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BBC must apologise for featuring Ash Sarkar, defender of Warsaw Ghetto vandal, as “expert” in programme on “Rise of the Nazis”

The BBC has included a pro-Corbyn political activist who has made deeply problematic comments on antisemitism as a “historian and expert” on Nazism as part of a new multi-part documentary.

Ash Sarkar, a contributing editor of Novara Media, did not substantially contribute to the first episode of BBC Two’s Rise of the Nazis, produced by production company 72 Films, however the introduction to the programme signalled that she will feature in later episodes.

Ms Sarkar has defended the vandalism of the walls of the Warsaw Ghetto and claimed that the International Definition of Antisemitism is merely a front to silence criticism of Israel.

In 2010, activist Ewa Jasiewicz sprayed political “Free Gaza and Palestine” on the walls of the Warsaw Ghetto, the largest and most well-known of the ghettos designated by the Nazis in German-controlled territory, from which hundreds of thousands of Jews were sent to death camps or killed by shooting and another hundred thousand died of starvation and courageous revolt. Essentially a mass grave, the Warsaw Ghetto serves as a salient symbol of the Holocaust for all and evokes sensitivity and strong emotion on the part of Jews in particular.

The vandalism of the Warsaw Ghetto was condemned across the Jewish community. That the political messaging of the graffiti was directed toward Israel meant it also clearly breached the International Definition of Antisemitism, adopted by the British Government, which illustrates manifestations of antisemitism, inter alia, as

  • drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis – which the political messaging did by using the setting of the Warsaw Ghetto, which was established, operated and liquidated by the Nazis, to criticise Israeli policy and imply that it replicates that of the Nazis; and
  • holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel – which Ms Jasiewicz did by deliberately targeting a site of Jewish suffering to draw the attention of Jews to the policies of Israel and to associate Jewish suffering with those policies in the minds of the rest of the world.

Rather than show sensitivity to the Jewish community and denouncing the antisemitic vandalism, Ms Sarkar instead defended the graffiti and directed her outrage toward those criticising Ms Jasiewicz.

Moreover, Ms Sarkar disgracefully accused those who called out the antisemitic vandalism of using the International Definition of Antisemitism (also known as the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition, or IHRA) to silence criticism of Israel, stating that “I suspect that stories like this will be pushed hard in the coming months, as part of the informal silencing effects of IHRA adoption.”

Indeed Ms Sarkar has a history of opposing the full adoption of the International Definition of Antisemitism, particularly by the Labour Party, when she described it as a “self-defeating enterprise” and as a “disaster”. Her view is espoused by a number of her colleagues at Novara Media.

Ms Sarkar was also an outspoken supporter of Chris Williamson, the disgraced Labour Party MP who was suspended from the Party over his comments about antisemitism. Before she eventually turned on him, she praised him as a “tireless fighter” and the “Derby North bad man”.

Gideon Falter, Chief Executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “Ash Sarkar has been a cheerleader for Jeremy Corbyn and the antisemites around him. She has claimed that attempts by Jews to define the hatred against them are all part of a ‘silencing’ of legitimate dissent and has even defended the vandal who defaced the Warsaw Ghetto. It is hard to imagine a less appropriate person to speak on the lessons of the Holocaust than Ms Sarkar, but the BBC has chosen to elevate her to the status of an ‘expert’. The BBC should apologise for including Ms Sarkar and re-edit the forthcoming episodes to exclude her appearance.”

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Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks calls Labour antisemitism “a genuine stain on the fabric of British political life”

In a wide-ranging interview in The Sunday Times, the former Chief Rabbi, Lord Jonathan Sacks, has described antisemitism within the Labour Party and Jeremy Corbyn’s failure to address it as “a genuine stain on the fabric of British political life.”

Lamenting that “when I see antisemitism returning to Europe and the failure of some parties and politicians to confront it, I find it very difficult to find faith in human beings,” Rabbi Sacks also declared that he stands by his previous comments about Labour, including describing Mr Corbyn as an “antisemite”.

Rabbi Sacks explained: “I think some of the antisemitism was hidden and it’s simply become liberated from the constraints of various taboos”. He went on to express disgust at how antisemitism in the Labour Party has been allowed to fester: “To find something as manifestly evil as antisemitism and not deal with it? Jews must not be left to fight antisemitism alone.”

Rabbi Sacks’ wife, Lady Sacks, added that “there is certainly more antisemitism now than there was twenty years ago. It’s in the papers every day, it’s extraordinary. Recently, one of our friends was leaving the synagogue with his two sons and a man harangued them, said ‘you Jew’ and swore at them. The kids always looked forward to going to synagogue with their dad and now they are nervous to go.”

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, twelve 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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Mancunians block antisemite’s way telling him “I’m not having this in my city” as he harassed Jewish couple about “Gaza”

Passengers on a Metrolink tram in Manchester were forced on Thursday to defend a young orthodox charedi Jewish couple from a man who repeatedly harassed them about “Gaza”.

As the tram passed through the city centre on the Bury line at approximately 22:30 on Thursday evening, a young black man began accosting the Jewish couple, demanding that they answer questions about Gaza. The man approached the couple but they then moved away from him and other passengers moved to stand between them.

As the man claimed: “He doesn’t care about the situation, I know for a fact” another passenger retorted: “Tell me have you been smoking something? You’re full of it.” Another interjected: “He’s been drinking. I’d close that mouth, mate.”

The man continued to shout “Does he know about Gaza?” across the carriage, forcing other passengers to stand up to him, physically barring his way and at points restraining him as he tried to approach the couple. One man said: “I’m not having this in my city” and another challenged him: “What right have you to ask a question of anybody?” The man kept calling out to the Jewish couple, telling the husband: “Rabbi, come here, mate.” When asked whether he was from Manchester, the man said he was from “Palestine”.

Another Jewish passenger asked the man why he was not asking her about Gaza, enquiring whether it was because she was not recognisably Jewish from her attire. The man was momentarily speechless as other Mancunians unanimously said: “Exactly!”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has reported the matter to the police. We would like to encourage anybody who witnessed the incident or knows the identity of anyone who was involved to call the police on 101 and contact [email protected], or call us on 0330 822 0321, choosing option 2.

Campaign Against Antisemitism commends those who defended the Jewish couple against antisemitism. Jewish people should not be subjected to taunting and harassment in public, and Manchester can be proud that this particular antisemite was given short shrift.

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Jeremy Corbyn says Labour peer who signed advertisement protesting Labour antisemitism “lowered himself”

Jeremy Corbyn has responded to a critical advertisement by accusing one of the signatories of having “lowered himself”.

Last month, 67 Labour peers took out a full-page advertisement in the The Guardian accusing Mr Corbyn of having “failed the test of leadership” over his handling of antisemitism. The advertisement stated: “The Labour Party welcomes everyone* irrespective of race, creed, age, gender identity, or sexual orientation. (*except, it seems, Jews). This is your legacy, Mr Corbyn.”

Asked by a local Cumbrian newspaper about the endorsement of the advertisement by Lord Liddle, who is also a local councillor in the area, Mr Corbyn said: “I’m very sorry that he lowered himself by putting his name to that advertisement.”

The Labour leader went on to say that “Our party is big, our party is open, our party is diverse — there is no place whatsoever for antisemitism, xenophobia or any other form of racism, not just in my party but in our society. That kind of thing only divides people and weakens us all as a community. Our strength is our diversity.”

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, eleven 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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Ofcom orders Starz television channel to apologise for broadcasting “highly offensive and antisemitic” caricature

The broadcasting regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), has published their sanction decision in relation to Starz, a UK satellite TV channel, for broadcasting an antisemitic caricature.

After an investigation, Ofcom concluded that this is a serious breach of the UK Code of Broadcast Advertising and has issued a sanction.

According to the decision published by Ofcom: “On 11 March 2018 at 14:30 Starz broadcasted an image submitted by a viewer alongside a music video. It depicted a cartoon caricature of a Jewish person which conformed to racist stereotypes. In Ofcom’s view, the image, which could be found on various neo-Nazi websites, was likely to have been interpreted by viewers as being highly offensive and antisemitic. Over the next 51 minutes, the image was repeatedly reshown in rotation with photographs submitted by other viewers.” The image was shown 22 times and in total for seven minutes and five seconds.

The image depicted a cartoon caricature of a man with a large hooked nose, wearing a Jewish skullcap or “kippah” and a prayer shawl or “tallit” bearing a blue Star of David. The caricature was set against a backdrop of gold coins, with the man smiling widely and his hands flat against his cheeks framing his open mouth. Antisemitic caricatures often portray Jews as having large noses and being obsessed with money.

Columbia Pictures Corporation, which owned Starz at the time of the incident, described the broadcast of the image as a “very, very big error”, permanently banned the viewer who submitted the cartoon and issued an on-screen apology one hour and fifteen minutes following the first broadcast of the image. Nevertheless, Ofcom decided that the apology was insufficient in view of the gravity of the incident, and rejected numerous other representations made by Columbia Pictures.

Ofcom directed Starz to broadcast details of its breach, ruling: “Ofcom’s decision is that the Licensee should broadcast a statement of Ofcom’s findings in this case, on a date and in a form to be determined by Ofcom.”

In coming to its decision, Ofcom drew on the International Definition of Antisemitism for guidance. Last year, the definition formed the basis of training given to Ofcom staff by Campaign Against Antisemitism in how to recognise the many manifestations of antisemitism.

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Intoxicated man who told police officer “I bet you are a Jew” admits racially aggravated harassment

An intoxicated man who told a police officer, “I bet you are a Jew,” has admitted racially aggravated harassment.

Rahan Rahman, 27, made the comment when he was being held in Bridewall police station on 3rd July.

Mr Rahan, of Nottingham, pleaded guilty to racially aggravated harassment and was fined £200 by Nottingham Magistrates’ Court and ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs as well as a £32 surcharge.

He is also voluntarily undertaking support groups for alcoholism.

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Alison Chabloz to stand trial for breach of suspended sentence following action by CAA, as France bans her from returning for 40 years

Notorious antisemite and Holocaust denier Alison Chabloz will stand trial next month in Chesterfield, where it will be determined whether blog posts published by her since June 2018 constitute a breach of the social media ban that was imposed as a part of her sentence. The trial follows contact between Campaign Against Antisemitism’s lawyers and the National Probation Service.

Separately, Ms Chabloz discovered that she has been banned from entering France for forty years, until 2059, when she would be 95 years old. Posting on the social media platform Gab, known for its popularity with right-wing extremists, Ms Chabloz revealed that a recent attempt to visit France resulted in her being interviewed by both French police and the Counter-Terrorism Unit of the Metropolitan Police Service.

Last year, Ms Chabloz was convicted on three charges of sending grossly offensive communications via a public communications network. The case began as a private prosecution by Campaign Against Antisemitism, which was then taken over and continued by the Crown Prosecution Service.

The charges related to three self-penned songs in which she 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.

District Judge John Zani found Ms Chabloz guilty and sentenced her to a 20-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 12 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.”

Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “We look forward, as ever, to the law taking its proper course.”

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Police investigating after man reportedly shoves pram and calls family “dirty Jews” outside coffee shop in St Albans

Police are investigating after a man reportedly shoved a pram and called a Jewish family “dirty Jews” outside a Pret a Manger coffee shop in St Albans in Hertfordshire on Sunday afternoon. He then repeated the “dirty Jews” comment.

Some of this shocking antisemitic abuse was captured on video by Michael, who was one of the victims along with his in-laws and their baby.

According to The Independent, which posted the video, the man who was dressed in an orange t-shirt and trousers, walked past the coffee shop in St Peter’s Street in St Albans and “shoved the pram rather aggressively with the infant in it.” When the family asked why, he said that it was because they were “dirty Jews.”

Michael, who does not wish to give his surname, said that: “At that point I took out my phone and started filming and asked him to repeat it, which he did.” He also kicked an advertising board towards them as he stormed off.

Michael explained that they were “clearly identifiable” as Jews because he, his brother-in law and father-in-law wear Jewish skullcaps called kippot.

A spokeswoman from Hertfordshire Police confirmed: “Officers are investigating and any witnesses, or anyone with information, should contact Hertfordshire Constabulary on the non-emergency number 101, quoting crime reference 41/70651/19.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism is following developments very closely.

