newcastle beauty spot Jesmond Dene was also found to have spread coronavirus-related conspiracy theories.

One image depicted the words “NWO” – a reference to the “new world order” conspiracy theory – alongside a swastika inside of a triangle, often used to refer to the ‘Illuminati’, another common antisemitic trope.

Anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination networks have become known as hotbeds of antisemitic conspiracy theories and tropes.

Image credit: Google

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“F*** Zionist lies” graffiti in Fish Island to be investigated and removed by Tower Hamlets following CAA intervention

“F*** Zionist lies” was spray-painted earlier this month in Fish Island and Tower Hamlets will now be investigating and removing the graffiti following an intervention by Campaign Against Antisemitism.

The graffiti by Old Ford Lock and Dace Road in Stratford in East London was noticed by a concerned member of the public, who alerted Campaign Against Antisemitism, which has been in contact with the local authority to have the vandalism removed.

We are grateful to members of the public for reporting antisemitic incidents to us, and if anyone has any further information, please contact us at [email protected].

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.

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Vandals spray “Nazi” and Antifa symbol on statue of Nancy Astor in Plymouth

The statue of Nancy Astor in Plymouth has apparently been spray-painted with the word “Nazi” and a circle with three arrows, an Antifa symbol.

Lady Astor was the first female to take a seat in the House of Commons, and a crowdfunded statue was unveiled last November outside Lady Astor’s home by former Prime Minister Theresa May to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Lady Astor’s election.

While Lady Astor was a trailblazer for women’s rights and participation in politics, as well as other reforms, she also held deeply intolerant opinions, including antisemitic views, for example reportedly telling a Jewish MP that “only a Jew like you would dare to be rude to me.” She was also a supporter of appeasement and is said to have indicated sympathy for the Nazis prior to the Second World War.

The vandalism comes at a time of scrutiny of historical monuments and statues, particularly of those believed to have held racist views or profited from racist practices or businesses.

At the time of the unveiling of the statue of Lady Astor, a spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Nancy Astor was a trailblazer for women in politics, and in that respect it is fitting that her statue was unveiled by our second woman Prime Minister. However, Lady Astor also held appalling views on Jews and Nazi Germany. Therefore it is vital that context should be provided for passersby about not only her achievements but also her virulent antisemitism. Hopefully that will serve as a lesson that in our time we must not sacrifice our solidarity with a minority community for other priorities, however worthwhile.”

Image credit: Thomas Godwin

https://twitter.com/Tom_Godwin/status/1275469623543169026

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UPS fires deliveryman who described a customer’s change jar as a “Jew pot”

UPS, the global delivery firm, has fired a deliveryman who described a customer’s change jar as a “Jew pot”.

The incident took place last week in Essex, when the deliveryman arrived at the home of a Jewish family. The victim answered the door and offered payment with her credit card but was declined because the deliveryman did not have a card reader.

The victim returned to the door with a clear plastic container of cash which she kept for such purposes. The deliveryman reportedly leaned in and said “Here we go”, then noticed the jar and asked, “Is that your Jew pot?”

It is a common antisemitic trope that Jews are miserly and hoard money.

The victim said nothing to the deliveryman but reported feeling vulnerable and scared, and reported the matter to the police. It was unclear whether the deliveryman had noticed the mezuzah on the door and therefore recognised the home as belonging to a Jewish family or believed he was making the antisemitic remark to a non-Jewish customer.

The police took the complaint seriously and reported it to UPS, and it is understood that UPS has now terminated the deliveryman’s employment.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “We are pleased to have assisted in this matter, in which a deliveryman made a gratuitous and repulsive antisemitic joke, knowingly or otherwise, to a Jewish customer. We are grateful to the police for acting and applaud UPS for its swift and decisive action in terminating his employment. Antisemitism has no place in a business context or anywhere else, and UPS has sent the right message to its staff and industry that bigotry 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.

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After publishing xenophobic article and then wishing antisemite Gilad Atzmon ‘happy birthday’, The Guardian will now host interview with Ken Loach

After publishing a xenophobic article and then wishing the antisemitic saxophonist Gilad Atzmon ‘happy birthday’, The Guardian is now reportedly due to host an interview with Ken Loach.

The controversial director and outspoken Jeremy Corbyn enthusiast will be in conversation with critic Peter Bradshaw in an hour-long online event covering his career and reflections on contemporary Britain.

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.

Once again, The Guardian has shown that it is much more sensitive to some types of racism than others.

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Roger Waters says American leaders are puppets of a Jewish billionaire, Israel teaches America how to “murder the blacks” and Zionism needs to be “removed”

Roger Waters has said that American leaders are puppets of a Jewish billionaire, that Israel teaches America how to “murder the blacks” and that Zionism needs to be “removed”.

The former Pink Floyd star, who has a long history of inflammatory comments about Jews, made the comments in an interview with an Arab news channel shortly after the racist killing of George Floyd.

The interview nodded and expressed agreement with Mr Waters’ conspiratorial accusations throughout the exchange.

In a mindless and offensive rant, Mr Waters said that Sheldon Adelson, a wealthy Jewish philanthropist and political donor in the United States, “is the puppet master pulling all the strings” who “believes that only Jews are completely human” and “everybody on earth is there to serve them [the Jews]”. Mr Waters concluded that “this is a crazy, crazy, crazy guy.”

Mr Waters then turned to other topics, saying: “The murder of George Floyd…was done with a technique designed by the IDF.” He further promoted this popular antisemitic trope by explaining that “the Israelis invented ‘let’s kill people by kneeling on their necks’…that is an Israeli technique taught to the militarised police forces in the United States of America by Israeli experts whom the Americans have been flying over to the United States to teach them how to murder the blacks, because they’ve seen how efficient the Israelis are”. He added that “the Israelis are proud of it!”

Mr Waters concluded by saying that Zionism, which is the basic right of Jews to self-determine, is “an ugly stain and it needs to be gently removed by us”.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “It is ironic that Roger Waters should be accusing others of being ‘crazy’ given his habit of promoting mindless and dangerous conspiracy theories. His claim that America’s leaders are in the pocket of a wealthy Jewish philanthropist, that Jews believe that non-Jews are subhuman, that Israel is to blame for the racist killing of George Floyd and teach America how ‘to murder black people’, and that Zionism – the basic right of Jews to self-determine – needs to be ‘removed’, speak to his deranged and obsessive views. At a time when the world is showing solidarity against prejudice, Waters is disgracefully sowing hatred.”

Image credit: MEMRI

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CAA assisting Jewish man called “dirty Jew” and beaten black and blue, only to have police ignore his case

A Jewish man in Burnley was attacked by three assailants who called him a “dirty Jew” and told the British native to “go back to your own country”.  They physically attacked him, leaving him with numerous injuries to his face including a black eye.

The next day, the victim saw one of the assailants who mocked his injuries and threatened that “next time I’ll do worse”.

The incident took place in Burnley in March, but the police response, promising at first, turned out to be woefully inadequate.

Six weeks of calls by the man and his family to Lancashire Police eventually elicited some action, but the matter has since stalled.

The man then turned to Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is now providing assistance.

The victim said: “The police plaster ‘say no to hate crime’ on their cars but they’ve thrown my case in the trash. I feel that because I live in Burnley and not a Jewish community they don’t care and this has made me lose all my trust in the Police force now, which seems to pick and choose which hate crimes it wants to deal with. This has caused me great distress and has me worried about wearing my kippah proudly outside in case of other attacks.”

Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “We are assisting a victim of violent antisemitic crime who was left with a black eye and is now understandably concerned to leave his home wearing any distinguishing Jewish garb or symbol. Not only is this an unacceptable state of affairs in 2020 Britain, but the response by the police to his report has been pitiful. Like many other victims of antisemitism, he has turned to Campaign Against Antisemitism for assistance in dealing with the authorities, and we shall not rest until he has justice.”

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.

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Birmingham University’s Prof. Rebecca Gould seems to identify as Jewish only when criticising efforts to fight antisemitism

A professor at the University of Birmingham is on record claiming both that she is Jewish and also that she is not Jewish.

Prof. Rebecca Gould, who previously taught at the University of Bristol, was one of numerous signatories to a letter calling on the German Government not to equate the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement with antisemitism. The signatories to the May 2019 letter all described themselves as “Jewish and Israeli scholars”.

Meanwhile, in a 2019 academic article titled ‘The Palestine Exception to Academic Freedom’, which she co-authored with fellow academic Malaka Shwaikh, Prof. Gould said: “I am not Jewish according to any widely accepted definition”.

Prof. Gould went on in that article to explain: “On my father’s side, I am of Jewish descent. My father’s ancestors were born in Lodz, in what was then the Pale of Settlement within the Russian empire and is now a part of Poland. They migrated to Australia in the nineteenth century, in search of new opportunities, before arriving in the US, where they became perfect capitalists, converted to Catholicism, and changed their name from the Jewish Goldstein to the gentile Gould to improve their economic prospects. Such is the extent of my ancestral link to Judaism.”

The discrepancy in Prof. Gould’s biography was brought to the attention of Campaign Against Antisemitism by a concerned member of the academic community. Prof. Gould has not responded to our request for comment.

Prof. Gould is apparently prepared to identify herself as Jewish in order to try to lend authority to a matter that impacts the Jewish community (an overwhelming majority of British Jews, for example, feel intimidated by tactics used to boycott Israel) but is much less certain of her Jewish identity on other occasions.

The academic article rightly notes that Campaign Against Antisemitism has criticised both Prof. Gould and her co-author, Dr Shwaikh, in the past. We previously exposed Prof. Gould as having written that “As the situation stands today, the Holocaust persists and its primary victims are the Palestinian people”.

We observed that Prof. Gould’s co-author, Dr Shwaikh, had made various deeply concerning statements, including that “If terrorism means protecting and defending my land, I am so proud to be called terrorist. What an honour for the Palestinians!”; marked Holocaust Memorial Day by tweeting that “The shadow of the Holocaust continues to fall over us from the continuous Israeli occupation of Palestine to the election of Trump”; claimed that “Zionism ideology [sic] is no different than that of Hitler’s”; and wrote that “Hitler did his deed and the Palestinians had to pay for it.” Dr Shwaikh previously claimed through her solicitors that the tweets, sent over a significant period, were the result of a hacking attack, but failed to substantiate her claim when challenged.

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].

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Sam Tarry MP endorses for Momentum role a candidate who thinks Ken Livingstone should be Labour’s General-Secretary and who is backed by Chris Williamson and Jackie Walker

The new Labour MP, Sam Tarry, has come under fire for endorsing for a senior Momentum role a far-left candidate who believes Ken Livingstone should be the Party’s General-Secretary.

Mr Tarry backed Syed Siddiqi despite, according to Dame Margaret Hodge MP, Mr Siddiqi being an associate of expelled Labour member and antisemite Jackie Walker and the disgraced former Labour MP Chris Williamson, whom Mr Siddiqi has defended in the past.

Mr Siddiqi, a coordinator of Redbridge Momentum, has reportedly said of the International Definition of Antisemitism that “if Jews want Labour to adopt a nonsense declaration of that associates criticism of the racist apartheid state of Israel with antisemitism, then let them be pissed off – the rest of the world can see through the nonsense [sic],” and suggested Mr Livingstone should become Labour’s General-Secretary.

Mr Siddiqi was suspended from the Labour Party over allegations that he had “made various threatening and intimidatory comments” but was reportedly defended by the antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation, Jewish Voice for Labour.

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.

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.

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Leading KCL academic makes the case for regulation of social media citing landmark conviction of Alison Chabloz brought about by CAA

A leading academic at King’s College London has published an op-ed making the case for regulation of social media citing the landmark conviction of antisemite Alison Chabloz, which was brought about by Campaign Against Antisemitism.

Daniel Allington, a senior lecturer who is also a volunteer with Campaign Against Antisemitism, wrote about how “conspiracy theories pumped out by unregulated social media platforms” had a real life impact on whether people followed Government rules regarding the COVID-19 lockdown. Campaign Against Antisemitism has for years similarly been warning that antisemitic material online was not only problematic in itself but also had real world implications.

Dr Allington noted the discrepancy that when unfounded conspiracy theories are propagated on broadcast radio or television they are challenged by a regulator, Ofcom, as for example in the recent case of the antisemitic hate preacher David Icke. But the same conspiracy theories face no sanction when promoted online, despite the equal if not greater danger they pose. 80,000 viewers saw Mr Icke’s interview on the television; six million watched it on YouTube. But whereas the London Live channel was sanctioned by Ofcom, the social media platform faced no regulatory censure.

Dr Allington rightly noted that this is because “social media platforms do not regard themselves as publishers but rather as communications networks,” and just as what newspapers and television stations present to readers and viewers is regulated, so should social media companies be regulated for what they permit to be uploaded onto their platforms and promoted through their algorithms. Social media companies already do make decisions, Dr Allington observed, about what they allow to remain on their platforms, similar to publishers, but unlike publishers they are not regulated.

Turning to the case of Ms Chabloz, Dr Allington recounted that she was found guilty of broadcasting antisemitic songs on YouTube, a conviction resulting from sustained legal action by Campaign Against Antisemitism. Ms Chabloz was prosecuted under the Malicious Communications Act, but Dr Allington rightly noted that the problem is far greater than one offender and that the social media companies should be penalised for publishing her material, but this cannot be achieved under Communications legislation.

“Social media companies are not communication networks like the telephone — they are media companies and publishers. That needs to be recognised now,” Dr Allington concluded, observing that social media companies did take action following crackdowns on the mass copyright violations that used to occur when users would upload films and music videos without permission from the owners, and therefore they are in principle capable of changing, but it requires the Government to act.

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.

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Outrage as Blackburn with Darwen Council is revealed to have as many councillors suspended or expelled from Labour over antisemitism on its committees as it does Lib Dems

Blackburn with Darwen Council is facing outrage after the revelation that there are as many councillors who have been suspended from the Labour Party over antisemitism claims on its committees as there are Liberal Democrats.

