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Corbyn refuses to apologise to Jewish community for Labour antisemitism, and appears to admit Chakrabarti report was not independent

Jeremy Corbyn has refused to apologise to the Jewish community for the Labour Party’s institutional antisemitism and his role in it.

Mr Corbyn was interviewed by the BBC’s Andrew Neil last night in what was widely panned as a disastrous conversation for the Labour leader, a full third of which was spent discussing Labour’s antisemitism crisis and the Chief Rabbi’s unprecedented intervention of earlier this week.

The Labour leader stood by his outlandish claim that Labour’s processes were fit for purpose and that “every single case” had been investigated, despite evidence to the contrary.

In a notable slip, Mr Corbyn appeared to admit that the report on antisemitism in the Labour Party produced by Shami Chakrabarti was not independent, saying: “I made that very clear in the Chakrabarti Report which we did very early on…”.

The full transcript of the interview is available here.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 58,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

On 8th December, regardless of religion, race or politics, Jews and non-Jews alike will gather in Parliament Square to declare that they stand together against antisemitism in the face of Jew-hatred in politics and mounting anti-Jewish hate crime.

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Corbyn shares platform with Labour candidates with troubling records on anti-Jewish racism as Labour launches race manifesto

The launch of Labour’s controversial Race and Faith manifesto today was mired with controversy, as Mr Corbyn shared a platform with Labour candidates with troubling records on anti-Jewish racism.

The event was delayed and already overshadowed by the Chief Rabbi’s unprecedented intervention criticising the Labour Party over its institutional antisemitism and the manifesto’s sinister pledge to reform the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which is currently investigating the Labour Party following a complaint from Campaign Against Antisemitism.

Those sharing the platform with Mr Corbyn today included Afzal Khan, an MP who reportedly compared Israeli policy to that of the Nazis; candidate Apsana Begum, who accused Tony Blair of spreading ‘Zionist propaganda’ and who claimed that the leaders of Saudia Arabia were ‘inspired by Zionist masters’; and Claudia Webbe, who defended Ken Livingstone’s comparison of a Jewish journalist to a concentration camp guard and who also heads up Labour’s disputes panel, which decides how to deal with members embroiled in antisemitic controversy.

Gideon Falter, Chief Executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Another day, another example of the institutional antisemitism of the Labour Party. Jeremy Corbyn today announced his Party’s race relations manifesto, which makes a sinister call for reforming the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the very body that is investigating the Labour Party over antisemitic racism following a complaint by Campaign Against Antisemitism.

“Meanwhile, those sharing the platform with Mr Corbyn are hardly paragons of anti-racism. Instead, their views are what the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn stands for. Jeremy Corbyn has now again assured the country that he does not tolerate antisemitism ‘whatsoever’, but he surrounds himself with it, and in the past has even perpetrated it himself. Jeremy Corbyn is gaslighting Britain’s Jews.”

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 58,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

On 8th December, regardless of religion, race or politics, Jews and non-Jews alike will gather in Parliament Square to declare that they stand together against antisemitism in the face of Jew-hatred in politics and mounting anti-Jewish hate crime.

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Leader of Britain’s Sephardi Jewish community backs Chief Rabbi over Jeremy Corbyn

The Senior Rabbi of Britain’s Sephardi Jewish community has issued a statement fulsomely backing the Chief Rabbi over his unprecedented intervention, in which he warned that Jeremy Corbyn was “unfit for office” and that “the very soul of our nation is at stake.”

Rabbi Joseph Dweck wrote: “As a rule we as rabbis are careful to keep out of national politics. But as Chief Rabbi Mirvis said, this comes to an issue of racism and a large portion of the Jewish community does not look at the potential election of Corbyn as a question between liberal and conservative politics, but rather, the difference between the safety and peace of Jewish life in this country, and G-d forbid, the alternative.

“My community is the oldest in this country, dating back to 1656. We have over the last 364 years contributed greatly to every sector of British society, and in turn, Britain has been very good to our people. Given the history of antisemitism in Europe, the hateful spectre that casts a shadow over the rhetoric and ideas of Mr Corbyn and his party gives us significant reason for concern and so the Chief Rabbi has raised his voice in concern and caution. I stand with him and his message.”

Rabbi Dweck is one of the most respected voices in the British Jewish community, representing the Spanish and Portuguese Sephardi Jewish community which was the first to return to Britain following the expulsion of all Jews in 1290.

Earlier today the Archbishop of Canterbury also backed the Chief Rabbi.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 58,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

On 8th December, regardless of religion, race or politics, Jews and non-Jews alike will gather in Parliament Square to declare that they stand together against antisemitism in the face of Jew-hatred in politics and mounting anti-Jewish hate crime.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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Archbishop of Canterbury backs Chief Rabbi over his comments about Jeremy Corbyn, warning “visible action” is needed, not just words

The Archbishop of Canterbury has backed the Chief Rabbi over his unprecedented intervention, in which he warned that Jeremy Corbyn was “unfit for office” and that “the very soul of our nation is at stake.”

Archbishop Justin Welby, who is the most senior clergyman in the Church of England has this morning issued a statement warning that there is a “deep sense of insecurity and fear felt by many British Jews.”

Stating that “None of us can afford to be complacent”, the Archbishop made a thinly veiled attack on those who continually deplore antisemitism whilst doing nothing against it, writing: “Voicing words that commit to a stand against antisemitism requires a corresponding effort in visible action.”

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 58,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

On 8th December, regardless of religion, race or politics, Jews and non-Jews alike will gather in Parliament Square to declare that they stand together against antisemitism in the face of Jew-hatred in politics and mounting anti-Jewish hate crime.

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Chief Rabbi attacks Corbyn and calls on Britons to “vote with their conscience” in unprecedented intervention, saying “soul of our nation is at stake”

In an unprecedented intervention, the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, Ephraim Mirvis, has asked in The Times how far Jeremy Corbyn would have to go to be considered “unfit for office”, rhetorically asking readers: “What will the result of this election say about the moral compass of our country? When December 12 arrives, I ask every person to vote with their conscience. Be in no doubt, the very soul of our nation is at stake.”

Acknowledging that he had broken with precedent, he wrote: “Convention dictates that the Chief Rabbi stays well away from party politics — and rightly so. However, challenging racism is not a matter of politics, it goes well beyond that.”

Noting that “British Jews are gripped by anxiety”, he wrote that “the question I am now most frequently asked is: What will become of Jews and Judaism in Britain if the Labour Party forms the next government?”

Remarking on the past four years of Mr Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour Party, he wrote that the Jewish community had “been treated by many as an irritant, as opposed to a minority community with genuine concerns [about antisemitism in the Labour Party.”

He admonished politicians who “have sat silent” and wrote that “We have learned the hard way that speaking out means that we will be demonised by faceless social media trolls and accused of being partisan or acting in bad faith by those who still think of this as an orchestrated political smear. Yet, I ask myself: should the victims of racism be silenced by the fear of yet further vilification?”

The Chief Rabbi then exhorted British voters to examine their consciences before voting, pleading “with the heaviest of hearts, I call upon the citizens of our great country to study what has been unfolding before our very eyes.” Enumerating failures by the Labour Party to act, and listing some of Mr Corbyn’s own antisemitic acts, he concluded: “How far is too far? How complicit in prejudice would a leader of Her Majesty’s opposition have to be to be considered unfit for office? Would associations with those who have incited hatred against Jews be enough? Would describing as ‘friends’ those who endorse the murder of Jews be enough? It seems not. It is not my place to tell any person how they should vote. I regret being in this situation at all. I simply pose the question: What will the result of this election say about the moral compass of our country? When December 12 arrives, I ask every person to vote with their conscience. Be in no doubt, the very soul of our nation is at stake.”

The Chief Rabbi is the latest Jewish religious leader to break with convention and speak out on politics. In the past month, Rabbi Jonathan Romain called on his community to vote against Labour and Rabbi Yuval Keren told his community to vote tactically against Labour.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 58,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

On 8th December, regardless of religion, race or politics, Jews and non-Jews alike will gather in Parliament Square to declare that they stand together against antisemitism in the face of Jew-hatred in politics and mounting anti-Jewish hate crime.

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Labour’s race manifesto calls for reform of Equality and Human Rights Commission, despite being subject to investigation by EHRC after complaint by CAA

The Labour Party is due to launch its Race and Faith Manifesto tomorrow. The manifesto includes a pledge to “Enhance the powers and functions of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, making it truly independent, to ensure it can support people to effectively challenge any discrimination they may face.”

Gideon Falter, Chief Executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “As a result of our legal representations, the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn became the first party to face a full statutory investigation since the Equality Act 2006 was brought into law.

“As the complainant in the investigation, we consider it to be sinister in the extreme that the Labour Party is now proposing to restructure the very body that is investigating its racism against Jews. The Commission is defending British Jews by independently acting to investigate and stop unlawful antisemitic discrimination, harassment and victimisation, just as it does for all other groups protected under the Equality Act, exactly as it was designed to do.

“This sinister proposal by the Labour Party to restructure the Commission should be immediately retracted. If the next government seeks to undermine the Commission’s ability to defend Britain’s Jews from antisemitism then there can be no doubt whatsoever that we will issue judicial review proceedings to prevent them from doing so.”

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 58,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

On 8th December, regardless of religion, race or politics, Jews and non-Jews alike will gather in Parliament Square to declare that they stand together against antisemitism in the face of Jew-hatred in politics and mounting anti-Jewish hate crime.

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Man assaults Jewish children on bus, punching one in the eye

Three Jewish children have been attacked on a bus in Clapton Common in Stamford Hill.

CCTV footage has been captured showing two men running for the number 253 bus, with one slipping at the back door, appearing to attack Jewish passengers, before some passengers begin to exit the bus.

The victims had their hats thrown off and one was punched in the eye.

The incident took place at around 08:15 on the morning of 24th November and was reported by Shomrim Stamford Hill, a 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: CAD5111 24/11/19.

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Brexit Party yet to drop candidate Marc Stanton who declared: “I sure as hell am antisemitic”

The Brexit Party has not dropped its candidate for West Lancashire, despite revelations that he made antisemitic and other controversial comments on social media.

Marc Stanton is alleged to have written the problematic posts in 2014.

One read: “Having just watched the latest news about Gaza, I can’t say I am a fan of fanatical Islam – but I sure as hell am antisemitic now,” adding: “The situation between Palestine and Israel seems to continually get worse. Of course, I could not possibly express an opinion but one could perhaps understand why some people might feel that the Israelis learnt their lesson well 60 years ago about genocide and oppression. The student should not always follow the teachings of the professor.”

Mr Stanton reportedly responded to the reports, saying: “It has been brought to my attention that I have used some appalling language on my private Facebook page in the past. I regret wholeheartedly using such language and realize that it will have offended some people. For this, I apologise. The comments were made years ago, at the end of a tiring day, and on a private account. I made a mistake and condemn such language and all forms of bigotry….I have spent years as part of a mixed society of many different nationalities and religions and social types. I honestly believe that everyone is equal and that is what I have always strived to ensure in my daily life.

“My grandmother was Jewish and so being part Jewish myself, I find it strange that I am being accused of being antisemitic and Islamophobic at the same time. I have always endeavored to treat every one of whatever background equally. It would seem that some of my Facebook posts from several years ago have been taken out of context and in a selective manner for the purpose of trying to cause me a problem. I do object to radicalism and extremism from any religion or ideology.”

Other candidates revealed to have made such comments have been dumped by their respective parties, but disappointingly the Brexit Party does not appear to have taken any action against Mr Stanton.

On 8th December, regardless of religion, race or politics, Jews and non-Jews alike will gather in Parliament Square to declare that they stand together against antisemitism in the face of Jew-hatred in politics and mounting anti-Jewish hate crime.

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University of Warwick backs lecturer Dr Goldie Osuri who told students Labour antisemitism claims are “an Israeli lobby kind of idea”

The University of Warwick has backed a lecturer who dismissed concerns over Labour’s ongoing antisemitism crisis by saying such concerns are “an Israeli lobby kind of idea.”

In a lecture on 11th November, Dr Goldie Osuri posited in a recording obtained by Campaign Against Antisemitism that “the next time they say that the Labour Party is antisemitic, you know there are some people possibly that are possibly antisemitic, but this idea that the Labour Party is antisemitic is very much an Israeli lobby kind of idea.”

Her conspiratorial comments, alluding to supposed outsized Israeli power and interference in British politics, and dismissal of antisemitism in Labour as a smear, left Jewish students outraged.

Rather than some shadowy conspiracy, Labour’s institutional antisemitism is very real. Indeed on 28th May, the Equality and Human Rights Commission launched a full statutory investigation following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant.

Dr Osuri was challenged over her remarks by the Warwick Jewish Israeli Society who said in a statement released jointly with the Union of Jewish Students, said that “there can be no excuse from an academic at such a prestigious university to spread conspiracy theories associated with classic antisemitism.” They went on to point out that Dr Onsuri’s comment  “belittles and diminishes the fears, experiences and concerns of the Jewish community and spreads the antisemitic conspiracy that Jews control the media”. 

In an email to students shown to Campaign Against Antisemitism, Dr Osuri doubled down on her claims, promoting the work of the antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation, Jewish Voice for Labour, as well as bemoaning that she was “saddened” that “none of these issues were raised in the seminars.”

In a statement Angus Taylor, the President of the Warwick Jewish Israeli Society responded that, “Dr Osuri has sought to downplay and deny our community’s experience of racism by suggesting that it is in fact a conspiracy, and that the representative bodies of British Jews are in fact lying, making up racism against them.” He ended by saying that “Dr Osuri’s argument that the concerns of Jewish students in the lecture were not ‘raised in the seminars… in a respectful manner’ demonstrates a demonstrable lack of sensitivity to the experience of people affected by racism. Her comments upset students and this response amounts to victim-blaming.”

This case has been exacerbated by the response of Warwick University to questions from the Jewish News, in which the University repeated Dr Osuri’s claim that the accusations were a “misrepresentation of her lecture” that leaves out “significant context,” as well as sharing her demand that concerned students “discuss and debate.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism shares the Jewish students’ conclusion that the University has committed “a shameful dereliction of its responsibility to protect Jewish students” and that “the University has chosen to side with antisemites and not Jewish students.”

This incident follows other concerns over the University’s failure to address a scandal over a group chat which gained national attention, in which antisemitic, misogynistic, abusive and threatening messages, including rape threats, were uncovered.   

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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SNP councillor Frank Anderson suspended for three months after reportedly sharing antisemitic article on social media

A councillor with the Scottish National Party (SNP) has been suspended for three months reportedly for sharing an antisemitic article on social media.

Frank Anderson, on West Lothian Council, is reported to have been sanctioned for “disrespectful conduct” after an ethics hearing over his sharing of a blog called “Grouse Beater” in October 2018.

The article, which was apparently critical of Rhea Wolfson, a Jewish official with the GMB Scotland union, mentioned that Hitler had alleged that Jews had gradually assumed leadership of the trade union movement. Although the article did not reference that Ms Wolfson is Jewish, the panel was reportedly satisfied that it was antisemitic.

The article was written by Gareth Wardell, a member of the SNP. The Party suspended him after the article was published and then expelled him.

Mr Anderson apologised to Ms Wolfson in an email, and an apology was also published in the media.

On 8th December, regardless of religion, race or politics, Jews and non-Jews alike will gather in Parliament Square to declare that they stand together against antisemitism in the face of Jew-hatred in politics and mounting anti-Jewish hate crime.

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Lib Dems dump candidate Waheed Rafiq who made antisemitic comments on social media

The Liberal Democrats have dropped a general election candidate after it emerged that he had made controversial remarks on social media, including about Jews.

Waheed Rafiq was to represent the Lib Dems in Birmingham Hodge Hill, but has been dumped by the Party after it was revealed that he had posted on Facebook in 2010: “shocking to see how the Jewish government call them self Jews when they are wiping out all the people of Gaza.” 

In 2012, Mr Rafiq is said to have posted a cartoon of a hook-nosed Jew wearing a Star of David hat.

In 2014, he apparently called on his Facebook friends to boycott WhatsApp because it was “Zionist backed”, clarifying: “Please note Jeff Rothschild is the Vice President of Infrastructure software and thus also a share holder in Facebook.” He added: “There are other non Zionist apps such as the Telegram Messaging App. It’s available on both android and apple users created by two brothers in Berlin. It’s better encrypted, much safer and thus better than WhatsApp. Never forget WhatsApp is Zionist backed so all we do and say is monitored and can leave us vulnerable to be exploited later.”

Also in 2014, Mr Rafiq reportedly shared an image with a Star of David flag and the words “Genocide, Apartheid, Holocaust”.

Back in 2010, Mr Rafiq had stood as a general election candidate in the same constituency for UKIP.

According to Buzzfeed News, a Liberal Democrat spokesperson said: “At 3pm Waheed Rafiq Hodge Hill PPC was suspended from the party. The public posts on his Facebook and Twitter account from 2010 to 2014 are clearly and unambiguously antisemitic and bring the party into disrepute and are also of material disagreement with the fundamental values and objectives of the Party.”

Mr Rafiq acknowledged that he was the author of the controversial social media posts, and wrote: “I can confirm that those comments are mind [sic] and I honestly don’t see them as antisemitic because the public need to know the full story.”

On 8th December, regardless of religion, race or politics, Jews and non-Jews alike will gather in Parliament Square to declare that they stand together against antisemitism in the face of Jew-hatred in politics and mounting anti-Jewish hate crime.

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Labour assistant mayor reportedly suspended for sharing video featuring notorious antisemite David Duke

It is being reported that Labour’s assistant mayor in Leicester, Mustafa Malik, has been suspended from the Party for sharing a controversial video on social media.

Cllr Malik, who is assistant mayor for jobs and skills, is being investigated by the Party for posting the video, which is titled “CNN, Goldman Sachs and the Zionist Matrix” and features the former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, the David Duke, who apparently speaks on the video about how banking and the media are influenced by Jews.

Cllr Malik reportedly shared the video in 2016, describing it as “an eye opener”

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 58,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

On 8th December, regardless of religion, race or politics, Jews and non-Jews alike will gather in Parliament Square to declare that they stand together against antisemitism in the face of Jew-hatred in politics and mounting anti-Jewish hate crime.

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Plaid Cymru suspends member Sahar Al-Faifi over historic antisemitic comments

The Welsh party, Plaid Cymru, has suspended a member who featured in the Party’s election broadcast over allegations of historic antisemitism.

Sahar Al-Faifi is reported to have made antisemitic comments on social media, which Plaid Cymru will now reportedly investigate during her suspension.

Ms Al-Faifi issued an apologetic statement, admitting that “Several years ago I made a handful of social media posts that I regret deeply as they crossed the boundary of criticism of Israel into antisemitism.” The rest of the statement read in part: “I deleted the tweets more than five years ago, and issued an apology to Jewish organisations and others. I have also undertaken antisemitism training, both formally through the Board of Deputies and informally with Jewish colleagues in order to ensure that I never repeat the same mistakes.”

However, the Board of Deputies distanced itself from Ms Al-Faifi, saying: “We met Sahar Al-Faifi to confront her over concerns we had over antisemitic social media postings. Ms Al-Faifi apologised to us and made some amendments to her social media output. However, we were clear that the situation still remained unsatisfactory,” clarifying that it had asked her to amend some other of her previous social media posts but that she did not appear to have done so.

The Board of Deputies said that several troubling posts remained, including one apparently appearing to promote the genocidal antisemitic terrorist group, Hamas, and another reportedly suggesting that the London Bridge attack in 2017 was linked to “pro-Zionists”.

A spokesperson for Plaid Cymru said: “We have taken immediate action to suspend the person in question. We will investigate all allegations. Plaid Cymru will not tolerate anti-Semitism, racism or intolerance in any form. That includes the appalling abuse the individual has been subject to. It is not a part of the Wales we want to build.”

On 8th December, regardless of religion, race or politics, Jews and non-Jews alike will gather in Parliament Square to declare that they stand together against antisemitism in the face of Jew-hatred in politics and mounting anti-Jewish hate crime.

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Father of family who received antisemitic abuse on Tube tells his story – and wants to meet Asma to thank her

A Jewish man who was subject to antisemitic abuse, along with his family, on the London Underground, has spoken out about the ordeal.

On Friday a man hurled antisemitic abuse at a Jewish family, including children, on the tube. The incident was filmed by another commuter and two courageous individuals – one unseen man and one Muslim lady – eventually confronted the man.

The Jewish victim has made the following statement:

“On the morning of Friday 22nd November, my wife and I were sitting on the Tube travelling from Hendon Central to Covent Gardens minding our own business, discussing with our children our plans for the day.

“A man boarded the train after I did. As soon as he got on he came over and asked me if we were Jews. He shouted at me that the Jews started the slave trade and threatened that I, my wife and children were going to be his slaves and suffer various other ailments. He said the Jews were from the synagogue of Satan, and continued with vile antisemitic abuse which was very unsuitable for any child or adult to hear.

“I was confused. I was ready for the antisemitic comments after the Jewish question, but I was not prepared for the hail of antisemitic abuse which followed. The video only shows a short clip of fifteen- to twenty-minute ordeal.

“The only thing I could think about was the safety of my children and the best thing to do at that time was to restrain myself and try to get my children to ignore the situation. My wife and I tried to constantly reassure the children and distract them so they would not sense how anxious we actually were. We tried to remain calm and ignore the abuse, hoping this would keep our three young children calm.

“A man with a baseball cap bravely tried to intervene and he himself was subject to threats of violence. We are extremely grateful for the Muslim lady wearing the headscarf, who we now know as Asma, who stepped in. We are certain that without her intervention and distraction, he would have continued his abuse which could have escalated to physical violence. I would like to meet Asma in person to thank her.