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The emperor has no clothes: more hand-wringing and statements from the Shadow Cabinet will not count as action

Tomorrow, Jeremy Corbyn’s Shadow Cabinet will meet in “emergency” session, more than a week after the BBC’s excellent Panorama documentary was broadcast into Britain’s homes, telling the heartbreaking insiders’ account of antisemitism in the Labour Party.

For those who have been paying close attention to the antisemitism crisis in Labour that has been unfolding since Mr Corbyn was elected to lead the Party four years ago, there were few new facts in the Panorama documentary. However, for the first time, a string of loyal Labour members at the very centre of the Party’s disciplinary process, recounted the full detail of what they have seen: those controlling the levers of power within the Party have ridden roughshod over both the Party’s own regulations and its beleaguered staff, to protect antisemites from proper disciplinary action.

Whilst the whistleblowers’ account will have left viewers feeling deeply upset and enraged by the actions of the Party’s leadership, the Party’s response to the documentary was remorseless. The Party’s leadership removed any doubt as to the sincerity of its introspection by circling its wagons: it immediately used legal threats, sackings and vitriol against those who have criticised it. Labour’s lashing out has only served to underline that the once fiercely anti-racist Labour Party has now institutionalised its leader’s racism. 

Campaign Against Antisemitism has long held a clear position:

  • Jeremy Corbyn is an antisemite who is unfit to hold any public office;
  • Under his leadership, the Labour Party has become institutionally antisemitic;
  • A Corbyn-led government would pose an existential threat to British Jewry;
  • Labour’s antisemitism crisis cannot be solved by those who created it; and
  • The Labour Party cannot be a force for good whilst it is in Jeremy Corbyn’s grip.

We have been calling out the institutional nature of the Party’s antisemitism, as well as the antisemitism of its leader, for years now. This culminated in the Equality and Human Rights Commission agreeing to open a full statutory investigation into unlawful antisemitism within the Party, at our request. However, the Panorama documentary, featuring the voices of young employees so plainly distressed by what they had experienced, laid bare for a mass audience how Mr Corbyn, and his allies and advisers, have interfered in disciplinary processes in order to keep antisemites within the Party.

Now, the entire viewing public knows what the Jewish community and many others have long claimed: from insider testimony, they have seen that the members, employees and officers of the Labour Party almost certainly have known for some time that Jeremy Corbyn is an antisemite, and that his Party is institutionally antisemitic. The collusion and torrent of denials that we now see convince nobody: they are nothing short of complicity in covering for an antisemite.

Finally it is clear for all to see: the emperor has no clothes.

As though awoken from a spell, some of the institutions within the orbit of the Party — such as Labour members of the House of the Lords, the GMB Union, staff at the membership department in Newcastle, and even some MPs — have responded to the documentary as one would have expected them to have done years ago: by vehemently calling out the attempts to aid antisemites within the Party and the ill-treatment of staff who were simply trying to do their jobs to prevent illegal discrimination. These actions — welcome though they are — are merely symbolic. The House of Lords, for example, cannot force change.

The stakes could not be higher. We scarcely need to use our imaginations to see how Britain might look for Jews were it governed by the same people and forces as those who have been governing the Labour Party since 2015. Why should we believe that civil servants and officials attempting to apply the law against antisemites would face a different fate than Labour staffers and officials who were sidelined, forced to take sick leave, disciplined, threatened with legal action, sacked or driven to suicidal thoughts because they dared to call out antisemitism? In this context, it is no surprise that a recent survey showed that 40% of British Jews would consider leaving this country in the event that Jeremy Corbyn was elected Prime Minister. 

When the Shadow Cabinet meets tomorrow to engage yet again in a show of being seen to object to the racism that has overcome their Labour Party, if history is a guide, then nothing of significance will result. Political fig leaves might be applied, resolutions may be recommended to Party conference months hence, and worthy statements about speeding up processes issued, but the whole country now knows that the emperor is stark naked: Jeremy Corbyn is an antisemite, and his Party is infested with antisemitism. The hand-wringing and statements we have seen and heard so many times over the past four years do not count as meaningful action.

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Liberal Democrats leadership hopefuls cite antisemitism as reason not to back Corbyn government

Liberal Democrats leadership rivals, Jo Swinson and Sir Ed Davey, have said that they would not support a Labour government under Jeremy Corbyn.

Both candidates criticised Mr Corbyn over antisemitism during an interview on 3rd July on BBC Radio 4’s World at One, with Ms Swinson noting that “Jeremy Corbyn is a Brexiteer, but he has also failed to deal with antisemitism in the Labour Party.” Sir Ed agreed with her, noting “the way Corbyn’s failed on antisemitism.”

In a subsequent interview with Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel, Sir Ed instead that the Liberal Democrats “have and must always have zero tolerance for antisemitism,” while Ms Swinson made the following pledge: “Corbyn is a Brexiteer which makes coalition impossible and undesirable. His inability, at best, to act on antisemitism within his party would make it impossible for me to work with him on a personal level in any sort of arrangement.”

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“Al Quds Day” leader Nazim Ali, who blamed “Zionists” for Grenfell Tower tragedy to face regulatory investigation following complaint by CAA

A pharmacist, Nazim Ali, who leads the annual “Al Quds Day” march through London is being investigated by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) following a complaint by Campaign Against Antisemitism.

In 2017, four days after the Grenfell Tower tragedy in which over 70 people were burned alive, Nazim Ali led the pro-Hizballah “Al Quds Day” parade. Heading the parade, surrounded by the flags of Hizballah, the genocidal antisemitic terrorist organisation, Mr Ali shouted over a public address system: “Some of the biggest corporations who are supporting the Conservative Party are Zionists. They are responsible for the murder of the people in Grenfell, in those towers in Grenfell. The Zionist supporters of the Tory Party. Free, Free, Palestine…It is the Zionists who give money to the Tory Party to kill people in high-rise blocks. Free, Free, Palestine. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

At another point he told marchers: “Careful of those Rabbis who belong to the Board of Deputies, who have got blood on their hands, who agree with the killing of British soldiers. Do not allow them in your centres.”

Mr Ali is the Managing Partner of Chelsea Pharmacy Medical Clinic. The GPhC has confirmed to Campaign Against Antisemitism: “The GPhC has reviewed all of the available evidence and we have concluded that the matter complained about is a matter that calls into question the pharmacy professional’s fitness to practise as a pharmacist. This case will now be referred to the Investigating Committee for consideration.”

Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “Since 2017, we have fought to ensure that Nazim Ali faces the consequences of his actions. As a pharmacist, he is bound by professional rules, and we are pleased that due to our complaint he now faces an investigation into his fitness to practise by his professional regulator.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism previously sought a criminal prosecution of Mr Ali. When the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) refused to prosecute him, we launched a private prosecution which the CPS disgracefully used its statutory powers to take over and discontinue, protecting Mr Ali from prosecution.

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67 Labour peers take out advertisement saying Jeremy Corbyn “failed the test of leadership” over his handling of antisemitism

In an unprecedented step, 67 Labour peers have taken out a full-page advertisement in The Guardian today accusing Jeremy Corbyn of having “failed the test of leadership” over his handling of antisemitism.

The signatories represent over a third of Labour’s members in the House of Lords and include over a dozen former ministers.

The advertisement states: “The Labour Party welcomes everyone* irrespective of race, creed, age, gender identity, or sexual orientation. (*except, it seems, Jews). This is your legacy, Mr Corbyn.”

The signatories charged that: “Under your leadership, Labour is no longer a safe place for all members and supporters, whatever their ethnicity or faith. Thousands have resigned and thousands more feel unable to attend party meetings because of the toxic culture you have allowed to divide our movement.”

They added: “We are not asking if you are an antisemite. We are saying you are accountable as leader for allowing antisemitism to grow in our party and presiding over the most shaming period in Labour’s history.”

The advertisement concluded: “You have failed to defend our party’s anti-racist values. You have therefore failed the test of leadership.”

This follows the exposé last week on the BBC’s flagship investigative documentary programme, Panorama, in which former Labour Party employees spoke out publicly to reveal Mr Corbyn’s personal meddling in disciplinary cases relating to antisemitism.

In a lengthy response to the advertisement, a Labour Party spokesman told The Guardian that Labour was taking decisive action against antisemitism “regardless of false and misleading claims about the party by those hostile to Jeremy Corbyn’s 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, eleven MPs have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members. Last week, three Labour peers resigned the whip over antisemitism.

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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Heather Mendick who said antisemitism claims have been “weaponised” appointed by Labour to rebuild relationship with Jewish community

Heather Mendick, who said that antisemitism claims have been “weaponised”, has been appointed by the Labour Party to rebuild its relationship with the Jewish community.

This is yet another show of disdain for the Jewish community by the Labour Party and comes just days after BBC Panorama’s exposé of Jeremy Corbyn’s meddling in antisemitism cases.

According to the Daily Mail, Ms Mendick’s liaison role will involve working in Mr Corbyn’s office one day a week.

Ms Mendick, who is a member of Momentum, the pro-Corbyn campaign group, and works as a research consultant and Secretary of Hackney South Labour Party, is clearly unfit for such a role.

She said that antisemitism claims have been “weaponised” and criticised calls for Labour to adopt the International Definition of Antisemitism. She also joined disgraced MP Chris Williamson on his “Democracy Roadshow” and expressed “solidarity” for Jenny Manson, a member of the sham Jewish Voice For Labour (JVL), an antisemitism denial group. She even signed a letter in The Guardian claiming that Mr Corbyn is a “formidable” opponent of antisemitism after Luciana Berger resigned from Labour over “institutional 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, eleven MPs 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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BBC Panorama’s exposé of Jeremy Corbyn’s meddling in antisemitism cases is further evidence that he is racist and unfit for office

Former Labour Party employees have spoken out publicly on the BBC’s flagship investigative documentary programme, Panorama, to reveal Jeremy Corbyn’s personal meddling in disciplinary cases relating to antisemitism.

The documentary lays bare the scale of the interference by agents of Mr Corbyn in the process. The programme is peppered with unconvincing denials from Labour’s press team.

The programme explains how senior Labour Party staffers, some of whom Campaign Against Antisemitism has known for years, used to independently run Labour’s disciplinary process, but soon after Mr Corbyn’s election as Party leader found themselves contending with his most senior aides.

The programme shows how brazen Mr Corbyn’s staff were in their efforts to subvert due process.

Early in the Party’s antisemitism crisis, Seumas Milne, often referred to as the ‘brain’ behind Mr Corbyn, is described as laughing by Mike Creighton, who led the Party’s disciplinary team, when Mr Creighton suggested means of improving the Party’s response to antisemitism. In a statement, Labour claimed Mr Creighton was lying.

However during the programme, one staffer after another described how gradually Mr Corbyn’s agents increased their interference in the disciplinary process. According to the former staffers’ testimony and e-mails shown to Panorama, Mr Corbyn’s team and his ally, General Secretary Jennie Formby, intervened to reduce the punishment for antisemites, and even to try to alter the composition of a disciplinary panel of the Party’s National Constitutional Committee.

One staffer described how a member of staff in Mr Corbyn’s office said that there was a “Jewish conspiracy” against Ken Livingstone, after Mr Livingstone said that Hitler was “supporting Zionism”. Another official said that a new leader of the disciplinary team installed by allies of Mr Corbyn claimed that there was no problem with an image shared by a Labour member from a far-right website depicting an alien parasite emblazoned with a Star of David smothering the Statue of Liberty.

Among the revelations made by former staff are that Mr Corbyn’s office was “angry and obstructive” when it came to antisemitism; that officials brought in by Ms Formby “overruled” disciplinary decisions and “downgraded” punishments to a “slap on the wrist”; that Mr Corbyn’s office demanded that documentation related to antisemitism complaints be brought to his House of Commons office for his aides to review; and that Jennie Formby stated her intention to alter the composition of a panel hearing the case of Jackie Walker.

The programme showed how impartial professional staff were sidelined and driven out as Mr Corbyn’s outriders led the Party into a state of institutional antisemitism.

The former officials said that they were driven to suicidal thoughts, and mental breakdowns as a result. Some of them had to break legally-binding agreements that they had signed with the Labour Party in order to speak to Panorama. One former official said that she would not: “be able to live with myself unless I speak up about the horrendous things that I know have been happening.”