The controversy relates to Cllr Tasleem Fazal, who was suspended from Labour after it was revealed that he had made a video during an anti-Israel protest in 2014 when he called peace protestors “murderers” and during which he was asked by a demonstrator wearing a skullcap: “ISIS – is ISIS Jewish?” From behind the camera, he responded: “Who’s created it? Who’s created it? Do your homework.” The notion that Jews or Israel created the ISIS terrorist organisation is a popular antisemitic trope.

The other figure is Cllr Andy Kay, who was suspended and then quickly expelled by Labour after saying that “Jewish leaders are worse than Nazis” and referencing “Zionists’ attempts to influence our political processes”.

Both councillors now sit as independents, but they are also members of several council committees. In addition to participating in committees that comprise all councillors, Cllr Fazal also sits on the select Licencing Committee and Cllr Kay sits on both the select Audit and Governance Committee and the select Place Overview & Scrutiny Committee.

The Chair of the local Conservative Association submitted a complaint to the council, saying: “People suspended or expelled from the Labour Party for antisemitism now have as many committee positions as the Liberal Democrats. The council should hang its head in shame. Giving Cllr Fazal a position on the Licensing Committee is a disgrace.”

Labour’s Cllr Phil Riley, the Deputy Leader of the Council, reportedly responded: “This complaint is outrageous. I am confident Cllr Fazal will perform his duties with appropriate impartiality.”

Blackburn with Darwen Council has purported to have adopted – through a report rather than in a full vote of councillors – the International Definition of Antisemitism, but in doing so the examples of antisemitism, which are integral to the Definition, were omitted not formally adopted. Perhaps this defective adoption of the Definition is why the local authority is content to maintain these figures in committee roles. It makes a mockery of the claim in the report in which the Definition was purportedly adopted that “The Council will not tolerate prejudice and discrimination against any group in society on the ground of religion, race, gender, age sexuality and disability.”

Evidently, Blackburn with Darwen Council does tolerate such prejudice, and indeed rewards it.

Campaign Against Antisemitism shall be writing to Blackburn with Darwen Council.

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.

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.

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CAA welcomes reports that the Government plans to increase sentences for offenders who desecrate places of worship and burial plots

Campaign Against Antisemitism has welcomed reports that the Government plans to increase sentences for offenders who desecrate places of worship and burial plots.

The Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen reportedly raised the matter with the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, in a letter appealing for strict prison sentences for attacks on places of worship, including synagogues, as well as burial grounds.

It is understood that Ms Patel responded within a few hours saying: “It’s going in the sentencing bill and will cover places of worship and cemeteries.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has reported on numerous attacks on synagogues and Jewish cemeteries, including in December 2019.

A spokesman for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Vandalism and attacks on British synagogues over the past several years underscore the urgency of increasing sentences for these hate crimes. The rise in hate crime cannot be deterred without harsh penalties for offenders.”

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.

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Claudia Webbe says it is racist to remind the public that she defended Ken Livingstone, after Twitter user posts past CAA articles documenting her record

The controversial Labour MP Claudia Webbe has made the extraordinary and demeaning claim that scrutiny of her past defence of Ken Livingstone is racist.

Twitter user @Never_Again2000 posted an article by Campaign Against Antisemitism recalling how Claudia Webbe MP had written a letter of support for Ken Livingstone after he compared a Jewish journalist to a concentration camp guard and detailing how she had more recently taken to Twitter to claim – while she was the Chair of the Labour Party’s Disciplinary Panel overseeing antisemitism cases – that the “combined machinery of state, political and mainstream elite” are conspiring to smear Jeremy Corbyn with “false allegations.”

Ms Webbe claimed that it is due to “ingrained racism” that Twitter users were commenting on the role that she – now a prominent political figure – played in that Livingstone episode rather than the judge who overturned Mr Livingstone’s suspension, even though the judgment was a matter of law and her letter was a defence of his anti-racist credentials from her perspective as one of “full-time advisers” (in the Twitter feed she seemed to imply that she had opposed Mr Livingstone’s suspension on the basis that it was anti-democratic, but the thrust of her letter in fact relied on his supposed anti-racist credentials). Nevertheless she complained that she is the target of “racist victimisation” and equated scrutiny of her past record with the racist killing of George Floyd, ordering other Twitter users to “get your knee off my neck”.

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.

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.

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CAA reveals former Labour member Prof. David Miller is behind Chris Williamson’s “Resistance” movement and thinks Jewish interfaith is Israeli-backed “Trojan Horse” effort to “normalise Zionism in the Muslim community”

Campaign Against Antisemitism can reveal that the conspiracy theorist David Miller is behind the “Resistance” movement founded and fronted by the disgraced former Labour MP Chris Williamson.

Mr Williamson, who was embroiled in scandals over antisemitism when he was in the Labour Party, introduced his Resistance movement several months ago by explaining that with the election of Sir Keir Starmer to the Labour leadership, many felt “politically homeless”, and that his new movement would use “culture, alternative media and street protest” to achieve its aims, with a ‘Resist Festival’ originally planned for June but now postponed to October due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Resist Festival was due to feature controversial speakers including the rapper Lowkey, the outspoken academic Noam Chomsky, the activist Max Blumenthal and representatives from the ‘yellow vest’ protests in France.

Mr Williamson resigned from the Labour Party in late 2019 after learning that he would not be allowed to stand for the Party in the General Election. His extraordinary letter of resignation from the Party read like a manifesto against Jews. He has described his erstwhile Party’s institutional antisemitism as “manufactured” and part of an “assault on our democracy” by a “hostile foreign government” to “normalise Zionism in the Labour Party”. Recently, he approvingly cited the rescinded United Nations General Assembly resolution that equated Zionism with racism.

Campaign Against Antisemitism can now reveal that the notorious lecturer, Prof. David Miller, is behind the Resistance movement. Prof. Miller is the sole director of a limited company called Festival of Resistance Limited, and he was also the sole director of a limited company called Campaign for Chris Williamson Limited, which was incorporated in July 2019, a few months before Mr Williamson was dropped by the Labour Party and ran as an independent candidate in the 2019 General Election, when he received so few votes that he lost his deposit — a rarity for an incumbent MP.

Prof. Miller, a sociology lecturer at the University of Bristol, has a history of spouting conspiracy theories about various Jewish community organisations and figures that has reportedly discomfited his Jewish students. In a presentation titled “Harms of the Powerful”, for example, Prof. Miller suggested that the “Zionist movement” is one of the “five pillars” of hatred of Muslims (redolent of the five pillars of Islam) and is bankrolled by “ultra Zionist funders”.

He has also claimed that Sir Keir is “in receipt of money from the Zionist movement” and therefore is “obviously not going to” conduct “a proper investigation” into the leaked Labour report into the handling of antisemitism cases at Party headquarters. The remarks were apparently made after he took part in an online broadcast with Mr Williamson. Prof. Miller also talked about what he referred to as the “witch hunt” against Labour members accused of antisemitism, appearing alongside controversial activists Asa Winstanley and Kerry-Anne Mendoza, the editor of The Canary, which is presently under investigation by the Government’s Independent Advisor on Antisemitism.

A recent programme on “Resistance TV”, the Resistance movement’s Youtube channel, featured Mr Williamson and expelled Labour members Jackie Walker, Tony Greenstein and Mark Wadsworth, as well as Mr Blumenthal. It is understood that Ken Livingstone, the former Mayor of London and another former Labour Party member with a history of controversy relating to Jews, was due to participate as well but was too unwell to do so.

In a recent discussion with Mr Winstanley, who also quit the Labour Party following his suspension, Prof. Miller revealed some of his other bizarre conspiratorial ideas, including that Jewish interfaith dialogue with Muslim groups represents an Israeli-backed “Trojan horse” initiative to “normalise Zionism in the Muslim community”.

He stated: “…they’ve done this through interfaith work, pretending that Jews and Muslims working working together will be an apolitical way of countering racism and misunderstandings. No! It’s a Trojan Horse for normalising Zionism in the Muslim community. And we saw it, in East London Mosque for example, where East London Mosque held this project of making chicken soup with the Jewish and Muslim communities coming together. This is an Israeli-backed project to normalise Zionism withiin the Muslim community — and they were doing that at the same time as they were doing the attack on Corbyn”.

Over the course of the discussion, Prof. Miller also accused Israel of working over many years to incorporate anti-Zionism into antisemitism through the International Definition of Antisemitism, which is now, he asserted, being used “as a stick” to beat the Labour Party, universities, students’ unions and local councils.

Were Prof. Miller ever inclined to consult ordinary mainstream British Jews, he would find broad endorsement of the Definition, which captures how the British Jewish community understands antisemitism. British Jews do not, as Prof. Miller implies, take marching orders from the Israeli Government. It is extraordinary how the University of Bristol, which has adopted the Definition, tolerates a professor who not only makes Jewish students deeply uncomfortable on campus due to his conspiratorial ramblings, but who also professes some expertise in the field of antisemitism without doing the most elemental sociological research into the community, relying instead on baseless fantasies.

Campaign Against Antisemitism was proudly at the forefront, along with Lord Pickles, of the effort to secure the adoption of the Definition by the British Government — the first in the world to do so — and is also leading the campaign for widespread adoption of the Definition by public bodies nationwide.

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.

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.

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Police investigating calls for CAA personnel to be shot and beheaded after Canary editor says Jews like CAA “gonna get their asses dragged all over town” by BLM as far-left phalanx launches attack over our letter to Sir Keir Starmer

A far-left phalanx comprising Chris Williamson, Salma Yaqoob and Kerry-Ann Mendoza has attacked Campaign Against Antisemitism for sending a letter calling on Sir Keir Starmer to reveal a timetable for the introduction of a reformed disciplinary process in the Labour Party, and for seeking action against Labour figures including Jeremy Corbyn, Dianne Abbott and Salma Yaqoob over past and recent incidents.

Some, like Ms Mendoza, the editor of The Canary, a controversial hard-left blog under investigation by the Government’s Independent Advisor on Antisemitism, used violent language. She tweeted: “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.”

After that violent language, there were calls from some on Twitter to shoot and behead Campaign Against Antisemitism personnel dead. Police are dealing with the matter.

Ms Yaqoob, the former Respect Party leader and failed Labour Metro Mayor candidate, declared that Campaign Against Antisemitism’s “priority was never really about tackling racism but silencing those supportive of Palestinian rights.” She also accused us of targeting “Black [and] Asian communities [which] have lost loved ones disproportionately in COVID” and impugned our record on antisemitism as being “somewhat dubious to say the least”. Ms Yaqoob also retweeted a tweet labelling Campaign Against Antisemitism as “bullies”. The tweet was part of a thread accusing us of being “a vicious, right-wing organisation that hounds good people.” She also mocked the Sir Keir and said of Campaign Against Antisemitism’s success at exposing and combating Labour antisemitism: “Shame on every career leftie who capitulated to these idiots.”

Mr Williamson, the disgraced former Labour MP who lost his deposit in his bid to return to Parliament as an independent MP, tweeted that we are “witch-hunters” and “bullies”.

The tweets unleashed an outpouring of hatred towards Campaign Against Antisemitism, which our Online Monitoring and Investigations Unit is capturing.

It is particularly regrettable that at a time of widespread solidarity against racism, these prominent and controversial far-left figures are seeking to undermine efforts to fight antisemitism. Prejudice cannot be beaten with prejudice.

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.

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.

 

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CAA reveals that Katie Hopkins, who has now been banned from Twitter permanently, tweeted about “tight” Jews and lied about it

Campaign Against Antisemitism can reveal that Katie Hopkins, who has now been banned from Twitter permanently, tweeted about “tight” Jews and then tried to lie about it to us.

Ms Hopkins, who built and then destroyed her career as a publicity-craving ‘provocateur’, losing a show on LBC and a column in the Daily Mail, has now also lost access to Twitter, permanently according to reports.

Ms Hopkins has long courted controversy with remarks about various minorities, including Jews.

In a particularly brazen episode, Campaign Against Antisemitism can reveal that it has confronted Ms Hopkins after being alerted to a tweet of hers from 2014 in which she wrote: “Homework ‘what’s the difference between Orthodox Jew & Reform Jew.’ One lot are tight. One lot are tight & bearded. Dismissed as unhelpful”.

When Campaign Against Antisemitism contacted her for comment, she responded: “Thank you. This is a fabricated tweet and does not exist on my account. It represents clear defamation with the intention of causing serious harm on publication.”

We are familiar with the law on libel, having won cases before, so we persisted, showing Ms Hopkins the tweet on her timeline. She then shamelessly deleted it and claimed it did not exist, telling us: “This is a fabricated tweet and does not exist on my timeline. My unequivocal support for Israel and my Jewish family is abundantly clear — both on Twitter and through my video documentary in Israel and Palestine.”

It was not the first time that Ms Hopkins’ Twitter activity had aroused attention. For example in 2017 she retweeted a neo-Nazi with the username “AntiJuden” followed by the SS symbol, and a swasitka on their profile image. When confronted that time, Ms Hopkins made a mealy-mouthed apology.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Katie Hopkins not only tweeted vile racist stereotypes about Jews being ‘tight’, she also told us barefaced lies about it and refused to apologise. Her ban from Twitter is just one more positive step in her ostracisation from civil society.”

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Brighton and Hove PSC says “Solidarity with Black Lives Matter” requires opposition to the International Definition of Antisemitism

Brighton and Hove Palestine Solidarity Campaign (BHPSC), has claimed that “solidarity with Black Lives Matter” requires opposition to the International Definition of Antisemitism.

BHPSC released a statement trying to connect the racist killing of George Floyd to Israel and criticising its local authority’s adoption of the Definition back in 2018. The statement said (extracted): “When the Council adopted the [Definition] it deliberately ignored the views of 17 local anti-racist, Black and Muslim organisations in the City. It instead preferred to accept the views of white members of Sussex Friends of Israel that the [Definition] was essential to defend the Jewish community. It wasn’t and isn’t. The [Definition]’s only purpose is to defend the Apartheid State of Israel and to silence those campaigning for justice for the Palestinian people.”

As expert counsel for Campaign Against Antisemitism have shown, there is no basis for the claim that the Definition stifles legitimate criticism of Israel. That the BHPSC still wish the Definition away signals more about its extremist views than it does about the Definition.