“One cannot see on the short video that I politely asked him multiple times to step back and to stop directing abuse to my children. Afterwards, the gentleman filming very kindly switched seats with my son, and the lady who sat down next to me also helped distract our children by talking to them.

“The experience made me more vigilant on the journey home. My children were deeply worried and confused , but we are thankful that this incident only entailed verbal abuse and not worse. It is clear that antisemitism is still rife, it just happens that a small two minute snippet of this long episode was caught on camera.

“Shomrim North West London [a Jewish neighbourhood watch patrol group] have been supporting me and encouraged me to report this to Police, and to them I am very grateful.

“This Tube journey has left me with mixed feelings about society. On the one hand my wife, my children and I were subject to vile abuse in a full Tube carriage, however I am grateful for those who stood up for me.”

Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “Unbridled antisemitic hatred such as this has no place in our society, and the perpetrator should now feel the full force of the law. 

“CAA commends Asma Shuweikh and the unseen gentleman whose brave interventions serve as a timely reminder that British values of tolerance and respect are still alive and well. We also applaud the Police for making a swift arrest following the vital circulation of the video of the incident by commuter Chris Atkins.

“CAA has provided support to the victim, who has expressed the desire to meet Ms Shuweikh so that he can thank her in person.”

A Spokesperson for Shomrim North West London said: It is incidents like these which bring the issue of antisemitism into sharp focus. Shomrim are committed to supporting victims of racial hate crimes and antisemitic abuse. We urge any victims to come forward and we will support you in reporting these incidents to police, and provide you with the necessary support. We are very thankful to British Transport Police for taking swift action and a strong stance on investigating all forms of hate crime. Shomrim NW London applauds Asma and the gentleman who courteously confronted the abusive man and defended the Jewish family.”

On 8th December, regardless of religion, race or politics, Jews and non-Jews alike will gather in Parliament Square to declare that they stand together against antisemitism in the face of Jew-hatred in politics and mounting anti-Jewish hate crime.

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CAA commends brave Muslim woman for confronting man hurling antisemitic abuse at Jewish family on Tube as police arrest suspect

A Muslim woman has bravely stood up to a man hurling antisemitic abuse at a Jewish family on a Northern Line Underground train in London on Friday. A suspect is now in police custody.

The incident was captured on video by a commuter, Chris Atkins, and uploaded to Twitter, where it has been viewed over 3.2 million times.

It shows a man, dressed in a hooded tracksuit top and a cap, 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**k off.”

The Muslim woman, wearing a hijab, who, it has emerged, is called Asma Shuweikh, then bravely stood up for the Jewish family, telling the abusive man not to use such language in front of children. The man replied: “These people are impostors, they are trying to claim my heritage and then try and tell me that it’s cool and then they start the slave trade.”

The man continued ranting: “It’s not my opinion, it’s G-d’s word”, but Asma took issue with him again and tried to reason with him, distracting him from continuing his abuse of the Jewish family.

The man exited the train at Waterloo Station.

In a statement, Ms Shuweikh said that she was motivated to act by her own experiences of being attacked for her faith.

Mr Atkins said: “It was the children that really got me and everyone else, he was just screaming at these children. It was horrific in every sense.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism applauds Ms Shuweikh and the gentleman who courageously confronted the abusive man and defended the Jewish family, and Mr Atkins for filming the incident.

Following an appeal by British Transport Police, a suspect has been taken into custody. In a statement, British Transport Police said: “A man has been arrested in connection with an antisemitic incident on the London Underground. British Transport Police officers attended an address in Birmingham this evening, Saturday 23rd November. The man was arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated section 5 public order offence. He remains in custody.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism commends the police on their swift response. The perpetrator must feel the full force of the law.

On 8th December, regardless of religion, race or politics, Jews and non-Jews alike will gather in Parliament Square to declare that they stand together against antisemitism in the face of Jew-hatred in politics and mounting anti-Jewish hate crime.

UPDATE: a man has been arrested in Birmingham on suspicion of a racially aggravated offence in connection with this incident.

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Jeremy Corbyn shared platform with speakers who said Zionism made the Jews “immoral” and endorsed violent Jihad

It has emerged that Jeremy Corbyn shared a platform in 2008 with a speaker who claimed that Zionism has made the Jews “immoral”, while another endorsed violent Jihad against Israelis.

The footage from a 2008 rally shows Mr Corbyn, then a backbench Labour MP, on a stage with Ismail Patel, the chair of Friends of Al-Aqsa, who said that Zionism had a “devastating effect on the Jewish community itself: it has made them immoral in justice.” Mr Corbyn was on the stage and appeared to embrace Mr Patel when the latter concluded his remarks.

Mr Corbyn has a long relationship with Friends of Al-Aqsa, which raised £10,000 for his first leadership campaign, although it subsequently emerged that most of that donation had not been declared by Mr Corbyn, in an apparent breach of Electoral Commission rules.

Mr Patel is also known to have defended the antisemitic genocidal terrorist group, Hamas, saying: “Hamas is not a terrorist organisation. The reason that they hate Hamas is because they refuse to be subjugated to be occupied by the Israeli state and we salute Hamas for standing up to Israel.” Mr Corbyn has infamously referred to Hamas as his “friends”.

Another speaker at the 2008 rally was the academic, Azzam Tamimi, who urged the people of Gaza to “explode in their faces” and engage in Jihad, in an apparent reference to violent terrorism against Israelis. Mr Corbyn is seen at the side of the stage when these comments were made.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 58,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

On 8th December, regardless of religion, race or politics, Jews and non-Jews alike will gather in Parliament Square to declare that they stand together against antisemitism in the face of Jew-hatred in politics and mounting anti-Jewish hate crime.

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One Labour candidate and one member of Labour’s NEC administered Facebook group assisting members accused of Holocaust denial

It has emerged that two senior Labour figures — one a general election candidate and the other a member of Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) — were administrators of a Facebook group reportedly set up in order to assist Party members subject to internal disciplinary investigations, including over antisemitism.

One candidate involved in the Facebook group, which is called ‘Labour Party Compliance: Suspensions Expulsions Rejections Co-Op’, is Maria Carroll, Labour’s general election hopeful in Carmarthen East and Dinefwr in Wales. Although Ms Carroll claimed never to have seen any offensive material in the Facebook group, Welsh Labour reported her to the Labour Party, which subsequently decided that no investigation would take place as Ms Carroll did not make any antisemitic comments herself. Ms Carroll said that she would have “immediately condemned them” had she seen offensive comments.

Another administrator was Darren Williams, a member of Labour’s NEC, which oversees the Party’s disciplinary issues, including antisemitism.

Yet another figure involved in the group was Colin O’Driscoll, a co-chair of Labour International and a senior figure in the international wing of Momentum, the pro-Corbyn pressure group.

One member of the group was Alan Bull, who had shared a post on social media suggesting that the Holocaust was a hoax and other controversial material. However, it took the Labour compliance unit eight months to suspend Mr Bull in a saga that neatly illustrated Labour’s institutional antisemitism, as Mr Bull’s critics were hounded out of the Party. It is unclear whether Mr Bull’s membership of this Facebook group – and any advice he received as a member – contributed to the delay in his suspension.

This is hardly the first time the NEC has found itself embroiled in controversy over Holocacust issues. Claudia Webb, also a general election candidate for the Labour Party and the chair of the NEC’s disputes panel, which oversees the Party’s disciplinary processes, defended Ken Livingstone after he compared a Jewish journalist to a concentration camp guard and claimed that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is being “smeared” with “false allegations”. Ms Webb was appointed to her role after her predecessor, Christine Shawcroft, resigned from the role and then from the NEC entirely after a leaked email revealed she had sent an email backing a Party member who had been suspended over alleged Holocaust denial.

A spokesman for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “This is yet another episode illustrating Labour’s institutional antisemitism: two senior Labour figures are found to be associated with a Facebook group that helps Holocaust-denying members avoid the Party’s disciplinary processes. Those two individuals will not be investigated at all by the Party, and conveniently it transpires that one of them sits on Labour’s National Executive Committee, which oversees the Party’s investigatory and disciplinary processes. Plainly, Labour’s internal processes are not fit for purpose, regardless of what its leader and frontbenchers try to claim.”

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 58,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

On 8th December, regardless of religion, race or politics, Jews and non-Jews alike will gather in Parliament Square to declare that they stand together against antisemitism in the face of Jew-hatred in politics and mounting anti-Jewish hate crime.

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JVL produces guide to deceive voters that Labour “has done nothing wrong”

Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL), an antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation, has produced a guide for canvassers advising that they tell voters worried about antisemitism that “the party has done nothing wrong” and that “any Jew who leaves the UK after the election of a Labour Government will be making the mistake of a lifetime.”

The pamphlet, “Getting on the Front Foot about Antisemitism”, written by JVL co-founder and web officer, Richard Kuper, advises that “If you are dealing with people who try to use antisemitism allegations to bury Labour and Corbyn give them no quarter” and urges them “Don’t be apologetic” and “Go on to the offensive.”

In a section defending Jeremy Corbyn, it advises to respond that “Any Jew who leaves the UK after the election of a Labour government will be making the mistake of a lifetime – losing the chance of helping create a genuinely egalitarian, anti-racist society in which all people are valued equally for who they are, not their origins, their religion, their ethnicity or social class. Labour’s policies speak for all of us.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer has shown that 40% of British Jews have considered leaving the country due to antisemitism.

The guide concludes that “the party has done nothing wrong.” It states that “All the evidence shows there is less antisemitism in the Labour party than in other parties in the UK. Insofar as it was slow in tackling what antisemitic allegations there were, this has now been remedied.”

A spokesperson from Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Jewish Voice for Labour is an antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation. Its claim that concerns over Labour’s institutional antisemitism are an ‘irrational panic’, is absurd and offensive.

“Each day new evidence emerges of antisemitism at every level within the Party, yet JVL claims that ‘the Party has done nothing wrong’ and tells canvassers ‘don’t be apologetic’. They should ‘go on the offensive’ and deceive voters by saying that the fatal deficiencies in Labour’s disciplinary processes have ‘now been remedied’.

“JVL evidently feels compelled to produce these lies because ordinary people are concerned about racism in the Labour Party – as they should be. Labour under Jeremy Corbyn is being investigated by the Equality and Human Rights Commission following a complaint by Campaign Against Antisemitism because the evidence of its institutional antisemitism is overwhelming.”

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 58,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

On 8th December, regardless of religion, race or politics, Jews and non-Jews alike will gather in Parliament Square to declare that they stand together against antisemitism in the face of Jew-hatred in politics and mounting anti-Jewish hate crime.

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Labour drops poster boy over antisemitism as yet more of the Party’s candidates are mired in controversies about Jews

The Labour Party has reportedly suspended one of its campaign poster boys and cancelled the publication of thousands of leaflets on which he appeared after it emerged that he had compared Israel to the Nazis on Twitter,

Kierin Offlands had been due to feature on the front cover of a campaign flyer produced by Labour Unions titled “Real Change for Young Workers”, before it was reported that he had said: “Remembering I need to hate Israeli Jews and people who think the State of Israel was/is a good idea.” Another social media post read: “To some extensiveness [sic], Zionism is Nazism.”

Mr Offlands had already been given a formal warning for calling Israeli soldiers “storm troopers” and “Zio Nazis” while he was an officer for Southport Labour Party, but he was still selected for the poster nonetheless.

In Coventry South, Labour candidate Zarah Sultana, who has already courted controversy by adopting the language of antisemitic genocidal terrorist groups in advocating for “violent resistance” against Israelis and by claiming that “the Labour Right are scum and genuinely make me sick. Is there any form of discrimination that they won’t weaponise to politically point score like they’ve done in the past with antisemitism and now with homophobia?”, is now embroiled in yet another scandal.

In social media posts, Ms Sultana reportedly described another user as being pro-Israel and telling them to “jump off a cliff”, and compared the Holocaust with the wars in Iraq, Afganistan, Israel and Chechnya. She also apparently told an officer at the National Union of Students (NUS) who had spoken out against antisemitism that “Under your ‘leadership’ you lost control of NUS….and you didn’t serve Israel as well as you would’ve liked.”

In a social media post directed at a Jewish student, Ms Sultana said: “I can’t believe this YT thinks she can represent us,” ‘YT’ being a slang expression for a white person. She later wrote, once she was employed as a Labour campaign organiser in the West Midlands: “Yay, the white woman didn’t win the Ethnic Minorities Officer Election!”

In Blackburn, Labour’s candidate Kate Hollern was revealed to have retweeted a post saying that “Labour’s ‘antisemitism crisis’ is about Israel”. Ms Hollern has been serving as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Labour leader, acting as Mr Corbyn’s go-between with his parliamentary party.

In Totnes, Labour’s candidate Louise Webberley reportedly engaged with a Facebook post alleging that “the Israeli state is proven to be interfering in UK politics far beyond anything convenient scapegoat Russia is allegedly doing, but nobody wants to risk upsetting them because they are judged to be so powerful.”

In Stoke on Trent South, Labour’s candidate Mark McDonald is revealed to have previously belittled the Party’s institutional antisemitism as “racism smears” that were “politically motivated”, claiming that the scandal was the result of an “unholy alliance” between the Conservative Party and a “small group” of Labour MPs.

In Mid Norfolk, Labour’s candidate Adrian Heald suggested that Labour’s antisemitism was being “weaponised” as he engaged in a long Twitter thread in which another user claimed that allegations of Labour antisemitism were a “smear”.

In Rother Valley, it has emerged that Labour’s candidate Sophie Wilson signed a petition in support of disgraced MP Chris Williamson. Ms Wilson endorsed the petition, which was circulated last November and called on Sheffield Labour Students to “reverse the decision made to un-invite Chris Williamson to speak,” which reportedly followed a plea from the university’s Jewish Society.

In North Thanet, it was revealed that Labour’s candidate, Coral Jones, had previously been suspended for bizarrely referring to the Israel Defence Forces as “Zionist Israeli Forces”.

In Amber Valley, Councillor Neil Ploughman has been readmitted to the Labour Party following his suspension after sharing social media posts saying that antisemitism meant “anything Israel wants it to mean” and reportedly making his own comments attacking the “Zionist state of Israel”. Cllr Ploughman had apparently claimed that the posts were fabricated. He has also been reinstalled as the Derbyshire branch chairman of the trade union Unison.

Elsewhere, in Hastings and Rye, former Labour councillor Dany Louise, who bravely quit Labour in February, has revealed the dismissive reactions of erstwhile colleagues when she rightly raised the issue of antisemitism, including that “Jews should complain quietly”, references to “the Jewish question” and that she herself might have a “right-wing motivation”.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 58,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”
On 8th December, regardless of religion, race or politics, Jews and non-Jews alike will gather in Parliament Square to declare that they stand together against antisemitism in the face of Jew-hatred in politics and mounting anti-Jewish hate crime.

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Diane Abbott’s Labour pressure group backed antisemite Louis Farrakhan’s entry into the UK in the 1980s

A Labour pressure group co-founded by Diane Abbott, the Shadow Home Secretary, is revealed to have opposed a ban on the antisemite Louis Farrakhan’s entry into the UK in 1986.

Mr Farrakhan, an extremist American hate preacher, had by that time already infamously called Judaism a “gutter religion” and had claimed that the Jews would face “God’s ovens” if they continued to oppose him, in a sick reference to the extermination camps of the Holocaust. Indeed he had also praised the Nazi leader, saying “Hitler was a very great man”.

Nevertheless, Labour Party Black Sections, a group co-founded by Ms Abbott in 1981, when she was serving as a councillor in Lewisham, opposed the ban imposed by the Home Secretary when Mr Farrakhan sought entry to the UK.

The revelation comes as Ms Abbott faces mounting opposition from the substantial Jewish community in her constituency of Hackney North and Stoke Newington over Labour antisemitism.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 58,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

On 8th December, regardless of religion, race or politics, Jews and non-Jews alike will gather in Parliament Square to declare that they stand together against antisemitism in the face of Jew-hatred in politics and mounting anti-Jewish hate crime.

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Man screamed “Jews don’t belong here” and physically assaults Jewish couple on bus in Hackney

A man screamed “Jews don’t belong here” at a Jewish couple on a bus and showed them his middle finger, before pulling the man by his hood and the woman by her shitel (a hair covering worn by observant Jewish women).

The incident took place today at 15:10 on the 254 bus in Hackney Central and was reported by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol. The couple were forced to leave the top floor of the bus and descend to the lower level.

The assailant was reportedly around 35 years old wearing black-framed sunglasses and dark clothing.

Anyone with further information should contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: CAD4258 21/11/19.

On 8th December, regardless of religion, race or politics, Jews and non-Jews alike will gather in Parliament Square to declare that they stand together against antisemitism in the face of Jew-hatred in politics and mounting anti-Jewish hate crime.

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Extinction Rebellion denounces co-founder Roger Hallam after he claims the Holocaust is “just another f***ery in human history”

Roger Hallam, the co-founder of the activist group, Extinction Rebellion, has been disowned by his colleagues after he described the Holocaust as “just another f***ery in human history.”

Mr Hallam made the comment in an interview to the German newspaper, Die Zeit. He told the paper, “the extremity of a trauma can create a paralysis in actually learning the lessons from it. The fact of the matter is, millions of people have been killed in vicious circumstances on a regular basis throughout history, ” adding: “They went to the Congo in the late 19th century and decimated it,” before adding that contextually, the Holocaust was “almost a normal event … just another f***ery in human history.”

Mr Hallam claimed that his comments, which appeared to minimise and downplay the Nazis’ systematic murder of six millions Jews, were taken out of context: “I want to fully acknowledge the unimaginable suffering caused by the Nazi Holocaust that led to all of Europe saying ‘never again’. But it is happening again, on a far greater scale and in plain sight. The ‘global north’ is pumping lethal levels of CO2 into the atmosphere and simultaneously erecting ever greater barriers to immigration, turning whole regions of the world into death zones. That is the grim reality. We are allowing our governments to willingly, and in full knowledge of the science, engage in genocide of our young people and those in the ‘global south’ by refusing to take emergency action to reduce carbon emissions.”

In a post on Twitter, the German branch of Extinction Rebellion wrote: “We explicitly distant ourselves from Roger Hallam’s belittling and relativising statements about the Holocaust. In so doing he contravenes the principles of XR, which does not tolerate antisemitism, and he is no longer welcome in XR Germany.”

Extinction Rebellion UK, while denouncing the comments, are still deciding what action to take. The group said in a statement: “Jewish people and many others are deeply wounded by the comments today. Internal conversations have begun with the XR Conflict team about how to manage the conflict process that will address this issue. We stand by restorative outcomes as preferable, although in some cases exclusion is necessary.”

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Church of England urges Anglicans and other Christians to repent for the “sins of the past” towards Jews

The Church of England has produced a landmark document urging Anglicans and other Christians not only to repent for the “sins of the past” towards their Jewish neighbours but to be alert to and actively challenge the continuation of such attitudes or stereotypes.

Campaign Against Antisemitism welcomes the release of this historic document which demonstrates the Church of England’s solidarity with the Jewish community at this worrying time.

The 121-page teaching document, which was three years in the making, was released today by the Church of England’s Faith and Order Commission.

Titled G-d’s Unfailing Word, it encourages Christians to rediscover the relationship of “unique significance” between the two faiths, worshipping one God, with scriptures shared in common. It makes clear that the Christian-Jewish relationship should be viewed as a “gift of G-d to the Church” to be received with care, respect and gratitude.

It also speaks to the attitudes towards Judaism over many centuries as providing a “fertile seed-bed for murderous antisemitism.”

Writing in the afterword of the document, Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mervis, described the relationship as a “profound friendship.” However, he said that he has a “substantial misgiving” with the document over its failure to address evangelism.

Last year, The Church of England adopted the full International Definition of Antisemitism.

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Teenager who planned to bomb synagogues and other targets is youngest person ever to be convicted in UK for planning terrorist attack

A sixteen-year-old neo-Nazi teenager from Durham has been found guilty of preparation of terrorist acts between October 2017 and March 2019.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, becomes the youngest person ever to be convicted in the UK for planning a terrorist attack.

Reportedly a follower of far-right ideology since the age of thirteen, the boy had hoped to follow in Adolf Hitler’s footsteps and listed numerous targets “worth attacking” with Molotov cocktails, including synagogues. He had also begun drafting a manifesto titled “A Manual for practical and sensible guerrilla warfare against the kike system in the Durham City area, Sieg Heil”. Other items seized from his home included a copy of Mein Kampf and material on explosives and firearms.

During the trial, the prosecution claimed that the defendant had become “an adherent of neo-Nazism – the most extreme of right-wing ideology”, noting that he had written in his diary on the occasion of Hitler’s birthday that the Nazi leader was “a brave man to say the least. Although maybe having written proof that I admire their number one enemy isn’t such a wise idea. I will however say that I one day hope to follow in his footsteps.”

Sentencing is expected to take place in January.

A spokesman for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “A terrorist atrocity against Jews on British soil has been narrowly averted by the timely intervention of the police. It highlights the need for vigilance by the authorities in the face of rising far-right antisemitism. This young man must receive a sentence that will act as a deterrent to others who are tempted to follow his example.”

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Conservatives suspend candidate Amjad Bashir who claimed young British Jewish men were returning from Israel as “brainwashed extremists”

The Conservative Party has reportedly suspended, Amjad Bashir, their general election candidate for Leeds North East, who claimed that young British Jewish men were returning from Israel as “brainwashed extremists.”

Mr Bashir has been “suspended from the party pending investigation” and the Conservatives have withdrawn election support after it emerged that during a debate in the European Parliament in 2014, he said: “As far as brainwashing by the rabbis and the politicians are concerned, I can testify to that…young men are going over from England where I come from, people of the Jewish faith who my grandchildren have grown up with as decent people, decent young men. But have come back as extremists, as people that are brainwashed. They will not listen to reason. There is something very peculiar and wrong going on within Israel.”