In the course of the documentary, as one Jewish Labour member after another described the racism they faced, the former Labour officials said that they could not rule out the idea that Mr Corbyn himself is an antisemite, and stated that if Labour’s current rules were applied to him regarding his actions and statements before his elevation to leader, that he would be expelled from the Party.

Inflexible and unbending in their thinking, Mr Corbyn and his team are amongst the last adherents of discredited antisemitic myths generated in the postwar Soviet Union, the ‘anti-Imperialist’ ideas of Hobson, and the ‘Jewish Question’ of early Marxism, ideas that the formerly Social Democratic Labour Party thought it had left behind, but failed to purge from its “broad church”. Pickled in ancient racism, they are immune to the complaints of antisemitism that the British Jewish Community has experienced. Within this inner group, under Mr Corbyn’s command, it is no wonder that anti-Jewish racism is enabled and encouraged, allowing conspiracy theories and bigotry about Jews to flourish.

Campaign Against Antisemitism declared the Labour Party to be “institutionally antisemitic” back in 2016, followed by other Jewish community charities two years later.

Campaign Against Antisemitism submitted complaints to Labour itself calling for Jeremy Corbyn to be disciplined, under the same rules that have seen Jackie Walker expelled and Chris Williamson suspended, rules that Mr Corbyn has himself similarly breached.

We were also the first to rightly call Jeremy Corbyn an antisemite, a term used again by the Party’s former General Secretary, Lord Triesman, when resigning the Labour whip in disgust yesterday.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s correct diagnosis of Labour’s racist sickness was subsequently vindicated when the Equality and Human Rights Commission agreed to act on our referral and launch a full statutory investigation into antisemitism within the Party following our submission of evidence to them.

Despite the Labour Party finding itself in the company only of the fascist British National Party in being subject to such an investigation, it has failed to alter its behaviour — bearing witness, as if it were needed, to its ingrained institutional blindness to the hatred of Jews among its own members and officers.

Since then, figures such as their own former Lord Chancellor Charles Falconer — initially asked by the party to investigate the matter for them — have been publicly aghast at the Party’s failure to deal promptly and clearly with extreme cases that have emerged since the investigation was announced.

In response to the Panorama broadcast, Gideon Falter, Chief Executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “Former Labour officials, have been compelled by their conscience to speak out, revealing the scale of the duplicity behind Labour’s failure to address the Party’s antisemitism crisis. Whilst claiming to act against Jew hatred, Jeremy Corbyn’s agents and allies have carefully protected antisemites.

“It was heartbreaking to watch the testimony of honourable lifelong Labour officials contemplating suicide and suffering breakdowns because of the actions of Mr Corbyn and his team. This testimony will add significant weight to the statutory investigation that the Equality and Human Rights Commission is undertaking following our referral.

“The charade of Jeremy Corbyn as an anti-racist activist has been blown apart. Mr Corbyn’s support for antisemites and his team’s protection of antisemites demonstrate that Mr Corbyn himself is an antisemite who is unfit to hold any public office, including that of Leader of Her Majesty’s Most Loyal Opposition. For as long as the Labour Party is in Jeremy Corbyn’s grip, it cannot be a force for good.”

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Far-right antisemite who tried to burn down synagogue found guilty of terror crimes

A far-right antisemite who tried to burn down the United Kingdom’s third oldest synagogue has been found guilty of terror crimes.

Triston Morgan carried out the arson attack on Exeter Synagogue on 21st July 2018.

When arrested, Morgan was found to be in possession of antisemitic, white supremacist, and neo-Nazi propaganda, including material promoting Holocaust denial, “ethnic cleansing” and “Jewish global power,” which included the “White Resistance Manual.” In addition to this, he possessed 24 knives, including a hunting knife, a sword and the axe he used in the synagogue attack.  

According to a US prosecutor in California, the White Resistance Manual is “basically a guerrilla warfare manual instructing people on different types of weapons, on creating weapons, on police investigations, basically how to conduct covert urban operations.”

The manual itself states: “No longer will we allow the Jews to live like parasites upon the body of our race. No longer will we tolerate any Jewish influence in our political system, our legal system or our mass-media.” 

Mr Morgan pleaded guilty to arson with intent to endanger life. He also pleaded guilty to encouraging terrorism by publishing a song entitled “White Man” to the streaming website Soundcloud, as well as to collecting information for terrorist purposes by using a copy of the White Resistance Manual.

Last week at the Old Bailey, Judge Anthony Leonard QC sentenced Mr Morgan to an indeterminate hospital order and a ten-year terrorist notification order.

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Readmission and resuspension of Chris Williamson echoes Ken Livingstone case and shows that Labour’s “due process” remains a sham

The Labour Party’s decision to readmit and then resuspend its disgraced MP, Chris Williamson, shows that its pretence of “due process” in its disciplinary decisions is a sham.

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. Eventually, the Labour Party suspended Mr Williamson under duress in response to a public outcry after a video emerged of him claiming that Labour has been “too apologetic” over antisemitism. On the way to being told of his suspension he was seen receiving a warm hug from Party Chairman Ian Lavery.

The decision to reinstate him shows that the Labour Party holds British Jews in contempt and demonstrates that the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) was right to act on our referral and open a full statutory investigation into Labour’s antisemitism crisis.

The Labour Party initially stood by the decision of its National Executive Committee’s (NEC) Disputes Panel to readmit Mr Williamson, with a Labour source merely offering that “He could face further, more severe, action if he repeats any similar comments or behaviour”, but that changed in response to uproar from over 120 Labour MPs and peers who demanded that Mr Williamson lose the whip.

The Labour Party has now decided not to lift Mr Williamson’s suspension, having decided to readmit him. This effectively amounts to resuspension. The Party has said that the verdict will be reconsidered.

The case mirrors the sequence of events in which Ken Livingstone, having claimed that Hitler “was supporting Zionism”, was suspended by the Party, investigated, readmitted prompting a furore, and then suspended anew so that supposed new allegations could be investigated. Mr Livingstone resigned from the Party before a new verdict could be reached. Mr Corbyn said that Mr Livingstone’s departure brought him “sadness”.

For years, we have watched as Baroness Chakrabarti first shrouded Labour’s disciplinary process in secrecy, and then as it increasingly became corrupted by political influence. Occasional public episodes such as the cases of Mr Livingstone and now Mr Williamson show just how untrustworthy the Labour Party is when it comes to handling cases of antisemitism.

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, eleven MPs 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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Pro-Corbyn activists post near-identical mocking tweets claiming they are the child of a Holocaust survivor and that Jeremy Corbyn is not antisemitic

Pro-Corbyn activists have reportedly posted near-identical mocking tweets claiming that they are the child of a Holocaust survivor and that Jeremy Corbyn is not antisemitic.

The tweets from several accounts, which appear to be cut and pasted, have made the same claims: that their mother “lost 39 members of her family in the camps” and they have “lectured at Auschwitz” on Holocaust or genocide prevention.

It has been uncovered that these tweets use wording that is nearly identical to an original post from the London-based South African film-maker, author and former politician, Andrew Feinstein.

When the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock, called Mr Corbyn an antisemite earlier this month, Mr Feinstein responded in a tweet: “As a Jew, the son of a Holocaust survivor who lost 39 members of her family in the camps & someone who has lectured at Auschwitz on Holocaust prevention, I find your comment deeply repugnant & offensive to the memory of all who died in the Shoah.”

Mr Feinstein posted a similar tweet later in June adding: “I can state unequivocally that Jeremy Corbyn is not an antisemite!”

It has also been revealed that one of the accounts copying Mr Feinstein’s message, recently posted polls asking followers whether Russians or Zionists control the US government and whether the Holocaust was a hoax.

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, eleven MPs 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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Comedian Rachel Creeger harassed by antisemitic men on tube

The comedian Rachel Creeger has reported to Campaign Against Antisemitism that on a recent evening out in London she was harassed by a group of four men chanting antisemitic slogans at her and her husband, who was wearing a skullcap.

The men chanted “Yid army” as Ms. Creeger and her husband were in the lift to the platform. They then all happened to alight at the same station to change trains, and as they all approached the escalator the men began quietly chanting “Jew, Jew, Jew”. At one point they also whistled the Seven Nation Army tune, likely as a reference to the popular chant “Oh Jeremy Corbyn”.

Ms. Creeger disclosed that “these sort of things happen now and then. I don’t always share them, at least on this occasion our kids weren’t with us.”

Stephen Silverman, Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Director of Investigations and Enforcement, said: “It is unacceptable that this sort of everyday antisemitism has become normalised in the UK. It also appears to illustrate just how significant a contribution Jeremy Corbyn has made to the rise and mainstreaming of antisemitism — so much so that his very name has become synonymous with Jew-baiting.”

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, eleven MPs 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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Penguin finally withdraws publication of English language edition of Rothschild conspiracy book “How they rule the world”, having initially defended it

British publishing giant, Penguin Random House UK, has finally withdrawn the English language edition of Colonel Pedro Baños’ Rothschild conspiracy book entitled “How they rule the world”, following an independent external review.

In light of the review by Baroness Julia Neuberger BDE, the rights over the English language edition will revert to the Spanish publisher and audio and e-book editions will no longer be available.

The review followed an outcry by Campaign Against Antisemitism and others after Penguin published an English translation of the Spanish book but sanitised passages about the Rothschild family.

We welcome the decision to cease publication of the English language edition but it should never have come to this. It should have been plain to anyone that the Rothschild conspiracy theories popularised by the Nazis are inherently antisemitic. By publishing the book, they played right into the hands of antisemites by legitimising this blatant antisemitism. It is outrageous that such an esteemed publisher had a hand in perpetuating this.

While Baroness Neuberger, who serves as the senior Rabbi at West London Synagogue did not consider the English edition of the book and the original Spanish edition of the book to be antisemitic, she did describe certain passages and references which did not appear in the English edition, as carrying echoes of anti-Jewish conspiracy theories. She also believed that the publisher “should therefore have asked more questions and conducted deeper due diligence to determine whether it was appropriate to publish.”

In a statement, the publisher said: “Penguin Random House UK has carefully considered these findings and notes the review’s judgement that the book is not in itself antisemitic, but that some passages are problematic. It therefore accepts the review’s finding that some of the material should have prompted further enquiry and due diligence on Ebury’s part in view of the complex and highly sensitive subject matter, in order to inform its publishing decision-making.”

Antisemitic conspiracy myths have long placed the predominantly Jewish Rothschild family of bankers and philanthropists behind the world’s ills, accusing them of leading a global Jewish conspiracy. The myth gained widespread currency when the Nazis recognised its potency for turning Germans against the supposed hidden hand of the Jews, who their propaganda claimed were ruining Germany’s national future.

Author Jeremy Duns exposed Penguin’s removal of passages about the Rothschild family from book and suggested that the publisher can only have made such changes “knowingly.” He purchased the e-book in Spanish which featured the Rothschilds, but found that the section on the Rothschilds was missing in the English edition: “That entire section is missing from the English version of the book. Perhaps because British readers would cry foul?” There was also no mention of the Rothschilds in the book summary on the Penguin UK website.

The book cover depicts an octopus which was sometimes used by the Nazis as a euphemism for Jewish tentacles trying to control the world.

Mr Duns researched Colonel Baños’ views and uncovered other anti-Jewish conspiracy theories, including that the Jews killed President John Kennedy, supposedly because he did not want Israel to have nuclear weapons.

It appears that the publisher removed the references to “Rothschilds” in the book to protect their reputation. Mr Duns described this as “very dodgy non-fiction practices.” While Colonel Baños, it seems, will still get the proceeds of the book.

After the initial row, Penguin undertook what they called a “thorough” review of the book. They concluded that while Colonel Baños’s views, including in the parts omitted, are “robust”, they were not antisemitic. Their rationale that the views in the publication, including the omissions on the antisemitic Rothchild conspiracy myth, were “robust” but not antisemitic was pure sophistry.

As the backlash continued, Penguin commissioned its independent external review. Baroness Neuberger was tasked with analysing both the English language and a translation of the Spanish edition of the book, along with any other aspects that she felt were relevant to making an overall assessment.

Campaign Against Antisemitism is pleased that Penguin Random House UK has finally arrived at the correct decision. It appears however that while senior management was not involved in the original decision to publish, it was involved in the decision to initially defend the book, and then to order an independent review, rather than immediately grasping that conspiracy theories about the Rothschild family are part of an antisemitic narrative that they should have played no part in perpetuating.