It is abhorrent that BHPSC would try to undercut efforts to stamp out antisemitism by suggesting that such efforts are themselves racist. This is not the first time in recent weeks that this claim has been promoted by the far-left. Prejudice cannot be beaten by more prejudice.

It is notable that one of the signatories to the letter is apparently a vice chair of a Constituency Labour Party in the area.

On 28th May 2019, the Equality and Human Rights Commission launched a full statutory investigation into antisemitism in the Labour Party following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2019 showed that antisemitism on the far-left of British politics has surpassed that of the far-right.

Campaign Against Antisemitism advocates for zero tolerance of antisemitism in public life. To that end we monitor all political parties and strive to ensure that any cases of concern are properly addressed.

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Best for Britain apologises for tweeting viral picture of man with antisemitism links in anti-racism rally and then issuing offensive response to criticism

Best for Britain, an influential activist group, has apologised for tweeting a viral picture of a man with links to an antisemitic group attending an anti-racism rally and speaking to a young black woman. Best for Britain initially issued an offensive response to the criticism before reversing itself and apologising.

The picture featured Jim Curran with a sign reading “Racism is a virus, we are the vaccine”, but Mr Curran is a regular attendee at a group called Keep Talking, a group of far-right and far-left conspiracy theorists who come together to promote antisemitism.

When the girl in the photograph was made aware of Mr Curran’s identity, she reportedly responded: “He is an activist and a beautiful man. Spoke some real deep truths. His words brought me to tears. He said the genocide the news [sic] went through, was nothing on slavery and what black people endured and are still enduring.” She added: “I…judge him on our convo and from his vibe and his work. The jews [sic] are not innocent, #israelosnotinnocent they deal with mad racism!”

The picture received millions of views online.

At first, Best for Britain responded to the criticism saying: “Some people have identified that the old gentleman in the photo is a holocaust denier. We believe that this fact makes it even more important to share this image. It is worth applauding the fact that these two people from different generations have found common ground, and had a friendly conversation in the middle of a day of violent protests.”

ITV then featured Mr Curran and the woman on television.

Best For Britain finally released a statement apologising: “An apology from us — we got it wrong. Two days ago we published on social media a photograph of a woman and a man talking at a Black Lives Matter rally. When it was pointed out to us that the man had links to organisations accused of antisemitism, we should have removed the post immediately, apologised for our error and reasserted our view that all forms of racism are abhorrent. We did not. Instead, a member of our social media team published a poorly-worded, offensive and unjustifiable response about why they had posted the photograph. Once senior management were made aware of the situation yesterday, the image and associated comments were immediately removed and the staff involved are going through formal disciplinary processes. We are also undertaking a review of all editors of our social media channels. Best for Britain totally and wholly opposes racism in all its forms, including antisemitism, and we deeply regret creating the impression that we were legitimising racist views by publishing this photograph and the follow-up comment. We also apologise unreservedly to everyone we offended. We are taking steps to avoid this happening again, including mandatory training. Thank you to those of you who have contacted us about this issue and who campaign so fiercely and bravely against antisemitism. We are extremely sorry.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism welcomed the apology, saying: “Thank you for taking responsibility, apologising and taking action both to discipline those staff who were behind this and to educate your entire team. We will be happy to offer our free training to your staff.”

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Three Jewish peers who quit Corbyn’s Labour re-join the Party despite lack of timetable for reforms to address antisemitism

Three Jewish members of the House of Lords have announced that they have re-joined the Labour Party after having resigned over antisemitism under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership.

However, much of the damage caused during Mr Corbyn’s tenure has yet to be undone. Yesterday, Campaign Against Antisemitism wrote to Sir Keir Starmer, Mr Corbyn’s successor, seeking at the very least a timetable for overhauling the Party’s disciplinary system. The letter followed one that we sent to Sir Keir last month, which he ignored.

Lord Triesman, Lord Turnberg and Lord Mitchell declared that they were re-joining the Party in response to Sir Keir Starmer’s stance on antisemitism.

Lord Triesman, a former chairman of the Football Association and General Secretary of the Labour Party under Tony Blair, said: “The Labour Party has in the past said it was dealing with antisemitism but did almost nothing. It was vital to see strong, practical action and with Keir we have seen just that. It’s the moment when being Jewish and Labour have been truly reconciled by active leadership. It is with considerable relief that I have re-joined the party.” He called Labour under Mr Corbyn’s leadership “plainly institutionally antisemitic”.

Lord Turnberg recalled how Labour under Mr Corbyn “seemed riddled with antisemitism” but that under this new leadership “I can now be proud again of being part of a great movement.”

Lord Mitchell said: “Four years ago, I took the heart-wrenching decision to leave the Labour Party because of the creeping antisemitism amongst senior leaders. As a Jew I felt that the party had become a very cold and unwelcoming house: I simply could not stay. The recent leadership changed my mind. Keir has lost no time in rebuilding trust with the Jewish community and positioning Labour as a credible alternative to this awful Conservative government. I am thrilled to be back home.”

In response, Sir Keir reiterated that “I remain utterly committed to rooting antisemitism out of the Labour Party and restoring trust with the Jewish community.” However, questions remain over Sir Keir’s commitment to following his utterances with real action.

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.

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.

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“Happy Birthday Fuhrer” stickers appear in Thanet just days after National Action members involved in far-right stickering campaigns are jailed

Neo-Nazi stickers have appeared in a neighbourhood in Thanet, including ones reading “Happy Birthday Fuhrer”, just days after National Action members involved in far-right stickering campaigns were sentenced to prison.

The stickers in Thanet, which were brought to the attention of Campaign Against Antisemitism by a concerned member of the public who noticed them on her Nextdoor app, also featured the phrases “Nationalist Socialist Zone” and “Rest in Honour my Fuhrer”.

The vandalism was on posts around Northumberland Avenue and Millmead.

The report comes just days after members of the proscribed National Action group were sentenced to prison, having engaged, amongst other activities, in far-right stickering and recruitment campaigns.

At the time, Campaign Against Antisemitism commented that we have monitored and reported on far-right stickering operations, including on university campuses, for a long time, including by the new far-right Hundred Handers group. We continue to call on the authorities to take action against these seemingly low-level incidents, including because they are gateways into more heinous and dangerous activity.

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Ken Loach joined by Mike Leigh and other usual suspects in criticism of BAFTA nomination of Panorama programme that helped expose Labour antisemitism

The controversial filmmaker and Jeremy Corbyn enthusiast has been joined in his criticism of the BAFTA Television Award nomination for Panorama’s programme titled “Is Labour Antisemitic?” by a cast of usual suspects.

Ken Loach, a BAFTA Fellow, called the programme a “crude polemic, without balance or objectivity, intended to undermine Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership,” and claimed that “BAFTA’s choice is a blatant attempt to rehabilitate a discredited piece of propaganda. It should fool no-one.”

He has now been joined by another outspoken filmmaker, Mike Leigh, as well as the human rights barrister and political activist Geoffrey Bindman QC, who opposed Labour’s adoption of the International Definition of Antisemitism (he preferred Labour’s controversial substitute code) and has expressed concern that the Definition “serves to protect Israel from legitimate criticism.”

The group also included Tom Llewellyn, a former BBC Middle East Correspondent with a history of inflammatory statements, including apparently complaining about a “Jewish lobby”, “Zionist penetration” of the British Government and exploitation by Israel of European guilt over the Holocaust.

The group accused the Panorama programme of presenting a “high skewed, politicised and distorted account” of Labour’s antisemitism crisis and complained that fringe Jewish pro-Corbyn groups were not included.

The programme, which was televised in July 2019, showed former Labour Party employees speaking out publicly to reveal Labour leader 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 it is understood that they and John Ware, the maker of the programme, commenced libel proceedings against the Labour Party. The libel cases are being brought by Mark Lewis, a highly esteemed media lawyer who is also an honorary patron of Campaign Against Antisemitism.

The Labour Party also submitted a 28-page complaint to the BBC, claiming the programme failed to meet the BBC’s standards, but the BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit, which is the top level of the broadcaster’s internal complaints process, decided to back the makers of the episode. Labour then took its complaint to Ofcom but withdrew it earlier this year.

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.

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.

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PwC Global Network to be investigated over services reportedly rendered to organisations with possible ties to antisemitic terrorist groups

PwC Global Network to be investigated over services reportedly rendered to organisations with possible ties to antisemitic terrorist groups.

It is alleged that audits in 2014-2018 by the global accounting firm of two entities with ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a group with a long history of terrorist activity against Jews and others, may have enabled funds to be used for the employment of members of the PFLP or for assistance to members or for other uses, including the reputational benefit of having PwC as an auditor.

In a complaint submitted to and accepted by the UK National Contact Point (UK NCP) for the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, UK Lawyers for Israel alleges that “during PwC’s audit work for the Union of Agricultural Work Committees and Defence for Children International – Palestine, it breached certain articles of the General Policies, Disclosure and Human Rights sections of the [OECD] Guidelines.”

PwC does not accept the allegations, but UK NCP has decided that the claims “merit further examination”, and will proceed with an investigation and produce a Final Statement in due course.

The UK NCP has noted that “the decision to further examine the claim is not a finding against any entity within the PwC network of firms and does not mean that the UK NCP considers the company has acted inconsistently with the guidelines.”

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Dog faeces and eggs thrown at Jewish family’s home in Stamford Hill

Dog faeces and eggs were thrown at a Jewish family’s home in Stamford Hill in what the victims believed was a racially motivated attack.

The incident took place on Lordship Road on 17th June and left the family shaken and scared.

It 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: CAD8865 17/06/2020.

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.

(Photo credit: Google)

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Man shouts “shame Nazis didn’t put the gas higher” and “The Germans should have killed all of them” at Jewish mother and baby on the bus

A man shouted “shame Nazis didn’t put the gas higher” and “The Germans should have killed all of them” at a Jewish mother and her baby travelling on the bus.

The assailant was a 60-year-old man, and the incident left the victim feeling traumatised.

The attack took place on a number 67 bus at 18:50 on 17th June 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: CAD8963 17/06/2020.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Antisemitic abuse on public transport has become a regular feature of London life for many Jews, and the police and prosecuting authorities take action to bring offenders to justice.”

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.

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Writer at online magazine for teenagers has social media history replete with racist comments, including against Jews

A writer at an online magazine for teenagers is revealed by Campaign Against Antisemitism to have a social media history replete with racist comments, including against Jews.

Toby Maxtone-Smith, who works at The Day, responded to a report about antisemitic Chelsea fans performing Nazi salutes, singing about ‘Yids’ and imitating a gas chamber by complaining on Twitter about “snide journos [journalists] desperate to make a quick buck ruining someone’s life for behaving like a d***head while pissed”.

He also made jokes about foreskins and claimed that the reason the Labour Party’s antisemitism scandal was covered by the media supposedly to an extent greater than Jeremy Corbyn’s vote against the Falklands War was because “Jews are over-represented among the kind of people journalists know. The media is very bad at checking its own biases.”

Mr Maxtone-Smith has made further worrying comments on a different Twitter account.

He has also made derogatory comments about Chinese people and Roma, as well as women.

Mr Maxtone-Smith did not respond to attempts to reach him for comment.

The Day, which was launched in 2011 and inspired by an “opportunity” and an “injustice”, bills itself as “a daily online newspaper for teenagers focusing on the big issues that are transforming the world.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism will be writing to The Day.

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CAA writes to Sir Keir Starmer seeking a timetable for overhauling Labour’s corrupted disciplinary process and action against senior figures including Jeremy Corbyn

Today, Campaign Against Antisemitism has written to Sir Keir Starmer welcoming a report that he intends to treat the report of the statutory investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) into antisemitism in the Labour Party as “a help rather than a distraction”.

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.

However, we have also voiced our concern to Sir Keir that he has taken no action against Jeremy Corbyn, who has recently claimed that the EHRC is in fact not independent but a “part of the Government machine”. Mr Corbyn’s assertion is a conspiracy theory, and it is clearly one that he is intent on promoting because he used his first interview since standing down to do so.

Whilst we welcomed suspensions and expulsions under Sir Keir’s leadership, we also asked Sir Keir to announce a timetable for the reformation of Labour’s corrupted disciplinary process. Additionally, we asked him to take action against various senior Labour figures who had shared a platform with activists expelled from the Party over antisemitism — Sir Keir had pledged to suspend any member of the Party who did so.

Finally, we noted our considerable concern that Sir Keir has still not responded to our letter of 4th May, nor engaged with us in any way as the complainant in the EHRC’s statutory investigation.

Last year, Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2019 showed that vast numbers of British Jews had considered leaving the country over antisemitism in politics and 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 hold all political parties to account.

Full text of the letter

Dear Sir Keir,

We were pleased to read a report today in the Jewish Chronicle that you intend to treat the report of the statutory investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) into antisemitism in the Labour Party as “a help rather than a distraction”.

As the complainant in the EHRC’s investigation, we referred the Party to the EHRC because we are keen to ensure that the Party is purged of antisemites and those who defend and enable them, so that Labour can return to being what it once was: a fiercely anti-racist force in British public life.

Since you appear to have decided to back the EHRC’s investigation, we would like to ask you to take action over the claim by your MP, Jeremy Corbyn, in the fringe blog, Middle East Eye, that the EHRC, whose investigation will be so crucial to the future of the Labour Party, is in fact not independent but a “part of the Government machine”.

Mr Corbyn’s remark is a conspiracy theory, and it is clearly one that he is intent on promoting because he used his first interview since standing down to do so. The EHRC is, as you are aware, a legal body, created by a Labour Government, whose vital function is to protect the country from racism. On the grounds of this conspiracy theory alone, Mr Corbyn should be subjected to a disciplinary investigation by the Party.

Indeed, there are many grounds for disciplining Mr Corbyn, which we have documented in complaints to Labour for the past four years. It is high time that they are investigated, not least because he has engaged in behaviour for which others have been recently expelled.

Whilst we welcome the suspensions and expulsions of antisemites under your leadership, we note that despite us having pointed out the lamentable record of Afzal Khan MP in relation to antisemitism, he remains in post as Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Commons. His appointment has sent an unmistakable signal that public dissemination of antisemitism is not a bar to high office under your leadership.