At the time when Mr Bashir made the comment he was an MEP with UKIP, having defected from the Conservatives in 2012 and returned in 2015.

The incumbent MP in the constituency is Labour’s Fabian Hamilton. When Mr Bashir’s comments were reported, Dan Cohen, his election agent, said that that he would not continue to campaign for him, while a local Jewish constituent told Campaign Against Antisemitism that he felt that he had been “disenfranchised”.

Mr Bashir apologised for his remarks and said that he intended to meet local Jewish groups and travel to Israel “to gain direct experience from the situation on the ground there.”

While it is disappointing that it took a couple of days for Mr Bashir to be suspended, Campaign Against Antisemitism commends the Conservatives for their firm action in suspending him and sending a strong message that such comments are not tolerated in the Conservative Party.

This follows the decision by the Scottish Conservatives to suspend Ryan Houghton, the candidate for Aberdeen North, over social media posts questioning evidence of the Holocaust.

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CAA commends police for disciplining officer who taunted Jewish colleague with pepperoni pizza

A panel has found a police officer guilty of gross misconduct after he dangled a pepperoni pizza over a colleague’s kosher food. The officer can keep his job but will receive a final written warning.

The notice of the disciplinary hearing stated that: “On 8th March 2019, knowing that another officer is Jewish, PS CJ062 Gary Jacobs deliberately dangled a pizza containing pepperoni over that officer’s food. A piece of pepperoni subsequently fell onto that officer’s food meaning they could not eat it [due to Jewish dietary practices prohibiting the consumption of meat from pigs].”

It is understood that the incident left the victim feeling “embarrassed”, “isolated” and “as if she was being mocked for her faith”.

Sergeant Jacobs, who is based in Crawley in West Sussex, appeared at the hearing at force headquarters in Lewes on Tuesday morning to answer allegations that his conduct amounted to a breach of the force’s Standards of Professional Behaviour in respect of equality and diversity.

Amy Clarke, for Sussex Police, said: “On any reading of this incident the conduct was utterly unacceptable and is much more serious than what might appear at first to be suggested by Sergeant Jacobs as a misguided attempt at humour. Sergeant Jacobs also knew she was Jewish and knew she maintained a kosher diet. Any modicum of common sense means you shouldn’t dangle pork over her food.” Ms Clarke added that it was not a “split second stupid decision” as Sergeant Jacobs had already been told about not contaminating the food.

Michael Salter, the chair of the panel, said: “This was an intentional act, it was deliberate, directed towards an individual and from an officer in a position of trust and responsibility,” adding that Sergeant Jacobs’ actions were “crass, insensitive and quite frankly stupid”.

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Labour candidate Laura McAlpine heckled for defending Corbyn’s record on Hamas and terrorists, and her own campaign staff

Labour’s Harlow general election candidate was heckled at a hustings for defending Party leader Jeremy Corbyn’s relationship with the genocidal antisemitic group Hamas and other terrorists.

Laura McAlpine, who is fighting to unseat the Conservative MP in the marginal seat, described Mr Corbyn as “a man of peace”, and dismissed a questioner asking about Mr Corbyn’s relationship with Hamas and other terrorist groups by telling him to “do a little bit of reading and then come back to me.”

She insisted that the “Labour Party is an anti-racist Party” and has “robust procedures” to deal with antisemitism, a comment that was met with jeers.

Ms McAlpine also clearly had supporters in the audience.

Mr McAlpine also again defended her campaign chief, Brett Hawksbee, who was revealed to have written to colleagues that “the fear of many on the left is that the ideological successors of the bombers of the King David Hotel, the mass murderers who decimated Deir Yassin, would be quite happy to see a pogrom in Gaza and the West Bank, a Jewish final solution to the Palestine problem.” The comment, which clearly breached the International Definition of Antisemitism for drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis, was even criticised by a Labour Party official, but Ms McAlpine stood by Mr Hawksbee. Mr Hawksbee has been a vocal defender of Chris Williamson, the disgraced MP who resigned from the Labour Party after being told he could not stand as a candidate for the Party.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

On 8th December, regardless of religion, race or politics, Jews and non-Jews alike will gather in Parliament Square to declare that they stand together against antisemitism in the face of Jew-hatred in politics and mounting anti-Jewish hate crime.

Video Credit: Your Harlow

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Jeremy Corbyn laughed at in ITV election debate as he lied about Labour’s handling of its antisemitism crisis

At ITV’s general election debate yesterday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was laughed at as he lied about his Party’s handling of its antisemitism crisis.

Asked about why Labour had become a “cesspit of antisemitism”, Mr Corbyn was met with ridicule from the audience as he insisted that antisemitism is “an absolute evil and scourge within our society”. He then appended his usual clarification that “racism in any form is a scourge in our society.”

The Labour leader then proceeded to claim: “I have taken action within my Party where anyone has committed any antisemitic acts or made any antisemitis statements. They are either suspended or expelled from the Party and we’ve investigated every single case. We do take this very very seriously indeed, because I do not want to live in a society where racism is rife. I understand and recognise the history – the desperate history – of the Jewish People in the twentieth century, which came about from an unrestriction [sic] of antisemitism in the 1920s. We’ve got to stand up against racism in any form in our society.”

However, despite Mr Corbyn’s absurd claim to the contrary, there in fact remain scores of cases, including some dating back years, that have not been dealt with at all, while numerous notorious cases have been processed slowly and reluctantly and in some cases the figures involved have remained within the Party or have only been removed due to public pressure. Indeed Mr Corbyn himself has yet to be disciplined for his own record of antisemitism.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s monitoring of antisemitism in the Labour Party led to the Equality and Human Rights Commission launching a full statutory investigation on 28th May following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant. Our research has shown that cases such as that of Corby ally Peter Willsman are stalled and that Mr Corbyn’s office has repeatedly interfered in the disciplinary process.

Nevertheless, Mr Corbyn’s claim was defended today by Labour frontbencher Dawn Butler.

During the debate, Mr Corbyn was also asked about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and at one point referred to the late Mr Epstein as ‘ep-shtein’, in what some considered to be an attempt to emphasise his Jewishness.

A spokesman for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “To our nation’s shame, we have been exposed to the spectacle of an antisemitic leader lying on television to millions about his Party’s record on dealing with antisemitism, while busily filling his Party’s top spots and coveted seats with those who will perpetuate antisemitism for another generation to come. In this dire situation for Jews, we call on all decent British people to stand together with us against antisemitism.

“Jeremy Corbyn’s risible attempt to deceive viewers about his handling of Labour’s antisemitism crisis was compounded by his bizarre and inconsistent pronunciation of the Jewish surname of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, referring to him at one point as ‘ep-shtein’. Mr Corbyn’s abhorrent record on Jews certainly raises questions as to whether the Labour leader was attempting to underscore Mr Epstein’s Jewishness.”

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

On 8th December, regardless of religion, race or politics, Jews and non-Jews alike will gather in Parliament Square to declare that they stand together against antisemitism in the face of Jew-hatred in politics and mounting anti-Jewish hate crime.

Mr Corbyn’s comments on antisemitism can be viewed below from 26:14.

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Scottish Conservatives suspend general election candidate Ryan Houghton over online posts questioning evidence of Holocaust

The Scottish Conservative Party has reportedly suspended Ryan Houghton, their general election candidate for Aberdeen North, over social media posts questioning evidence of the Holocaust. Mr Houghton remains on the ballot because his nomination papers are already submitted but he no longer represents the Conservative Party, which has withdrawn support for him.

In a post on a martial arts forum seven years ago, Mr Houghton wrote under the username, Razgriz, that there was “no credible evidence to suggest the Holocaust did not happen” but revealed that “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.

Mr Houghton is also accused of having made homophobic and anti-Muslim statements online. In a statement, he said: “I apologise unreservedly for any hurt now caused by these comments and have been in contact with members of the Jewish community in Aberdeen.” Mr Houghton also said that he was a member of the Holocaust Education Trust (HET), had visited Auschwitz-Birkenau and has “never held antisemitic or intolerant views.”

A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives said: “The comments contained in these blogs are unacceptable and Mr Houghton has been suspended as a member of the Scottish Conservative party as a result. The party has also withdrawn its support for his candidacy in Aberdeen North. The Scottish Conservatives deplore all forms of Islamophobia, homophobia and antisemitism.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism commends the Scottish Conservatives for their firm and swift action in suspending Mr Houghton and sending a strong message that antisemitism in political parties will not be tolerated.

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Usual suspects sign disgraceful letter saying Jeremy Corbyn “is being smeared as an antisemite by people who should know better”

A number of actors and academics have endorsed a disgraceful letter describing Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn as “a life-long committed anti-racist” who “is being smeared as an antisemite by people who should know better.”

While conceding that antisemitism is present within society and all political parties, including Labour, the signatories insist that “no political party or political leader has done more to address this problem than Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party,” and outrageously claim that “Labour’s political opponents and much of the media have trivialised and weaponised this issue for ideological ends.”

The signatories include various familiar controversialists such as academics Noam Chomsky, Naomi Klein and Yanis Varoufakis; actors Mark Ruffalo, Mark Rylance and Steve Coogan; playwright Caryl Churchill; designer Vivienne Westwood; and musicians Brian Eno and Roger Waters. Some of the signatories have made second careers out of baiting Jews.

The letter follows a previous letter by a group of prominent, respected figures calling out Labour antisemitism and showing solidarity with Britain’s Jewish community.

Meanwhile, former Labour member Eddie Marsan, said of Mr Corbyn that “you are either antisemitic or you are ignorant”, declaring that, after voting for Labour since 1987, he would no longer do so, and would be launching an initiative for the Liberal Democrats.

Campaign Against Antisemitism rejects the disgraceful assertion that Labour’s institutional antisemitism has been “trivialised” or “weaponised”, not least given that the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has launched a full statutory investigation into the Labour Party. We are further troubled by the sinister suggestion that Mr Corbyn’s antisemitism is a “smear” propagated by “people who should know better”, a pitiful attempt to hide behind innuendo.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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Jo Swinson endorses International Definition of Antisemitism and encourages other Liberal Democrats candidates to follow

Jo Swinson, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, has published a video in which she signs and endorses the International Definition of Antisemitism and encourages her fellow Liberal Democrats to do the same.

Ms Swinson said of the International Definition that it is the “most widely recognised and accepted definition of anti-Jewish racism here in Britain,” and anticipated that “by using this Definition, it helps us to understand, identify and tackle antisemitism.”

She added: “I know that many Jews are worried about the outcome of this election, and by signing this Definition today and encouraging our candidates to do the same, I hope to reassure you that Liberal Democrats understand the threat and the fears that you are facing.”

In 2016, the British Government became the first in the world to adopt the International Definition of Antisemitism, and numerous other states and domestic and international bodies have followed, most recently Greece.

On 8th December, regardless of religion, race or politics, Jews and non-Jews alike will gather in Parliament Square to declare that they stand together against antisemitism in the face of Jew-hatred in politics and mounting anti-Jewish hate crime.

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Labour candidate, Dan Greef, wrote “had a great day out at a concentration camp” and says he voted BNP

Dan Greef, the Labour Party candidate for South Cambridgeshire, reportedly posted on Facebook in 2010: “Had a great day out at a concentration camp,” and claimed that he had voted for the British National Party (BNP).

In 2013 Mr Greef also reportedly commended disgraced former Liberal Democrat MP for Bradford East, David Ward, for publishing a blog post ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day that attempted to draw equivalence between Israel and the Nazis. He wrote: “Good man David Ward. Remembering only part of History condemns us to repeat it, however Israeli policy is not the same as Judaism!”

Mr Greef also apparently wrote, “Is it right that many of our MPs are also members of different ‘Friends of Israel’ pressure groups? Discuss,” as well as, “Bloody Israel, I sometimes want to rip it all up!”

According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” is an example of antisemitism, as is “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination”, which is the implication of wishing to “rip up Israel”.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

On 8th December, regardless of religion, race or politics, Jews and non-Jews alike will gather in Parliament Square to declare that they stand together against antisemitism in the face of Jew-hatred in politics and mounting anti-Jewish hate crime.

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Devon and Cornwall Police win “highly commended” recognition for response to arson attack on historic Exeter Synagogue

Devon and Cornwall Police have won “highly commended” recognition at the World Class Policing Awards for their response to the arson attack on the historic Exeter Synagogue. This new event recognises outstanding police work from across the world.

The attack occurred on 21st July 2018. Devon Live reported that police attended immediately, reviewed CCTV images, and arrested Tristan Morgan.

As he was put in a police van, he reportedly said: “Please tell me that synagogue is burning to the ground, if not, it’s poor preparation.”

According to police, Mr Morgan is alleged to have poured “an accelerant” into the synagogue, which was built in 1763, making it one of Britain’s oldest synagogues, and then tried to light it.

He was later sentenced to an indefinite hospital order and a ten-year terrorism reporting order.

The citation stated: “In July 2018 Exeter Synagogue was the target of an arson attack that was captured on CCTV. Within minutes a local man was arrested. CID officers, working with counter-terrorism colleagues went ‘above and beyond’, neighbourhood and diversity staff provided exceptional victim care and, brought together by police, local faith and civic partners gave outstanding support to the Jewish community. The suspect, who held extreme white supremacist views was later sentenced to an indefinite hospital order and a ten-year terrorism reporting order.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism applauds Devon and Cornwall Police for their swift and strong response and support given to the local Jewish community. This will serve as an example to police forces throughout the UK.

Image credit: Exeter Synagogue

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Video emerges of Labour candidate Alana Bates singing “Israel is a racist state” in a song titled “From the river to the sea” with her band

A video has emerged of the Labour Party’s candidate for St Ives in Cornwall, Alana Bates, playing a song “From the river to the sea” with her band, The Tribunes.

One verse in the song goes: “From the [Jordan] river to the [Mediterranean] sea, Palestine will be free,” which is a common and unsubtle call for the destruction of the Jewish State and is thus an attempt to deny the Jews, uniquely, the right to self-determination.

The song also includes the lyrics: “Israel is a racist state, Israel is an apartheid state.”

Ms Bates, a bass player and backing singer in the band, conceded that the song was written by the group but denied that it has any antisemitic meaning in a bizarre clarification in which she said: “I obviously support Israel’s right to exist. The song says that Israel is a racist state. I would personally say that the government policies of Israel are racist.”

According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination (e.g. by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour)” is an example of antisemitism.

Ms Bates, who is also a councillor on Penzance Town Council, also confirmed that the Labour Party had ordered her to remove the song from her social media.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

On 8th December, regardless of religion, race or politics, Jews and non-Jews alike will gather in Parliament Square to declare that they stand together against antisemitism in the face of Jew-hatred in politics and mounting anti-Jewish hate crime.

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Labour deselects candidate Ed Murphy after it emerges he described the IDF as “international pirates” secretly backed by the Conservatives

Ed Murphy, the Labour Party general election candidate for North West Cambridgeshire, has reportedly been deselected by the Party after it emerged that he accused the Israel Defence Forces of being “international pirates” secretly backed by the Conservatives on Peterborough City Council.

Mr Murphy, who is a councillor on Peterborough City Council, reportedly deleted a tweet from July 2014 in which he alleged that the Israel Defence Forces were backed by the Conservatives on the council, apparently posting: “Israel a terrorist state? And Israeli military (secretly backed by the Cons on Pboro Council) are international pirates.”

The tweet is said to have been accompanied by the image of the Israeli flag turned into a symbol of piracy, and Mr Murphy is alleged to have shared the image on Twitter twice more in 2015 with the hashtag #MilitaryStatePirates.

It has also been claimed that Mr Murphy, who was then Labour’s leader on the council, proposed Alan Bull as a candidate in a Peterborough City Council election, despite knowing that Mr Bull had shared a post on social media suggesting that the Holocaust was a hoax and other controversial material.

However, it took the Labour compliance unit eight months to suspend Mr Bull in a saga that neatly illustrated Labour’s institutional antisemitism, as Mr Bull’s critics were hounded out of the Party.

Labour confirmed the “difficult” decision to withdraw Mr Murphy’s candidacy had been made on Wednesday night but did not provide a reason for the move.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

On 8th December, regardless of religion, race or politics, Jews and non-Jews alike will gather in Parliament Square to declare that they stand together against antisemitism in the face of Jew-hatred in politics and mounting anti-Jewish hate crime.

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Labour claims 24 public figures who denounced Corbyn and Labour over antisemitism are actually just racists and misogynists

The Labour Party has vehemently rejected criticism from the 24 public figures who denounced Jeremy Corbyn and Labour over antisemitism and accused several of them of antisemitism, Islamophobia and misogyny.

Twenty-four non-Jewish authors, actors, television and radio presenters, human rights campaigners and technologists wrote to The Guardian denouncing Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party over antisemitism.

A Labour Party spokesperson responded to the letter saying: “It’s extraordinary that several of those who have signed this letter have themselves been accused of antisemitism, Islamophobia and misogyny. It’s less surprising that a number are Conservatives and Lib Dems.”

They added: “We take allegations of antisemitism extremely seriously, we are taking robust action and we are absolutely committed to rooting it out of our party and wider society.”

The signatories included Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales; actors and actresses Joanna Lumley OBE, Simon Callow CBE; authors David Cornwell (who writes as John le Carré), Fay Weldon CBE, Frederick Forsyth CBE, William Boyd CBE, Tony Parsons, Sathnam Sanghera, and Ed Husain; historians Tom Holland, Sir Antony Beevor and Peter Frankopan; television presenters Dan Snow MBE, Nick Hewer, Dan Jones, Janina Ramirez, and Suzannah Lipscomb; radio presenter Maajid Nawaz; producer Terry Jervis; journalist Oz Katerji and human rights campaigners Trevor Phillips OBE, Fiyaz Mughal OBE, and Ghanem Nuseibeh.

Noting that the Party is now under statutory investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission following legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant, the public figures said that Jews were in “anguish” and being ignored.

They wrote: “We listen to our Jewish friends and see how their pain has been relegated as an issue, pushed aside by arguments about Britain’s European future…now, it seems, is not the time for Jewish anxiety.”

However they warned: “But antisemitism is central to a wider debate about the kind of country we want to be. To ignore it because Brexit looms larger is to declare that anti-Jewish prejudice is a price worth paying for a Labour government. Which other community’s concerns are disposable in this way? Who would be next? Opposition to racism cannot include surrender in the fight against antisemitism…The path to a more tolerant society must encompass Britain’s Jews with unwavering solidarity. We endorse no party. However, we cannot in all conscience urge others to support a political party we ourselves will not.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism is deeply grateful to each of them for their solidarity with the Jewish community.

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

On 8th December, regardless of religion, race or politics, Jews and non-Jews alike will gather in Parliament Square to declare that they stand together against antisemitism in the face of Jew-hatred in politics and mounting anti-Jewish hate crime.

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Top non-Jewish authors, actors, television and radio presenters, human rights campaigners and technologists unite to denounce Corbyn and Labour over antisemitism

Twenty-four non-Jewish authors, actors, television and radio presenters, human rights campaigners and technologists have written to The Guardian denouncing Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party over antisemitism.

Noting that the Party is now under statutory investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission following legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant, the public figures said that Jews were in “anguish” and being ignored.

They wrote: “We listen to our Jewish friends and see how their pain has been relegated as an issue, pushed aside by arguments about Britain’s European future…now, it seems, is not the time for Jewish anxiety.”

However they warned: “But antisemitism is central to a wider debate about the kind of country we want to be. To ignore it because Brexit looms larger is to declare that anti-Jewish prejudice is a price worth paying for a Labour government. Which other community’s concerns are disposable in this way? Who would be next? Opposition to racism cannot include surrender in the fight against antisemitism…The path to a more tolerant society must encompass Britain’s Jews with unwavering solidarity. We endorse no party. However, we cannot in all conscience urge others to support a political party we ourselves will not.”

The signatories include Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales; actors and actresses Joanna Lumley OBE and Simon Callow CBE; authors David Cornwell (who writes as John le Carré), Fay Weldon CBE, Frederick Forsyth CBE, William Boyd CBE, Tony Parsons, Sathnam Sanghera, and Ed Husain; historians Tom Holland, Sir Antony Beevor and Peter Frankopan; television presenters Dan Snow MBE, Nick Hewer, Dan Jones, Janina Ramirez, and Suzannah Lipscomb; radio presenter Maajid Nawaz; producer Terry Jervis; journalist Oz Katerji and human rights campaigners Trevor Phillips OBE, Fiyaz Mughal OBE, and Ghanem Nuseibeh.

Campaign Against Antisemitism is deeply grateful to each of them for their solidarity with the Jewish community.

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

On 8th December, regardless of religion, race or politics, Jews and non-Jews alike will gather in Parliament Square to declare that they stand together against antisemitism in the face of Jew-hatred in politics and mounting anti-Jewish hate crime.

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Sussex Police announces disciplinary hearing for Sergeant Gary Jacobs who taunted Jewish officer with pepperoni pizza

Sussex Police has announced that it will hold a disciplinary hearing for a Sergeant who taunted a Jewish officer with pepperoni pizza.

Sergeant Gary Jacobs, who is based in Crawley in West Sussex, will appear at a hearing at force headquarters in Lewes on Tuesday morning to answer allegations that his conduct amounted to a breach of the force’s Standards of Professional Behaviour in respect of equality and diversity.

The notice of the disciplinary hearing states that: “On 8th March 2019, knowing that another officer is Jewish, PS CJ062 Gary Jacobs deliberately dangled a pizza containing pepperoni over that officer’s food. A piece of pepperoni subsequently fell onto that officer’s food meaning they could not eat it [due to Jewish dietary practices prohibiting the consumption of meat from pigs].”

Campaign Against Antisemitism commends Sussex Police for taking this incident of childish bullying by a police officer seriously. We are following the case with interest.