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Police investigating after pensioner allegedly spat at, shoved and called “You f***ing P*** Jew”

Police are investigating an alleged antisemitic incident after a 66-year-old Jewish pensioner was spat at and called “You f***ing P*** Jew.”

According to the Asian Image, the shocking incident occurred in Rossendale near Manchester on 15th June.

Jane Parker-Lisberg, who lives with her husband, Malcolm, in Rossendale, was reportedly visiting a house to pay for a pet when a man who was said to be known to the occupier of the house started shouting abuse at her.

Described the incident to the Asian Image, Ms Parker-Lisberg explained: “He turns around and says give me £50! He then shoved me so hard I hit the wall. He then spits in my face and went on to say, “You f***ing P*** Jew.”

She continued: “As he went out on to the street outside I heard him say ‘The P***s [slur word for people of Pakistani descent] and the Jews have stolen this country.’ There were parents with children on Spring Street and they must have heard this. Then he said he was going to burn my house down.”

Ms Parker-Lisberg said she called the police and an ambulance was dispatched.

She told the Asian Image: “I had a heart attack five years ago and then another one in April. Since then I have had three further heart attacks.” She added: “The incident has completely shocked me and I am scared for my wellbeing.”

Police confirmed that they were called at around 16:15 on 15th June following reports of an assault at an address in Spring Street, Rossendale.

A police statement said: “A woman in her 60s reported she had a verbal altercation with a man before falling over and injuring her back. The victim reported she was then racially and religiously abused. An investigation is underway and enquiries on-going.”

Anybody with information should contact the police on 101 or [email protected].

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Man found guilty of racially aggravated crimes after telling colleagues that “Hitler should have finished the job” and etch swastika into piece of metal at work

A man has been found guilty of racially aggravated crimes after he told his colleagues that “Hitler should have finished the job” and etched a swastika into a piece of metal at work.

On a Friday in February 2019, Shane Pegg, a former employee of a London-based steel company, made antisemitic comments towards a colleague. When the company’s owner witnessed the abuse on the CCTV, he intervened and escorted Mr Pegg off of the premises and locked the building’s gates.

Mr Pegg reached through the gates, slapped his colleague, and fled the scene on his scooter. He returned to verbally abuse both his colleague and the company owner, shouting antisemitic hate speech which was directed at both of them. This included the phrases “Hitler should have finished the job” and “f*****g Jews.”

On the following Monday, it was discovered at the defendant’s work area that a swastika had been etched into a metal bar and the word “c**t” was found on some plastic sheeting. CCTV captured Mr Pegg carrying out these actions.

Mr Pegg was charged with racially aggravated criminal damage and criminal damage, as well as racially aggravated abusive behaviour. He pleaded guilty to the charge of racially aggravated criminal damage, but not guilty to the charge of racially aggravated abusive behaviour. However, he was found guilty on both counts.  

At Highbury Corner Magistrates Court, Mr Pegg was sentenced to 140 hours of unpaid work and twenty days of Rehabilitation Activity Requirement. He was also ordered to pay £100 compensation and an £85 surcharge.

Image credit: Google

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Labour Party decision to overrule its own staff and readmit Chris Williamson shows that Equality and Human Rights Commission is right to be acting on CAA’s referral

Chris Williamson’s suspension from the Labour Party has been lifted today by a three-person National Executive Committee (NEC) disciplinary panel. Mr Williamson was merely issued with a formal warning after being found to have breached the Party’s rules, despite Labour Party staff recommending that he instead be referred to the next stage of the Party’s disciplinary process.

According to PoliticsHome, Keith Vaz led the moves to reject a recommendation from Labour staff that Mr Williamson be referred to the party’s National Constitution Committee, which deals with serious disciplinary cases. He reportedly argued that because Mr Williamson represents a marginal seat and that Labour MPs have less than two weeks to tell party bosses whether they wish to stand at the next election, he should be let off with a warning.

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. Eventually, the Labour Party suspended Mr Williamson under duress in response to a public outcry after a video emerged of him claiming that Labour has been “too apologetic” over antisemitism. On the way to being told of his suspension he was seen receiving a warm hug from Party Chairman Ian Lavery.

In response to uproar over the decision, a Labour source confirmed: “He could face further, more severe, action if he repeats any similar comments or behaviour.”

The decision to reinstate him shows that the Labour Party holds British Jews in contempt and demonstrates that the Equality and Human Rights Commission was right to act on our referral and open a full statutory investigation into Labour’s antisemitism crisis.

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, eleven MPs 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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Neo-Nazi teenagers who encouraged attacks against Jews found guilty of terrorism

Two neo-Nazi teenagers who encouraged attacks against Jews were found guilty of terrorism on Wednesday.  

Michal Szewczuk, 19, and Oskar Dunn-Koczorowski, 18, were members of the Sonnenkrieg Division, a neo-Nazi group. Both Mr Szewczuk and Mr Dunn-Koczorowski posted propaganda that encouraged terrorist attacks and suggested targets that included Jews and non-whites.

They ran personal accounts on the Gab social media site, as well as sharing control of the Sonnenkrieg’s own page. They also glorified the Norwegian neo-Nazi terrorist Anders Breivik, suggested that Prince Harry should be shot for being a “race traitor,” and said that white women who date with non-white men should be hanged.  

Mr Szewczuk pleaded guilty to one count under Section 1 (encouraging terrorism) and five counts under Section 58 (possession of material likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism) of the Terrorism Act 2006. He was sentenced to four years and three months’ imprisonment.

Mr Dunn-Koczorowski pleaded guilty to two counts under Section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2006 and was sentenced to an eighteen-month detention and training order.

The trial was held at the Old Bailey and was presided under Judge Rebecca Poulet QC.

Image credit: Counter Terrorism Policing North East

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Disgraced peer Baroness Tonge, blames Israel for rise in antisemitic violence in House of Lords debate

The disgraced peer, Baroness Jenny Tonge, has blamed Israel for the rise in antisemitic violence in a speech during a debate on antisemitism in the House of Lords yesterday and was “saddened” not to be discussing “prejudice generally.”

Baroness Tonge has a long history of using inflammatory, and sometimes antisemitic, language. She was twice suspended from the Liberal Democrats over allegations of antisemitism and eventually resigned as pressure mounted.

Baroness Tonge started her speech by comparing herself to the biblical prophet Daniel: “I felt a little like Daniel in the lions’ den at the beginning of the debate today; I just trust I will be spared, as he was, at the end of the debate.”

She defended Jeremy Corbyn: “He is not antisemitic; he is a man who feels passionately about human rights and, like me, does not always express it in the right sort of way. Nevertheless, he cares deeply about human rights.”

She claimed that the problem of antisemitism has been overstated: “I have seen the statistics and accept that there has been a rise in antisemitic incidents over the last three years, but I also note — from reports by Tell MAMA and the recent report from the all-party group led by the noble Baroness, Lady Warsi — that there has been a much greater rise in Islamophobic incidents over the same period and that they are more frequent and severe.”

She added: “I am therefore saddened that we cannot discuss the rise in prejudice generally.”

Blaming Israel’s actions for the rise in antisemitic violence, she said: “There was a surge in violent antisemitic activity during and after Operation Protective Edge in 2014 — a vicious and deadly attack on Gaza by the Israeli armed forces, in which thousands of Gazans were killed and injured. The killing and maiming continue, of course, with further attacks on Gaza and at the Friday protests.”

She continued: “These events are not quickly forgotten, and I suggest that some if not many people who commit antisemitic acts do not distinguish between ordinary Jewish people — I know that noble Lords hate that phrase — and the Zionist Israeli Government of what is now called the Jewish State of Israel. It is too difficult a distinction for many people to make.​”

She complained that: “I am sick of the filthy abuse that I get online, sick of the accusations of antisemitism being levelled against me and appalled that I never get any apology, even when the accusations are found to be fabricated, as they were two years ago.”

In a Facebook post in October last year, soon after neo-Nazi Robert Bowers slaughtered eleven people at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Baroness Tonge responded to the attack with a post declaring: “Absolutely appalling and a criminal act, but does it ever occur to Bibi [as the Israeli Prime Minister is nicknamed] and the present Israeli government that it’s [sic] actions against Palestinians may be re-igniting antisemitism? I suppose someone will say that it is antisemitic to say so?”

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Jim Sheridan who accused Jewish community and “their Blairite plotters” of undermining Labour promoted to deputy leader of Renfrewshire Labour

Labour Councillor, Jim Sheridan, who accused the Jewish community and “their blairite [sic] plotters” of undermining Labour has reportedly been promoted to deputy leader of Labour on Renfrewshire Council near Glasgow in Scotland.

Cllr Sheridan was also the Labour member for Renfrewshire West from 2001 to 2005 and for Paisley and Renfrewshire North between 2005 and 2015. He will now sit as a Labour representative on the Scottish National Party (SNP) run council’s Leadership Board.

On 17th August 2018, Cllr Sheridan posted on his Facebook page, but subsequently deleted: “For almost all my adult life I have had the utmost respect and empathy for the Jewish community and their historic suffering. No longer due to what they and their blairite [sic] plotters are doing to my party and the long suffering people of Britain who need a radical Labour government.”

On 18th August 2018, it was reported that, following a complaint, he had been suspended by the Labour Party for his post, pending investigation by the Party.

Cllr Sheridan’s suspension was reportedly lifted on 25th January this year. No explanation was given as to how the decision to do so had been reached. Cllr Sheridan made a statement in which he reaffirmed his conviction in his position, saying: “Whilst I am delighted with this decision, I remain of the view that my accusers were misguided and overreacted to what was intended to highlight my personal frustration and criticism of those intent on undermining our leadership in Scotland and the UK.”

Aside from a period of suspension, we do not know whether disciplinary action was taken by the Labour Party against Cllr Sheridan.

Cllr Sheridan told the Paisley Daily Express that he was “honoured” with his new position. He said: “I’m looking forward to it. It’s another challenge. I’m hoping to fulfil the role to its expectations. I’m quite honoured that the group voted for me and felt I was capable.”

The Labour group leader Eddie Devine said that Cllr Sheridan had been the unanimous choice of the group’s AGM.

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, eleven MPs 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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CAA seeks referral to Teaching Regulation Agency over comments on Holocaust and “Zionist payroll” by Imam given platform by BBC

The BBC is embroiled in a scandal after it gave a platform to, Abdullah Patel, an Imam who made several appalling posts on Twitter. Mr Patel, speaking from a BBC studio in Bristol, during the Conservative Party leadership debate last night, questioned and warned the leadership candidates about hate speech, telling them that “words have consequences.”

After the debate, the political blog Guido Fawkes revealed that Mr Patel, had made a series of outrageous posts on Twitter. His account has now been deleted.

It emerged that Mr Patel posted the same image advocating the transport of the Jewish state to the United States that resulted in the suspension of Naz Shah from the Labour Party.

He also tweeted that: “Every political figure on the Zionist’s [sic] payroll is scaring the world about Corbyn. They don’t like him. He seems best suited to tackle them!”

Stephen Daisley, blogging in the Spectator, uncovered more damning tweets, including: “How long are the Zionists going to hide behind the Holocaust cry? It was a tragedy, but Gaza today is a repeat of the oppression.” Another tweet described “the concentration camp in Gaza is the modern day Auschwitz.” Under the International Definition of Antisemitism adopted by the British Government, “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” is antisemitic.

He also claimed that “antisemitism is being abused by the right, to push their own agenda.”

When his antisemitic social media activity was exposed, Mr Patel told the BBC in Gloucester that he could not remember all of his tweets but defended his posts, saying: “I have not criticised the Jewish community. Criticism of Israel is not the same as criticism of Jews.” He continued that he was “100 percent sure” there were no tweets criticising Jewish people but said he would stand by messages critical of Israel’s policies.

Mr Patel was also invited on BBC Radio 5 Live this morning after his participation in the debate. Following the revelation, the BBC presenter, Nicky Campbell, tweeted: “I would like to apologise. We had the Imam from the BBC Tory leadership debate on our programme this morning. His social media comments have been extremely disturbing. We should have checked. We didn’t. I’m sorry.”

The BBC News Press Team also tweeted a statement claiming it had “missed Mr Patel’s comments because they were on a Twitter account that was deactivated at the time but he reactivated it after the programme.” They added: “Had we been aware of the views he expressed there, he would not have been selected.”