Along with Mr Corbyn and Mr Khan, there are numerous Labour MPs and office holders who must be investigated under a fair, transparent and efficient disciplinary process, including Diane Abbott MP, Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP and Salma Yaqoob, who have shared a platform with those expelled from the Party over allegations of antisemitism. You had pledged to suspend any member who shared platforms with such people.

However, we are disappointed that we are still waiting for you to respond to our letter of 4th May, sent to you on the one-month anniversary of your election as leader of the Labour Party, in which we sought your commitment to:

  • Announce a timetable for reforming Labour’s corrupted disciplinary process;
  • Honour your pledge on platform-sharing by suspending Ms Abbott, Ms Ribeiro-Addy and Ms Yaqoob; and
  • Remove Mr Khan from the position of Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Commons to which you promoted him.

We have praised your declared intention to “tear this poison [of antisemitism] out by its roots” but we believe that if you leave Mr Khan in his position and permit senior Party figures to go unpunished, including Mr Corbyn, Ms Abbott, Ms Ribeiro-Addy and Ms Yaqoob, you will send a clear message to others in the Party that such behaviour will go unpunished.

It is also of considerable concern to us that you have yet to engage with us as complainant in the EHRC’s statutory investigation, and that you have yet to even set out a timetable for introducing an overhauled disciplinary process. We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Gideon Falter
Chief Executive

Joe Glasman
Head of Political and Government Investigations

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CAA seeks apology from The Guardian over its birthday wishes for antisemite Gilad Atzmon who now demands that “The Left should decide whether it is ‘pro-Jewish’ or ‘pro-Black’”

The Guardian newspaper wished the antisemitic saxophonist Gilad Atzmon a ‘happy birthday’ in its daily birthday wishes to prominent personalities, despite Mr Atzmon’s record of anti-Jewish comments.

Mr Atzmon is an antisemite who has reportedly blamed the Grenfell Tower tragedy on “Jerusalemites” as well as reportedly telling university students that “the Jews were expelled from Germany for misbehaving.” He is not shy about his antisemitism, telling a Jewish Twitter user in 2014: “I am not a Jew any more. I indeed despise the Jew in me (whatever is left). I absolutely detest the Jew in you.”

At one stage, Mr Atzmon was forced to make a humiliating apology to Campaign Against Antisemitism following defamation proceedings, and Campaign Against Antisemitism has successfully pressured venues not to feature Mr Atzmon due to his record of antisemitism.

Most recently, Mr Atzmon has disgracefully tweeted that “The #Left should decide whether it is ‘pro #Jewish’ or ‘pro #Black’ cos the two contradict each other…”

The Guardian must explain why it thought it fitting to wish a happy birthday to an anti-Jewish racist (whom it described merely as a “musician and writer”) and apologise for doing so, particularly at a time when so many others in society are showing solidarity against racism.

Please do submit a complaint to The Guardian and also send them a letter for publication.

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If Piers Morgan really did dress up as a Nazi and yell “Heil Hitler” while goose-stepping, he must take responsibility and make amends

According to Guido Fawkes, the outspoken television presenter Piers Morgan dressed up as a Nazi for a party in East Sussex, likely some years ago, and yelled “Heil Hitler” while goose-stepping.

Guido Fawkes issued a photograph purporting to be of Mr Morgan in Waffen-SS uniform to substantiate its claim. The Waffen-SS ran concentration camps and was responsible for barbaric suffering and murder on a vast scale.

It appears that Mr Morgan, who co-presents Good Morning Britain on ITV, has not publicly responded to the claim.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Piers Morgan must explain whether and why he dressed up as a Nazi and yelled ‘Heil Hitler’ while goose-stepping. The Nazis inflicted unimaginable suffering upon the Jewish people, industrially murdering one third of the world’s Jewish population, as well as bringing war, death and misery on the entire world. Nazi uniform is hardly appropriate attire for a party. Mr Morgan must clarify what exactly happened and, if the claims are true, make amends.”

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“Jews are all spies! I will beat you up!” shouts male at a visibly Jewish passenger on the 254 bus

A man shouted “Jews are all spies! Next time you spy again I will beat you up!” at a Jewish passenger. When the male Jewish passenger moved to disembark, the man shouted “What’s wrong with all you lot!” before showing him the middle finger.

The incident took place at 1:30pm on 14th June on the upper deck of a number 254 bus in Stamford Hill 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: CAD1317 14/06/2020.

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.

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Two men and one woman perform Nazi salutes in Hendon

Two men and one woman have been seen performing Nazi salutes in Hendon.

The incident took place on 14th June on Brent Street, after the three individuals, who were all white, crossed from Golders Green into Hendon, both heavily Jewish neighbourhoods in North London.

One of the men had a ponytail and was wearing a white t-shirt with black shorts, and the other man was wearing a grey t-shirt and dark trousers with a sweater flung over his shoulders. The woman wore a black t-shirt and black shorts.

The three boarded the number 83 bus on Brent Street at 11:27 before alighting on Queen’s Road at Hendon Central, where they boarded the number 326 bus.

The incident was reported by Shomrim North West London, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.

If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101, quoting reference number: CAD3426 14/06/2020.

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.

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Police considering hate crime motive as man charged with attempted murder over stabbing of rabbi in Stoke Newington

The Metropolitan Police Service has confirmed that it is considering a hate crime motive after charging a man with attempted murder following the stabbing of a Hasidic rabbi, who is a father of six, in Stoke Newington last Friday.

Stanley Francis, 44, who is local to the North London neighbourhood where the incident took place, has been charged with attempted murder and possessing an offensive weapon in a public place. His fist scheduled court appearance was at Thames Magistrates’ Court today.

The suspect was held down at the scene by brave nearby builders and passersby until the police arrived.

The victim, a father of six in his 50s, is a renowned teacher in the Satmar charedi Jewish community. He was admitted to hospital with stab wounds but was able to return home over the weekend to convalesce.

DS James Tipple said: “We’re conducting extensive enquiries into this attack and have been gathering evidence. However I know many people saw this attack and, if anyone has any footage or information about this incident, please come forward and tell us what you know.”

One witness present at the scene said: “The person who stabbed a charedi [orthodox Jewish man] got off a bus, he crossed the street, he went to the line which was waiting outside to get into the bank, there were ten people, this one was charedi, and he went straight and stabbed only the charedi. Why didn’t he go for anyone else? My assumption is 100 percent it was a hate crime.”

If you have any more information, please contact Campaign Against Antisemitism on 0330 822 0321 (selecting option 2) or the police on 101 quoting reference number: CAD2315/12/06/2020.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “The stabbing of Rabbi Alter Yaakov Schlesinger was a heinous act, and we are thankful that he is recovering. We applaud the brave construction workers and passersby who restrained the armed suspect until police arrived, and the suspect has been charged with attempted murder. As one witness pointed out, the suspect targeted only one person on the street that day: a rabbi. It is therefore right that the police are considering a hate crime motive in their investigation. Violent attacks against Jews in some areas of London have become unacceptably routine, and culprits must be subjected to the full force of the law. We urge the community to remain vigilant and ask that anyone with information about this attack contacts us, Shomrim Stamford Hill or the police.”

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.

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People’s Postcode Lottery and Canterbury Christ Church University remove their advertisements from Urban Dictionary after CAA alerts them to antisemitic material on the website

People’s Postcode Lottery and Canterbury Christ Church University have both acted to remove their brands from Urban Dictionary after Campaign Against Antisemitism alerted them to their advertisements featuring alongside antisemitic and offensive entries on the controversial website.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has contacted numerous household brands after they were discovered to have been advertising on the controversial website by Dr Daniel Allington in peer-reviewed research published yesterday and seen in advance by Campaign Against Antisemitism. Earlier today, the well-known furniture retailer DFS acted particularly rapidly to remove its advertisements from Urban Dictionary.

Dr Allington, who is Senior Lecturer in Social and Cultural Artificial Intelligence at King’s College London and a volunteer with Campaign Against Antisemitism, showed that many entries in the Urban Dictionary appear to have been written by white supremacists and other bigots and that well-known brands are advertising alongside their racism.

Dr Allington said: “I realised that hardcore racists were exploiting Urban Dictionary’s ‘anything goes’ philosophy to promote their extremist views. It wouldn’t matter so much if it was an obscure website that nobody’s heard of, but the Urban Dictionary is one of the most popular websites in the world and it carries adverts for household name brands.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has been in contact with People’s Postcode Lottery and Canterbury Christ Church University, who both noted the role of third parties in placing their advertisements online and have advised that they are taking immediate remedial action. They thanked Campaign Against Antisemitism for bringing the matter to their attention.

Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “We are pleased that several brands have taken swift action to remove their advertisements from Urban Dictionary after we contacted them, as they agree the website is not an appropriate venue for their marketing publicity. We are also grateful to Dr Daniel Allington for his research which has enabled us to take this action, alerting these household brands to protect their reputations.”

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Labour MP promotes article claiming Jeremy Corbyn was brought down by “lies”, “mob politics” and “dark forces”, but then deletes tweet and apologises

A Labour MP promoted an article that claimed that Jeremy Corbyn, the former Leader of the Labour Party, was electorally unsuccessful due to “lie after lie” told about him, “mob politics” and “dark forces”, before deleting the tweet and apologising.

Margaret Greenwood, who is the Shadow Minister for Schools, tweeted that the article was “important reading” before deleting the tweet. It is believed that the deletion was due to pressure from Sir Keir Starmer’s office.

Ms Greenwood subsequently tweeted an apology for her original tweet, writing: “I shared an article by Peter Oborne and David Hearst as I thought it interesting that 2 distinguished journalists would write about how Jeremy Corbyn was undermined by the press when leader of the Labour Party. I understand that some people have found this offensive. I want to be clear I had no intention of causing offence and so have removed the tweet. Wishing everyone a peaceful weekend.”

The article claimed that Mr Corbyn was the victim of a “lynch mob” by the media and acquitted him of charges of antisemitism, faulting him only for “poor judgement”, for example “in joining various internet forums in his years on the backbenches.”

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.

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.

 

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Prominent law firm Mishcon de Reya fires antisemitic employee who referred to “f***ing” Jews and “Zionist cockroaches” and compared Israel to Nazis on social media

The prominent law firm Mishcon de Reya has reportedly fired an employee who made antisemitic and incendiary comments on social media, including referring to “f***ing” Jews and “Zionist cockroaches” and comparing Israel to Nazi Germany.

The unnamed employee had been working at the law firm as a conflicts analyst, having previously studied law at the University of Manchester and served as a paralegal at other law firms. He was discovered to have been tweeting inflammatory and antisemitic comments in his own name over the past eight years.

Following an England defeat in the Euro 2012 football tournament, he tweeted: “Why are you all so happy? You were all licking England’s arse all along you f***ing Jew supporters.” He has also referred to a “Jew goal” in another tweet related to football.

At other times, he has tweeted that “Israel is no better than Nazi Germany” and that the “Nazi Israel state” had “absolutely no right to exist”, amid other calls for the destruction of Israel and claims that that “there’s no such thing as #Israel”. He also referred to Jews as “Zionist cockroaches”. The International Definition of Antisemitism states that “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” is antisemitic.

He has accused “Zionists” of “controlling the lamestream media” and claimed that he might be criticised for his comments “with accusations of ‘antisemitism’”.

He reportedly deleted his Twitter account after another user sent a selection of his tweets to his law firm, which, after a week-long investigation, terminated his employment.

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DFS CEO moves to stop brand being advertised next to racist material on Urban DIctionary after being alerted by CAA

DFS, a leading British furniture retailer, has reacted immediately after learning that its brand is being advertised next to racist material on the website Urban Dictionary.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has contacted numerous household brands after they were discovered to have been advertising on the controversial website by Dr Daniel Allington in peer-reviewed research published yesterday and seen in advance by Campaign Against Antisemitism.

Dr Allington, who is Senior Lecturer in Social and Cultural Artificial Intelligence at King’s College London and a volunteer with Campaign Against Antisemitism, showed that many entries in the Urban Dictionary appear to have been written by white supremacists and other bigots and that well-known brands are advertising alongside their racism.

Dr Allington said: “I realised that hardcore racists were exploiting Urban Dictionary’s ‘anything goes’ philosophy to promote their extremist views. It wouldn’t matter so much if it was an obscure website that nobody’s heard of, but the Urban Dictionary is one of the most popular websites in the world and it carries adverts for household name brands.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has been in contact with the Group Chief Executive Officer of DFS who was horrified that his company’s brand was being advertised on Urban Dictionary, contrary to the company’s agreements with its advertisers. Within one day the company has taken immediate remedial action and has thanked Campaign Against Antisemitism for bringing the matter to its attention.

Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “DFS has responded in a manner that should be a model for the other companies and organisations we have contacted, and indeed for other brands who might be found in a similar situation due to the actions of third-party advertisers. The company has undertaken swift and conclusive action and we are heartened to see such proactivity. We are also grateful to Dr Daniel Allington for his research which has enabled us to take this action, alerting these household brands to protect their reputations.”

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Protest against statue of Cecil Rhodes at Oriel College, Oxford turned antisemitic, according to college’s Equality and Diversity Officer

The Equality and Diversity Officer at Oriel College, Oxford, has claimed that a protest against the statue of Cecil Rhodes at the college turned antisemitic, according to the JC.

The protest to remove the statue, held by the ‘Rhodes Must Fall’ campaign reportedly in solidarity with the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement, featured a speaker from the University of Leeds who blamed Israel for the racist American police brutality that killed George Floyd. The speaker claimed that “the American police are trained by the Israel oppression army. They are united against us.” He went on to accuse his university “like many others” of “invest[ing] in Israeli apartheid”.

However, the Equality and Diversity Officer of Oriel Middle Common Room told the JC: “A speaker stood up and started bringing up Israel in a context where you wouldn’t really expect Israel to be relevant. He started talking conspiratorially about how Israel was responsible for racism and he used the antisemitic tropes of bringing Israel in where Israel is not relevant”. The officer, in attendance at the protest, raised his concerns to those around him but in return “received threatening stares” and opted to leave the protest after being made to feel “uncomfortable”.

It is understood that numerous Jewish and non-Jewish students subsequently approached the officer in his official capacity about the protest, saying that they were “hurt and concerned” following the remarks by the inflammatory speaker.