The hearing begins at 10:00 on Tuesday and is expected to last for two days. Members of the public can register to attend until 14:00 on Monday.

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Brexit Party candidate, Graham Cushway, reportedly plays in band whose members evoke Nazi-era symbolism

The Brexit Party candidate in Brighton Kemptown, Dr Graham Cushway, is reportedly the bassist in a heavy-metal band, Stuka Squadron, whose members dress like Luftwaffe pilots and evoke other Nazi-era symbolism.

Dr Cushway, who holds a PhD in Maritime History, is a former UKIP candidate and ex-soldier. He reportedly goes by the alias “Graham Lord Pyre” in the band, which he co-founded, and has worn the SS Totenkopf insignia on his tie while performing.

The SS, the abbreviation of Schutzstaffel, was a major paramilitary organisation under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany, and later throughout German-occupied Europe during World War II. The Luftwaffe was the aerial warfare branch of the combined German Wehrmacht military forces during World War II.

In a lengthy statement posted on their Facebook page, the band wrote: “Stuka Squadron is — and always was — solely AN ACT. It is an art-house [sic] Heavy Metal band intended from the start to blend elements of musical theatre with traditional Heavy Metal performance. No more, no less. It was intended to be shocking and un-PC at the outset, although this desire waned as it increased in popularity.

“The band is not intended to convey any political message. There is no political agenda and the band members have always represented a cross-section of political opinion. No band member has ever been affiliated to any extreme right or left wing movement, has or had any interest in or sympathy for extreme politics.”

Regarding the use of Nazi-era symbolism, they added: “The band’s look is NOT intended to portray the SS or any other specific military unit from any era. It is the uniform of a fantasy unit existing in an imaginary universe in which vampires played a significant role in World War II.”

A Brexit Party spokesman defended Dr Cushway’s candidacy and told PA News Agency: “He’s fought in two wars and he’s quite a successful metal guitarist. To suggest that he is in any way associated with that which people are trying to associate him with is just silly.”

The spokesman said: “You have to draw a distinction between art and life. The Brexit Party is happy to stand behind Dr Cushway and his candidature — though maybe not his taste in music.”

The Labour Party’s Lloyd Russell-Moyle won the seat with a large majority in 2017.

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Labour candidate after candidate embroiled in antisemitism or Jew-baiting scandals in ongoing betrayal of Labour values and British Jews

In Liverpool Walton, Labour frontbencher Dan Carden has been accused of having sung The Beatles’ song “Hey Jude”, substituting the lyrics with “Hey Jews” during a private bus journey last year. Mr Carden has denied the claim, and Jeremy Corbyn has said that he is “looking into it”.

In Coventry South, Labour candidate Zarah Sultana, who has already courted controversy by adopting the language of antisemitic genocidal terrorist groups in advocating for “violent resistance” against Israelis and saying that she would celebrate the deaths of Tony Blair and other past and present world leaders (for which she was forced to apologise and was defended by Labour frontbencher John McDonnell), is now embroiled in another scandal.

It has emerged that in a Facebook comment posted during the 2016 Labour leadership election, Ms Sultana wrote: “the Labour Right are scum and genuinely make me sick. Is there any form of discrimination that they won’t weaponise to politically point score like they’ve done in the past with antisemitism and now with homophobia?”

Ms Sultana has again been forced to apologise, saying that anyone who calls Labour’s antisemitism crisis a “smear” is “wrong and is contributing to the problem. I would not use the word weaponise today and apologise for having done so.”

However, yet further social media posts have been exposed, showing that Ms Sultana accused Jewish students of being on the payroll of Israel’s Prime Minister.

In Harlow, a Labour target seat where Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn delivered a major speech last week, candidate Laura McAlpine is revealed to have defended her chief campaigner, Brett Hawksbee, when he wrote to colleagues that “the fear of many on the left is that the ideological successors of the bombers of the King David Hotel, the mass murderers who decimated Deir Yassin, would be quite happy to see a pogrom in Gaza and the West Bank, a Jewish final solution to the Palestine problem.”

The comment, which clearly breached the International Definition of Antisemitism for drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis, was even criticised by a Labour Party official, but Ms McAlpine stood by Mr Hawksbee, because “she doesn’t want to be disloyal to someone who organises so much for her.” Mr Hawksbee has been a vocal defender of Chris Williamson, the disgraced MP who resigned from the Labour Party after being told he could not stand as a candidate for the Party.

Although Ms McAlpine has since condemned his comment, Mr Hawksbee was still seen in the front row of the Harlow event, along with Mr Corbyn and Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, Sir Keir Starmer.

In North West Durham, Labour frontbencher Laura Pidcock, who is tipped to become Labour’s new Deputy Leader, said at her campaign launch event: “I know we are on the path towards justice. And I know because Jeremy Corbyn might become PM they will throw everything at us. They will say some really hurtful things. Forgive them. For they know not what they do.”

Ms Pidcock’s final sentence is a line spoken by Jesus before he was crucified, according to the New Testament, and some have observed that it has also been used to stir up religious hatred against Jews in bygone centuries. The suggestion that condemnations of Mr Corbyn for his character or views — including his antisemitism — might be neutralised in this fashion is concerning. Ms Pidcock’s spokesman rejected these criticisms.

In Warrington North, Charlotte Nichols, a GMB national research and policy officer who worked on both of Mr Corbyn’s Labour leadership campaigns in 2015 and 2016 and is a past Young Labour women’s officer, is the Party’s candidate for the safe seat. Ms Nichols, a recent convert to Judaism, attended the controversial Jewdas Seder with Mr Corbyn and is accused of involvement in the “Kaddish for Gaza” event, in which young Jews said a memorial prayer for Hamas terrorists in Parliament Square.

Claudia Webbe, who defended Ken Livingstone after he compared a Jewish journalist to a concentration camp guard, has reportedly been selected as the Labour Party candidate for the safe Labour seat of Leicester East. In 2018, when Ms Webbe was the Chair of the Labour Party’s Disciplinary Panel, she tweeted a claim that the “combined machinery of state, political and mainstream elite” are conspiring to smear Jeremy Corbyn with “false allegations.” Ms Webbe, who previously defended Ken Livingstone after he compared a Jewish journalist to a concentration camp guard, took to Twitter to claim that Mr Corbyn is entirely innocent, and that a sinister and powerful conspiracy is working to attack him. As Chair of the Labour Party’s Disciplinary Panel, Ms Webbe must have known that this kind of language is common in antisemitic conspiracy theories.

Meanwhile, former Home Secretary and Labour peer, Lord Blunkett, has said that the “antisemitism” and “thuggery” in the Labour Party make him despair.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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Labour Party MP, Dan Carden, Shadow International Development Secretary, reportedly changed lyrics of Beatles song “Hey Jude” to “Hey Jews”

Labour Party MP, Dan Carden, the Shadow International Development Secretary, reportedly changed the lyrics of the iconic Beatles song “Hey Jude” to “Hey Jews” on a late-night bus journey last year.

BuzzFeed News revealed that Mr Carden, the MP for Liverpool Walton, who was a Junior Shadow Minister at the time, allegedly repeatedly sang the chorus of “Hey Jude”, replacing the word “Jude” with “Jews” while on a “raucous” private bus trip back to London from Cheltenham Festival on the evening of Thursday 15th March 2018. When the chorus reached the word “Jude”, Mr Carden reportedly chanted at the top of his voice: “Jews, Jews, Jews.”

Alex Wickham, the Senior Political Correspondent at BuzzFeed News, was seated behind Mr Carden on the bus trip. He said that other Labour MPs and MPs from other parties were also on the bus.

The Sunday Times has reportedly obtained WhatsApp messages that appear to corroborate claims he sang “Hey Jews.”

Mr Carden’s spokesperson told BuzzFeed News that he would never “intentionally” engage in racist or antisemitic behaviour.

Jeremy Corbyn was asked about the incident on a visit to Leeds. He said: “Dan Carden has emphatically denied that. It is an awful story and if it’s true it is utterly and totally unacceptable. I am looking into it.”

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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Senior RMT leader, Steve Hedley, yelled “Chosen people” jibe at Jewish anti-racism activist and shouted: “What the Nazis did to you, you’re doing to the Palestinians”

Steve Hedley, the Senior Assistant General Secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT), reportedly launched a tirade against a Jewish anti-racism activist, shouting: “What the Nazis did to you, you’re doing to the Palestinians”, adding: “you’re one of the Chosen People, so you might feel better than me, huh?”

According to the The Daily Mail, the comments were made at a talk in 2011 at the School of African and Oriental Studies (SOAS) entitled “Palestine’s Fight For Freedom.”

Mr Hedley, whom The Daily Mail described as a “militant Jeremy Corbyn supporter,” reportedly told Jewish anti-racism activist, Richard Millett: “You’re an absolute disgrace to the Jewish people. You are a modern-day fascist, you are a modern-day Nazi, by supporting those policies that oppress a…minority in your own state.” He continued: “What the Nazis did to you, you’re doing to the Palestinians.”

Mr Millett responded: “Feel better?”, to which Mr Hedley said: “Better than you, obviously. But then again, you’re one of the chosen people, so you might feel better than me, huh?” Mr Millett said: “So it’s about being Jewish?” and Mr Hedley replied: “It’s about being a Zionist.”

According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” and “Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel” are antisemitic.

Mr Millett released the audio of the rant and footage from the talk was included in The Daily Mail story.

Shortly after the event in 2011, the RMT London website, RMT London Calling, published a statement from Mr Hedley. Regarding the phrase, “Chosen People,” he wrote: “I accept that my use of the phrase in the context of the highly inflammatory argument with aggressive and disruptive intruders trying to wreck a public meeting and provoke a reaction, was unwise and I regret using the phrase. I apologise to anyone who may have been offended.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism calls for Mr Hadley to be dismissed by the RMT. Nobody with his views should hold positions of authority.

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Labour frontbencher, Laura Pidcock, reportedly uses words from Jesus Christ’s crucifixion to describe critics of Jeremy Corbyn at her campaign launch

Laura Pidcock, the Labour Party’s Shadow Secretary of State for Employment Rights, who is tipped to become Labour’s new Deputy Leader, reportedly used words from Jesus Christ’s crucifixion to describe critics of Jeremy Corbyn at her campaign launch.

Ms Pidcock, who was elected the MP for North West Durham in 2017, said: “I know we are on the path towards justice. And I know because Jeremy Corbyn might become PM they will throw everything at us. They will say some really hurtful things. Forgive them. For they know not what they do.”

Ms Pidcock’s final sentence is a line spoken by Jesus before he was crucified, according to the New Testament, and some have observed that it has also been used to stir up religious hatred against Jews in bygone centuries.

Ms Pidcock’s spokesperson rejected these criticisms and told the JC: “Laura said a well known and often quoted verse from the bible at her campaign launch. Any suggestion that her doing so was antisemitic is absurd and defamatory.”

The suggestion that condemnations of Mr Corbyn for his character or views — including his antisemitism — might be neutralised in this fashion is concerning.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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University of Exeter reports anonymous student Facebook group to police over neo-Nazi posts

The anonymous student Facebook page, “ExeHonestly”, a platform used by University of Exeter students, has closed in a furore over neo-Nazi posts and is now under investigation by the police.

ExeHonestly had featured several posts including one that read: “People’s favourite number? Mine’s 1488.” This is a coded reference to the neo-Nazi fourteen-word oath: “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children”, a slogan initially devised by David Lane, a member of the white supremacist terrorist group “The Order” which was responsible for the murder of Jewish radio host Alan Berg. The number 88 refers to the eighth letter of the alphabet, H, and is intended as a code for “Heil Hitler.” Other posts on the page included anti-black racism.

A University spokesperson told The Tab that the page was “operated by anonymous administrators,” explaining, “We have deep concerns about the content these administrators post that affect our community and we urge our students not to use it. We have reported our concerns about the site to Facebook, and now escalated matters to the police hate crime unit and will work with them to identify those responsible. If we obtain specific information about any of our students posting abusive or offensive content we will take immediate and appropriate action. Racism cannot be tolerated in any form in our community and students can contact us with information or concerns through our ‘Speak Out’ website.”

Speaking to The Tab, Exeter’s Jewish Society said: “We are appalled by the recent posts on ExeHonestly. Whilst we champion free speech and see a great value in it, there is no space for Jewish students, or indeed any students at any university to feel uncomfortable or scared due to their religious, racial or ethnic background. We praise the university for taking action, bringing a problem to the attention of students.”

The administrators of the group meanwhile have claimed ignorance arguing that while they “do not condone any hateful racist content” the “dog-whistle” posts were “not apparent to people unless they have specialised knowledge.” They further attempted to justify their failings claiming that: “It is standard practice on social media for posts to occasionally get through.” They later opted to close the page.

The University has called the response “either not credible or… evidence that they are not capable of hosting a community site” and the police have confirmed they are investigating this as a hate crime.

The University of Exeter has a history of antisemitic incidents. In 2017 the university tried to brush off an antisemitic incident in which a “Rights for Whites” sign was found in halls of residence and a swastika was found carved into a door in on-campus halls Birks Grange, with a spokesman downplaying this blatant antisemitic incident as possibly merely “an ill-judged, deeply offensive joke.”

This follows another alarming antisemitic incident at the university last term in which students were photographed at a sports club social event wearing t-shirts with handwritten antisemitic slogans. One t-shirt bore the slogan: “the Holocaust was a good time.” In response to this, students organised a protest march condemning antisemitism during which they asked Malaka Shwaikh, exposed by Campaign Against Antisemitism over her statements about terrorism and the Holocaust, to address the crowd and make Jewish students feel safe. Whilst professing an admirable desire for solidarity, Shwaikh took the opportunity not to renounce any of her views and to instead berate those “attacking” her as simply venting their “Islamophobic” prejudice.

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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Claudia Webbe, who defended Ken Livingstone after he compared a Jewish journalist to a concentration camp guard, reportedly selected as Labour’s candidate in safe seat

Claudia Webbe, who defended Ken Livingstone after he compared a Jewish journalist to a concentration camp guard, has reportedly been selected as the Labour Party candidate for the safe Labour seat of Leicester East.

Ms Webbe was appointed as the candidate by a selection panel that included two representatives of the party’s governing body, the National Executive Committee (NEC).

According to Labour List, Ms Webbe is a local party representative on the NEC and the council cabinet member for the environment and transport in Islington. She is also on the executive of the left-wing group, the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy (CLPD).

In 2018, when Ms Webbe was the Chair of the Labour Party’s Disciplinary Panel, she tweeted a claim that the “combined machinery of state, political and mainstream elite” are conspiring to smear Jeremy Corbyn with “false allegations.”

Ms Webbe, who previously defended Ken Livingstone after he compared a Jewish journalist to a concentration camp guard, took to Twitter to claim that Mr Corbyn is entirely innocent, and that a sinister and powerful conspiracy is working to attack him.

As Chair of the Labour Party’s Disciplinary Panel, Ms Webbe must have known that this kind of language is common in antisemitic conspiracy theories.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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CAA urges Birkbeck University to stop Ilan Pappé lecture on why “anti-Zionism is not antisemitism”

Birkbeck, University of London is set to host the controversial Socialist Workers Party (SWP) this weekend for an event entitled “The Big Socialist Weekender”.

Ilan Pappé will address the event on the topic: “Anti-Zionism is not antisemitism.”

Zionism is the movement supporting the right of Jews to self-determination. Self-determination is guaranteed to all peoples under article 1 of the UN Charter.

Ilan Pappe has made several inflammatory comments, claiming accusations of antisemitism have been used “to stifle debate on Palestine” and to “depose” politicians supportive of Palestine as well as ridiculing concerns that the Labour Party has a problem with institutional antisemitism. He has also said that Jeremy Corbyn should not “be afraid” after laying a wreath at the grave of the Black September terrorists who tortured and murdered Israeli Olympians, saying: “as an Israeli Jew I was there [at the same graveyard]…and I paid respect for the freedom fighters of Palestine.”

He also defended Chris Williamson’s claim that the Labour Party is “too apologetic” about antisemitism, arguing that “you can’t satisfy these beasts.”

Mr Pappe has also defended Jeremy Corbyn’s connection to Holocaust denier Paul Eisen and other antisemites as well as his links to terror groups.

Many of these comments have come while delivering speeches of the same title at previous events, making it likely that they could be repeated this weekend.

To add insult to injury, the event attempting to whitewash antisemitism is set to take place on a Saturday, the Jewish sabbath. This severely limits the Jewish community’s ability to participate in an event designed to define their own oppression. The SWP has form on this front, having previously been involved in an event featuring the antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation, Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL), hosted by their front organisation Stand Up to Racism on the holiest night of the Jewish calendar, Kol Nidrei, the night of Yom Kippur.

Birkbeck has previously come under scrutiny over an antisemitic demonstrator at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London, who was filmed claiming that the Holocaust happened because Jews are “cowards”. He was later reportedly sighted being escorted off campus by security staff at Birkbeck, University of London. The man had been filmed by students and a member of Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit at a demonstration at SOAS.

Campaign Against Antisemitism will be approaching Birkbeck to urge the university to reconsider this event and its overtly inflammatory speaker.

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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Former MP and Minister Ivan Lewis blasts Labour Party as “institutionally racist”

The former Labour cabinet minister Ivan Lewis has hit out at his former party, calling it an “institutionally racist, antisemitic party” in an interview for the Jewish Telegraph podcast.

In a blistering attack Mr Lewis warned that supporters of the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn would be “facilitating an institutionally racist government if Corbyn got elected” and that “anybody that posts a leaflet, makes a telephone call, or stuffs an envelope on behalf of the Momentum or Corbynite candidates in this election is colluding with and endorsing racism.”

He continued: “If they do that, and don’t see it in that way what they are then acknowledging is that antisemitism is somehow a second class form of racism.” He urged people “even at this late stage to examine their conscience.”

In reference to the International Definition of Antisemitism, which includes “denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination” as an example of antisemitism, Mr Lewis asked: “Why are we the only minority that doesn’t have the right to self-determination in our own state? The answer to that is that’s antisemitism, as the definition says.”

He also accused Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn of antisemitism, saying: “The man who wants to be Prime Minister believes that the existence of the state of Israel is a racist endeavour”, which is antisemitic according to the International Definition.

Mr Lewis resigned from the Labour Party in 2018, saying that he “could no longer reconcile my Jewish identity and current Labour politics”. Accusing Jeremy Corbyn and Seumas Milne, Mr Corbyn’s Executive Director of Strategy and Communications, of treating Jews differently, he also revealed that Mr Corbyn had sacked him from the front bench by text message after Mr Lewis requested a meeting to discuss antisemitism with him.

He is now running as an independent candidate in the general election.

On 28th May, the EHRC launched a full statutory investigation following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant.

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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SNP confirms it would put antisemite Jeremy Corbyn into 10 Downing Street in return for certain policies

Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed that her Party would support a minority Labour government led by Jeremy Corbyn if certain policies are pursued. She said she “would drive a hard bargain”.

Recently, Campaign Against Antisemitism wrote to all the Opposition parties in Parliament (other than Labour) asking whether they would rule out making Mr Corbyn, who is an antisemite, Prime Minister.

The Rt Hon. Ian Blackford MP provided the SNP’s detailed response, in which he wrote: “I want to make it clear that the SNP abhors antisemitism in the strongest possible way. We believe that the recent political events show that now more than ever politicians should be responsible with their actions and use language with care. The SNP is absolutely opposed to racism and antisemitism in all its forms.”

Nevertheless, the SNP then and again now has affirmed its readiness to back Mr Corbyn. It is difficult to square the Party’s self-proclaimed commitment to oppose racism and antisemitism in all its forms while also backing an antisemitic leader for Prime Minister.

Principled opposition to racism is incompatible with a willingness to be bought for the price of a few policies.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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John McDonnell falsely claims Ian Austin’s criticism of Labour antisemitism and Jeremy Corbyn was because he’s “employed by the Tories”

Campaign Against Antisemitism is disgusted at suggestions by Labour frontbencher John McDonnell that Ian Austin, who quit the Labour Party over antisemitism and recently gave a series of interviews criticising the Labour leader over antisemitism and extremism, did so because he is “employed by the Tories”.

Mr Austin, who is the adopted son of a Holocaust survivor and an honorary patron of Campaign Against Antisemitism, is a Government trade envoy to Israel, a cross-party, unpaid, voluntary position unconnected to the Conservative Party. Last week he gave a series of interviews in which he claimed that Labour is “poisoned by anti-Jewish racism”.

Mr McDonnell, the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, said: “What else do you expect him to do in an election campaign when employed by the Tories? You speak on behalf of the Tories. That’s what this was about this morning.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism deplores the suggestion that Mr Austin’s concerns about antisemitism in the Labour Party are motivated by greed or desire for money.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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Rebecca Jenkins, Labour’s candidate in Redditch, reportedly shared Facebook post supporting antisemitic Tower Hamlets mural

Rebecca Jenkins, Labour’s candidate in Redditch near Birmingham, reportedly shared a Facebook post supporting the large antisemitic public mural in Towers Hamlet.

According to the political website Guido Fawkes, Ms Jenkins shared and commented on a post showing the infamous mural, using a now-deleted Facebook account. She reportedly wrote “Hear hear!” to a post with a picture of the mural and the words: “All we gotta do is stand up and it’s game over!!” The post included a comment from another user: “Where in this picture is it antisemitism.”

Jeremy Corbyn defended the public display of the mural in 2012 which was painted on a wall in London’s East End and featured apparently-Jewish bankers beneath a pyramid often used by conspiracy theorists playing Monopoly on a board carried by straining, oppressed workers.

Guido Fawkes also revealed that Ms Jenkins shared a post on Facebook with a comment from Noam Chomsky, accusing the media of “manipulating the population” to convince them that Mr Corbyn is antisemitic. “One must admire the incredible skills the media have in manipulating the population. They’ve managed to convince many that the most passionate Anti-Racist Campaigner of the last 40 years, Jeremy Corbyn, is actually Pro-Racist and Anti-Semitic.”