However, Guido reported that Twitter users were replying to his Twitter account over the weekend, raising questions about when the BBC actually did its supposed vetting. Rob Burley, an Editor at BBC Live Political Programmes, claimed in a tweet that: “We checked his social media on Monday.”

Mr Patel is the deputy head of a primary school in Gloucester. The school has announced that it has suspended him, pending an investigation. Mr Yakub Patel, Chair of Al-Madani Educational Trust, said in a statement: “Following some of the comments attributed to Mr Patel in the media this morning, the Trust has decided to suspend him from all school duties with immediate effect until a full investigation is carried out. The ‘school’ and ‘Trust’ do not share the views attributed to him.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism is extremely concerned that such an individual was given a national platform. We are following the investigation by Al-Madani Educational Trust with interest and we are seeking confirmation that the case will be referred to the Teaching Regulation Authority.

Correction: A tweet about this case suggested that Mr Patel should also be referred to the Solicitors Regulation Authority as well as the Teaching Regulation Agency. We only seek referral to the Teaching Regulation Agency as Mr Patel is not a solicitor.

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CAA applauds Church in Wales for adopting the International Definition of Antisemitism

The Church in Wales has adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism.

Campaign Against Antisemitism applauds the decision which shows the Church in Wales’ solidarity with the Jewish community in Wales.

The Church in Wales is part of the Anglican Communion and is composed of six dioceses and some 1,500 churches.

The Church of England adopted the definition in September last year, followed by the Church of Scotland’s adoption of the definition in May

The Bishops of the Church in Wales said in a statement following the adoption of the definition: “We regard antisemitism as abhorrent and recognise that the Christian Church has need of repentance for the ways in which it has contributed in the past to anti-Jewish sentiment.”

Britain was the first country in the world to adopt the Definition, something for which Campaign Against Antisemitism, Lord Eric Pickles and others worked hard for over many meetings with officials at Downing Street.

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Church of England should abandon plans to honour antisemite P.G. Wodehouse with memorial stone at Westminster Abbey


The author, poet, humorist and antisemite, P.G. Wodehouse, is set to be honoured with a posthumous memorial stone at Westminster Abbey.

The Daily Telegraph has reported that plans have been made to lay a memorial stone in his honour alongside some of Britain’s most respected authors and poets, including Geoffrey Chaucer, C.S. Lewis and Edward Lear.

Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, better known as P.G. Wodehouse, died in 1975 aged 93. As well as being a literary genius who has long been considered to be amongst Britain’s greatest authors, he was also an odious antisemite.

His numerous antisemitic comments included a letter to a friend, in which he wrote: “One odd thing about television is the way it shows people up. I always used to think Groucho Marx screamingly funny. I saw him on television the other night, and he was just a middle-aged Jew with no geniality whatever, in fact repulsive.”

In another letter, he told a friend that: “A curious thing about American books these days is that so many of them are Jewish propaganda.”

In yet another letter he wrote: “The trouble is, you see, all these Jews out here have been having a gorgeous time for years, fooling about with the shareholders’ money and giving all their relations fat jobs, and this gives the bankers an excuse for demanding a showdown.”

His antisemitism continued long after the horrors of the Holocaust.

Many have also suggested that Sir Pelham’s activity in Europe under the occupation of Nazi Germany would have been enough to see him tried for treason had he ever dared return to Britain after the Second World War.

Sir Pelham moved to France for tax reasons in 1934. He was taken prisoner at Le Touquet by the invading Germans in 1940 and interned for nearly a year. After his release, he made six broadcasts on German radio which were sent to America which had not yet entered the war. After the war, he went into exile in the United States.

Gyles Brandreth, the former Conservative Party MP and broadcaster told The Daily Telegraph that these apolitical programmes were “undoubtedly damaging to the Allied cause” because they came when Britain was trying to encourage America to join the fight against the Nazis.

He said that Sir Pelham “undoubtedly gave comfort to the enemy during the darkest days of the war. He broadcast gently amusing non-political talks from Berlin, giving the impression that he was fine, and by implication that if he was fine all was fine in Nazi Germany.”

There is nothing wrong with admiring Sir Pelham’s works, but that is very different from admiring their author. It is not for the Church to forgive and forget his lifelong, unrepentant hatred of Jews. This honour should be withdrawn.

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CAA complains to Charity Commission and Home Office after Cambridge Union lets Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad spew antisemitism, unchallenged

Campaign Against Antisemitism is making a complaint to the Charity Commission after Cambridge Union, a registered charity, permitted proud antisemite, Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, to spew antisemitic comments at an event on Sunday evening without challenging him.

In a video recording of the event posted on YouTube, Dr Mohamad was questioned by the moderator, an elected official at the Union, about his past comments about Jews. He replied: “I have some Jewish friends, very good friends. They are not like the other Jews. That’s why they are my friends.” The audience laughed loudly.

When questioned on his views of the Holocaust, he said: “The Israelis should know from the sufferings they went through in the war not to treat others like that.” Although he denied saying that only 4 million died in the Holocaust, something that he has previously stated on the record. Under the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” is antisemitic.

On antisemitism, he said: “Of course if you say anything against the Jews, you are labelled antisemitic. No other race in the world labels people like that, why is it forbidden to criticise the Jews when other people criticise us?” He added that: “The Jews do a lot of wrong things, which force us to pass comment.”

In response to a question about previous comments that he made calling Jews “hooked nosed”, Dr Mohamad stated: “People do generalise, in describing certain people we take some general characteristics that they have, why is it that it’s the Jews who resent this when other people don’t resent being accused of some general characteristic that they have? Correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems that pretty much every group of people objects to being casually racially stereotyped.” He followed this up by using an example that: “The British Jews used to say the Malays are lazy.”

It is disgraceful and unforgivable that Cambridge Union, a club affiliated to the University of Cambridge, one of Britain’s most prestigious educational institutions, rolled out the red carpet for this self-confessed and unrepentant antisemite, and presented him with a platform from which to share his dangerous views with students, unchallenged.

Dr Mohamad, 93, has a long history of making appallingly antisemitic comments.

In his 1970 book “The Makay Dilemma”, he wrote that: “The Jews are not merely hook-nosed, but understand money instinctively.” In 2012, he wrote on his personal blog that: “Jews rule this world by proxy.”

He also notoriously boasted that: “I am glad to be labeled antisemitic…How can I be otherwise, when the Jews who so often talk of the horrors they suffered during the Holocaust show the same Nazi cruelty and hard-heartedness towards not just their enemies but even towards their allies should any try to stop the senseless killing of their Palestinian enemies.”

In January this year, Dr Mohamad was controversially invited to speak at the Oxford Union. When challenged there about his comments about Jews, he responded that: “We talk about freedom of speech, but yet you cannot say anything against Israel, against the Jews, why is that so? If we are free to say what we like, we can say something that is regarded as antisemitic by the Jews, that is their right, to hold such an opinion of me. It is my right to tell them, also, that they have been doing a lot of wrong things.”

Last Tuesday, Cambridge Union defended its indefensible position and told the JC: “At the Union we pride ourselves on defending free speech and allowing our members to hear from and to hold to account the people that shape our world. We are sure that this event will contribute further to this great tradition.” In failing to properly challenge the views of this proud antisemite, the Cambridge Union has failed to hold him to account, instead allowing him to make light of his abhorrent antisemitism and present it as factual to his audience.

A Jewish student who attended the event told Campaign Against Antisemitism that a union staff member spoke to him during the event, telling him that he had seen him earlier near a small group of protestors and that security would specifically be keeping an eye on him. A member of security was subsequently positioned near him. On this he told Campaign Against Antisemitism that: “The way Jewish students were clearly targeted for extra surveillance by security personnel left them feeling extremely uncomfortable and in some cases, too intimidated to ask the speaker a question.”

In a statement to Campaign Against Antisemitism, the student said that: “While the opportunity to challenge Mahathir Mohamad on his regressive views on homosexuals and Jews might have been prima facie valuable, in this instance the Union failed to adequately counter his unacceptable rhetoric. The questioner did manage to bring up controversial topics, but regularly let clearly racist and discriminatory comments go unchallenged. One horrific comment about Cambridge being colonised and renamed Israel was shockingly met with laughter from the floor. It seems the Union is conflicted between pampering its VIP guests, and truly holding them to account.”

As well as complaining to the University of Cambridge and the Charity Commission, Campaign Against Antisemitism is writing to the Home Secretary to draw attention to these latest comments and to ask why Dr Mohamad was allowed into the country despite his history of using his visits to spread hatred against Jews. The event could breach the Government’s counter extremism policy, Prevent. You may wish to support us by writing to your MP.

If Cambridge Union wished to host Dr Mohamad in the name of free speech, his longstanding Jew-hatred should have faced the harshest dissection and cross-examination that is the best of this country’s academic tradition. Instead, the Union gingerly and respectfully provided a platform for a revolting bigot. The Union decided to allow Dr Mohamad to spew his vitriol against Jews without challenge and we intend to ensure that it bears the consequences of that unforgivable choice.

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Labour peer Lord Falconer says “there are probably thousands of antisemitics in the Labour Party”

Labour peer Lord Falconer has said that “there are probably thousands of antisemitics [sic] in the Labour Party” during an interview on LBC.

His assessment followed the announcement yesterday that Chris Williamson’s suspension from the Labour Party was lifted by a three-person National Executive Committee (NEC) disciplinary panel. Mr Williamson was merely issued with a formal warning after being found to have breached the Party’s rules, despite Labour Party staff recommending that he instead be referred to the next stage of the Party’s disciplinary process.

Speaking to Iain Dale, Lord Falconer said that: “There are real question marks over Labour’s commitment to fight off antisemitism and they are very big question marks. And although I am absolutely sure the vast vast vast majority of members of the Labour Party are not antisemitic, there are probably thousands of antisemitics [sic] in the Labour Party.”

He also suggested that there was a “dangerous” factional aspect towards fighting antisemitism in Labour. He said that: “If you are, quote, a moderate, or to the right, you’re in favour of fighting antisemitism and if you’re far to the left, then you’re not in favour of fighting antisemitism.”

Earlier this month, Lord Falconer said that the Labour Party has failed the “acid test” in failing to have dealt with the Pete Willsman antisemitism case promptly, noting by comparison that Alastair Campbell had been expelled within a day of admitting on television that he had voted for the Liberal Democrats.

In an opinion piece in the Jewish News, he wrote that: “I said 14 days ago that it would be an acid test of the Labour Party’s disciplinary process whether it dealt with the Pete Willsman case within 14 days. The 14 days are up today. Apart from suspending him, nothing meaningful has happened.”

In explaining the “test”, Lord Falconer was further reported to have explained: “The Willsman case is an acid test of whether or not the Labour Party can be trusted in relation to antisemitism” and that unless it transpired that Mr Willsman was not in fact the person recorded on the tape, or that the recording had been doctored in some way, “he should definitely be expelled.”

Mr Willsman, a member of Labour’s NEC, was suspended after being recorded claiming that the “Israeli embassy” and an Israeli “agent” are “behind all this antisemitism against Jeremy.”

Mr Willsman had previously caused outrage at an NEC meeting by angrily accusing the sixty-eight leading Rabbis of the UK’s Jewish community of misleading the public in a letter they had co-signed criticising the Labour Party’s failure to adopt the International Definition of Antisemitism, and by saying that members of the Jewish community were “Trump fanatics” who “make up information…without any evidence at all”. Following the release of the recording, no action was taken against Mr Willsman, but the Labour Party general secretary and the Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell MP, both pledged that such action would be taken if any such incidents recurred.

The Labour Party’s leaders had controversially considered putting Lord Falconer in charge of another “independent” review of Labour’s handling of disciplinary cases of antisemitism.

In March, Lord Falconer, who served as Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary from 2003 to 2007 and was a flatmate of former Prime Minister Tony Blair, said that he would not conduct a review of Labour’s handling of disciplinary cases of antisemitism after the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) stepped in and begun pre-enforcement proceedings.

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.

Lord Falconer wrote in the op-ed in the Jewish News that the investigation is: “Shaming but necessary and welcome.” He also renewed his offer to step in to look at processes of handling antisemitism complaints and said that: “I stepped back when the EHRC stepped forward. The inevitable and understandable delay before they report makes me feel it is time to renew that offer.”