The officer called on Oxford branches of the ‘Rhodes Must Fall’ and ‘Black Lives Matter’ campaigns to “distance themselves from the speaker and the portion of the crowd that cheered” his comments. He also called on Oriel College to condemn the comments.

This is not the first time that activists with their own agendas have tried to co-opt concern for and protests against anti-black racism for their own agendas, including by blaming the Jewish state.

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National Action sentences show importance of seemingly low-level warning signs like racist stickers on university campuses

The sentences given to four members of the proscribed terrorist organisation National Action this week serve as a reminder of the importance of highlighting and combatting low-level warning signs such as racist stickers on university campuses.

While media attention has focused on Alice ‘Miss Hitler’ Cutter, two of the other offenders were both involved in stickering operations for the group.

Garry Jack, 24, was, according to the judgment of the court, a “dedicated member” of National Action and was “wholly committed to their ideology”. In July 2016 he was apparently involved in “placing inflammatory and racist stickers on the grounds of Aston University” before participating in numerous National Action demonstrations and meetings. Mr Jack “continued to express violent and revolutionary views” after the ban on National Action and attempted to recruit a friend.

In April 2017 Mr Jack was arrested for stirring up racial hatred in connection with the Aston University stickering, but continued his recruitment efforts.

Mr Jack reportedly self-identifies as a Nazi and was given four-and-a-half years in prison

Another of the offenders, Connor Scothern, who is nineteen, was “enthusiastic and wholly committed” to National Action. He was not recruited to the organisation but rather “sought out this group and then engaged enthusiastically with their agenda”.

In February 2017, Mr Scothern purchased 1,000 stickers featuring the likeness of Adolf Hitler and proclaiming “National Socialism. The final solution”. He placed many of these stickers in his local area, and in September 2017 hung a neo-Nazi banner from the side of a car park in Nottingham, his hometown. He sent an image of the banner to the website of NS131, which, the judgment noted, was later proscribed as being an alias of National Action. Mr Scothern reportedly had driven himself “into poverty buying stickers and travelling to socials” of the group’s members.

Mr Scothern, who was apparently a practicing Muslim and activist with the extremist anti-fascist group, Antifa, before joining National Action, was given a sentence of eighteen months in prison.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has monitored and reported on far-right stickering operations, including on university campuses, for a long time, including by the new far-right Hundred Handers group. We continue to call on the authorities to take action against these seemingly low-level incidents, including because they are gateways into more heinous and dangerous activity.

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Explosive new investigation shows household brands are profiting from racist entries and offensive jokes on the website Urban Dictionary

An explosive investigation has revealed that household brands are profiting from racist entries and offensive jokes on the website Urban Dictionary.

In new research seen by Campaign Against Antisemitism and conducted by Dr Daniel Allington, who is Senior Lecturer in Social and Cultural Artificial Intelligence at King’s College London and a volunteer with Campaign Against Antisemitism, Dr Allington shows that many entries in Urban Dictionary appear to have been written by white supremacists and other bigots and that well-known brands are profiting from their racism.

Dr Allington, an expert on hate speech and extremism, has published the research in the peer-reviewed Journal of Contemporary Antisemitism, explains that Urban Dictionary, a website that explains Internet slang and which has been embroiled in controversy over antisemitism in the past, carries adverts for household brands such as DFS and Sky, but that it is also a hotbed of antisemitism.

One Urban Dictionary entry defines the word ‘Jew’ as a verb meaning “To steal something from someone and never return it”, while another on the same page defines a Jew as “A cheap ass n*****”. The top definition for ‘Zionist’ is “One who believes in a political ideology that hijacked Judaism, soon to hijack Christianity’, while the fifth-from-top is “A pig in the temple of God” and the third-from top states “I hate Zionist kikes”.

Some entries try to equate Jews with Nazism or to suggest that the Holocaust did not happen. One of the top definitions of ‘Zionazi’, itself an antisemitic term, claims that “A Zionazi is defined by their will to create and support a single government or group that rules the world, such as the totalitarian New World Order”. The top entry for ‘Holohoax’ claims that “people who ‘deny’ the Holocaust seem to provide more proof and evidence supporting the fact the Holocaust never happened”.

The fourth definition for ‘Hitler’ is “Someone who got 6 000 000 kills in a single match”, while some words in the Urban Dictionary seem to have been entered purely in order to cause offence, such as ‘holocaust n*****’ (defined simply as “a Jew”) and ‘nigropolis’ (defined as “The world after whites are all killed and racemixed by Zionist Jews and n*****s”).

Dr Allington said: “I realised that hardcore racists were exploiting Urban Dictionary’s ‘anything goes’ philosophy to promote their extremist views. It wouldn’t matter so much if it were an obscure website that nobody had heard of, but Urban Dictionary is one of the most popular websites in the world and it carries adverts for household name brands.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism is writing to advertisers on Urban Dictionary to alert them to the content on the website next to which their brands appear and urging them to withdraw from the website.

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Prof. John “time for Jews to reflect” Ashton claims scandal of his antisemitism is a “political” conspiracy against him, while thousands sign CAA petition to take him off BBC, ITV and Sky News

Prof. John Ashton has claimed that the scandal of his antisemitism recently unearthed is a “political” conspiracy, while the number of signatories to Campaign Against Antisemitism’s petition urging broadcasters to stop featuring the public health pundit has grown into the thousands.

Prof. Ashton has a long history of antisemitic and inflammatory comments, including comparing Israel to the Nazis and holding Jews responsible for the actions of the State of Israel, both of which are breaches of the International Definition of Antisemitism, as well as trolling Jewish women MPs.

In remarks to The Canary, a controversial hard-left blog under investigation by the Government’s Independent Advisor on Antisemitism, Prof. Ashton said that “the fact they’ve dug this stuff up – whatever the validity of it – after six years, it’s obviously political isn’t it? That’s where we are.”

Prof. Ashton tried to explain away his record of racism rather than apologising for it, and was more concerned about the timing of the revelations and their impact on him rather than the effect of his words on Jews. The Canary, rather than encouraging Prof. Ashton to make amends for his antisemitism described the exposure of his anti-Jewish sentiments as a “witchhunt”, a common refrain of the far-left.

Since our petition calling on the BBC, ITV and Sky News to stop featuring Prof. Ashton on their programmes was launched, Prof. Ashton appears to have had fewer bookings by major broadcasters. You can sign our petition here: https://www.change.org/p/bbc-bbc-itv-sky-news-get-prof-john-time-for-jews-to-reflect-ashton-off-our-televisions

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2019 showed that antisemitism on the far-left of British politics has surpassed that of the far-right.

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People care more about the Holocaust because Jews are white, claims former Momentum Vice Chair and expelled Labour member, Jackie Walker

The disgraced racist activist Jackie Walker has claimed that the Holocaust gets more notice than other genocides or instances of oppression because Jews are “white”.

The former Momentum Vice Chair and expelled Labour member made the claim on Twitter while posting an article by another former Labour member, Tony Greenstein, who was also expelled from the Party over antisemitism allegations. She wrote: “Why is the Nazi Holocaust more important? We all know the answer!! Because it’s white lives that matter duh!”

Ms Walker also posted a video on Facebook that has received thousands of views, in which she reiterated her tired and factually incorrect claim that Holocaust Memorial Day does not commemorate other genocides, before proceeding to point out the alleged “hypocrisy” of the Chief Rabbi and a British Jewish charity for expressing concern about racism towards black people in the UK while not speaking out against Israel.

“Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the State of Israel” and “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” are examples of antisemitism under the International Definition of Antisemitism. The suggestion that British Jews are somehow responsible for the policies of Israel is popular among the far-left and was also recently expressed by the controversial columnist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown.

Ms Walker went further and claimed that concern by British Jews for anti-black racism was “blackwashing” Israel, an abhorrent term implying that British Jews, acting in bad faith, only show concern for others in order to shield Israel from criticism. It is regrettable that Ms Walker, whose record as a prolific antisemite meant that even Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party could no longer tolerate her, is more concerned with hating Jews than supporting the black community. Prejudice cannot be beaten by prejudice.

Prior to being expelled by the Labour Party, Ms Walker was suspended twice. Her initial suspension was for repeating the Louis Farrakhan-inspired hoax that Jews were the “chief financiers of the slave trade” was lifted in secrecy and without public explanation, with that mysterious exoneration being swiftly celebrated with a public embrace from the Party’s then leader, Mr Corbyn. She went on to be suspended a second time for comments misrepresenting the inclusivity of Holocaust Memorial Day and for challenging the need for security at Jewish schools. During her suspension, she took her bizarre “Lynching” show — in which she claims to be the victim of a “Witch-hunt” — around the country while the then leaders of the Party who publicly affected to disavow antisemites in their midst, including John McDonnell, defended her.

On 28th May 2019, the EHRC 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.

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.

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CAA reveals Edge Hill University SU president-elect believes his Holocaust mockery scandal was a conspiracy to damage him as hundreds sign petition calling for his ouster

The President-Elect of Edge Hill University’s Students’ Union ‘liked’ a statement on Instagram that claimed that a scandal for which he apologised was in fact a conspiracy to damage him.

Following contact from an alumnus of the university, Campaign Against Antisemitism can reveal that Sam Farrell ‘liked’ a statement saying: “there is evidence suggesting the whole Sam Farrell exposed thing was planned as a back-up in case he won”.

The statement apparently referred to the scandal arising from images posted on social media and revealed by Campaign Against Antisemitism earlier this year following a tip from a disgusted student in which Mr Farrell, then a candidate for the presidency of the Students’ Union, is seen apparently dressed in striped pyjamas with a number appended, and wearing a cap, reminiscent of an inmate at Nazi concentration camps. Captions accompanying the images referred to “needing a shower” and “feeling gassed”.

Mr Farrell subsequently won the election and apologised for his behaviour. However, Mr Farrell ‘liked’ the Instagram statement several days after he apologised, indicating that he is not repentant or does not actually understand the offence he caused.

The alumnus commented: “I have read in the news about the disgusting behaviour of the Students’ Union President-Elect Sam Farrel and I am outraged that the university has not forced him to step down yet. He issued an apology but I feel that if he had truly changed his views he would have voluntarily stepped down from his role as his past behaviour makes him unfit to represent all students at the university.” With regard to the Instagram post, the former student said: “This post was made after he had made a public apology about the issue. The fact that he ‘liked’ this post clearly shows that he is only sorry because he was called out on his behaviour.”

Hundreds have now signed a petition aimed at any “student, parent or staff member” at Edge Hill calling for Mr Farrell to be removed from office and for a new election.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has been in contact with Edge Hill University, which has adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism and has assured us that it is taking action.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “There is no place on a British campus for such behaviour, and certainly not by someone hoping to represent all students. This new revelation shows that the President-Elect is unrepentant and his position has become totally untenable. Sam Farrell must step down to prevent his university becoming synonymous with mockery of the Holocaust, and we will be pressing the university administration again for action.”

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].

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‘Miss Hitler’ jailed for three years, with longer sentences for other National Action accomplices

A woman who entered a “Miss Hitler” beauty pageant in order to attract new members to the neo-Nazi terrorist group National Action and was found guilty of membership in the proscribed organisation has now been sentenced to three years in prison.

Alice Cutter, who is 23 years old, used the name “Buchenwald Princess” to enter the online ‘National Action Miss Hitler 2016’ contest in June 2016, weeks after her now ex-partner, Mark Jones, visited the execution room of the Buchenwald concentration camp.

Ms Cutter was described in the trial as a “central spoke” of the banned group, exchanging hundreds of messages, including racist and antisemitic material, attending meetings with group leaders despite the ban, posing for a Nazi salute outside Leeds Town Hall in 2016 and attending a demonstration in York in May 2016. She had also joked about gassing synagogues and using a Jew’s head as a football.

Mr Jones is reportedly a “leader and strategist” of the organisation, as well as a former member of the British National Party’s youth wing. The court heard that he held “feelings of admiration” for Adolf Hitler and had a special wedding edition of Mein Kampf. He also gave a Nazi salute on his visit to Buchenwald’s execution chamber.

Mr Jones was sentenced to five-and-a-half years, as the judge said he had played “a significant role in the continuation of the organisation” after its proscription by the British Government following pressure by Campaign Against Antisemitism.

Also sentenced were Garry Jack, 24, who reportedly self-identifies as a Nazi and was given four-and-a-half years in prison while Connor Scothern, 19, who was apparently a practicing Muslim and activist with the extremist anti-fascist group, Antifa, before joining National Action, was given a sentence of eighteen months in prison.

Another defendant, Daniel Ward, 28, pleaded guilty to being a member of National Action last year. He was jailed for three years.

According to police, the group was preparing weapons for a “race war”.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “We are pleased with today’s sentences, which send a clear signal that those promoting far-right antisemitism will face the full force of the law. But these prosecutions are not enough, and we continue to urge the Crown Prosecution Service to prosecute antisemites of whatever political persuasion so that justice can be delivered for the Jewish community.”

Photo credit: West Midlands Police

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CAA appalled at Yasmin Alibhai-Brown’s proposal that British Jews be asked to answer questions “about the Palestinians”

Columnist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown has greeted the news that a Jewish charity is launching a review of racial inequality in the Jewish community in the UK by proposing that the person leading it ask British Jews “about the Palestinians”.

Stephen Bush, a journalist with the New Statesman who has been asked to lead the review, revealed that he was “terrified and overcome” with the invitation, to which Ms Alibhai-Brown, a columnist at the online The Independent, tweeted in reply: “maybe ask them about the Palestinians.”

The Jewish charity’s review is clearly intended to examine attitudes toward Jews of colour in the Anglo-Jewish community and in its institutions. The review has nothing to do with Israel. According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the State of Israel” and “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” are examples of antisemitism.

The notion that British Jews cannot engage in positive communal activity in the UK or make any positive contribution to British life without being held to account for the policies of the Israeli Government is an antisemitic premise that has repeatedly been used to discount the views of or attack British Jews and institutions throughout the past several years, in particular from activists on the far-left of British politics.

It is particularly appalling that Ms Alibhai-Brown would shamefully greet introspection by a minority community with prejudice of her own. Prejudice cannot be beaten by prejudice.