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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Labour candidate Kate Ramsden withdraws after comparing Israel to child abuser and Nazis, as Labour officials accused of attempted cover-up

Labour’s election candidate in the Scottish constituency of Gordon has withdrawn from the race after it emerged that she had compared the Jewish State to a child abuser and the Nazis, as Party officials as accused of having tried to cover up the incident to protect her.

In an apparent reference to Jewish suffering in the Holocaust, Ms Ramsden reportedly wrote: “Like many abusers, unable to reflect on their own abuse, and ending up recreating it in the abuse of others, exerting their power in those weaker than themselves because once they were the powerless.”

She further wrote that “to me the Israeli state is like an abused child who becomes an abusive adult,” adding: “like child abuse it has to stop…as we intervene with child abusers the international community needs to intervene with Israel.” She also lamented: “I heard yesterday that almost 90 per cent of Jewish Israelis support their government.”

According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis is antisemitic. Mr Ramsden reportedly opposed the adoption of the International Definition by the Labour Party.

Ms Ramsden, who is a senior official at Unison, the trade union, also contended that claims of antisemitism against Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn were “orchestrated by the wealthy establishment who do not want a socialist Labour government.”

Despite ludicrous assertions by Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer John McDonnell that the Party is doing everything it can on antisemitism and has done everything the Jewish community has asked, there are claims that Labour’s compliance unit in fact told Ms Ramsden that if she deleted the blog post containing her comments about the Jewish State and child abuse, she could remain a candidate.

Following an outcry, Ms Ramsden has stepped down as a candidate, saying: “I can see that many Jewish people have been hurt by my words. That was never my intention and I apologise unreservedly.”

Ms Ramsden’s departure from the race comes after Gideon Bull withdrew as a parliamentary candidate in Clacton after Campaign Against Antisemitism publicised his use of the word “Shylock” to describe a Jewish fellow councillor. It has since emerged that he has also used other racist language.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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Lord David Blunkett, former Labour Home Secretary, says antisemitism within Labour makes him “despair”

Lord David Blunkett, the former Labour Party Home Secretary, said that antisemitism within Labour makes him “despair.”

Writing in a letter to The Telegraph, Lord Blunkett said: “The behaviour of the hard left within the Labour party — the antisemitism, the thuggery, the irrational views on security and international issues, and the lack of realisation that you have to embrace a big tent of people in order to win — certainly makes me despair.”

Lord Blunkett, who was a Labour MP for 28 years before becoming a Labour peer, urged Labour moderates, however, to remain in the party: “Whatever Labour moderates might think of the leadership, therefore, quitting is not an option – because there is going to be a future for Labour, and the future is worth fighting for. “

He added: “These moderate voices may not yet have succeeded in defeating the top-down approach or the antisemitism, but in policy terms they have had an impact – along with the more sensible trade unions, who constantly get forgotten, but who do matter.”

In March this year, Campaign Against Antisemitism met with Lord Blunkett to update him on our work and efforts to counter antisemitism.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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Dyfed-Powys Police upholds professional standards complaint from CAA after officer said antisemitism was just “an opinion”

Dyfed-Powys Police in Wales has upheld a professional standards complaint from Campaign Against Antisemitism over the way that antisemitic e-mails were dismissed as just “stating an opinion” by one of the force’s officers.

Dyfed-Powys Police has confirmed to Campaign Against Antisemitism that it is reopening the case and recording the incident as a hate crime under the Malicious Communications Act. They have formally apologised saying they “completely share the concerns you raised.”

The Divisional Detective Inspector in the Pembrokeshire Division has been asked to review the crime and appropriately allocate the necessary resources to investigate.

When discussing an allegation against Daniel Davies, the owner of Tribestan UK, for the antisemitic e-mails sent to an Israeli man who attempted to order items from the company, Campaign Against Antisemitism was told that the matter would merely be recorded as a hate incident rather than a hate crime. When pressed on this, the officer said that he had reviewed the complaint, and that it would be recorded as the less serious matter, as the e-mails were simply “stating an opinion”.

One of the e-mails sent by Tribestan UK stated: “Unfortunately Jews have negativity on our businesses. Do you know why? Because Jews rip us off! Jews f*** us up!”

A second e-mail sent a short while later stated: “We don’t ship to Israel because the Jews rob us! Sorry but that’s a fact. They scam the world.”

Mr Davies claimed that “our e-mail got hacked via wifi over a business phone”, which is a common excuse that we have heard from other companies that have sent antisemitic messages that they later claimed were the work of hackers.

Campaign Against Antisemitism is providing legal support to the recipient of the e-mails so that a civil claim can be brought against the company.

At a time when British Jews are threatened by levels of antisemitism unprecedented in the UK since the end of the Second World War, effective law enforcement is a vital deterrent. Campaign Against Antisemitism applauds Dyfed-Powys Police for recognising its initial failure in this matter and remedying it by reopening the investigation.

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Famed Soviet human rights campaigner Natan Sharansky says antisemitism in Corbyn’s Labour Party reminds him of USSR

The famous Soviet “refusnik” and human rights campaigner, Natan Sharansky, has said that the antisemitism in the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn is reminiscent of the USSR.

Mr Sharansky, who became famous for being refused the right to emigrate to Israel by Soviet authorities but eventually rose to become Israel’s Deputy Prime Minister, expressed concern in an interview that Mr Corbyn and many of his supporters adopt positions on Israel and Zionists redolent of the antisemitic rhetoric in the Soviet Union under Stalin.

Mr Sharasnky declared that Mr Corbyn’s “extreme anti-Zionism” is “practically almost impossible to differ sometimes from antisemitism”, reminiscing how the support he received from Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was enhanced by the backing of Labour activists and lamenting that now, looking at the Labour Party, “as we know from Russia, it starts from anti-Zionism and goes to classic antisemitism and then much further.”

He urged Mr Corbyn to “change your positions [on Hamas and related matters] or stop lying that you have no problem with Jews.”

Mr Sharasnky said that he finds antisemitism “easier to identify” because “I am from the Soviet Union, Stalin’s Soviet Union. When the Soviet Union was speaking against Israel, everybody knew that it was about your Jewish neighbours…and when Soviet propaganda was speaking about ‘cosmopolites’, everybody knew that it was about Jews. These rather cold words which were used for a very open antisemitic campaign against Jews who are ‘not a loyal part of our population’ and Israel was simply used as proof that they’re not loyal.” He added that “for me it is so easy because it looks exactly like Soviet rhetoric…that was official Soviet propaganda, and the fact that it is now repeated by Iran and supported by Corbyn, that’s very sad.”

Fearing the growing acceptance of anti-Jewish prejudice, Mr Sharasnky said that “it’s surprising for me how Britain has become an example that antisemitism doesn’t stand on the extremes. It starts from the extremes and then goes to the mainstream.” He also noted that he hears “all the time from” British Jews, including “some serious representatives of the Jewish community of London” who are considering moving to Israel out of fear of a Corbyn-led government in the UK, with some families “buying apartments…not for them, for their children.”

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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Cars and homes in Canvey Island daubed with swastikas and “Jews out!” graffiti

Cars and homes in Essex’s Canvey Island have been daubed with swastikas and slogans such as “Jews out!” The swastikas were drawn the wrong way around.

The graffiti was sprayed on the homes and vehicles between late last night and early this morning.

Today is Remembrance Sunday, when the nation remembers those who lost their lives fighting against the Nazis and other enemies.

Canvey Island has a growing Jewish population as Jews in north London bringing up young families move to areas where property prices are lower. Local residents have mostly been very welcoming towards their Jewish neighbours.

An Essex Police spokesperson said: “We are investigating after several reports of criminal damage to cars in Ferrymead, Canvey Island overnight. We were called this morning, Sunday 10 November, to reports that vehicles had been sprayed with racist and anti-Semitic graffiti. If you have not yet spoken to us about damage to your vehicle please call [the police on] 101 and quote incident number 307 of today’s date.”

Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “The perpetrators of this act of vandalism and intimidation must feel the full force of the law. Anybody with information should immediately step forward to assist the police.”

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Pollster reports focus group “slated” Jeremy Corbyn for antisemitism “straight away” despite not knowing what antisemitism meant just a year ago

A polling expert has reported that in a focus group in a London constituency that he carried out, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was “slated for antisemitism.” James Johnson, who used to conduct polling for 10 Downing Street under Theresa May, said that the public “did not know what this word meant a year ago” but that when the focus group began, it “Came up straight away”.

Campaign Against Antisemitism considers this to be a reassuring vindication of our work to educate the public about antisemitism and raise awareness of the extent of anti-Jewish prejudice in British politics and society, and that of our allies within and without the Jewish community.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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Historic Middle Street Synagogue in Brighton vandalised with red paint splashed across its doors

The historic Middle Street Synagogue in Brighton has reportedly been vandalised with red paint splashed on its famous front doors.

The incident was revealed by journalist and author, Lyn Julius, on Facebook. Ms Julius is scheduled to speak at the synagogue on Sunday.

The synagogue is a popular tourist attraction. The Grade II* listed building has what is regarded as Brighton’s second most important interior after the Royal Pavilion. Opened in 1875 and designed by local architect Thomas Lainson, it is one of the last remaining “cathedral synagogues” from the Golden Age of High Victorian synagogue architecture.

In May this year, Labour Party member and activist, Amanda Bishop, called for fellow activists to “march” on her local synagogue in Brighton.

Ms Bishop wrote in the Brighton and Hove Labour Party Facebook forum that: “We can’t allow this to go on. We need to march about this on the Synagogue in Hove, all of us members in Brighton.” Her call for direct action against the synagogue was in response to the suspension of Alexandrina Braithwaite, from the Brighton and Hove Labour branch, for sharing allegedly antisemitic posts on social media, which Ms Bishop felt was “bulls***”.

Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “This cowardly act of vandalism against a historic synagogue comes just months after a prominent Labour activist called for a march on a synagogue nearby. It is yet further evidence of the extent to which antisemites have come to feel empowered to demonstrate their hatred of Jews. It is vital that the perpetrator is apprehended and feels the full force of the law.” 

Anyone with information should contact Sussex Police by calling 101.

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Lord Mann is The House magazine’s ‘campaigner of the week’ for his efforts to tackle antisemitism

Lord Mann, the former Labour MP who quit the Party over antisemitism, has been named ‘campaigner of the week’ by The House magazine for his work countering antisemitism.

As the Government’s new independent advisor on antisemitism, Lord Mann says “opposing antisemitism: to me the only odd thing is why everyone doesn’t do it.”

In a reference to polling of the Jewish community in recent years, he went on to say: “The notion that anyone feels unsafe in this country, feels that they don’t have a future in this country because of antisemitism, is abhorrent to everything that is British, everything about our country, everything about our values, everything about our Parliament.”

Lamenting the lack of leadership in Parliament on this issue, Lord Mann said: “The definition of leadership is to stand up against injustice and intolerance. And therefore every MP should be standing up against antisemitism… that’s why I get so angry when people choose not to…. You don’t pick and choose which bits of antisemitism you stand up against – you stand up against all of it.”

Lord Mann is concerned about “making sure there are consequences for the antisemites” and wishes to see the adoption of the International Definition of Antisemitism worldwide, “not just by governments and political parties but by football clubs, by universities, by employers.”

His message to the Jewish community: “you will not be left to fight antisemitism on your own”. 

Asked about Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain’s letter urging tactical voting in the election to keep Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn out of Downing Street, Lord Mann said: “it is a sad state of affairs that a respected rabbi feels it’s appropriate to be writing such a letter… the leader of the Labour Party should reflect on why it’s got to this appalling situation and work with me to turn it around.””

Lord Mann has previously warned that between overstatement and understatement of antisemitism, “the biggest danger is that we will understate the problem,” and has called Ken Livingstone a “f***ing disgrace” and a “Nazi apologist”.

Previously the MP for Bassetlaw, Lord Mann left Labour saying that Mr Corbyn had “given the green light to the antisemites” and that the Party leader was not “appropriate to be Prime Minister”. Lord Mann is now a crossbench peer.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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BBC Panorama investigation into Labour antisemitism shortlisted for British Journalism Award, as is maker John Ware

BBC Panorama is a finalist in the British Journalism Awards in the category of ‘Investigation’ for its programme titled “Is Labour Anti-Semitic?”, which explored antisemitism in the Labour Party.

The episode’s creators, John Ware, Leo Telling, Neil Grant and Rachel Jupp, have also been shortlisted in the ‘Politics Journalism’ category.

The programme, which was televised in July, 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 Mr Ware have now 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 it is understood that 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 may now take its complaint to Ofcom.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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Archbishop of Canterbury calls on universities to adopt the International Definition of Antisemitism

The Most Reverend Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, has called on the Government to pressure universities to adopt the International Definition of Antisemitism.

The Government responded that as universities are independent, the Government could not apply pressure but could issue guidance, and that the Government “strongly encourages” institutions of higher education to adopt the International Definition.

It is understood that so far only five such institutions have done so.

Robert Jenrick, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, has also previously expressed concern regarding “the disgraceful experiences that Jewish students have lived through at certain universities,” and has called for local councils and universities to follow the UK Government in adopting the International Definition, indicating that he intended to take action in this direction.

He has since written to local councils urging them to adopt the International Definition.

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Antisemitic dentist who stalked Jewish family sentenced to nineteen months’ imprisonment

An antisemitic dentist who stalked a Jewish family has been sentenced to nineteen months’ imprisonment.

Dan Zaharia subjected a psychologist and his family to a decade-long campaign of antisemitic abuse, threats of murder, and sexual violence. Judge Michael Leeming said he was satisfied that the malicious communication was racially and religiously motivated.

Mr Zaharia pleaded guilty on 9th September to one count of malicious communications covering contact from 1st January to 30th November. Two previous charges against Mr Zaharia, which related to religiously aggravated stalking and simple stalking, were erased from the indictment after he agreed to the malicious communication charge.

On Wednesday, at Chester Crown Court, in addition to the sentencing of nineteen months’ imprisonment, Mr Zaharia was also given an indefinite restraining order to protect the victim and his family and was ordered to pay a victim surcharge.

Image credit: Cheshire police

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Gideon Bull withdraws candidacy after CAA publicises past ‘Shylock’ comment, but Labour candidates who have said and done worse remain

Gideon Bull, Labour’s prospective parliamentary candidate in Clacton, has withdrawn his candidacy after Campaign Against Antisemitism publicised a past comment he made referring to a Jewish fellow Labour councillor as “Shylock” earlier this year, in an apparent reference to the villainous Shakespearean Jewish moneylender.

Cllr Bull reportedly made the comment when he was a Labour councillor at Haringey Council in London, where he also served in the cabinet. The recipient of his abuse made a complaint.

In his withdrawal statement, Cllr Bull said that he used an “analogy when referring to a housing decision” and “was not referring to the councillor”, and after being informed that the comment was “offensive”, he said that he “immediately apologised and explained that I did not know that Shylock was Jewish and I would never have mentioned Shylock if I had known this. I grew up in a working class area in Ilford where this was a common saying, but I didn’t know it was offensive. This was a genuine accident and I reiterate my sincere apology for this mistake.”

The revelation came after an analysis by Campaign Against Antisemitism showed how supporters of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn are trying to place a cast of Jew-haters, antisemitism-deniers and Jew-baiters in dozens of constituencies ahead of general election.

Joe Glasman, Head of Political and Government Investigations at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “Gideon Bull’s comment, in which he called a Jewish fellow councillor ‘Shylock’, after the villainous Shakespearean Jewish character, was unacceptable, and of course he had to withdraw his candidacy. Not a day goes by without a revelation about a Labour candidate’s troubling record in relation to Jews, exemplifying the institutional antisemitism of the Party under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn. It is a reflection of the present state of the Labour Party that other candidates who have said and done much worse remain as candidates.”

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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Ian Austin is a “hero of the Jewish community” as he declares “Labour is poisoned with anti-Jewish racism” and announces he will not seek re-election

The former Labour MP Ian Austin, who resigned from the Party over antisemitism, has given a series of powerful interviews this morning condemning antisemitism in the Labour Party and announcing that he will not be seeking re-election.

Speaking on Sky News, Mr Austin, who is an honorary patron of Campaign Against Antisemitism, was asked if his decision to leave the Labour Party and stand down as an MP was “personal”. In response, he explained: “I joined the Labour Party as a teenager in Dudley. I was a councillor there in my twenties, I worked for the Party and for the Labour Government in my thirties, and I became an MP and a Government minister in my forties, so this has been my life. This has been my life.

“I can’t really believe it’s come to this,” he said, “but I’ve got to be honest with people: I think that Jeremy Corbyn is unfit to lead the Labour Party. I think he’s certainly unfit to lead the country.”

Asserting that only two individuals can be Prime Minister the day after the election, Mr Austin remarkably declared: “I’ve sadly come to the conclusion that it can’t be Jeremy Corbyn,” and endorsed the Conservative Party Leader instead.

Visibly emotional, Mr Austin pointed out that he “could just disappear off back to Dudley, never say a word, keep quiet — but I think people in politics have got to stand up and tell the truth and you’ve got to do what you think is right, however difficult it is.”

In support of his decision, Mr Austin asserted that Mr Corbyn and Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, John McDonnell, have spent their careers in politics “working with, defending, supporting all types of extremists, including antisemites,” and backing genocidal antisemitic terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hizballah, whom Mr Corbyn has described as “friends”.

Mr Austin insisted that he has “thought about this long and hard,” and said: “But most shameful of all…you know under his [Mr Corbyn’s} leadership a political party with a proud record – a long history – fighting for equality, fighting racism, has become poisoned with anti-Jewish racism and it is a complete and utter disgrace, a complete disgrace.”

Earlier in the morning, Labour frontbencher Rebecca Long-Bailey was asked to respond to similar remarks by Mr Austin that he had made earlier still. She belittled his concerns as simply emerging from differences with Mr Corbyn on matters of policy, and insisted that although Labour had been slow to act on antisemitism, it had now instituted suitable processes and would in time win back the confidence of the Jewish community.

To this Mr Austin responded: “There’s no way they’ve dealt with this, and some of the people they’re selecting as candidates, even over the last few days, have said and done things which are unacceptable, and Jeremy himself by the way has said and done things which are antisemitic.”

Emphasising that “I’m not a Tory” and that “I’m not a Conservative. This isn’t where I wanted to be,” Mr Austin said that his decision today “has been the toughest thing.”

He proceeded to emphasise that antisemitism is an “institutional problem” in the Labour Party, observing that former Labour MPs Luciana Berger and Dame Louise Ellman were “chased out of the Party by racists” and they also “tried to target Margaret Hodge,” another female Jewish MP.

Mr Austin noted that Labour is the first party in history to be subjected to a full statutory investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. That inquiry was launched on 28th May following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant.

He also reminded viewers that almost nine out of ten British Jews believe Mr Corbyn is antisemitic, and said: “You’ve got to ask yourself: if a political party has caused such offence and distress to one of Britain’s communities, whose side are you on? Whose side are you on? When it comes to racism, I know what my responsibility is. This is a basic question of what’s right and what’s wrong. I think this is a really fundamental issue, and if you’re not going to stand up and tell the truth and do what’s right on something like racism, what are you going to do it on? What are you going to do it on?”

Anticipating that good friends of his who are standing as Labour candidates will feel betrayed and upset, and that some lifelong friends may not speak to him again, he declared that “in politics you’ve got to face up to tough decisions and do what you think is right.”

Asked whether he was abandoning others who have chosen to stay in the Labour Party and fight, Mr Austin replied: “I didn’t leave the Labour Party to join another Party. I didn’t do that in February. I left to shine a spotlight on what’s happening in the Party. And to demand other people step up and do something about it. And I’ve been fighting about this and arguing about this…people have said to me: ‘Ian you’ve got to stay and fight’. I said: ‘where’s the fight? You want me to stay and fight you’d better start fighting.’ I didn’t walk away from this fight.”

Mr Austin recognised the culpability of his erstwhile Party and colleagues: “This has happened on our watch. We have a responsibility for this. I can say it’s nothing to do with me and walk away from it all, but in the end, we’ve allowed this to happen in the Labour Party and we’ve got to take responsibility for it. And I do not want him [Mr Corbyn] to do to the country what I think he’s done to the Labour Party.” He also pointed out that he has launched a new organisation to combat extremism in politics.

Speaking of Mr Corbyn, Mr Austin concluded: “I think the Labour Party has been poisoned with extremism, intolerance, and antisemitism under his leadership,” adding: “It’s heartbreaking. I think what’s happened to the Labour Party is heartbreaking.”

Joe Glasman, Head of Political and Government Investigations at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “Ian Austin is truly a hero of the Jewish community and upstanding people everywhere. He is an inspiration to Jews and others who also once called the Labour Party their political home but who cannot remain in the Party under its antisemitic leadership. When it comes to integrity, Ian has few rivals, and we join him in mourning the Labour Party that was.”

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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Gavin Shuker accuses erstwhile Labour colleagues of “chucking the Jews under the bus”

Gavin Shuker, a former Labour MP who quit the Party over antisemitism, has accused his former colleagues who remained in Labour of “chucking the Jews under the bus.”

Reacting to the news that Labour’s Deputy Leader, Tom Watson, will not stand for re-election, Mr Shuker declared on BBC’s Newsnight that “the moderates in the Labour Party have lost”.

Mr Shuker said that those who remained in Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party “have done a deal with the devil” in order to pursue certain policy objectives while ignoring the problems that, Mr Shuker said, Mr Corbyn’s leadership presents, including antisemitism. As to their choice to remain in the Party when he and others left, he said: “history will judge them.”

With Mr Watson gone, Mr Shuker said of the moderates that “the fig leaf of Tom Watson is no longer there and their shame is there for all to see.”