In recent months, eleven MPs 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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Cambridge Union debate with proudly antisemitic Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to go ahead as part of its “great tradition”

Cambridge Union has disgracefully invited proud antisemite Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, to give a speech at 18:30 on Sunday.

It is unforgivable that Cambridge Union at the University of Cambridge, one of Britain’s most prestigious educational institutions, is rolling out the red carpet for this self-confessed and unrepentant antisemite, and allowing him to share his dangerous views with students.

Dr Mohamad, 93, has a long history of making appallingly antisemitic comments.

In his 1970 book “The Makay Dilemma”, he wrote that: “The Jews are not merely hook-nosed, but understand money instinctively.” In 2012, he wrote on his personal blog that: “Jews rule this world by proxy.”

He also notoriously boasted that: “I am glad to be labeled antisemitic…How can I be otherwise, when the Jews who so often talk of the horrors they suffered during the Holocaust show the same Nazi cruelty and hard-heartedness towards not just their enemies but even towards their allies should any try to stop the senseless killing of their Palestinian enemies.”

In January this year, Dr Mohamad was controversially invited to speak at the Oxford Union. When challenged there about his comments about Jews, he responded that: “We talk about freedom of speech, but yet you cannot say anything against Israel, against the Jews, why is that so? If we are free to say what we like, we can say something that is regarded as antisemitic by the Jews, that is their right, to hold such an opinion of me. It is my right to tell them, also, that they have been doing a lot of wrong things.”

The Cambridge Union shamefully defended its indefensible position and told the JC: “At the Union we pride ourselves on defending free speech and allowing our members to hear from and to hold to account the people that shape our world. We are sure that this event will contribute further to this great tradition.”

As well as complaining to the University of Cambridge And the Charity Commission, Campaign Against Antisemitism is writing to the Home Secretary to ask why Dr Mohamad was allowed into the country despite his history of using his visits to spread hatred against Jews. The decision could breach the Government’s counter extremism policy, Prevent, which Campaign Against Antisemitism is raising with the Home Secretary as well as with the Secretary of State for Education and the Higher Education Funding Council for England. You may wish to support us by writing to your MP.

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Labour MP Rupa Huq denies antisemitism allegations by two former employees who lodged formal complaints with Party

Dr Rupa Huq, the Labour MP for Ealing Central and Acton, has reportedly been accused of antisemitism by two of her former employees who have lodged formal complaints with the Party. Dr Huq, who has held her seat since 2015, denied what she called “false and malicious” allegations.

According to the report in The Times, the Labour Party is understood to have asked its Parliamentary whips to speak to Dr Huq and look into the claims before deciding whether to begin a full investigation.

The two employees worked at Dr Huq’s Westminster office until this year. The first complainant who has a Jewish heritage and worked for Dr Huq for 11 months, sent a dossier of more than 2,500 words to Labour the week before last, detailing alleged antisemitic incidents in her office.

According to The Times, the complaint alleged that on just the complainant’s second day, their relationship with Dr Huq began to deteriorate. He had three badges on his bag, including a Star of David, a symbol commonly associated with Judaism and the Jewish People. He alleged that Dr Huq asked him: “Why do you have the flag of Israel on your bag?” Thinking that it was just an innocuous mistake, he corrected her that it was not in fact the Israeli flag. However, he claimed that she repeatedly asked the same question throughout the day. It is understood that Dr Huq only recalled asking the question once.

Later that month, Dr Huq, who completed a PhD in cultural studies thesis on youth culture at the University of East London, allegedly accused him of writing a policy paper on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that was too pro-Israel. She then reportedly “banned” him from working on policy responses, which the complainant felt was related to the Star of David on his bag incident. Furthermore, a source close to Dr Huq alleged that a constituent expressed concern about an e-mail that the complainant sent on Dr Huq’s behalf in response to the situation in Gaza.

Last June, the complainant said that Dr Huq, without informing her staff, attended an event run by the APC, a Palestinian community group. Afterwards, she reportedly asked her staff to find photographs of her at the event. While searching, they found an image posted recently by APC, which apparently showed a man in front of a gun with Arabic text as a caption. They got it translated and discovered that it meant: “Ahmad Nassar Jarrar, hero in our land.” Mr Jarrar had been accused earlier last year of masterminding the murder of a rabbi.

When Dr Huq’s staff expressed concern, she reportedly responded: “No, no they are just a pro-Palestine group.” A source close to Dr Huq, however, told the newspaper that she was actually “sickened” by the image and never attended an APC event again.

The Times reported that it had seen an e-mail, that was found by the complainant, from Dr Huq’s parliamentary account to another staffer about a Jewish student who had applied for a role. Dr Huq invoked the student’s Jewish background and wrote: “Will have to say no but don’t want him to claim antisemitism.” She is understood to still have a good relationship with the applicant, who was not privy to the e-mails.

The same questions were generally asked by Dr Huq when she interviewed candidates for staffing positions. However, according to the claimant, in September she reportedly “devised a whole separate line of questioning based on Judaism and loyalty to Israel for one of the candidates.” Dr Huq is understood to explain the questioning to that Jewish applicant having a master’s degree in Middle Eastern studies.

The Times reported that the second complainant stated that Dr Huq had made one former employee “listen to her conspiracy theories surrounding the Jewish community.” A source close to Dr Huq denied this to the newspaper and said she “has no recollection of this whatsoever and rejects the allegation that it happened.” The second complainant said that when the first was on sick leave, Dr Huq took a “no tolerance for antisemitism” poster and threw it on the floor and said: “Well, we obviously don’t need this any more.” Again, Dr Huq is understood to have no recollection of saying this.

A spokeswoman for Dr Huq told The Times: “We don’t comment on staffing matters. Any suggestion that Rupa is antisemitic or has acted inappropriately is entirely false and malicious.” The Labour Party’s response simply said: “We take all complaints seriously and they are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures.”

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, eleven MPs 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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British designer ImperivmCloth’s sickening Zyklon B themed products removed from sale by e-commerce platform

A British designer, ImperivmCloth, has had its Zyklon-B themed products removed from sale. The products included shirts, pillows, coffee cups, phone cases and postcards.

Zyklon-B, which produces a toxic gas, became the preferred murder weapon of Nazi Germany for use in gas chambers at extermination camps during the Holocaust. Around one million people were massacred using Zyklon-B, mostly at Auschwitz.

On its e-commerce website, the designer, based in Selby in Yorkshire, reportedly boasted about its Zyklon B line, writing: “You too can look minty fresh with this beautiful Zyklon B design.” The Zyklon B logo they used was based on the oral hygiene brand, Oral B.

According to the Daily Mail, they used online marketplace RedBubble to sell the products. The items have been removed by RedBubble.

Campaign Against Antisemitism welcomes the removal of this sickening line of products. They should never have been approved for sale in the first place.

Last month, RedBubble was exposed for selling Auschwitz themed miniskirts and pillows. Those items were also removed.

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UK Government kept discovery of tons of Hizballah-linked explosives secret, possibly to avoid upsetting Iran

It has emerged that the Government hushed up its discovery of tons of explosive-making chemicals stockpiled by Hizballah-linked terrorists in London in 2015, and additionally the Government nonetheless resisted proscribing Hizballah until this year.

According to an extensive investigation by The Daily Telegraph, Hizballah operatives stockpiled thousands of ice packs containing ammonium nitrate at a secret bomb factory on the outskirts of London.

The disclosure followed a three-month investigation by The Daily Telegraph in which more than 30 current and former officials in Britain, America and Cyprus were approached and court documents were obtained.

One source told the newspaper that the plot was “proper organised terrorism” while another said that enough explosive materials were stored to do “a lot of damage.” Well-placed sources, however, said there was no evidence Britain would have been the target.

It was revealed that the plot was uncovered by MI5 and the Metropolitan Police in the autumn of 2015, reportedly after a tip-off from the Israeli intelligence service, Mossad, according to Israeli media.

The Daily Telegraph reported that three businesses and a home were raided in North West London and a man in his forties was arrested on suspicion of plotting terrorism before being released without charge. North West London is home to a large Jewish community.

Eventually a decision was taken not to bring charges. It is understood by the newspaper that investigators were confident that they had disrupted the plot and gained useful information about Hizballah’s activities in Britain and overseas.

The discovery was reportedly so serious that the then Prime Minister David Cameron and Home Secretary Theresa May, were personally briefed on it.

However, MPs were kept in the dark even when they were debating in the House of Commons whether to proscribe Hizballah in its entirety.

During Parliamentary debates on banning Hizballah, MPs were deprived of critical information about the terrorist plot. It gives the perception that the primary concern of the Government was about the diplomacy surrounding the controversial nuclear deal with Iran, as Iran sponsors Hizballah. The discovery came just months after the UK signed up to the deal.

This will leave the Jewish community feeling vulnerable.

Hizballah seeks the extermination of Jews. Its Secretary-General could not have been plainer when he said: “If Jews all gather in Israel, it will save us the trouble of going after them worldwide.”

Hizballah has acted on its murderous mantra, bombing Jewish civilians from Buenos Aires to Burgas, and it has even been blamed for two bombings targeting Jews in London in 1994. Its most notorious atrocity was the bombing of the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association Jewish centre in Buenos Aires Argentina in 1994, in which 85 people were killed.

In February this year, Hizballah was completely proscribed by the Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, with the support of the Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt. This followed a gruelling effort over several years by Campaign Against Antisemitism and our allies.

Until then, the British Government had distinguished between Hizballah’s “military wing” and “political wing”, even though Hizballah mocked the Government and said that no such distinction exists. The loophole enabled brazen shows of support for Hizballah, including at previous “Al Quds Day” parades where pro-Hizballah supporters marched through central London waving Hizballah flags and placards with “We Are All Hizballah.”

This year’s “Al Quds Day” parade saw open antisemitism from attendees, who marched under banners declaring that it is a “crime” or “racism” to support Zionism, the movement to grant Jews the same right to self-determination as all peoples are granted under Article 1 of the United Nations Charter. Some compared Zionism to Nazism. No support for Hizballah was visible this year because of the proscription.

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CAA calls on Penguin UK to withdraw conspiracy theorist’s book and investigate how it came to be published, after reader discovered Penguin disguised the book’s antisemitism

British publishing giant, Penguin UK, has published an English translation of a Spanish book by antisemitic conspiracy theorist, Colonel Pedro Banos, called “How they rule the world” but has reportedly removed passages about the Rothschild family.

Antisemitic conspiracy myths have long placed the predominantly Jewish Rothschild family of bankers and philanthropists behind the world’s ills, accusing them of leading a global Jewish conspiracy. The myth gained widespread currency when the Nazis recognised its potency for turning Germans against the supposed hidden hand of the Jews, who their propaganda claimed were ruining Germany’s national future.

Author Jeremy Duns has exposed Penguin’s amendments to the antisemitic book and suggested that the publisher can only have done so “knowingly.” He purchased the e-book in Spanish which featured the Rothschilds. Yet, he explained that the section on the Rothschilds was missing in the English edition: “That entire section is missing from the English version of the book. Perhaps because British readers would cry foul?” There is also no mention of the Rothschilds in the book summary on the Penguin UK website.

The book cover depicts an octopus which was an antisemitic caricature used by the Nazis as a euphemism for Jewish tentacles trying to control the world.

Mr Duns researched Colonel Banos’ views and uncovered other antisemitic conspiracy theories, including that the Jews killed President John Kennedy, supposedly because he did not want Israel to have nuclear weapons.

It appears that the publisher removed the clearly antisemitic references to “Rothschilds” in the book to protect their reputation. Mr Duns described this as “very dodgy non-fiction practices.” While Colonel Banos, it seems, will still get the proceeds of the book.

Conspiracy theories are often the vector for antisemitism and should not be perpetuated by reputable publishers. Campaign Against Antisemitism calls for Penguin UK to withdraw the title and investigate who is responsible for the decision to publish and translate it.

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Andrew Murray, close adviser to Jeremy Corbyn, reportedly offered advice on stopping investigation into Max Tasker using his Unite union e-mail address instead of his official Labour account

Andrew Murray, a close adviser to Jeremy Corbyn and Chief of Staff to the Unite union, reportedly offered advice on stopping the investigation into Labour activist, Max Tasker, using his e-mail address belonging to the Unite union, meaning that his message was not sent through the Labour Party’s e-mail system.