This is not Ms Alibhai-Brown’s first offensive foray in relation to antisemitism. She was, for example, opposed to the Labour Party’s adoption of the International Definition of Antisemitism, describing the fringe minority in the Jewish community who agreed with her as “good Jews”.

The Independent and television broadcasters who host Ms Alibhai-Brown must now think again before giving a platform to someone who takes such positions.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2019 showed that antisemitism on the far-left of British politics has surpassed that of the far-right.

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Veteran activist links Israel to racist killing of George Floyd and says “Israeli embassies” were behind campaign against Jeremy Corbyn, who listens without objecting

A veteran left-wing activist has linked Israel to the racist murder of George Floyd by claiming that American police forces are trained in Israel and have learned dubious techniques of restraint from their Israeli counterparts. He went on to accuse “Israeli embassies” of claiming that any criticism of Israel is antisemitic and that one of the “central targets” of this campaign has been the former Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn.

Tariq Ali made the incendiary comments in an online conversation with Mr Corbyn, who listened quietly to his remarks without objecting, under the aegis of the Stop the War Coalition, which has appeared in the past to advocate war against Israel and whose marches have featured antisemitic tropes.

Mr Ali said during the panel event with Mr Corbyn: “I would now like to come to another part of the world which ironically links the knee on the neck to George Floyd to this region because a lot of the American police forces have been trained in Israel. Not just the Americans but many from right-wing countries in South America. And the methods in dealing with protests or ordinary citizens is virtually the same. You can find lots of photos of Israelis when these people are brave enough to take photographs with their knees on the neck of Palestinians.”

He added: “This is another subject which has virtually been downgraded compared to even five or six years ago because people have got frightened about this campaign which alleges everyone is antisemitic except those who support Israel. That’s basically the campaign that was waged by Israeli embassies everywhere of which one of the central targets was Jeremy Corbyn.”

The claim that Israel is in any way responsible for the racist killing of George Floyd is reminiscent of repeated defamations of the Jewish people who have been blamed throughout history for atrocities. Moreover, the suggestion that allegations of antisemitism have been used to silence criticism of Israel is itself an antisemitic trope popularised by Ken Livingstone and accuses Jews of acting in bad faith when they call out anti-Jewish racism. Mr Ali’s claim that this campaign was led by “Israeli embassies” is a further popular and outrageous conspiratorial belief.

It is shameful that in a discussion of the racist killing of George Floyd, a speaker felt the need to accuse another minority.

Naturally, Mr Corbyn, who is himself an antisemite, did not object to Mr Ali’s claims. Later in the conversation he declared: “Let’s get it clear, antisemitism is wrong, it’s evil and it should never be condoned in any circumstances. I never would, you never would, in any way and we must all be united against racism of any sort — antisemitism, Islamophobia or racism in the USA following the murder of our friend in Minnesota.” His comments rang even more hollow than usual given what Mr Ali had just said in his presence.

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.

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.

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LBC caller rips Sir Keir Starmer for standing by Corbyn while Jewish community was crying out, as listeners on YouTube post antisemitic comments

A Jewish caller to the radio channel LBC accused Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer of spending five years standing by Jeremy Corbyn and campaigning to make him Prime Minister, noting that it is “convenient” for Sir Keir to be “saying the right things now, that’s not principled…that’s empty words.”

Sir Keir did not try to defend his support for Mr Corbyn but instead noted that “within hours of becoming leader” he “reached out to Jewish leaders” and met them within his first few days in office, had a “frank discussion” and explained his intentions, and that “they have given me enough trust to do what I’ve got to do. I’m well aware of the scale of the task. I will be judged on my actions.” He added: “all I ask is that they and you give me the space to show what I will do and I will kick antisemites out of the Labour Party.’’

Asked by host Nick Ferrari whether he trusted the independence of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), Sir Keir said that he did, and noted that he even campaigned to establish the body in the first place. Recently, other Labour MPs, including Mr Corbyn, have questioned the independence of the EHRC, which is investigating antisemitism in the Labour Party following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant.

Speaking to another Jewish caller, Sir Keir said: “We must root out antisemitism in the Labour Party and I’m absolutely determined to do that.” He added that “one of the first things I did as Labour leader was to make a full apology.”

In the context of anti-black racism, Sir Keir called for “training for everyone in criminal justice”. Campaign Against Antisemitism welcomes the provision of anti-racism training and has also long called for specific antisemitism training for law enforcement, particularly for the Crown Prosecution Service after its repeated failures to prosecute antisemitic criminals.

The interview was streamed on YouTube, where users made antisemitic and offensive comments in real time such as “what a kosher farce”; “can you criticise Israel”; “which would he put first: Jewish interests or British interests?”; “the truth is antisemetic”; “not George Soros,” alluding to the Jewish financier, philanthropist and political activist who is often at the centre of antisemitic conspriacy theories; “Jewish interests are not British interest”; “0.5% of the population gets most of the attention again. How odd”; and “another antisemitism question LBC set this up.”

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.

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Conservatives re-admit councillor who minimised the Holocaust following an apology but apparently without further sanction or expectation of antisemitism training

The Conservatives in Scotland have readmitted a former parliamentary candidate and councillor who made comments minimising the Holocaust after a “robust investigation” during which he apologised, but apparently there is no further sanction or expectation for him to undertake antisemitism training.

Ryan Houghton, had been the Conservatives’ candidate for Aberdeen North until it was discovered that he had written on a martial arts forum seven years ago, under the psedonym Razgriz, that although there was “no credible evidence to suggest the Holocaust did not happen” nevertheless “I do find some of the events fabricated, and exegarated [sic] in some cases.”

He continued: “As history is written by the victors there is always going to be a bit of re-writing.” He also praised the “interesting” research of the antisemitic Holocaust-denier, David Irving. However, in a later post he said that he was “not defending David’s Irving’s views” and that he does not agree with “some of the stuff he says.”

According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “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 an example of antisemitism.

Cllr Houghton was suspended as a parliamentary candidate by the Party, albeit that he remained on the ballot because his nomination papers were already submitted. But he remained the council administration’s business manager and councillor and has now be readmitted to the Cobnservative Party.

Cllr Houghton said: “I apologised at the time and have done so in-person to anyone who has contacted me about the matter. The comments which led to my suspension were isolated and took place nearly a decade ago. They in no way reflect my political or professional record and I find prejudice of any kind abhorrent. I will continue to work and represent my constituents to the best of my ability.”

A Tory spokesman said an investigatory committee took into account Cllr Houghton’s “unreserved acceptance of what he had done when much younger was wrong”, noting he understood the “consequence of his actions”.

There is, however, no indication that Cllr Houghton has had to undertake antisemitism training or that any other sanction has been applied. Campaign Against Antisemitism has always maintained that suspension pending investigation is not in itself a sanction.

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.

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Controversial filmmaker and and Corbyn enthusiast Ken Loach describes BAFTA nomination for Panorama’s expose of Labour antisemitism a “disgrace”

Ken Loach, the controversial filmmaker and Jeremy Corbyn enthusiast, has described the BAFTA Television Award nomination for Panorama’s programme titled “Is Labour Antisemitic?” as a “disgrace”.

Mr Loach called the programme a “crude polemic, without balance or objectivity, intended to undermine Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership,” and claimed that “BAFTA’s choice is a blatant attempt to rehabilitate a discredited piece of propaganda. It should fool no-one.”

The filmmaker made the comments to The Canary, a controversial hard-left blog under investigation by the Government’s Independent Advisor on Antisemitism. Mr Loach has received several BAFTA awards over the course of his career.

The programme, which was televised in July 2019, showed former Labour Party employees speaking out publicly to reveal Labour leader 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 it is understood that they and John Ware, the maker of the programme, commenced libel proceedings against the Labour Party. The libel cases are being brought by Mark Lewis, a highly esteemed media lawyer who is also an honorary patron of Campaign Against Antisemitism.

The Labour Party also submitted a 28-page complaint to the BBC, claiming the programme failed to meet the BBC’s standards, but the BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit, which is the top level of the broadcaster’s internal complaints process, decided to back the makers of the episode. Labour then took its complaint to Ofcom but withdrew it earlier this year.

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.

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.

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.

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Rapper Ice Cube approvingly tweets antisemitic image from mural that Jeremy Corbyn defended

The rapper Ice Cube has been condemned for posting – and subsequently refusing to remove – a tweet of the image known to British Jews from the mural that former Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn defended, before backtracking.

Ice Cube, a musician whose real name is O’Shea Jackson, tweeted the picture that originated on a wall in London’s East End in October 2012 after the Los Angeles-based street artist Mear One painted the image, which featured apparently-Jewish bankers beneath a pyramid often used by conspiracy theorists playing Monopoly on a board carried by straining, oppressed workers, several of whom had dark or black skin. The mural, called Freedom for Humanity, was widely perceived as antisemitic, and was eventually removed.

Ice Cube tweeted the same image, which now featured a caption: “All we have to do is stand up and their little game is over”. Ice Cube wrote in his tweet: “F*** the new normal until they fix the old normal!” His comment appears to be juxtaposing the ‘new normal’ social and economic condition resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic with the ‘old normal’ of racial hatred, opposition to which has been expressed in worldwide protests following the racist killing of George Floyd.

The rapper has refused to take down the tweet.

It is inexcusable to sully the noble cause of fighting anti-black racism by using expressions of anti-Jewish racism. Racism cannot be combated by recourse to other forms of racism.

There have been other recent instances of this appalling trend, including in the Labour Party.

Ice Cube has previously courted controversy, including in his song ‘No Vaseline’, the lyrics of which include the lines “It’s a case of divide-and-conquer/’Cause you let a Jew break up my crew” and “’Cause you can’t be the N**** 4 Life crew/With a white Jew tellin’ you what to do/Pullin’ wools with your scams.”

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.

https://twitter.com/icecube/status/1269277079914209282

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Success for CAA and LBC as Labour activist sentenced over “grossly offensive” message, but CPS fails to pursue charges against other activists in dossier

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has secured a conviction against only one Labour Party activist in a dossier publicised by LBC and referred to the Metropolitan Police by Campaign Against Antisemitism.

The dossier contained some 45 cases of antisemitism in it, with seventeen cases displaying “race-hate incidents” which should have been reported to the police, according to an expert. But Mohsin Rasool was the only activist prosecuted.

Mr Rasool was charged with sending on 26th February 2020 by means of a public electronic communications network a message that was grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character, contrary to section 127(1)(a) and (3) of the Communications Act 2003.

The first court hearing was on 25th March 2020 and the defendant was granted unconditional bail in absence to 4th May 2020. On that day, the defendant was again granted unconditional bail to 8th June 2020.

A Not Guilty Plea was recorded on 4th May 2020. This was changed to Guilty on 8th June 2020 and the defendant was sentenced to an England and Wales Community Order.

The conditions of the order included a nine-week curfew requirement. He was also ordered to pay the Victim Surcharge of £60 and costs of £150 to the CPS.

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Former CLP chair Rebecca Massey finally expelled from Labour but apparently not for antisemitism, as another CLP chair also reportedly suspended

A former chair of a Constituency Labour Party (CLP) who has been posting antisemitic tweets for years has finally been expelled from the Labour Party, but not, it appears, for antisemitism.

Rebecca Massey, a former chair of Central Hove, Brunswick and Adelaide CLP, was apparently suspended on 18th May and expelled on 2nd June, a quick turnaround, but years too late. Moreover, according to Ms Massey, her expulsion was because of her support for the disgraced ex-Labour former MP Chris Williamson in his independent bid for Parliament after he was booted from the Labour Party.

Ms Massey has been posting tweets for years that breach the International Definition of Antisemitism, including that “Israel has Tory & Labour parties under control”, backing Ken Livingstone and claiming that the “Israel lobby manufactured the UK Labour Party’s antisemitism crisis”. It is not clear whether these tweets featured in the reasoning for her expulsion.

Elsewhere, in the North Norfolk CLP, it is being reported that the chair has been suspended over antisemitism. A letter sent to Ray Mooney on 2nd June informed him of the suspension after his Facebook account shared articles referring to antisemitic tropes, including references to Rothschilds, equations of Israel and the Nazis and claims that “Israel is trying to silence Corbyn”. He also apparently called the Jewish Labour MP and Corbyn critic, Dame Margaret Hodge MP, “Judas”.

Mr Mooney apparently confirmed the suspension, but then claimed his Facebook had been hacked. He did not resign as chair of the CLP but it is understood that a meeting was called to discuss interim leadership.

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.

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.

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BBC Panorama investigation into Labour antisemitism nominated for BAFTA TV award

BBC Panorama has been nominated for a BAFTA Television Award in the category of ‘current affairs’ for its programme titled “Is Labour Antisemitic?”, which explored antisemitism in the Labour Party.

The programme, which was televised in July 2019, showed former Labour Party employees speaking out publicly to reveal Labour leader 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 it is understood that they and John Ware, the maker of the programme, commenced libel proceedings against the Labour Party. The libel cases are being brought by Mark Lewis, a highly esteemed media lawyer who is also an honorary patron of Campaign Against Antisemitism.

The Labour Party also submitted a 28-page complaint to the BBC, claiming the programme failed to meet the BBC’s standards, but the BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit, which is the top level of the broadcaster’s internal complaints process, decided to back the makers of the episode. Labour then took its complaint to Ofcom but withdrew it earlier this year.

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.

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.

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CAA applauds Labour suspensions in Wavertree and elsewhere under new General Secretary, but Party needs to implement independent disciplinary process immediately

The Labour Party has reportedly suspended the four members of the executive of the Constituency Labour Party (CLP) in Wavertree who criticised their local MP for expressing regret that her predecessor, Luciana Berger, felt she had to leave the Party.

The CLP chair, Nina Houghton, CLP secretary, Kevin Bean, CLP women’s officer Helen Dickson, and CLP BAME officer Hazuan Hashim, have apparently been suspended from Labour pending an investigation. They criticised new MP Paula Barker for an article in the Jewish Telegraph in which she tried to reach out to the Jewish community.

They were in turn criticised by other CLP members for acting without authority, but there are suggestions that the entire CLP may be suspended from the Party.