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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Chris Williamson’s letter of resignation from Labour reads like manifesto against Jews

The disgraced MP, Chris Williamson, has submitted an extraordinary letter of resignation from the Labour Party that reads like a manifesto against Jews, replete with references to a “witch hunt”, “smears”, outsized Israeli power and opposition to Labour’s adoption of the International Definition of Antisemitism. He also suggests that the General Secretary of the Labour Party agrees with his views.

The letter follows a determination by the Party that he cannot be a Labour candidate in his constituency of Derby North. However, Mr Williamson, who has been on suspension from the Party, says that he shall stand as an independent candidate.

In his letter, Mr Williamson expressed to General-Secretary Jennie Formby his dismay that Labour officials have “enabled and executed what I believe to be a witch hunt against hundreds of socialists loyal to Jeremy Corbyn and his transformative, socialist, anti-imperialist worldview.”

He elaborated that “many of the victims of this witch hunt have been Jewish socialists,” presumably a reference to his friend, the antisemitic founder of Labour Against the Witch Hunt, Jackie Walker, who claimed that she was Jewish in response to uproar over her antisemitic comments.

Not only does Mr Williamson describe the Labour antisemitism crisis as “smears”, but suggests that Ms Formby agrees: “you and others share my belief that the antisemitism smears against Labour Party activists, candidates and MPs are unfounded.”

The letter proceeds to suggest that the century-old Jewish Labour Movement was revived “in 2015 at the same time as the State of Israel launched a diplomatic strategy to…normalise Zionism in our movement,” an unsubtle suggestion that the Jewish State is playing an insidious role in internal Labour politics.

He also absurdly asserts that the “witch hunt” serves the objectives of “Britain First and the Jewish Defence League”, whom he accuses of having “led the campaign for the Labour Party to adopt” the International Definition, which he evidently opposes.

Back in February, when Mr Williamson was first suspended, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn leapt to his defence, saying: “Chris Williamson is a very good, very effective Labour MP. He’s a very strong anti-racist campaigner. He is not antisemitic in any way.”

Mr Williamson is well-known for having baited Jews by dismissing allegations of antisemitism as “proxy wars and bulls***” whilst supporting Labour activists like Marc Wadsworth and Ms Walker who were expelled from the Party over their comments. He has been suspended by Labour three times (although the second suspension was overturned by the High Court).

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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Labour’s new parliamentary candidate in Clacton previously called a Jewish fellow councillor “Shylock”

Labour’s prospective parliamentary candidate in Clacton is understood to have referred to a Jewish Labour councillor as “Shylock” earlier this year, in an apparent reference to the villainous Shakespearean Jewish character.

Gideon Bull reportedly made the comment when he was a Labour councillor at Haringey Council in London, where he also served in the cabinet. The recipient of his abuse made a complaint.

Cllr. Bull also had the Labour whip withdrawn over his opposition to certain local development plans.

The revelation comes after an analysis by Campaign Against Antisemitism showed how supporters of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn are trying to place a cast of Jew-haters, antisemitism-deniers and Jew-baiters in dozens of constituencies ahead of general election.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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Another rabbi calls for tactical voting against Labour

It is being reported that a second rabbi has written to his congregants urging them to vote for the party most likely to defeat Labour in their constituency.

Rabbi Yuval Keren of Southgate Progressive Synagogue wrote that “the problem lies with Jeremy Corbyn and the present Labour leadership who tolerate and allow antisemitism to rise from within its ranks”.

He went on to suggest that “if you too believe that a Corbyn-led government would be detrimental to Jewish life as we know it, you should put aside all other considerations and vote for the party that is most likely to defeat Labour in your local constituency.”

Rabbi Keren’s letter makes reference to that of Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain, who wrote in similar terms to his congregants a few days ago.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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Diane Abbott is “totally out of touch with reality” for claiming Stamford Hill Jews don’t believe Jeremy Corbyn is an antisemite

Community leaders in Stamford Hill have challenged their local MP, Diane Abbott, over her claim that “not every element of the Jewish community says Jeremy Corbyn is an antisemite” and that, in contrast to other communal bodies and newspapers, the “Jewish community in Stamford Hill doesn’t say that.”

When pressed on Labour’s response to its antisemitism crisis, Ms Abbott insisted that “we are still doing everything we can,” echoing comments over the weekend by the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, John McDonnell.

Community leaders rejected Ms Abbott’s characterisation that “one of the biggest voting blocks in Hackney is in Stamford Hill which historically is a large and vibrant Jewish community and I’ve spoken to them about this” and that “I talk to them all the time. I listen to the people and I listen to my constituents.”

Rabbi Abraham Pinter, a former Labour councillor in the area and a prominent figure in the community, described Ms Abbott as “being totally out of touch with the reality” of how Jews in her constituency feel about antisemitism.

Rabbi Pinter went on to say: “I don’t know who she is talking about. Because there is no question that the majority of the people I talk to in the community are talking about antisemitism in the party, it is a concern in the community. We have others, but to suggest that we are not concerned about what has happened in the Labour Party or think they have done enough is false.”

He accused the Shadow Home Secretary of deploying “imperialistic tactics of divide and rule” and using the ultra-orthodox Charedi community “for political gain”. He added that “my personal experiences of antisemitism in the Labour party are well documented. She knows about them and yet she has the arrogance to ignore the issue.” He also resented her suggestion that the community votes as a “block”, which he described as “arrogance”.

Rabbi Pinter and others even contested Ms Abbott’s assertion that she speaks to the community, with one leader maintaining that “the idea that she engages with us or reaches out to talk is utter lies. We have never heard from her. She doesn’t engage with us and she doesn’t understand our concerns.”

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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John McDonnell says Labour’s approach to antisemitism is an example to other parties

The Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, John McDonnell, has audaciously claimed that on antisemitism the Labour Party will “come out of this I think as an example of how you do address these issues within a political party and I think other political parties need to learn from that.”

Mr McDonnell made the extraordinary remark in an LBC interview. Host Iain Dale also asked Mr McDonnell why Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn does not sue those who call him an antisemite, since “I can’t think of many worse insults” and “if you know you’re not antisemitic why wouldn’t you take action?” Mr McDonnell responded that Mr Corbyn is “not the sort of person who resorts to courts” and that “courts are not the sort of place for that sort of action.”

The interview also explored numerous other areas of Labour’s antisemitic terrain, including the case of disgraced MP Chris Williamson, who is best known for baiting Jews by dismissing allegations of antisemitism as “proxy wars and bulls***” whilst supporting Labour activists like Marc Wadsworth and Jackie Walker who were expelled from the Party over their comments. He has been suspended by Labour three times (although the second suspension was overturned by the High Court). He is currently on suspension while his case is reviewed yet again by the Party.

Asked by Mr Dale whether he wants Mr Williamson to be a candidate in the coming general election, Mr McDonnelll said that Mr Williamson’s case is currently under consideration and therefore he would not wish to say anything that might prejudice the case. To this Mr Dale responded: “the right answer to that question was ‘no’,” noting that this is another example of the Labour Party equivocating on a case related to the matter of antisemitism.

Indeed much of Mr McDonnell’s focus in this interview, as in other interviews, has been on process, saying of Dame Louise Ellman’s resignation from the Labour Party that “she’s wrong” to have quit because “everything she’s asked us to do we’re doing”.

Indeed Mr McDonnell also deployed the transparent rhetorical device of ‘whataboutettery’ when he tried to steer attention away from Mr Corbyn’s leadership by observing that there is antisemitism in all political parties and that it featured too in the Labour Party under Tony Blair. Mr Dale retorted that, regardless, Jews are only leaving the Labour Party, and he also pointed out that many Jews are even thinking of leaving the country if Labour comes to power, suggesting that this was “embarrassing”. Mr McDonnell described it instead as “saddening” and insisted that Jews have “no grounds” to take such action.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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Disgraced MP Chris Williamson barred from standing as a candidate in forthcoming general election

It is understood that the disgraced MP, Chris Williamson, will not be permitted to stand as a candidate for the Labour Party in the coming general election in Derby North.

Mr Williamson is best known for baiting Jews by dismissing allegations of antisemitism as “proxy wars and bulls***” whilst supporting Labour activists like Marc Wadsworth and Jackie Walker who were expelled from the Party over their comments. He has been suspended by Labour three times (although the second suspension was overturned by the High Court).

He has been on suspension while his case is reviewed yet again by the Party, and it has now emerged that the Labour Party has barred him from standing in the general election as a candidate for the Party. Suspended members are usually unable to stand as candidates.

In an interview yesterday on LBC, the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, John McDonnell, refused to distance himself from Mr Williamson. When asked by host Iain Dale whether he wants Mr Williamson to be a candidate in the general election, Mr McDonnelll said that Mr Williamson’s case is currently under consideration and therefore he would not wish to say anything that might prejudice the case. To this Mr Dale responded: “the right answer to that question was ‘no’.”

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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Tony Blair says Labour antisemitism is “killing the Party” but stops short of saying he won’t vote for Corbyn

Tony Blair has said that Labour’s antisemitism scandal is “absolutely killing the Party”, but stopped short of declaring that he would not vote for the Party in the coming election.

The former Prime Minister made the remarks at a dinner at the Board of Deputies, and said that he anticipates a “complete battle” in Labour between its moderate and radical wings.

Although Mr Blair expressed confidence that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn would not win the election, when asked if he himself would vote tactically he replied: “I can’t”.

Mr Blair insisted that “there are really good Labour MPs that are standing in this election. People I know, people I’ve worked with. People who have stood up very strongly on antisemitism in the Labour Party and I want to see them supported.”

Left-wing antisemitism, Mr Blair explained, is “not limited to a few bad apples” but rather is a “phenomenon”, and complained about those who are “obsessed with a hatred of Israel”, noting that he is “having more reasonable conversations about Israel with some of the Arab states than I am back home with parts of the Left.”

Home Secretary Priti Patel also addressed the event, emphasising that the Government is on the Jewish community’s side.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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Jo Swinson lambasts Jeremy Corbyn on antisemitism in Lib Dem campaign launch and rules out backing him as PM

Jo Swinson has condemned Jeremy Corbyn for his handling of Labour’s antisemitism crisis in a strong rebuke as she launched the Liberal Democrats’ general election campaign this morning.

Asked in the press conference whether she might potentially back Mr Corbyn as Prime Minister in return for concessions on Brexit policy, Ms Swinson said that she “categorically” rules out the prospect of Liberal Democrats’ votes putting Mr Corbyn into Downing Street, insisting that the Labour leader is not fit to be Prime Minister.

Ms Swinson, who leads the Liberal Democrats, noted her opposition to his positions on Brexit, the economy and national security, but then she turned to antisemitism, and stated:: “Most importantly, the reason why people are Remain [on the Brexit question] is about values, and one of those values is so important – is the value of equality – for recognising that people can be themselves, as individuals, whatever the colour of their skin, whatever G-d they pray to, whoever they are. And Jeremy Corbyn’s complete and utter failure to root out antisemitism in his own Party, is a – just – total dereliction of duty when it comes to protecting that value of equality.”

She noted that Luciana Berger, a former Labour MP who resigned from the Party over antisemitism and is now a Liberal Democrat candidate, “was driven out of the Labour Party”, and that Dame Louise Ellman MP also recently resigned over Labour antisemitism as well. Reacting to those resignations, Ms Swinson said: “Anybody as a Party leader in that situation should be very clearly examining their conscience about what is happening in that Party – and even now he [Mr Corbyn] is not doing it. He dismisses that the problem is even there [sic]. He’s not fit to be the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.”

Ms Swinson has previously declared that the Liberal Democrats would not back Mr Corbyn as Prime Minister. However, a few weeks ago, Campaign Against Antisemitism wrote to all the Opposition parties in Parliament (other than Labour) asking whether they would rule out making Mr Corbyn Prime Minister, and we were disappointed that although some Party leaders did respond, Ms Swinson did not.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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Several Brexit Party figures appeared on radio show that features antisemites, Holocaust deniers and conspiracy theorists

It has emerged that two Brexit Party MEPs and a prospective parliamentary candidate have appeared on The Richie Allen Show, a radio programme with links to conspiracy theorist David Icke that has served as a platform for Holocaust denial.

It is understood that Ann Widdecombe MEP appeared on the programme three times between August 2017 and April 2019, David Bull MEP appeared on the show on 30th April 2019, and Stuart Waiton, a prospective parliamentary candidate in Scotland and formerly an unsuccessful candidate for the European Parliament, appeared five times in 2018 and 2019.

Ms Widdecombe’s first appearance on the show was on 15th August 2017, when the programme was still being broadcasted on Mr Icke’s website. She recently courted controversy when she defended a former Nazi camp guard who is currently on trial in Germany. 

The Richie Allen Show has featured antisemites such as Alison Chabloz and Gilad Atzmon, conspiracy theorist Kevin Barrett, who believes Israel was behind 9/11, and Holocaust deniers including Nicholas Kollerstrom. The host has himself apparently questioned the number of Jews that were murdered in the Holocaust, telling Mr Kollerstrom that “there’s a big lie there somewhere, I don’t believe the numbers are anywhere near as great as they’re saying, you know…I’m with you with respect to the numbers and the way that it’s been exploited ever since.”

Mr Allen is considered to be a protege of Mr Icke. Mr Icke preaches to large audiences that the world is run by an evil group mostly consisting of prominent Jews whom he calls “Rothschild Zionists”. He tells his disciples that these “Rothschild Zionists” are in fact inhuman “reptilians” conspiring to cheat all of humanity, with governments, media and banks in their grasp.

Mr Icke uses social media, his books and his stage performances to incite hatred. His preaching is so absurd that since the 1990s he has been dismissed as a crank, but because he is dismissed, there has been no major opposition to him and he has built up a following of thousands upon thousands of disciples whom he has persuaded to adamantly believe that the world is in the grip of a conspiracy run by the “Rothschild Zionists”. His repertoire includes conspiracy myths and tropes classified as antisemitic according to the International Definition of Antisemitism, adopted by the British Government. Campaign Against Antisemitism has successfully persuaded some venues to pull out of hosting his events.

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Labour candidate advocates “violent resistance” against Israelis, using language of antisemitic genocidal terrorist groups

Labour’s Parliamentary candidate for Coventry South, Zarah Sultana, has reportedly endorsed “violent resistance” against Israelis, in language typically used by antisemitic genocidal terrorist groups as such Hamas and Hizballah.

In a Facebook post, Ms Sultana corrected a previous post saying “I wrote ‘right to non violent resistance’. Best believe that was an error and I meant to write ‘violent resistance’.” She has since delivered a weak apology, clarifying that she does not support violence.

However, Ms Sultana, who is a paid Labour staffer and a regional campaigner for the Party in West Midlands, has a history of controversial remarks. As a student at the University of Birmingham she reportedly equated Zionism with racism and branded a Jewish candidate standing for the role of Black and Minority Ethnic officer as “white” and therefore implied they were inappropriate.

She also declared that she would “celebrate” the deaths of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Nentanayu and former U.S. President George W. Bush. Reacting to a message on social media that said it was wrong to celebrate anyone’s death, regardless of their actions, Ms Sultana apparently replied: “Try and stop me when the likes of Blair, Netanyahu and Bush die.” She added: “The sooner they meet their creator the better.”

The candidate for the safe Labour seat has sat on the national executive of Young Labour and on the National Executive of the National Union of Students and has served as parliamentary officer for MEND, the controversial advocacy organisation.

An analysis by Campaign Against Antisemitism showed that supporters of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn are trying to place a cast of Jew-haters, antisemitism-deniers and Jew-baiters in dozens of constituencies ahead of the general election.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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Momentum’s Laura Parker defends Jeremy Corbyn and Labour on antisemitism

Laura Parker, Momentum’s National Coordinator, was challenged on LBC on Labour’s antisemitism crisis and the role of Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn.

Ms Parker recognised that the antisemitism crisis “has troubled people” but insisted that Momentum “has been clear there is no place for antisemitism in the Labour Party or in wider society,” claiming that “Labour is a Party of anti-racist activity – we’ve got people up and down the country who are working with community groups.”

Although Ms Parker conceded that there are “some people with views which are you know somewhere between unpalatable and absolutely unacceptable,” she stressed that this was a minuscule proportion of the Party’s membership. She also submitted that “the Labour Party has taken measures to address this. It’s – you know – got a new general secretary, it’s looked through all of its compliance procedures, I mean we at Momentum we’ve down a huge amount of work – we’ve put some films out which have been seen by millions of people, explaining to people about antisemitism, where it comes from and its historic roots…really trying to educate people, and well beyond our own membership, and I mean we’ve got lots of members but we’ve got films that have been seen by hundreds of thousands of people, and not in an aggressive way and not in a lecturing way, but there are obviously some people, online maybe, who’ve been caught up in things, there’s obviously some – out there in Britain – there are some people with some very very objectionable views.”

She added that “I’m completely opposed to antisemitism as all forms of racism.”

Turning to Mr Corbyn, she urged that listeners “look at his track record …look at people from synagogues and temples who for years and years and years have engaged with Jeremy Corbyn.”

As to Labour MPs, she observed that while some had resigned from the Party, “obviously the overwhelming majority haven’t and they don’t believe these things” about Labour’s antisemitism.

Ms Parker has previously claimed that she could count the genuine instances of antisemitism among Momentum members “on the fingers of one hand,” has said that “we do the victims of sexism, of antisemitism, of racism, of transphobia, a great disservice if we weaponise and politicise these things,” and has vied to become Labour’s candidate in Enfield North, which was held by Joan Ryan MP who resigned from Labour in protest at antisemitism.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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Labour’s John McDonnell insists “we’re doing everything we can” on antisemitism

John McDonnell, the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, has insisted that Labour is doing “everything we can” to eradicate antisemitism from the Labour Party.

Appearing on yesterday’s The Andrew Marr Show, Mr McDonnell was confronted with three Jewish headlines expressing horror at the prospect of Mr Corbyn becoming Prime Minister.

He responded by saying: “I’m so sad…I’m so saddened by this. I just want to reassure them we’re doing everything we can. Everything I said we would do we are doing in terms of the Labour Party, eradicating antisemitism from the Party. We’re also doing everything we can to educate our own members, we’re doing education courses. All the things that they’ve asked us to do, we’re doing. And that will enable us then to reassure the Jewish community that actually the Labour Party will ensure our society will create a safe and also a decent environment for them and for everybody else.”

Mr McDonnell was somewhat contradicted by the Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle on today’s Politics Live. Mr Russell-Moyle conceded that in fact “Labour has to do more”, although he went on to insist that more resources had been put into dealing with the matter and that there was a backlog of cases. He denied that the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, was the problem, and claimed that there is as much antisemitism and racism in other parties as in Labour.

Mr McDonnell is the honorary president of the Labour Representation Committee, a pro-Corbyn pressure group which has a long history of belittling claims of antisemitism and publishing extremely disturbing articles and has hosted an event with disgraced MP Chris Williamson and Jackie Walker, an antisemite who was expelled from the Labour Party. Ms Walker reportedly sits on the board of the organisation.

Campaign Against Antisemitism rejects the breathtaking lie that the Labour Party is “doing everything we can” and that “all the things that they’ve asked us to do, we’re doing.” Jeremy Corbyn is an antisemite who is unfit to hold any public office and under his leadership the Labour Party has become institutionally antisemitic, rewarding Jew-baiters and hounding those who stand up to antisemitism. Mr McDonnell is taking the British public for fools, but after four years of determined refusal to address antisemitism properly we are not so easily deceived.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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Tory Party Chairman: “Jews will leave if Corbyn wins”

The Sunday Telegraph has run a front page story quoting James Cleverly, the Chairman of the Conservative Party, saying: “A number of Jewish friends of mine…have just said that if he [Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn] got anywhere near the levers of power they would be out of here. I never thought in my lifetime that I would hear that said.”

Mr Cleverly stated that people he has known for “much of my life” have said that they would leave the UK if Mr Corbyn became Prime Minister, saying that Jews saw the prospect of a Labour government as a “danger”.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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CAA applauds St Columba’s Church for cancelling event with Stephen Sizer, Gilad Atzmon, Miko Peled and Mick Napier, and urges new venue to follow suit

St Columba’s Church in Chester has cancelled an event titled “Palestine: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow”, which was set to feature disgraced conspiracy theorist Rev. Dr Stephen Sizer, the antisemite Gilad Atzmon, and the activists Miko Peled and Mick Napier.

The event, organised by the group Interfaith for Palestine, was due to be held at the church today and tomorrow, but following an intervention by North West Friends of Israel, the event was cancelled. A spokesman for the Diocese of Shrewsbury said: “The Diocese of Shrewsbury condemns and opposes antisemitism in all its forms and will not allow such activities on its premises. When serious concerns about the nature of this event were brought to our attention appropriate steps were immediately taken.”

Rev. Dr Sizer has claimed that an Israeli conspiracy was behind 9/11, and in February 2015 he was ordered by the Church of England to stop using social media. While the Church said the material that Rev. Dr Sizer posted was “clearly antisemitic”, the Daily Mail revealed that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn wrote to the Church defending Rev. Dr Sizer, saying that he was being victimised because he “dared to speak out against Zionism.”

Mr Atzmon is reported to have 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.”

Following efforts by Campaign Against Antisemitism to have him banned from various musical venues, he penned an article in which he claimed that the then-Chairman of Campaign Against Antisemitism “fabricated” antisemitic incidents as part of a “business plan” to defraud the British taxpayer and earn money for himself. After being sued for libel, Mr Atzmon attempted to crowdfund “tens of thousands of pounds”, telling his supporters: “I have made the decision to fight this crucial battle for freedom of expression even though this fight poses a real risk of bankrupting me and my family.”