The e-mail, obtained by the JC, exposed Mr Murray intervening in a case in which Mr Tasker, who is listed as a councillor for Welsh Labour on Bay of Colwyn Town Council and a member of the antisemitism denial group, the sham Jewish Voice For Labour (JVL), faced suspension after denying that an antisemitic mural defended by Jeremy Corbyn was in fact antisemitic.

Between 24th September 2014 and 13th October 2014, Mr Tasker posted YouTube videos to his Facebook page with the titles: “Is ISIS good for the Jews?”, “The whole story of Zionist conspiracy: the filthy history of pedophilia, murder and bigotry”, “Not for the immature! Zionist Antichrist will rule the [New World Order]” and “Ukraine’s anti-Russian stance is a Zionist masterplan — Sheikh Imran Hosein.”

In September 2017, Mr Tasker contacted Campaign Against Antisemitism and told us that he watched the YouTube videos that he posted to his Facebook page in order to “understand what was behind all these Jewish/Zionist conspiracy theories”. However he did not explain why in addition to watching the videos, he also posted them without comment, nor did he explain his other comments. He also told us that: “My beef is with the policies of Israel’s government due to its breaking of international law and human rights abuses, and not in any way with Jews”.

The e-mail revealed by the JC was sent to Mr Murray’s daughter, Laura, as well as Karie Murphy, Mr Corbyn’s Chief of Staff and Seumas Milne, Labour’s Director of Communications and Strategy. Ms Murray is the disgraced senior parliamentary aide to Mr Corbyn who was formally appointed to lead the Labour Party’s disciplinary process. She was exposed for intervening to prevent the suspension of alleged antisemite Pat Sheerin from the Labour Party. In leaked e-mails, she said that she intervened on behalf of Mr Corbyn himself.

Mr Murray was reportedly “not sure” about a decision reached by staffer Sam Matthews to suspend Mr Tasker and argued that disagreeing about the nature of the mural was not antisemitic. He wrote that: “people disagree about the mural in a way that is not in itself antisemitic.” He added that: “I would think that investigation without suspension at this stage may be sufficient.”

In October 2012, Los Angeles-based street artist Mear One, painted a wall in London’s East End which featured apparently-Jewish bankers beneath a pyramid often used by conspiracy theorists playing Monopoly on a board carried by straining, oppressed workers. It emerged that Mr Corbyn defended the public display of a huge mural on the “grounds of freedom of speech.”

One senior Labour source told the JC that: “It would appear that discussions of many Labour antisemitism cases have taken place on e-mail addresses linked to Unite union [sic]. While some included open engagement with Labour members on e-mail addresses linked to the Party, there is obviously concern that some cases may have been discussed privately outside of Labour’s e-mail trail among Party members who also retained the use of Unite e-mail addresses.” They added that: “From what I can ascertain, we may be talking about a whole raft, rather than a few single e-mails.”

Last month, it emerged that in 2005, Mr Murray authored an article in which he claimed that the roots of the 9/11 terror attacks lay in “Zionist colonialism” of the Balfour Declaration.

In 2017, Len McCluskey, General Secretary of the Unite union, told the BBC that claims of antisemitism in the Labour Party are “mood music” to “undermine Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership” and that people who allege it have been “playing games”.

Last Tuesday, 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, eleven MPs 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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Daily Mail investigation reports that PSC and SPSC forced Jewish shops to close with “campaign of intimidation”

Activists from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) and its Scottish equivalent (SPSC) have reportedly forced Jewish shops to close with a “campaign of intimidation.”

The Daily Mail reported that the activists targeted shops in Aberdeen, Belfast, Brighton, Glasgow, London and Manchester, and held aggressive rallies outside them, forcing all but one of the businesses to close. The shop in Manchester remained open following efforts by North West Friends of Israel who worked with police to expose the antisemitism and thuggery of some of the PSC activists.

A new documentary called “Hounded” was released last week by Jewish Human Rights Watch (JHRW), to draw attention to this harassment of Jews who sell goods from Israel, highlighting a “campaign of intimidation” that has been going on for years.

It focused on the story of Nissan Ayalon, a British Jewish businessman who ran a business called Jericho Skin Care and who relocated three times, from Belfast to Glasgow and then to Aberdeen, saying that he did so to escape activists from the SPSC and Republican Network for Unity. Each time, however, they found him and attacked his shop, including with paint bombs because he sold Israeli cosmetics. He said that many other shops not run by Jews also sold Israeli products, but that they were not targeted.

Mr Ayalon, who emigrated to Britain from Krygystan, eventually fled the UK with his family after he was hounded for five years by the SPSC and Republican Network for Unity.

Just this Sunday, Mick Napier the Secretary of the SPCC told protesters at the “Al Quds Day” parade that Peter Willsman should not have been suspended 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”.

In 2017, Mr Napier was found guilty of aggravated trespass at a protest outside the Jericho Skin Care cosmetics store in Glasgow during the 2014 Gaza war. The SPCC has previously been exposed over many of its supporters’ extremely antisemitic views.

A similar campaign by the PSC targeted shops in Brighton, London and Manchester, forcing two of them to close.

An investigation by Campaign Against Antisemitism in 2017 exposed extensive antisemitic bigotry amongst supporters of the PSC. A recent Evening Standard investigation uncovered supporters of the PSC sharing antisemitic posts comparing Israelis to Nazis. The shocking antisemitic posts reportedly included a cartoon comparing Israeli Jews with white power neo-Nazis and an image of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu bathing in Palestinian blood, posing with Adolf Hitler.

Mr Corbyn is a patron of the PSC. He gave the “National Demonstration for Palestine” march in central London on 2nd June, which saw open antisemitism from attendees and was organised by the PSC, his ringing endorsement. Hamas, the terrorist organisation which seeks the murder of all Jews worldwide, issued a statement in which it “salutes” Jeremy Corbyn for supporting the march. It said that it had “great respect and appreciation [sic] the solidarity message sent by the British Labor [sic] Party Leader, Jeremy Corbyn.”

British Jewish shopkeepers are being hounded by a movement that is rife with antisemitism and uses thuggery to get its way. Businesses selling Israeli products are given scant attention if they are owned by non-Jews, but if they are owned by Jews they are relentlessly harassed day after day. It is no wonder that British Jews feel intimidated and it is outrageous that the Labour Party leader refuses to cut his ties to the groups that carry out this bullying.

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Witnesses sought after men who saw Israeli flag at “Al Quds Day” parade sneered “I’m feeling very dirty with all that Jewish flags, feel like I need a shower”

Witnesses are being sought over antisemitic remarks that were made during the “Al Quds Day” parade in central London on Sunday afternoon.

A member of the public has provided Campaign Against Antisemitism with a recording of a group standing and watching the parade. As anti-terrorist activists waving Israeli flags walked by, a man whose face cannot be seen, can be heard saying: “I’m feeling very dirty with all that [sic] Jewish flags, feel like I need a shower”, referring to some of the gas chambers at concentration camps which were disguised as shower rooms and used to massacre Jews in large groups.

Separately, another member of the public, Councillor Stephen Canning, told Campaign Against Antisemitism that they had heard men saying: “Jews everywhere, I need a shower” and “Lads, let’s do a sieg heil.” “Sieg heil” was a common chant at political rallies in Nazi Germany, meaning “hail victory”. He also provided a photograph of the group that he bravely took and tweeted at the time.

The comments were made on Sunday at around 17:30 outside the Red Lion pub at 48 Parliament Street in Westminster. Anybody with information about the group described should contact Campaign Against Antisemitism at [email protected].

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As statutory investigation was launched into Labour antisemitism, internal letter shows General Secretary Jennie Formby tried deflecting attention to budget cuts at the EHRC

In an e-mail rushed to all Labour MPs as the Equality and Human Rights Commission announced its statutory investigation into Labour antisemitism and seen by Campaign Against Antisemitism, the Party’s General Secretary, Jennie Formby, tried deflecting attention by briefing MPs on budget cuts to the Commission.

The briefing was rushed out minutes after the Equality and Human Rights Commission announced that it would be launching a statutory investigation into antisemitic discrimination, harassment and victimisation within the Labour Party, following a referral and legal arguments from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant.

The e-mail told MPs that “Labour is fully committed to the support, defence and celebration of the Jewish community and is implacably opposed to antisemitism in any form”, going on to tell MPs to “reject any suggestion that the Party does not handle antisemitism complaints fairly and robustly, or that the Party has acted unlawfully”.

Bizarrely, Ms Formby tried to deflect attention onto the Commission’s budget, telling MPs that it has suffered “a 70% budget cut since 2010” and that “Labour is the party of equality and in government we will strengthen the powers and functions of the Commission.”

Ms Formby then went on to try to direct attention at “the Conservatives and other political parties”, which she said must do more to tackle racism.

She then ended by thanking Party staff “who have worked tirelessly to combat this issue”, despite the fact that they have in fact been embroiled in numerous efforts to protect antisemites.

The letter is yet further evidence that the Labour Party is not accepting responsibility for its antisemitism crisis, even now that it is under statutory investigation by the very Equality and Human Rights Commission it created in 2006. Under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, the once fiercely anti-racist Labour Party has become institutionally antisemitic and an existential threat to British Jews.

In recent months, eleven MPs 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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Former Prime Minister Tony Blair calls Jeremy Corbyn an antisemite

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair has called Jeremy Corbyn an antisemite in an interview at a panel event at Bar Ilan University in Israel.

Mr Blair said: “To be frank, this antisemitism row, it’s a shameful thing.” When asked if he believed Corbyn himself was antisemitic, he said yes, explaining: “Some of the remarks are not explicable in any other way, I’m afraid, and that is sad.”

When the question was posed if Mr Corbyn thinks that he is an antisemite, he replied: “No, he doesn’t think he is at all.”

In May, Mr Blair said that the the “poison” of antisemitism has returned in a rebuke of Mr Corbyn and the Labour Party. In powerful comments in a video in support of the new National Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre, Mr Blair said that: “Antisemitism and hate did not end in 1945. Unfortunately today some of this poison is back from the political fringe to parts of the political mainstream.”

Last Tuesday, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) launched a full statutory investigation following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant.

At the Bar Ilan University event, Mr Blair lamented that: “When I established [the EHRC], I never dreamed it would be investigating the Labour Party.”

In recent months, eleven MPs 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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Anti-Trump protest in London takes no issue with placard claiming “They all work for Rothschild”

A placard claiming that “They all work for Rothschild” was held at the anti-Trump protest in central London today, apparently drawing no condemnation from protesters. It was not clear who “all” referred to, but it was underlined for emphasis.

Antisemitic conspiracy myths have long placed the predominantly Jewish Rothschild family of bankers and philanthropists behind the world’s ills, accusing them of leading a global Jewish conspiracy. The myth gained widespread currency when the Nazis recognised its potency for turning Germans against the supposed hidden hand of the Jews, who their propaganda claimed was ruining Germany’s national future.

One of the themes of the protest was supposed to be anti-racism.

The placard featured a cartoon of Charles Montgomery “Monty” Burns from The Simpsons. The character is the notoriously wealthy, greedy and stingy owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. It also featured a graphic of the “Flower Thrower” by English street artist and political activist, Banksy. The graffiti of a masked rioter throwing a bunch of flowers first appeared on a wall in Jerusalem in 2003 and then featured on the front cover of his book “Wall and Piece” in 2005.

After we received a report about the placard, members of Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit were sent to the protest to investigate, but by then the protester had left.

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Dyfed-Powys Police Sergeant tells CAA that claiming “Jews rip us off” and “Jews f*** us up” is just “stating an opinion”

Campaign Against Antisemitism is making a professional standards complaint with regard to the manner in which a complaint relating to antisemitic hate speech has been handled by an officer from Dyfed-Powys police.

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 has 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, who later claimed were the work of hackers.

At a time when British Jews are threatened by levels of antisemitism that are unprecedented in the UK since the Second World War, it is alarming and unacceptable that a police officer is incapable of distinguishing between the legitimate expression of a point of view and antisemitic hate speech that has been at the root of much of the persecution suffered by the Jewish people.

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George Galloway sacked by TalkRadio over antisemitic gloating that Liverpool’s victory over Tottenham Hotspur meant there would be “No #Israël flags on the Cup!”