Other CLPs are also reportedly being investigated, including Hampstead and Kilburn, a constituency with a sizable Jewish community and about which a 98-page report on antisemitism and bullying was submitted to the Labour Party. Dame Louise Ellman’s former constituency of Liverpool Riverside is also apparently being investigated, as is Hastings and Rye and also High Peak, where there have been claims of antisemitism.

The announcements come shortly after the selection of David Evans as Labour’s new General Secretary.

While Campaign Against Antisemitism welcomes the belated investigations, there is concern that these suspensions are haphazard and still leave other cases outstanding. Moreover, suspension is not in itself a sanction, and an independent disciplinary process must be established immediately to ensure that these cases are dealt with swiftly, fairly and transparently.

On 28th May 2019, the EHRC 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.

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.

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Tom Watson says “vicious” antisemitism was one of the reasons he left politics, but at the time he said his move was “personal, not political”

Tom Watson has revealed that antisemitism was one of the reasons he did not seek re-election to Parliament last year, but he did not mention it at the time he stood down, instead saying his move was “personal, not political”.

Labour’s former deputy leader, whose differences with Jeremy Corbyn, who was then the Leader of the Party, were well known, stood down at the beginning of the 2019 General Election campaign, having spoken out against antisemitism in his Party in recent years.

Speaking to the ‘Last Call With Sweeney and Weiss’ podcast, he has now disclosed that “vicious and uncompromising antisemitism” in the Labour Party “contributed to my decision to leave politics”. He explained that the Party was “being infested with anti-Jewish racism” but that “people just blindly denied antisemitism in our ranks.”

He observed that too many people who “could not distinguish between the State of Israel and Jewish people and just didn’t like Jewish people. The language they used was racist.” Asked whether he believes Mr Corbyn is an antisemite, Mr Watson said: “It doesn’t matter – these people joined while he was Leader,” and they could have been removed from office and the Party “very easily”.

Labour antisemitism, he said, “had not been near the mainstream of politics for many decades” but that ‘’friends in the Jewish community say it’s always been there – it’s just never been articulated.’’

Mr Watson noted that “there were too many very close friends of mine who were genuinely frightened of Labour coming to power at the last election for me to feel comfortable in the role I was doing.”

To his credit – and in contrast to the hundreds of other Labour parliamentary candidates – Mr Watson did not feel that he could campaign for an antisemite. However, Mr Watson, who has been due to receive a peerage from Mr Corbyn that is now in doubt, did not denounce Labour antisemitism when he retired from politics, which was disappointing to the Jewish community.

Mr Watson said that the investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) into Labour antisemitism is a “great stain on a century-old institution that is going to be very hard to recover from.”

On 28th May 2019, the EHRC 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.

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.

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Youths attack Jewish boy, remove his skullcap, chase him and throw stone at him in Stamford Hill

A female witness was shocked to see three youths attack an observant Jewish boy by removing his kippah (skullcap), chasing him and throwing a stone at him.

The incident occurred on 31st May on Lynmouth Road in Stamford Hill 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: CAD7352 31/05/2020.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Acts of antisemitic intimidation and violence against Jewish minors in Stamford Hill are staggeringly common. We applaud Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol, for their role in reporting these crimes and deterring many more, and we are grateful to the police for their cooperation. If Jewish children are to have the same freedom as other kids to walk down the street unmolested, the culprits must be brought to justice.”

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.

Image credit: Google

 

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Celebrity singer Dua Lipa shares then removes social media post claiming Israelis are “fake” Jews

The singer, Dua Lipa, has shared a social media post claiming that Israelis are “fake” Jews, but she then removed it after criticism.

The British celebrity shared the post, originally authored by a user called “Vinarfuso”, to her tens of millions of Instagram followers.

The post claimed in respect of the residents of Gaza that Hamas is used as a “justification as to why they don’t deserve freedom”, but that this is “hysterical” because “the United States (fake Christians in the Midwest) and Israel (fake Jewish ppl [people] in the Israeli government) created Hamas simply for all of you geniuses to believe that Hamas is the reasons for the decades worth of occupation, oppression, ethnic cleansing, and murder.”

The post went on to clarify: “To my dear Jewish friends and family, I love you all. This has nothing to do with you or religion, and all to do with justice and freedom.”

Following criticism, Dua Lipa removed the post.

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.

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Man who allegedly berated Jewish family on Tube for twenty minutes identified and charged with multiple racially aggravated public order offences

A man who allegedly berated a Jewish family on the London Underground for twenty minutes has been identified and charged with multiple racially aggravated public order offences.

Isher Campbell, 35, of Dudley is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 5th August in connection with the incident last November, which was filmed by another passenger. The suspect, dressed in a hooded tracksuit top and a cap, can be seen on the video reading from what may be a bible and gesturing at a Jewish father and his sons, who are wearing Jewish skullcaps called kippot. He tells them, “I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jewish, and are not, but do lie,” adding: “Behold, I will make them come and worship before your feet, and they will know that I have loved thee.”

The Jewish man can be seen calmly putting his arm around one of his sons and comforting him, saying: “just ignore him.”

An upstanding male passenger, whose face cannot be seen in the footage, confronted the abusive man, who responded by saying “I’m no Christian pastor” and threatens to punch him and telling him to: “F*** off.” A brave observant Muslim woman, Asma Shuweikh, then also intervened, in order to distract the assailant from the family. Ms Shuweikh has recently disclosed that she intends to testify if the matter comes to court.

According to media reports, Mr Campbell is a born-again Christian, although further details have not been disclosed. Although Mr Campbell appeared to be reading from a bible when harassing the Jewish family, it was initially thought that he might be connected with an international fringe sect of Black supremacists that has also been intimidating observant Jewish residents in Stamford Hill and elsewhere in a similar fashion.

Mr Campbell has been charged in connection with that tube incident in November 2019 and also another in August 2019. Racially aggravated public order offences carry a maximum penalty of two years in prison.

Campaign Against Antisemitism and Shomrim North West London, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol, provided assistance to the victim, and we continue to monitor the case with interest.

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.

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Jeremy Corbyn says EHRC is just “part of the Government machine” in first interview since stepping down as Labour leader in latest attempt to undermine investigation into Party’s antisemitism

Jeremy Corbyn has rubbished the independence of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), saying that it is “part of the Government machine” and that its independence as been “taken away” by the Conservatives.

Mr Corbyn made the remarks in his first interview since stepping down as Labour leader, which he gave to the fringe blog, Middle East Eye, which has a history of belittling Labour antisemitism. The interview was conducted by the controversial journalist, Peter Oborne, and the full video will apparently be available tomorrow.

The EHRC launched a full statutory investigation into antisemitism in the Labour Party on 28th May 2019 following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant.

Asked whether the EHRC’s alleged impartiality would affect its report, Mr Corbyn reportedly replied: “Let’s see what happens.”

Mr Corbyn further claimed that the EHRC was “underfunded” by the Conservative Government which, “for some reason, which I don’t fully understand…decided to take away its independent status and make it part of the government machine.”

Mr Corbyn added that had he won the 2019 General Election he would have restored the EHRC’s independence.

Mr Corbyn’s basis for questioning the EHRC’s independence is not, however, clear. This is also not the first time that Mr Corbyn has tried to undermine the credibility of the independent body (which was established by a Labour Government) investigating his Party for racism: during the 2019 General Election campaign, Mr Corbyn pledged to reform the EHRC if he won power, again without providing a basis for his Party’s concerns, leaving observers to speculate that it was due to the EHRC’s investigation.

Mr Corbyn’s remarks are just the latest attempt by the far-left to question the EHRC’s credibility. Recently, other far-left figures have also suggested that the EHRC may itself be racist, or that if it concludes that the Labour Party is racist it means that it is racist toward other minorities rather than Jews.

Incredibly, Mr Corbyn complained that claims that he had tolerated antisemitism were “wrong and extremely unfair” and that “I’m the one that actually introduced a process for dealing with it,” a common refrain by those seeking to defend Mr Corbyn and the former General Secretary of the Labour Party, Jennie Formby, during whose disastrous tenure the EHRC launched its investigation. Mr Corbyn insisted that the number of cases of antisemitism in the Labour Party was “small” or, at another point in the interview, “very small”. He praised the Chakrabarti Report, which was widely panned as a whitewash and whose author was rewarded by Mr Corbyn for protecting him with a peerage (despite his earlier promise not to award peerages).

Mr Corbyn recalled his mother’s involvement in the historic Cable Street demonstrations against antisemitic fascism and insisted that antisemitism is “absolutely, totally unacceptable in any form”, even though he himself has indulged in it on multiple occasions and worked to protect or elevate allies and supporters who had done so as well. Mr Corbyn even had the audacity to lament how Jewish Labour MPs were being “troll[ed]”, even though those same Jewish women MPs either themselves called him an “antisemitic racist” or complained that he did nothing to assist them, declining even to communicate with them for months on end until two were hounded out of the Party. Regarding such MPs, Mr Corbyn not only showed no remorse but even suggested that he may have been “too tolerant of people”.

The interview was an indication that Mr Corbyn will retreat during his retirement from leadership to the far-left fringes where he has always felt at home.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Jeremy Corbyn’s interview with a fringe blog questioning the independence of the Equality and Human Rights Commission is just the latest attempt by the far-left to try to undermine the EHRC in anticipation of its report into the Party’s antisemitism during his leadership. Mr Corbyn and his allies have repeatedly suggested that the EHRC is not impartial and even that it itself may be racist, and that therefore its conclusions cannot be trusted. These self-proclaimed ‘anti-racist campaigners’ are so blinded by their own prejudices and self-righteousness that they cannot see the injury that they are causing to the very minorities they profess to care about. The era of Mr Corbyn’s leadership may be over but the sordid campaign to rehabilitate his ghastly legacy is in full swing.”

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.

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Local newspaper in North East publishes antisemitic letter to the editor and now apologises but only for “offence caused” rather than because it was racist

A local newspaper in the North East of England has published a written apology after printing an antisemitic letter to the editor from a member of the public.

The Journal published a letter from an individual named Mem Tahir, who regretted that the Jewish community in the region was unable to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Bergen-Belsen due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but then proceeded to say: “When one looks back at history, and looks at the sects that suffered most in the past, one sees that the sufferers in the past are now repeating the atrocities!” The author then expressly compared the effect of Israeli policy to how “the Jewish population suffered under the Nazi regime.”

The letter was a breach of the International Definition of Antisemitism, under which  “drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” is an example of antisemitism.

The matter was brought to the attention of Campaign Against Antisemitism by CAMERA UK, and we released a statement, saying: “Equating Israeli policies to those of the Nazis is antisemitic under the International Definition of Antisemitism. Newspaper editors are under no obligation to print letters and, while letters do not necessarily represent the views of the editors, the choice to print an antisemitic letter reflects the editors’ ignorance of the manifestations of anti-Jewish racism. The editors must apologise to readers and clarify what steps are being taken to avoid a repeat in future.”

Following CAMERA’s and our intervention, the editors have now published an apology in the latest edition of the newspaper, saying: “In Saturday’s Journal, we carried a letter headlined ‘Ending cycles of suffering’, which referred to Israel’s treatment of Palestinians. The letter did not reflect the views of The Journal and we apologise for any offence caused.”

Whilst we welcome the apology, it is regrettable that the editors have not acknowledged that the letter was antisemitic and should not have been published. Offence was not caused merely because of the claims that were made in the letter but because those claims were racist against Jews. Until the editors recognise this there can be no confidence that it will not publish racist letters or material in future.

We are grateful to CAMERA UK for bringing this case to our attention and for our collaboration on this matter.

 

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Sir Keir Starmer to investigate Luciana Berger’s former Wavertree Labour branch after senior local members attack new MP for regretting her predecessor had to leave

Sir Keir Starmer intends to launch an investigation into Luciana Berger’s former Constituency Labour Party, according to the JC, after members were found to have attacked the new MP for telling a Jewish newspaper that she regretted that Ms Berger felt that she had to leave the Party.

Paula Barker, the new Labour MP for Wavertree, wrote in the Jewish Telegraph that “Luciana leaving the Labour Party was a shock to many and I find it deeply regrettable that she felt she could no longer stay.” Ms Berger was hounded out of the Labour Party in early 2019 after years of antisemitism and threats of deselection.

However, four members of the executive committee of Ms Barker’s Constituency Labour Party (including its chair and secretary) issued a statement in the branch’s Member’s Bulletin accusing Ms Barker of presenting an “inaccurate and factionally-motivated position on antisemitism” that only “reflected the influence of a partial view that claims to speak for all Jewish people.” They further insisted that “our political disagreement with [Ms Berger] was cynically attributed to bullying, harassment and antisemitism on our part” and that “the suggestion that the Constituency Labour Party Executive is in any way a party to bullying and antisemitism is a false and slanderous accusation.”

The Labour Party in Liverpool saw two Jewish women MPs – Ms Berger and Dame Louise Ellman – quit the Party over antisemitism.

It is understood that Sir Keir intends now to launch an investigation into the Wavertree Constituency Labour Party.

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.

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.

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“All Jews must die!”, man shouts at Jewish pedestrian in Stamford Hill

A male suspect reportedly shouted “All Jews must die!” at a visibly Jewish pedestrian in Stamford Hill.

The incident took place at 5:35pm on 24th May on St Ann’s Road 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: CAD7867 24/05/2020.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Openly antisemitic threats against observant Jews have become commonplace in North London and there has been no respite even during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are grateful that the police are working closely with Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol, to identify offenders. Deterrence relies on robust investigation and enforcement, without which there will be no end to the wave of anti-Jewish incidents.”

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.

(Photo credit: Google)

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“Welcome to the Zionist Police State” sign overlooking Jewish cemetery in East End is removed by police while swastika is engraved into house in Golders Green

A sign reading “Welcome to the Zionist police state” was draped over a building overlooking a Jewish cemetary in Mile End, in London’s East End, while a swastika was found engraved in a house in Golders Green in North London.

The sign was spotted by a journalist, Gabriel Pogrund, and was subsequently removed by police. The phrase “Zionist police state” is in reference to antisemitic conspiracy theories that Jews or Zionists exert outsized power in our national affairs or that Jews or Israel are somehow to blame for the coronavirus pandemic.