Faced with the impossible task of substantiating these libels, Mr Atzmon instead capitulated and agreed to settle the case, admitting that all of the claims were false and agreeing to pay substantial damages and costs. Mr Atzmon did not show his face in court, instead sending his solicitor to read an apology on his behalf.

Mr Peled is an American-Israeli activist who has said that people should be free to ask “Holocaust, yes or no” because “there should be no limits on the discussion,” and has compared Israel to the Nazis, in breach of the International Definition of Antisemitism.

Mick Napier is an activist who was convicted of aggravated trespass and of failing to follow police orders to leave a Jewish-owned cosmetics store in Glasgow following a prosecution supported by Jewish Human Rights Watch. At the Al Quds Day rally earlier this year, Mr Napier, who is the Secretary of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, told protesters that Peter Willsman, a member of the Labour Party’s ruling National Executive Committee, should not have been suspended from the Party for saying that the Israeli embassy was behind allegations of antisemitism in the Labour Party. He declared that not only was the Israeli embassy behind “phoney” antisemitism “smears”, but that it also held workshops around the UK where “Zios” (an antisemitic slur word) plotted to orchestrate the “smears”.

Campaign Against Antisemitism applauds St Columba’s Church and the Diocese of Shrewsbury for cancelling this event. However, it is understood that the Hoole Community Centre may now be hosting it, and we call on the Centre to follow the example set by St Columba’s Church and deprive these individuals of the platforms they desperately crave in order to promote their hate.

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Jewish whistleblower who featured on BBC Panorama episode on Labour antisemitism will now run as Labour candidate

Joshua Garfield, a Jewish councillor who appeared on BBC’s Panorama investigation into antisemitism in the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn, has been selected as a parliamentary candidate for the Party.

Cllr Garfield was formerly an officer at the Jewish Labour Movement and member of the pro-Corbyn group, Momentum, before he quit in April saying he felt “unsafe and untrusted” as a Jew. He stepped down as youth officer of the Newham branch of the group, saying “I cannot work alongside individuals who seek to silence the legitimate concerns of Jewish Labour members, or who remain silent in the face of blatant racism.” He went on to insist that “our Jewish comrades need solidarity, not faction based infighting.”

Nevertheless, he is contesting the Braintree constituency on behalf of the Labour Party. The seat is held by Conservative Party Chairman, James Cleverly, who currently holds a comfortable majority. In a tweet Cllr Garfield stated that “It’s an honour to announce I’ve been selected to fight for Braintree at the next election.”

In the Panorama episode, which was titled “Is Labour Anti-Semitic?” and televised in July, former Labour Party employees spoke out publicly to reveal Jeremy Corbyn’s personal meddling in disciplinary cases relating to antisemitism. The programme explained how senior Labour Party staffers, some of whom Campaign Against Antisemitism has known for years, used to run Labour’s disciplinary process independently, but soon after Mr Corbyn’s election as Party leader found themselves contending with his most senior aides, who were brazen in their efforts to subvert due process. During the programme Labour’s press team made claims that the staffers featured had political axes to grind and lacked credibility, and some have reportedly commenced libel proceedings against the Party.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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BBC to dismiss Labour complaint over Panorama programme on Party’s antisemitism

The BBC is expected to dismiss a complaint by the Labour Party claiming that the Panorama investigation into Labour antisemitism was a “one-sided authored polemic”.

In the episode, which was titled “Is Labour Anti-Semitic?” and televised in July, former Labour Party employees spoke out publicly to reveal Jeremy Corbyn’s personal meddling in disciplinary cases relating to antisemitism. The programme explained how senior Labour Party staffers, some of whom Campaign Against Antisemitism has known for years, used to run Labour’s disciplinary process independently, but soon after Mr Corbyn’s election as Party leader found themselves contending with his most senior aides, who were brazen in their efforts to subvert due process.

The Party submitted a 28-page complaint to the BBC, claiming the programme failed to meet the BBC’s standards because of “the tendentious and politically slanted script; the bias in the selection of interviewees; and the failure to identify the political affiliations or records of interviewees in a highly controversial, sensitive and contested subject produced a programme that was a one-sided authored polemic”. Labour also resented the decision to allow documentary-maker John Ware to make the programme, as he allegedly has a “record of public political hostility to Jeremy Corbyn, his politics and leadership of the Labour party”.

However, according to The Guardian, the BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit, which is the top level of the broadcaster’s internal complaints process, has concluded its review of Labour’s concerns and has decided to back the makers of the episode. Labour can now take its complaint to Ofcom, the media regulator, but a final decision from Ofcom is likely to take time.

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 Mr Ware have now 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.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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Also in October: A selection of other antisemitic Incidents that we did not cover

A swastika was spray-painted on a sign near a Jewish school in Gateshead. The graffiti appeared on the corner of High West Street and Gladstone Terrace on 7th October.

A swastika and the words “Lewis is a Jew” were carved into the glass panel of a bus stop in East Leeds. Anyone with information should contact West Yorkshire Police on 101 referencing log number 243.

On Shabbat, 19th October at the Clapton Common and Oldhill Street junction in Stamford Hill, three males accosted Orthodox Jews walking home from synagogue with antisemitic slurs including “Heil Hitler”.

The incident was reported by Stamford Hill Shomrim, a 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: CAD7641 22/10/19.

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John Mann enters House of Lords as new independent antisemitism advisor

John Mann, the former MP who quit the Labour Party earlier this year as he accused Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn of “giving a green light to the antisemites”, has been inducted into the House of Lords as a crossbench peer.

Lord Mann, who was formerly the Chairman of All Party Parliamentary Group Against Antisemitism, was appointed as an independent advisor to the Government on antisemitism. He has warned that between overstatement and understatement of antisemitism, “the biggest danger is that we will understate the problem.”

In his induction, Lord Mann was introduced by the former Chief Rabbi, Lord Jonathan Sacks, who tweeted in advance that it would be an “honour” to do so, and Lord Clarke of Hampstead.

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Birkenhead Labour Party, which rejected offer of antisemitism training, votes for Chris Williamson to be reinstated

Members of the Birkenhead Labour Party have overwhelmingly voted for disgraced MP Chris Williamson to be “immediately” reinstated. Of the fifty members in attendance, only a handful reportedly voiced opposition to the move.

Mr Williamson has devoted much of his time as an MP to baiting Jews by dismissing allegations of antisemitism as “proxy wars and bulls***” whilst supporting Labour activists like Marc Wadsworth and Jackie Walker who were expelled from the Party over their comments. He has been suspended by Labour three times (although the second suspension was overturned by the High Court). He is currently on suspension.

Birkenhead’s Constituency Labour Party apparently rejected a training course on antisemitic conducted by the Jewish Labour Movement, according to minutes of a November 2017 meeting seen by the JC.

Birkenhead is represented by Frank Field, an MP who resigned from the Labour Party in 2018 saying that the Party’s leadership was becoming a “force for antisemitism in British politics”.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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Senior Reform Rabbi Jonathan Romain urges congregants to shun Labour

Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain, a prominent rabbi and former chair of the Movement for Reform Judaism, has taken the unprecedented step of writing to all of his congregants urging them to vote tactically against Labour.

Rabbi Romain, who is usually considered to be on the left-wing of the liberal Reform denomination, reportedly sent the letter despite concern by colleagues over suggesting to congregants how to vote, arguing that taking such direct action was part of Jewish values.

In his letter, Rabbi Romain cited the consensus that Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership presents an “existential threat” to the community; the full statutory investigation of the Labour Party launched by the Equality and Human Rights Commission on 28th May following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant; and Dame Louise Ellman MP’s resignation from Labour over the Party’s antisemitism. “These are just a handful of examples from the last three years,” he wrote, “that make me feel that normal political allegiances are superseded by the unprecedented situation we face.”

He therefore urged that “we should each put aside all other considerations and vote for whichever party is most likely to defeat Labour in whatever constituency we are in – even if we would never normally vote for that party.”

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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Alison Chabloz fails to overturn conviction over Holocaust denial at High Court, leaving no further avenue of appeal

Moments ago, notorious antisemite and Holocaust denier Alison Chabloz has had her application for a judicial review denied by the High Court following her landmark conviction on three charges of sending grossly offensive communications via a public communications network.

Ms Chabloz had sought to overturn her conviction on technicalities relating to the meaning of what constituted sending communications online, but the High Court denied her appeal and upheld the earlier judgment. There was confusion over the way that the case had proceeded to court as Ms Chabloz’s case was brought before judges by her barrister, Adrian Davies, who maintains his record of losing cases for neo-Nazis and Holocaust deniers.

Ms Chabloz had sought to overturn her conviction on technicalities relating to the case began as a private prosecution by Campaign Against Antisemitism, which was then continued by the Crown Prosecution Service. The charges related to three self-penned songs in which Ms Chabloz denounced a supposed Jewish conspiracy to dominate the world and attacked the Holocaust as a fraud perpetrated by Jews for financial gain.

The conviction set a new precedent in British law, effectively delivering a landmark precedent verdict on incitement on social media and on whether the law considers Holocaust denial to be “grossly offensive” and therefore illegal when used as a means by which to hound Jews.

Ms Chabloz was sentenced to a twenty-week prison sentence suspended for two years, 180 hours of unpaid community service, an indefinite order against contacting two leaders of Campaign Against Antisemitism, as well as an order banning her from social media for twelve months. She was also ordered to pay a £115 victim surcharge, and costs of £600.

Earlier this year, the conviction and sentence were upheld at Southwark Crown Court, where Judge Christopher Hehir, sitting with lay magistrate Ms M Rego, said of Ms Chabloz, “She is a Holocaust denier…she is manifestly antisemitic and obsessed with the wrongdoing of Jews,” adding that, on the subject of the Holocaust, “she has lost all sense of perspective.”

Meanwhile, following extensive contact between lawyers for Campaign Against Antisemitism, the National Probation Service and the Crown Prosecution Service, on 23rd September District Judge Jonathan Taaffe found Ms Chabloz guilty of breaching the conditions of her suspended sentence after blog posts that she published since June 2018 were found to constitute a breach of the social media ban. Ms Chabloz is appealing this decision.

Ms Chabloz has also been banned from entering France, where Holocaust denial is illegal, for forty years until 2059.

Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “We are delighted with today’s decision, which is the culmination of a private prosecution undertaken by Campaign Against Antisemitism and continued by the Crown Prosecution Service. Today’s decision confirms the court’s landmark judgment that the law considers Holocaust denial to be ‘grossly offensive’ and therefore illegal when used as a means by which to hound Jews. This is a major step forward in the fight against anti-Jewish racism and paves the way for Ms Chabloz to be returned to prison if she loses her appeal for breach of sentence next year.”

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Retiring MP Dame Louise Ellman says Labour Party left her as she reveals she had useless meeting with Jeremy Corbyn to discuss antisemitism

Dame Louise Ellman MP, who recently resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, has said that the Labour Party left her rather than vice versa, as she announced that she will not stand for re-election.

Dame Louise also revealed in an interview with the Jewish News that a few months ago Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn invited her to speak to him about antisemitism in the Party. Dame Louise recounted: “I didn’t hear from him when I resigned from Labour. But he did ask me to come and see him a few months ago. I went reluctantly: I didn’t particularly want to talk to him because I never thought there would be any point in it. But I went: I told him how I felt, that he wasn’t acting on antisemitism, that I was appalled at what was happening to the Labour Party, that the Jewish connection to the Labour Party had always been a very strong one, but that now very few mainstream Jewish people wanted to be connected with it.”

Mr Corbyn “listened, was very polite, but barely responded. Then he told me about a member of his party who was Jewish, who’d been there for many years, and felt very comfortable. To me, him telling me that in response only reinforced his lack of understanding – or lack of wanting to understand.”

Dame Louise said that she thought that Mr Corbyn had invited her and Dame Margaret Hodge, a fellow Jewish Labour MP who famously called Mr Corbyn “an antisemitic racist”, to see him as “an exercise, so that he could say he had spoken to MPs who expressed concerns about antisemitism. But I wasn’t interested in talking to him, I wanted something done. He kept repeating that he was against all forms of racism and antisemitism. So I said, well, what are you going to do differently? But I didn’t get any answers”.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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History will judge Labour MPs who campaign to put an antisemite in charge of our country

It is no secret that Labour’s Parliamentary Party has always been at odds with its leader, Jeremy Corbyn, and his inner circle. Their differences have been numerous and varied, but over time it was clear that his cultivation of antisemitism in the Labour Party was prominent among them.

At first, Labour MPs tolerated these differences — some, like Luciana Berger, even initially sat in Mr Corbyn’s Shadow Cabinet. But as antisemitic incidents in the Party mounted, and with them the evidence of a corrupt disciplinary process and meddling by the Leader’s office, it quickly became clear that Labour under Mr Corbyn had become institutionally antisemitic.

The situation was so dire that the Equality and Human Rights Commission launched a full statutory investigation into the Party following detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism. Among political parties, only the BNP had achieved this level of notoriety before.

Eventually, thirteen courageous MPs decided that enough was enough: Frank Field, Ivan Lewis, Chuka Umunna, Luciana Berger, Chris Leslie, Angela Smith, Mike Gapes, Gavin Shuker, Ann Coffey, Joan Ryan, Ian Austin, John Mann and Dame Louise Ellman. They recognised that remaining in Labour would signal their tacit endorsement of the institutional antisemitism prevailing in their Party and would mean campaigning for an antisemite to become Prime Minister — and they were not prepared to do that.

Three peers also resigned from the Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of principled MEPs, councillors and members.

The rest of the Parliamentary Party, however, has either expressly backed Mr Corbyn or tweeted empty words of sympathy for departing MPs or platitudinous solidarity with the Jewish community, but have not seen reason to resign.

These MPs found various rationales to continue to accept the leadership of an antisemite, ranging from protecting their careers to prioritising other policies over fighting racism. But prominent among these excuses was their increasingly unpersuasive claim that they were “staying to fight”. As one journalist has put it: “Those we once flattered as ‘moderates’ turned out to be so fanatically attached to Labour that no outrage or indignity could prise them away. Their rationale was that they were ‘staying to fight’, resisting antisemitism and extremism from within, and that the Labour Party’s soul could be saved. Behold their victories manifold.”

Those Labour MPs who have acquiesced to Mr Corbyn’s leadership will have to reckon with their choice to tolerate him. They are now being asked to campaign to put an antisemite in Downing Street, knowing full well that to do so would pose an “existential threat” to Jewish life in this country. 

Joe Glasman, Head of Political and Government Investigations at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “After years of excuses, Labour MPs can no longer excuse the inexcusable. In the coming weeks, as they appear on doorsteps, before TV cameras and in radio studios, they will be campaigning for an institutionally antisemitic Party headed by an antisemitic leader, as the Jewish community sits in existential fear of the outcome. History will judge them.”

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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Antisemitism features in Dame Margaret Hodge re-selection debate

Dame Margaret Hodge MP won re-selection as Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Barking on Monday in a local constituency meeting that featured troubling tropes and discussion of antisemitism.

Among the grievances against Dame Margeret were that she was not sufficiently behind “our leader” Jeremy Corbyn, in whom she has previously moved a vote of no confidence.

Reportedly, of the six questions posed to Dame Margaret during the hustings, one asked for her personal definition of antisemitism. Her Wikipedia page had also apparently been edited to call her a “blatant fascist” and a defender of Nazism, despite her parents having in fact had their German citizenship withdrawn by the Nazi regime.

According to one witness who claimed prior to the meeting that she had “seen no evidence of antisemitism in the Labour Party”, by the meeting’s end she had changed her view: “I was sat at the back of the hall and I heard people saying that antisemitism had been made up by Margaret Hodge. They were saying things like ‘she’s filthy rich’. I felt disbelief and disappointment that this attitude is present in the Labour Party.”

Activists who came from elsewhere and remained outside the meeting reportedly wore Palestine flags, poppies and portraits of Mr Corbyn on their lapels.

Dame Margaret was triggered for re-selection following a rule change last year by Labour’s National Executive Committee, whereby a sitting Labour MP now needs the support of two-thirds of their constituency’s wards rather than half, in order to remain the candidate. A month ago, Dame Margaret was triggered on a turnout of some ten percent of Labour members in Barking.

Dame Margaret, who is an honorary patron of Campaign Against Antisemitism, would have become the third Jewish woman MP to be hounded out of the Labour Party, after Luciana Berger and Dame Louise Ellman, who both represented constituencies in Liverpool, resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism. Dame Margaret has famously called Mr Corbyn “an antisemitic racist”.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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Jewish student gets antisemitic abuse at Nottingham nightclub

A Jewish student at the University of Nottingham was accosted in the bathroom of the Ocean nightclub in Nottingham on Friday evening as an assailant yelled “no offence but f*** Israel and all of you Jew people”.

The female assailant entered the toilet and told Reese Golding, a third-year student, that she was often mistaken for looking Jewish because of her “short [stature], curly hair, and a big nose”. The girl then went into a stall, and on her exit made the comment about “Jew people”.

Ms Reese says: “I have repeatedly encountered antisemitic remarks at university and just in general around Nottingham,” and has made a complaint about the incident to the Students’ Union’s Equal Opportunities and Welfare Officer.

The owner of the nightclub reacted to the media report: “Whether physical or verbal, any attack is something we would not put up with. Anything that gets reported to us be it antisemitic, homophobic, racial or anything else, would result in the person or people being removed from the club if they’re pointed out to security or a manager.”

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Jews almost four times more likely to be targets of hate crimes than other faith groups, CAA analysis of Home Office stats shows

An analysis by Campaign Against Antisemitism of new Home Office statistics shows that Jews are almost four times more likely to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.

Police forces across the country record hate crimes against Jews as religious hate crimes, and these records show that in the year 2018/19, a record 1,326 hate crimes were committed against Jews, compared with 672 in the year 2017/18, making Jews the target in eighteen percent of the total number of religious hate crimes.

These figures mean that there is an average of over three hate crimes directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales. Hate crimes against Jews are also still widely believed to be under-reported, and also do not reflect the extent of antisemitic material and abuse on social media.

However, when one accounts for the miniscule size of the Jewish population, it emerges that Jews are statistically almost four times more likely to be the targets of hate crimes than any other religious group, with some 255 hate crimes per 100,000 of the Jewish population in 2017/18 rising to 503 hate crimes in 2018/19.

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SNP and Green Party leaders tell CAA they are ready to make Jeremy Corbyn PM despite antisemitism, Liberal Democrats ignore question

A few weeks ago, Campaign Against Antisemitism wrote to all the Opposition parties in Parliament (other than Labour) asking whether they would rule out making the antisemite, Jeremy Corbyn, Prime Minister.

The scenario could arise prior to an election or in the event of a hung Parliament after one if the Opposition parties agree to enter into a coalition led by Mr Corbyn.

The responses and lack of responses from Party leaders were disappointing. 

The Liberal Democrats, Change UK, the Democratic Unionist Party and Plaid Cymru did not respond to our letter at all.

Although the leader of the Liberal Democrats, Jo Swinson, has repeatedly ruled out working with Mr Corbyn because of his views on Brexit and his handling of the antisemitism crisis, this position has been repeatedly weakened by the addendum that Mr Corbyn also could not command the requisite numbers in Parliament, which regrettably dilutes the principled anti-racism approach with political pragmatism, which is not reassuring.

The Rt Hon. Ian Blackford MP provided the SNP’s detailed response, in which he wrote: “I want to make it clear that the SNP abhors antisemitism in the strongest possible way. We believe that the recent political events show that now more than ever politicians should be responsible with their actions and use language with care. The SNP is absolutely opposed to racism and antisemitism in all its forms.”

However, the SNP did not rule out backing Mr Corbyn, albeit it noted our concerns: “Noting your concerns, I want to be clear that we do not have a preference for any particular individual and our support for any caretaker Prime Minister would only be for as long as is necessary to secure the extension, with an election held immediately afterwards. Our priority is to stop a No Deal Brexit…and remove the current government. The SNP would not offer support to any individual or party for any longer than is strictly necessary.”

Mr Blackford ended by saying: “I want to ensure you [sic] that the SNP will continue to support and engage with [the] Jewish community in Scotland and the UK.”

The Green Party’s response, from Caroline Lucas MP and the two leaders and deputy leader of the Green Party, was even more disappointing. The letter, which we appreciate receiving, began by reassuring us that “the Green Party deplores racism and antisemitism” and that “we very much agree with the importance of confronting antisemitism wherever it occurs, including in political parties, and reaffirm our commitment to standing up against racism. We would expect the leaders of all political parties to do the same and believe this is an issue above party politics.”

Nevertheless, the letter went on to clarify that although “there is the very real possibility that Jeremy Corbyn would not command a majority in Parliament to lead a caretaker government [h]owever, it is only right that he is given the opportunity to try to form a short term government…as he is official leader of the biggest opposition party. We would therefore support him in this, and would also support attempts to unite behind a different caretaker Prime Minister, with the express and only purpose of securing either a People’s Vote or, if Parliament does not back a confirmatory referendum, an early General Election.”

Joe Glasman, Head of Political and Government Investigations at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “It is clear that for some Parties, it is a question of politics and not principle as to whether or not an antisemite resides in Downing Street. The Greens and the SNP were at least honest with us about their intentions, whereas the Liberal Democrats and others chose to ignore our inconvenient question altogether. The darkest chapters in the history of antisemitism took place under antisemitic leaders — leaders who were supported not always because of what they stood for but just as often because bystanders had different priorities and were unwilling to put up a fight. Zero tolerance for racism means taking a principled stand and recognising that no political objective legitimises supporting a racist leader.”

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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Labour activist discloses threats and depression following her decision to speak out against antisemitism in the Party

A young female Labour activist has revealed the shameful personal impact of her courageous decision to speak out against antisemitism in the Party.

Isobel Housecroft wrote on Twitter that “speaking up about antisemitism in Labour was a total no brainer” and that “we’re supposed to call out injustice wherever we see it, and it baffles me that some don’t seem to apply the same logic when Jewish people are the target.”