The swastika was engraved in the house of a non-Jewish family in the Jewish neighbourhood of Golders Green and was reported by Shomrim North West London, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol. Campaign Against Antisemitism is in contact with local residents.

If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Campaign Against Antisemitism.

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.

(Photo credit: Gabriel Pogrund)

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Police investigating after Holocaust survivor told “we will then kill more of you” in Arabic threats over Twitter

Police are investigating after a Holocaust survivor was told “we will then kill more of you” in messages on Twitter.

The tweets, sent by a user calling himself Ahmed Bassam using a now-deleted Twitter handle called @AHMEDBA84169776, were written in Arabic and translated by Campaign Against Antisemitism. The user sent five threatening tweets to Agnes Grunwald-Spier, a Holocaust survivor.

The first tweet read: “Warning [you]: we haven’t finished with you yet. We will cut your heads off or blow them up into (bloodied) shreds until you leave our land.”

The second tweet read: “You are rapists [forceful grabbers of our land], and my Mother Ahlam Al Tamimi defended us and our land only, and if you don’t leave our land Palestine we will then kill more of you, and even if my mother Ahlam Al Tamimi were deported or jailed or was martyred [sic] then definitely thousands will be born [and come forward] like my mother Ahlam Al-Tamimi.”

Ahlam Al-Tamimi is a Jordanian terrorist convicted by Israel for her involvement in the Sbarro restaurant suicide bombing. Although she received multiple life sentences, she was released in an exchange to free a kidnapped Israeli soldier.

The other three tweets were similarly threatening.

Dr Grunwald-Spier said: “As a single woman living alone, I found it quite scary. I immediately reported all five tweets to Twitter and they acted remarkably quickly to suspend the account because of the abusive and violent nature of the tweets. I think it’s important to take action against people who seem to think it is okay to send these sort of messages in the public domain. People need to understand that such behaviour, which breaches the International Definition of Antisemitism, is not acceptable and will not be tolerated. I don’t know if he lives in the United Kingdom but if he does he should be prosecuted with maximum publicity to ensure that a message of no-tolerance is spread widely.”

Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “We welcome the police investigation into these despicable threats against Agnes Grunwald-Spier, a Holocaust survivor. Far from ending with the Holocaust, antisemitism is reaching vast audiences due to the irresponsibility of social media companies. That on this occasion Twitter acted so quickly shows that, contrary to their claims, these companies are able to stamp out racist hatred on their platforms, so the question arises as to why they do it so rarely. We are assisting the victim and applaud her for reporting the threats, and we entirely agree that the offender must bear the full force of the law.”

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 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.

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University of Oxford claims a fifth of English people believe Jews created COVID-19 “to collapse the economy for financial gain”

A survey carried out by the University of Oxford polling attitudes towards conspiracy theories relating to COVID-19 claims that around twenty percent of respondents believed that “Jews have created the virus to collapse the economy for financial gain.” However, the polling has come under criticism.

The research, called Oxford Coronavirus Explanations, Attitudes, and Narratives Survey, polled a representative sample of 2,500 English adults from 4th to 11th May 2020. Other conspiracy theories included ideas about the source of the virus, claims about Muslims, Bill Gates and celebrities, and the suggestion that the Prime Minister faked having contracted the virus.

The results, published in the journal Psychological Medicine, suggested that while almost 81% of respondents disagreed with the statement, 5.3% said that they “agree a little”; 6.8% said that they “agree moderately”; 4.6% said that they “agree a lot”; and 2.4% said that they “agree completely”. The figures were very similar for other statements, such as the claim that “Muslims are spreading the virus as an attack on Western values.”

Popular conspiracy theorists like David Icke have made claims such as that Israel was using the COVID-19 crisis to “test its technology”.

According to the researchers at the National Institute of Health Research’s Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre at the University of Oxford, the “results indicate that half of the nation is excessively mistrustful and that this reduces the following of government coronavirus guidance.”

Professor Daniel Freeman, Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Oxford and a Consultant Clinical Psychologist at the Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, noted: “The details of the conspiracy theories differ, and can even be contradictory, but there is a prevailing attitude of deep suspicion. The epidemic has all the necessary ingredients for the growth of conspiracy theories, including sustained threat, exposure of vulnerabilities, and enforced change. The new conspiracy ideas have largely built on previous prejudices and conspiracy theories. The beliefs look to be corrosive to our necessary collective response to the crisis. In the wake of the epidemic, mistrust looks to have become mainstream.”

Dr Sinéad Lambe, a clinical psychologist who worked on the study, observed: “Conspiracy beliefs arguably travel further and faster than ever before. Our survey indicates that people who hold such beliefs share them; social media provides a ready-made platform.”

However, the polling has been strongly criticised by academics who argued that there were more polling options to agree with the statements than to disagree with them, perhaps giving rise to what is known as ‘acquiescence bias’. They argued that not only might the survey therefore be unreliable, but that it may even serve to normalise the conspiracy theories it set out to examine.

The study comes after a previous report claimed that the COVID-19 pandemic is “amplifying” far-right voices, while another poll showed the sustained popularity of antisemitic conspiracy myths.

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Labour councillor who apologised for calling Israel a “racist state” then reacted to the antisemitism investigation by saying she “will not bow down to white supremacy”

It has emerged that a local Labour councillor who had previously apologised for calling Israel a “racist state” then reacted to the ensuing antisemitism investigation by saying she “will not bow down to white supremacy”.

Nichole Brennan, a councillor in Brighton and Hove, apologised and resigned from her role as deputy housing chairwoman and rough sleeping chief pending an investigation after pictures emerged showing her holding a sign calling Israel a “racist, apartheid state” in a protest two years before at Hove Town Hall against the adoption of the International Definition of Antisemitism by the local authority. The Definition lists “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”) as an example of antisemitism. Brighton and Hove City Council adopted the Definition. In a statement, Cllr Brennan apologised for her actions prior to becoming a councillor and declared her support for adoption of the Definition.

However, it has now emerged that just three days later she posted on Facebook: “Let me make something clear. 1. I have not resigned as a councillor and I will go on speaking up for the people who elected me. 2. I will not bow down to white supremacy and I will always challenge racism in ALL its forms as I always have.” She appeared to be referring to allegations of antisemitism and/or her own Party’s prospective investigation as “white supremacy”.

Cllr Brennan reportedly deleted the post two days ago after being approached by local media. She was originally elected on a Momentum slate.

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.

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.

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Notorious Bristol University Professor who attacked Sir Keir Starmer over “Zionist money” has been suspended from Labour, but not for antisemitism

A notorious academic at the University of Bristol who attacked Sir Keir Starmer over “Zionist money” behind his leadership campaign has been suspended from the Labour Party, but not, according to the Jewish Chronicle, for antisemitism.

According to a report, Prof. David Miller asserted that his and other recent suspensions “were designed to target members who understand the racism of Zionism, ‘which is very obviously incompatible with membership of the Labour Party.’”

Prof. Miller has previously claimed that, because Sir Keir was “in receipt of money from the Zionist movement,” he was “obviously not going to” conduct “a proper investigation” into the leaked Labour report into the handling of antisemitism cases and supposed factional infighting at Party headquarters. The remarks were apparently made after he took part in an online broadcast with the disgraced former Labour MP, Chris Williamson. He also talked at that event about what he referred to as the “witch hunt” against Labour members accused of antisemitism.

Prof. Miller, a sociology lecturer, has a history of spouting conspiracy theories about Zionism and conspiracies involving various Jewish community organisations and figures that has reportedly discomfited his Jewish students. The University of Bristol has repeatedly failed to take action against him.

It is extraordinary that even the Labour Party, which remains an institutionally antisemitic Party, has suspended Prof. Miller, but the University of Bristol continues to do nothing despite his impact on Jewish students.

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.

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.

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ITV shows contempt for Jewish community as Good Morning Britain features antisemitic Prof. John “so much for the Holocaust!” Ashton again

ITV has shown contempt for the Jewish community as Good Morning Britain, its flagship morning show, features Prof. John Ashton on its programme yet again today.

Prof. John Ashton, a public health commentator, has a long history of antisemitic and inflammatory comments, including comparing Israel to the Nazis and holding Jews responsible for the actions of the State of Israel, both of which are breaches of the International Definition of Antisemitism, as well as trolling Jewish women MPs.

He therefore has no place on our television screens, which is why over one thousand people have signed our petition calling on the BBC, ITV and Sky News to cease featuring him in their programming. You can sign the petition here:

https://www.change.org/p/bbc-bbc-itv-sky-news-get-prof-john-time-for-jews-to-reflect-ashton-off-our-televisions?recruiter=330393351&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=share_petition

So far, BBC and Sky News have both dismissed Prof. Ashton’s antisemitism as “political views”, and now ITV has shown contempt for Jews by featuring him again, even after his dreadful antisemitism has been exposed.

Campaign Against Antisemitism again calls on all self-respecting broadcasters to stop featuring this racist, hate-filled man.

(Photo credit: @SussexFriends)

 

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School and pupil apologise for TikTok video mocking Holocaust victims while TikTok itself does absolutely nothing

A pupil and her school have apologised after she posted a video on the online platform Tik Tok that mocked Holocaust victims.

The video, which we are not showing in order to protect the child’s identity, featured the schoolgirl making gestures to music as the caption joked: “What is bald and 100 metres long? The queue outside aushtwich [sic]”.

Campaign Against Antisemitism brought the video to the school’s attention, and the pupil has expressed her “deep remorse” and “offered a sincere apology” as she removed the video, with a third party who shared the video on Twitter also having removed it. The schoolgirl will also be writing letters of apology to those who have complained.

Campaign Against Antisemitism applauds the school for its swift action and the pupil for recognising the problem and learning from the incident. We shall not be naming the school.

Regrettably, while the pupil showed the good sense to take responsibility, apologise and remove the video, TikTok, the online platform particularly popular with impressionable children, did not show similar acumen. This is just the latest in a series of videos mocking Holocaust victims and survivors found on the platform, and so far the company has refused to take action.

A spokesman for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “We applaud the pupil and her school for taking swift action to remove the video and apologise, but we condemn TikTok for allowing grotesque memes to continue to circulate among impressionable minors. How long will it take before social media companies begin to take social responsibility for what they permit to be published in their names?”

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.

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Palestine Solidarity Campaign, a group riddled with bigotry, marks anniversary of Israel’s independence with Zoom event extolling terrorism, accusing Israel of racism and denying Labour antisemitism

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), which we have exposed for failing to act against anti-Jewish bigots in its midst, marked the Gregorian date of Israel’s Independence Day with a Zoom event in which guest speakers extolled terrorism, accused Israel of racism and denied Labour antisemitism. Speakers included notorious Jew-baiters Ken Loach and Roger Waters.

The Zoom rally was held to mourn the establishment of Israel, which the group calls “Naqba”, Arabic for “catastrophe”, in reference to the several hundred thousand Arabs who were dispossessed after their leaders declared war on the nascent Jewish state.

Among the speakers in the two-hour event was Ken Loach, who has a long history of inflammatory comments on the subject of antisemitism and anti-Jewish racism in the Labour Party, has refused to denounce Holocaust denial and was recently removed from a sympathetic charity’s judging panel after pressure from Campaign Against Antisemitism and others.

At the event, Mr Loach made three points. The first was about the events of 1948, when Israel was established, during which he appallingly declared that Arabs were “killed with impunity”, and that there were “rape, massacres, poisoning of water supplies [and] ethnic cleansing”. His second point was that, in making these atrocious claims, “we must not be intimidated” by the “abuse, vilification, accusations of racism, accusations of antisemitism. It’s the campaign that has brought down the leader of the Labour Party,” he said, echoing his past statements denying Labour antisemitism. He added, alluding to another familiar trope, that “we know the mass media will collude in the fake campaign.” His third point was the importance of political activism, including in unions, politics, universities and churches. He also called for support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, the tactics of which an overwhelming majority of British Jews find intimidating.

Roger Waters, the former Pink Floyd musician and an active supporter of the intimidatory BDS movement, gave a performance in which he sang the lyrics: “we’ll take back the land, from the Jordan River to the sea,” seeming to declare an aspiration to see Israel destroyed and the self-determination of the Jewish people extinguished.

Another of the speakers was Allan Kolski Horwitz, a South African poet and activist. He recited a poem that paid tribute to Ghassan Kanafani, a terrorist and spokesman for the violent Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). Mr Horwitz lamented that Mr Kanafani had been killed by Israeli security services, but failed to mention that his terrorist group had been involved in the murder and injury of over a hundred innocent people at Lod Airport (now Ben Gurion Airport) just a few months earlier. The PFLP, which opposed the existence of Israel entirely, has also targeted Jewish schoolchildren and was responsible for other massacres of civilians. In his poem, Mr Horwitz praised the “trucks loaded with defiance and bomb belts, trucks loaded with young militants” which “cross over [the border] and explode!”

The ubiquitous and outspoken activist Ghada Karmi, who recently came under fire for an article that made a series of antisemitic statements, called for the return of all Arab refugees to Israel with the purpose of destroying the Jewish state so that “the whole nightmare ends”.

Stephanie Fox of the highly controversial and fringe American organisation, Jewish Voice for Peace, introduced herself with the unintentionally comic opening of “as a Jewish person”, before making her defamatory claim that “Jewish Zionist militias” drove Arabs “into the sea”, and compared Israel’s founding to slavery and settler colonialism in the United States. Accusing Israel of “ethnic cleansing”, she said: “I invite my fellow Jews on the Zoom call tonight: refuse complicity with the Naqba.”

According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, examples of antisemitism include “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)”; “using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g. claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterise Israel or Israelis”; and “holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the State of Israel.”

We are seeking to recruit a General Counsel a Creative Communications and Events Officer a Communications and Research Manager an Education and Outreach Intern to join our London office

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Campaign Against Antisemitism is a volunteer-led charity dedicated to exposing and countering antisemitism through education and zero-tolerance enforcement of the law. Everything that we do is done by people who volunteer their time, using donations contributed by members of the public. Join the fight against antisemitism by subscribing to our updates, volunteering, or donating.