Ms Housecroft proceeded to say that the first time she spoke out against antisemitism online (when she was seventeen), she received a “torrent of abuse from the so-called left” that was “horrendous”. Most upsetting, however, was “the lack of support from some of my Labour friends.”

In May 2019, she related, she was contacted by BBC Panorama in connection with its documentary on Labour antisemitism and shared her experiences of antisemitism online and at Labour events, but she said that her “usual self-confidence had disappeared – I shook and I broke down in the lobby of Broadcasting House,” referring to the BBC headquarters.

A couple of days before the programme aired, she says, “a friend and Labour supporter told me there’d be ‘long-term consequences’ to speaking out and said most of my Labour friends would never speak to me again because of it. I was ‘betraying Corbyn’ and that wasn’t ok.”

Becoming more anguished, Ms Housecroft recounts that “I couldn’t see a way to speak out and not lose/disappoint friends. I didn’t realise I was doing the right thing and that those people didn’t matter. I couldn’t see a way out, so I contemplated suicide. I wrote a note apologising to my family and friends for failing.”

Fortunately, she was talked down from such an extreme recourse, and says that “in the hours and days after the documentary, I was inundated with supportive messages that I still sometimes read.”

Accompanying these supportive messages, she relates, came “the meaningless platitudes from people who’d been complicit for four years. A shadow cabinet member who’s backed Corbyn to the hilt had the audacity to tell me to make sure I looked after myself. The silence and/or pointless rhetoric from MPs after the documentary proved its point perfectly.”

She went on to criticise the Labour Party for failing to live up to its words on mental health and whistleblowers.

“Senior figures sit in silence whilst grassroots activists suffer torrents of abuse and Jewish women MPs are driven out of the Party,” she writes. “The Jewish community’s calls for action are systematically ignored. If we ever want to be an anti-racist party again, Jeremy Corbyn must go.”

She ends by thanking the friends and allies she has had during this period.

It is deplorable that a young and courageous activist, who clearly stands for values that could make Labour proud, is reduced to shame and horrific contemplations as a result of the institutional antisemitism in the Party. Ms Housecroft is absolutely right that Labour’s antisemitism crisis cannot be resolved by those who created it. Labour cannot be a force for good while it is in the grip of Jeremy Corbyn.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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Liberal Democrat mayoral candidate Siobhan Benita says Sadiq Khan in “increasingly difficult place” over Labour antisemitism

The Liberal Democrats’ candidate for the London Mayoralty says Mayor Sadiq Kahn is finding himself in an “increasingly difficult place” trying to balance solidarity with the Jewish community while remaining in Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party.

Siobhan Benita, who hopes to defeat Mr Khan in the mayoral election next year, added that: “Whether he likes it or not, Sadiq is helping prop up a Party that still has huge problems with antisemitism.”

She went on to say: “I would never ever seek to talk down what he has done in terms of standing with the community. But what I would not do is prop up a Party that has a huge problem when it comes down to antisemitism. During my campaign a lot of voters have told me that their problem with Labour is not just Brexit, it’s over the failure to deal with the antisemitism problem.”

Ms Benita also claimed that as the May 2020 poll draws closer Mr Khan will have to tone done his earlier criticisms of Mr Corbyn and calls for action on antisemitism in the Party because “increasingly the London Labour Party is being taken over by [the pro-Corbyn group] Momentum at a lower level,” and “he’s having to do that because he’s having to make sure that…he’s got enough support on the ground to campaign for him.”

She noted that “lately Sadiq has said some positive things about some of Corbyn’s decisions,” observing: “I think it’s becoming an increasingly difficult position for him to be in. You have got to look at actions as well as words.”

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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CAA analysis proves Corbyn’s supporters are trying to place cast of Jew-haters, antisemitism-deniers and Jew-baiters in dozens of constituencies ahead of general election

As political parties gear up for a general election that may imminently be called, selections of candidates are underway across the country. However, numerous figures with very troubling records are being lined up as candidates for the Labour Party.

In the election for Mayor of the West Midlands metropolitan area, former Respect Party leader Salma Yaqoob, who recently joined Labour, is being fast-tracked to become the Party’s candidate. In the past, Ms Yaqoob shared Rothschild conspiracy theories on social media, has repeatedly tweeted about “Zionists”, described allegations of antisemitism against Ken Livingstone as “Zionist smears”, suggested that Jews in Israel were white colonisers and described the Jewish State as a “pig”, has praised Jewish Voice for Labour, an antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation, and has described efforts to address Labour’s antisemitism crisis (which by inference includes the Party’s adoption of the International Definition of Antisemitism) as “a vicious campaign for censorship.”

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has lionised Ms Yaqoob, describing her as a “hero” and a “fantastic activist”, and she has been endorsed by the pro-Corbyn group, Momentum, Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott, Shadow Justice Secretary Richard Burgon and numerous councillors, trade unionists and pro-Corbyn media commentators.

In Liverpool Riverside, the seat currently held by Dame Louise Ellman MP who quit the Labour Party over antisemitism, Jewish Voice for Labour member Jo Bird is being lined up as the new candidate in a move that has been described as the “ultimate insult” to the Jewish community. Cllr Bird was briefly suspended for dubbing the Party’s disciplinary procedures as “Jew process” and has previously discussed allegations of racism saying: “Seriously, one of the things that does worry me is the privileging of racism against Jews, over and above — as more worthy of resources than other forms of racism.”

In Poplar and Limehouse, a former personal assistant to disgraced former Mayor of Tower Hamlets Luftar Rahman has become Labour’s candidate for the safe seat. Apsana Begum was endorsed by Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer John McDonnell and Corbyn-backing Momentum, where she holds a senior position, despite having been investigated for alleged antisemitism after accusing Tony Blair of spreading “Zionist propaganda”, claiming the leaders of Saudi Arabia were “inspired by Zionist masters” and sharing material by a political activist accused of antisemitism and 9/11 conspiracy theories.

Ms Begum’s candidacy has been described as a “stitch up” and is accused, among other controversial candidates, of benefitting from a centralised and streamlined selection process, allegedly strategic suspensions and uses of all-women shortlists to position hard-left figures in time for the election.

In South Thanet, Rebecca Gordon-Nesbitt has clinched the Labour candidacy despite Labour’s National Executive Committee declining to endorse her on the basis that she brought the Party into disrepute after her organisation (where she was reportedly the only listed staff member) tweeted “Has anyone looked into Hitler’s policy on Zionism? Might not be mutually exclusive with his later actions #Scapegoating #Corbyn.” Another tweet wondered about the “Zionist sympathies” of John Bercow, the Speaker of the House of Commons, who is Jewish. Her organisation also defended the antisemitic Jackie Walker, a former vice-chair of Momentum who was expelled from the Labour Party. Labour’s National Constitutional Committee dismissed charges against Ms Gordon-Nesbitt earlier this year.

In Uxbridge, Ali Milani will be Labour’s candidate to take on Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Mr Milani has a long history of problematic statements about Jews and Israel, including referencing a stereotype about Jews and money; pressuring a mosque into cancelling an exhibition on Albanian Muslims’ efforts to save Jews from the Nazis because of the exhibit’s links to Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust museum; sharing a platform with Tapash Abu Shaim, who reportedly believes that Israel was behind the Charlie Hebdo killings, ISIS and 9/11; commenting on the power and funding of Israel lobbyists; criticising the television presenter Piers Morgan as a “Zionist” (in a social media exchange unrelated to Israel or Jews); suggesting he does not accept Israel’s right to exist (a view he says he has since reversed); believing Israel to be a colonialist state built on ethnic cleansing; implying that he would go to war with Israel; appearing to excuse armed conflict against Israel; and leading efforts to boycott Israel at his university campus. He has also appeared on the Iranian propaganda station Press TV.

Mr Milani says that he has “profusely and unreservedly apologised on every public platform and interview I have ever done for the comments made in my teens.” He also recently visited the Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, and reacted by saying: “Every kid in the country should go on that trip.”

In South West Norfolk, Matthew Collings was selected as Labour’s candidate to take on Conservative frontbencher Liz Truss, but was reportedly suspended by the Party the next day as a result of his “behaviour on social media”. It has been revealed that Mr Collings has shared messages on social media saying that “Zionism is the enemy of peace” (which echoes remarks by Shadow Justice Minister Richard Burgon), belittling Labour’s antisemitism crisis, suggesting that a demonstration outside Parliament by the Jewish community against antisemitism was populated by “racists and the far-right” and calling former Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks “a notorious hate-filled racist”. The selection process will therefore have to be re-run to find a new candidate.

In Ealing North, a safe Labour seat, prospective candidates include Cllr Aysha Raza, who, along with Jeremy Corbyn, defended the infamous antisemitic mural. She reports that she has since undertaken antisemitism training with the Jewish Labour Movement. Meanwhile, Cllr Sitarah Anjum, who has called Israel a “war criminal” and defended forced marriage, has been removed from the shortlist, making Cllr Raza the only woman of the three candidates left in contention.

In Westminster, Gordon Nardell QC, who reportedly has said that he “absolutely” shares Mr Corbyn’s views on foreign policy, is shortlisted as a candidate. He was Labour’s first general counsel, brought in to oversee its disciplinary procedures on antisemitism, and was a member of the controversial Labour Representation Committee, a pro-Corbyn pressure group which has a long history of belittling claims of antisemitism and publishing extremely disturbing articles and whose president is the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, John McDonnell. Mr Nardell left his role after a year.

In Barking, Cllr Moniba Khan looked to unseat Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodge, who had to fight for re-selection, which she won in a vote yesterday. Dame Margaret, who is an honorary patron of Campaign Against Antisemitism, previously came under fire for calling Mr Corbyn “an antisemitic racist”. Ms Khan reportedly attended an event with Jackie Walker and disgraced MP Chris Williamson.

In Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, Bill Curran had been selected as Labour’s candidate for Parliament but was removed after an internal Party probe revealed that he had defended disgraced MP Chris Williamson and Jackie Walker, belittled Labour’s antisemitism crisis, has a long history of Jew-baiting, and wrote: “Let our Jewish comrades know that we will stand by them. When the blackshirts come, we will stand to defend the schules, synagogues, cemeteries. This loyalty is unconditional. They won’t have to vote for us, they don’t even have to stop throwing vitriol at us.”

In Nottingham East, Shaista Aziz is on the shortlist. She has served as the Constituency Labour Party Women’s Officer in the Oxford East Labour Party and was elected to the Oxford City Council in 2018. Cllr Aziz has tried to contextualise the motivations two British Hamas suicide bombers and has shared conspiracy theories about Zionists on social media.

In Epping Forest, Colin Monehen has been removed from the shortlist as it emerged that he defended the notorious antisemitic image of a parasite emblazoned with the Star of David crawling over the face of the Statue of Liberty. He has also supported disgraced MP Chris Williamson.

In Bournemouth East, Corrie Drew, who has been selected as Labour’s candidate for the seat, said she was “devastated” that Mr Monehen was removed from the shortlist in Epping Forest, tweeting to him: “I have so much admiration for you & would have been proud to support your campaign. Your support for the rights of Palestinian people has never included discrimination towards Jewish people. Sending you love & solidarity”.

In South Suffolk, Luke Cresswell, a member of Momentum who has previously been suspended over allegations of antisemitism, vied to become Labour’s candidate but was removed from the shortlist reportedly after due diligence checks were carried out. The former councillor was suspended by the Party while being investigated for posting images comparing Israel to the Nazis, which is an example of antisemitism under the International Definition of Antisemitism, and shared an image of a Star of David soaked in blood, for which he apologised, before being suspended again over other allegations.

In Aberdeen North, Clare Millar, who has suggested that Israel is behind ISIS and has defended disgraced MP Chris Williamson, lost her bid to become the local candidate.

Joe Glasman, Head of Political and Government Investigations at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “The abundance of evidence of Labour’s institutional antisemitism is now overwhelming and horrifying. The Labour Party is hounding out female Jewish MPs Luciana Berger and Dame Louise Ellman and others who have stood up to racism, replacing them across the country with candidates whose attitudes towards Jews could scarcely be more alarming. As Labour figures continue to claim that Jeremy Corbyn is ‘anti-racist’, he is forging ahead with his purge of Jews and real anti-racists, replacing them with a cast of Jew-haters, antisemites and Jew-baiters. If he succeeds, Mr Corbyn’s legacy is likely to be a Labour Party seeded with racism that will poison Britain’s politics and threaten its Jewish community for decades to come.”

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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Lazio fans make Nazi salutes before Celtic game

Fans of the Italian football club, Società Sportiva Lazio, have been filmed in Glasgow making Nazi salutes prior to the club’s game against Celtic.

The groups of fans were chanting far-right slogans on Buchanan Street on their way to the Celtic Park stadium in Parkhead.

Police officers escorted the fans, including specialist anti-mafia police reportedly flown to Scotland to monitor the “ultras” among the fans, who have a reputation for Nazi gestures and racist chanting.

It is disappointing that the police tolerated these displays, despite the racist exhibition by Bulgaria’s fans in its recent match against England.

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Brexit Party MEP Ann Widdecombe defends former Nazi guard currently on trial in Germany

Ann Widdecombe has suggested that the case against a 97-year-old man who served as a Nazi concentration camp guard when he was seventeen “lacks proportionality”, and that any resistance he might have shown at the time would have done “absolutely nothing in terms of alleviating human suffering”.

The former Conservative MP turned Brexit Party MEP made the comments on the LBC radio channel, suggesting that the defendant “would have been shot” if he had put up any resistance, and insisted that “if he had been in any way, even at the age of seventeen, actively involved in the deaths at the death camps, then I think that’s a different issue. But he wasn’t.”

If he had declined an order, Ms Widdecombe maintained, “he would have been shot. And not a single Jew would have been saved,” although she did note that some “massively brave” guards had indeed resisted orders.

Host Nick Ferrari suggested that this would fall under the ‘I was only carrying out orders’ defence, which had failed at the post-War Nuremberg trials, but Ms Widdecombe did not relent.

In the past, Ms Widdecombe has come under fire for appearing on The Richie Allen Show and Bristol Community FM’s Politics Show hosted by Tony Gosling. The Richie Allen Show and Mr Gosling have both been accused of promoting Rothschild conspiracy theories. Ms Widdecombe says that she appeared on the programmes to discuss Brexit.

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David Miliband says he’ll stay in Labour Party as long as Dame Margaret Hodge does

David Miliband, the former Foreign Secretary and Labour MP, has said that he will remain a member of the Labour Party while Dame Margaret Hodge MP, who is also Jewish, does.

Mr Miliband, a former Labour leadership contender, made the comments in a speech at Highgate Synagogue, saying Labour “has become a magnet for some people with absolutely repulsive views over the last three years,” and that the Party has not done enough to “root them out and make sure they never come back.” However, he said, “as long as Margaret Hodge is in the Labour Party fighting to uphold the best of the Labour tradition, I feel it’s incumbent on me to be there as well.”

Dame Margaret famously called Jeremy Corbyn “an antisemitic racist” and withstood an attempt to purge her from the Party. However, the MP for Barking recently lost a vote to avoid triggering her deselection, and faces a re-selection vote today.

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 55,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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The fast-tracking of Corbyn’s “hero” Salma Yaqoob as Labour candidate for West Midlands Metro Mayor is no accident

Former Respect Party leader Salma Yaqoob is now running to become Labour’s candidate for the Mayor of the West Midlands metropolitan area, despite her deeply troubling record and her having reportedly only become a Party member some four months ago.

In a 2013 tweet (that she has since deleted), Ms Yaqoob stated: “Iceland arrests 10 Rothschild bankers…wow”, and linked to an article making this false claim and featuring a prominent image of the banker and philanthropist Lord Jacob Rothschild. The article linked in turn to a longer piece on the “Political Vel Craft” website, which is known for disseminating extreme conspiracy theories.

She has repeatedly tweeted about “Zionists”, including accusing Zionists of “heartlessness”; describing allegations of antisemitism against Ken Livingstone as “Zionist smears”; claiming that Zionists are “aligned…with [the] right promoting Imperial wars”; abusing others as “Zionist trolls”, and stating that “Zionists have abused the memory of the Holocaust to bolster support for today’s Israeli state and its racist and murderous policies.” These tweets have also very recently been deleted.

On 16th May this year, Ms Yaqoob posted a video on Facebook (which has now been removed but remains available on Youtube) of a speech she made to a rally, in which she described Israelis as “European colonisers” who had somehow contrived to be involved in the Eurovision Song Contest, but were only “pretending to be European” in order to gain solidarity from “white” European nations against “brown ‘other’ Muslim Arab dehumanised species”. She ended her diatribe against the Jewish State by stating: “…no matter how much lipstick you put on a pig, a pig is still a pig.”

Non-European nations have regularly been involved in the contest since its inception, and even Australia has recently joined, while Israel’s hosting of the competition, far from being part of a “plot”, as Ms Yaqoob implies, was a result of Israel’s contestant having received the most votes the previous year.

Ms Yaqoob has also praised Jewish Voice for Labour, an antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation, and has described efforts to address Labour’s antisemitism crisis (which by inference includes the Party’s adoption of the International Definition of Antisemitism) as “a vicious campaign for censorship,” while insisting that she does not “stand for even a drop of antisemitism”.

Ms Yaqoob’s record of controversial pronouncements and activity, including with regard to Middle Eastern politics, is longer still. She has also been accused of homophobia and has notably been described as “unfit for office” by Labour MP Naz Shah because of the conduct of her campaign to unseat the Bradford West MP in 2017. There are also questions surrounding how Ms Yaqoob has been able to run as a candidate despite only having recently joined the Labour Party — and having run a vicious campaign against a sitting Labour MP only two years ago which reportedly left Ms Shah feeling suicidal.

Jeremy Corbyn has lionised Ms Yaqoob, describing her as a “hero” and a “fantastic activist”.

The pro-Corbyn Momentum group, including its leader, Jon Lansman, has endorsed Ms Yaqoob, despite the group conceding that Rothschild conspiracy theories are antisemitic. Ms Yaqoob has also received support from the Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott, Shadow Justice Secretary Richard Burgon and numerous councillors and trade unionists, and the endorsements of high-profile pro-Corbyn “outriders”, including The Guardian columnists Ellie-Mae O’Hagan and Owen Jones, the The New Satesman’s Grace Blakeley, and Novara Media’s Aaron Bastani. 

Joe Glasman, Head of Political and Government Investigations at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “Salma Yaqoob’s tweet endorsing Rothschild conspiracy theories, which cites as its source a bizarre antisemitic website, make her unfit for membership of any political party, yet the Labour Party — whose leader has described her as a ‘hero’ — is attempting to fast-track her from the leadership of George Galloway’s Respect Party to a Labour mayoralty. Mr Galloway and Mr Corbyn have for decades been of the same political mind, and the coordinated support for Ms Yaqoob’s candidacy from Diane Abbott, Richard Burgon, Momentum and Mr Corbyn’s most prominent media cheerleaders can be no accident. It demonstrates that the Labour Party’s institutional antisemitism is so deep-rooted that it is no longer concerned by naked displays of racism.”

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 55,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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New Guidance from Bar Standards Board tells barristers to avoid “heated” social media spats

Barristers have been warned to avoid “heated” social media spats in both “a professional and personal capacity” in new guidance issued by the Bar Standards Board, which regulates barristers in England and Wales.

The guidance warns barristers: “Comments designed to demean or insult are likely to diminish public trust and confidence in the profession. It is also advisable to avoid getting drawn into heated debates or arguments. Such behaviour could compromise the requirements for barristers to act with honesty and integrity and not to unlawfully discriminate against any person. You should always take care to consider the content and tone of what you are posting or sharing. Comments that you reasonably consider to be in good taste may be considered distasteful or offensive by others.”

The guidance is a welcome reminder that professionals risk not only their personal reputations but their livelihoods if they promote racist or similarly offensive material.

In 2016, neo-Nazi barrister ian Millard was disbarred for a series of antisemitic tweets.

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CAA deplores responses from Jeremy Corbyn and other Labour MPs to Louise Ellman’s resignation from the Party

The resignation of Dame Louise Ellman from the Labour Party has elicited a variety of unsatisfactory responses from fellow Labour MPs.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn dismissed the resignation of yet another MP over the Party’s antisemitism with his usual platitude: “We do not tolerate antisemitism in any form whatsoever in our party or in any other part of society, just as resolutely as we are opposed to Islamophobia or any other form of racism. And I will hold that position until my dying day.”

This was despite, as another Labour MP, Wes Streeting, noted: “Labour’s leader knew what was happening to Louise…He was warned that another Jewish woman was being hounded out of the Parliamentary Party. He was asked to intervene. He chose not to. This is what institutional racism looks like.”

Harriet Harman, a former Deputy Labour Leader, said that Dame Louise’s resignation “should make every one of us in the Labour Party feel dismayed and ashamed”.

Former Shadow Home Secretary and leadership contender, Yvette Cooper, said: “Am just despairing at the way Louise Ellman has been treated and am sickened to the stomach at [the] response from some in our Party to her resignation. It shames us all that we’ve lost her.”

Sir Keir Starmer, the Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, appearing on BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show, also described the resignation as “a really low moment” but refused to cast blame on Mr Corbyn or suggest any concrete action.

Campaign Against Antisemitism welcomes the expressions of shame on the part of these MPs for remaining in an institutionally antisemitic Party, but we regret that none of them appears to have reconsidered their intentions to campaign in the next general election for Jeremy Corbyn to become Prime Minister and for the Labour Party to win power.

Luciana Berger, another Jewish MP who quit the Labour Party over antisemitism and is now a Liberal Democrat, rightly dismissed their empty statements: “Please don’t tweet about how upsetting/awful it is that Dame Louise Ellman and I have left Labour if you’re in a position of leadership and [are] still in there.”

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

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 55,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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.