TalkRadio has sacked George Galloway from his role as a radio host following comments in which he conflated Tottenham Hotspur’s many Jewish fans with Israeli citizens. In a clearly antisemitic tweet, Mr Galloway stated: “Congratulations to the great people of #Liverpool to the memory of the socialist miner #BillShankley [sic] to the fallen #96 to those who fought for justice for them and to the Liverpool dockers. No #Israël [sic] flags on the Cup!”

In announcing Mr Galloway’s dismissal, TalkRadio said: “TalkRadio has terminated George Galloway’s weekly show with immediate effect. As a fair and balanced news provider, TalkRadio does not tolerate anti-semitic views.”

The tweet had provoked considerable backlash on Twitter. Liverpool’s Head of Club and Supporter Liaison, Tony Barrett, tweeted: “Please don’t include Liverpool Football Club in this bulls***. It’s the club of Ronnie Rosenthal and Avi Cohen. It’s the club of Mo Salah and Sadio Mane. It’s the club of Parson Jackson and Bill Shankly (with no e). It’s a club of all flags, all religions, all nations and none.” David Wolfson QC responded angrily to Mr Galloway’s reference to Liverpool’s legendary manager Bill Shankly and the ninety-six victims of the Hillsborough tragedy, tweeting: “My Dad as a local solictor knew Bill Shankly. Offered a ticket, he told Shankly he couldn’t go on a Saturday as an orthodox Jew, so Shankly gave him a ticket to a midweek game — in the directors’ box. That’s who Shankly was. Don’t use his name or the 96 to promote your vile smears.”

Twitter however refused to take action.

George Galloway has a long history of baiting the Jewish community and he even blocked Campaign Against Antisemitism on Twitter after we highlighted an antisemitic tweet he had shared. In February of this year, he told Sky News that Luciana Berger, who was driven out of the Labour Party by antisemitic harassment, was complicit in a “Goebellian lie”, essentially accusing her of engaging in behaviour reminiscent of Josef Goebbels, the infamous Nazi propagandist. Mr Galloway’s use of the same language on his TalkRadio show was found to be in breach of broadcasting rules by Ofcom, the broadcasting regulator.

The tweet that caused George Galloway to block Campaign Against Antisemitism on Twitter
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Corbyn still campaigns with Lisa Forbes, Labour’s candidate in Peterborough by-election, after learning she “enjoyed reading” comments under post claiming ISIS was created by Mossad

Jeremy Corbyn has continued to campaign with Lisa Forbes, Labour’s candidate in the Peterborough by-election, even after learning that she liked a Facebook post that said that Theresa May has a “Zionist slave master’s agenda” and commented that she “enjoyed reading” comments beneath a post claiming that ISIS and other extremists were created and funded by the Israeli intelligence service, Mossad.

When approached by the Peterborough Telegraph, she apologised and pledged to “deepen my understanding of antisemitism so I can act as an ally, challenging antisemitism wherever it occurs.”

Ms Forbes was joined by Jeremy Corbyn for campaigning on Saturday ahead of the by-election. Mr Corbyn refused to answer a journalist’s question if Pete Willsman will be expelled from Labour after he was suspended for claiming in a recording that the “Israeli embassy” and an “agent” are “behind all this antisemitism against Jeremy.”

This latest revelation in the Labour antisemitic crisis was uncovered by investigative journalist Iggy Ostanin.

It is beyond disturbing that Ms Forbes has liked and commented positively on posts espousing antisemitic conspiracy theories, and that Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party continue to endorse her nonetheless, with no sign of even the façade of disciplinary proceedings. We will refer this incident to the Equality and Human Rights Commission for consideration during their statutory investigation into antisemitism in the Labour Party.

Ms Forbes was a signatory to an open letter in August last year to the Labour National Executive Committee (NEC) urging them not to adopt the International Definition of Antisemitism in full.

Her co-signatories to the letter included Asa Winstanley and Rebecca Massey. Mr Winstanley called the Jewish Labour Movement (JLM) an “Israeli Embassy proxy” and was reportedly suspended from Labour in March, pending an investigation. Ms Massey tweeted that “Israel has Tory & Labour parties under control.”

It also emerged that Ms Forbes posted in the Peterborough Palestine Solidarity Campaign Facebook group, a forum where one participant wrote about “Zionist rats” and another said that “Israel spends a fortune perverting our democracy.”

On Tuesday, the 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, eleven MPs 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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“Al Quds Day” parade stripped of Hizballah flags, but marchers told “Zios” plot antisemitism “smears” at workshops run by Israeli embassy

Nearly 1,000 people have marched at the “Al Quds Day” parade in central London today. Volunteers from Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit went into the thick of the protest to gather evidence.

The march saw open antisemitism from attendees, who marched under banners declaring that it is a “crime” or “racism” to support Zionism, the movement to grant Jews the same right to self-determination as all peoples are granted under Article 1 of the United Nations Charter. Some compared Zionism to Nazism.

Mick Napier the Secretary of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPCC) told protesters that Peter Willsman should not have been suspended 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”. In 2017, Mr Napier was found guilty of aggravated trespass at a protest outside a cosmetics store in Glasgow during the 2014 Gaza war. The SPCC has previously been exposed over many of its supporters’ extremely antisemitic views.

The entire march was led by a banner calling for “Victory to the resistance”. “The resistance” is the name often used to refer to various terrorist organisations including Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hizballah, all of which seek the murder of every Jew worldwide.

Protesters frequently chanted the rhyme: “From the [Jordan] river to the [Mediterranean] sea, Palestine will be free”, which only makes sense as a call for the destruction of the Jewish state and its replacement with a Palestinian state, and is thus an attempt to uniquely deny Jews the right to self-determination.

The “Al Quds Day” marchers did not have the streets to themselves, however. A group of anti-terrorism activists waving Israeli flags confronted the marchers and engulfed them in a cloud of blue and white smoke.

While in previous years the march has been a pro-Hizballah parade, with marchers festooned in Hizballah flags, no support for Hizballah was visible this year because in February this year Hizballah was completely proscribed by the Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, with the support of the Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt. This followed a gruelling effort over several years by Campaign Against Antisemitism and our allies.

Until then, the British Government had distinguished between Hizballah’s “military wing” and “political wing”, even though Hizballah mocked the Government and said that no such distinction exists. The loophole enabled brazen shows of support for Hizballah, including at previous “Al Quds Day” parades where pro-Hizballah supporters marched through central London waving Hizballah flags and placards with “We Are All Hizballah.” The law has also now been changed to allow police officers to seize flags or clothing bearing the insignia of terrorist organisations, and also arrest anybody who publishes photographs of them.

Prior to today’s parade, Campaign Against Antisemitism and our allies met with the Metropolitan Police Service who vowed to “intervene to enforce the law” if Hizballah flags were flown.

The firm approach of the Metropolitan Police Service ensured that no shows of support for Hizballah were seen this year, and Campaign Against Antisemitism wishes to thank the police for upholding the law and defending the Jewish community.

We understand that at least one person from the “Al Quds Day” parade has been arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer. We have received reports that another person was arrested for allegedly assaulting an anti-terrorism activist.

Volunteers from Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Demonstrations and Event Monitoring Unit gathered extensive evidence, which our Regulatory Enforcement Unit is considering, as the self-anointed Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC), which runs the event, is a charity. A report released this week by the Henry Jackson Society, found that the IHRC is permeated by “extreme antisemitism”.

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Yasmine Dar, member of Labour’s National Executive Committee, claims Equality and Human Rights Commission investigation into Labour is merely “political point scoring”

Yasmine Dar, a member of Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC), has denied that antisemitism is an institutional problem in a blog post for Labour List.

The comments were in response to the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) announcement on Tuesday that they launched a full statutory investigation into antisemitism in the Labour Party following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant.

She wrote that: “I’m in favour of radical reforms to Labour’s disciplinary procedures so that we can more swiftly kick out the small number of antisemites in our ranks. But as a member of the national executive committee, I haven’t seen any evidence that this prejudice among a minority of members is an institutional problem.”

Ms Dar, who is also a Manchester City councillor, minimised the problem of antisemitism in Labour, writing: “Before you rush to judgement, let’s revisit the facts. Recently published data showed that complaints received by the party about antisemitism related to just 0.1% of party members. There is a larger group of members who have dismissed or downplayed the existence of antisemitism.”

She defended Labour’s response to antisemitism, writing: “We launched an inquiry and we have introduced a wide range of measures to improve our procedures” and praising Jeremy Corbyn whom she claimed “has written e-mails to all members, appealed to supporters in video messages, written opinion pieces and spoken in interviews about the ways in which antisemitism has manifested on the left. He has clearly stated that anyone who spreads antisemitic poison does not do so in his or the party’s name.”

Ms Dar also accused the “Labour right” of being part of a conspiracy to undermine Mr Corbyn, claiming: “Our party’s bureaucracy was controlled by the Labour right until last year, who — recent leaked e-mails suggest — may have sat on antisemitism cases to destabilise Jeremy’s leadership.”

She also claimed that the EHRC is being party political for not holding an investigation into “racism and Islamophobia within the Conservative Party” at the same time, concluding that: “What the EHRC has missed is an opportunity to rise above party politics and address deep rooted inequalities within our society. Instead of separate investigations into Labour and the Tories, the EHRC could have launched a joint inquiry into both, and prejudice in politics more broadly. Instead, we will see political point scoring, which does nothing to protect the interests of minority communities.”

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Labour National Executive Committee member Peter Willsman suspended for claiming Israeli embassy and “agent” are “behind all this antisemitism against Jeremy”

Peter Willsman, a member of Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC), has been suspended after being recorded claiming that the “Israeli embassy” and an Israeli “agent” are “behind all this antisemitism against Jeremy.” The NEC presides over disciplinary cases.

Theo Usherwood, the Political Editor at radio station LBC, tweeted the recording of Mr Willsman speaking in January to Israeli author and journalist Tuvia Tenenbom who was in the UK to make a documentary about Brexit.

Last year, Mr Willsman was let off disciplinary charges following a tirade accusing Jewish “Trump fanatics” of “making up” antisemitism.

Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell, refused to call for Willsman to be expelled then but accepted his apology, caveating it by saying that: “if he persists in those attitudes I think he should be standing down. But what I’m hoping is that he’s learnt a lesson.” Mr Willsman, within a couple of months, repeated his assertions that there was no antisemitism in the Party. No action was taken.

In a series of explosive comments in the recording, Mr Willsman said that: “One of these things about antisemitsm is that they’re using that to whip people up. They use anything. Any Lies. It’s all total lies and they just whip it up.”

He then said “off the record” that “It’s almost certain who is behind all this antisemitism against Jeremy. Almost certainly it was the Israeli Embassy. Because they caught somebody in the Labour Party. It turns out they were an agent in the Embassy.”

He continued that a letter in the Guardian last July signed by 68 rabbis calling on Labour to adopt the International Definition of Antisemitism was “obviously organised by the Israeli Embassy.”

The accusation of Jews conspiring to subvert politics is one of the most well known antisemitic conspiracy theories. Under the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Making mendacious, dehumanising, demonising, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective — such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions” is antisemitic.

Mr Willsman also claimed to have close relations with Jeremy Corbyn. Calling himself “Red Pete”, he boasted that: “They call me Corbyn’s enforcer. But I said I don’t want to be called Corbyn’s enforcer because enforcers ain’t got no sense of humour. I’m more like Corbyn’s protector, ‘cos he never looks after himself. He never defends his back. Because he’s not interested in himself, he just wants to change the world.” He added that “it’s me who has to stop people stabbing him in the back” and claimed: “I spend 10 hours a day working for Jeremy Bernard Corbyn. Voluntary, 10 hours a day.”

Mr Willsman also made a claim that: “Jeremy stuck up for me and told them to p*** off” when he was previously caught making antisemitic comments.

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

In recent months, eleven MPs 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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University of Essex fires lecturer Dr Maaruf Ali over antisemitic posts opposing creation of student Jewish society

The University of Essex has reportedly dismissed a computer science and electronics lecturer, Dr Maaruf Ali, over antisemitic Facebook posts opposing the creation of a Jewish society at the university. In one post, Dr Ali wrote that “the Zionists next want to create a society here at our university” on a Facebook page for new students.

We commend the university for its handling of this incident.

In February, Dr Ali openly and vociferously opposed the establishment of a student Jewish society at the university, which was formed after the initial vote had received opposition from hundreds of students.

Dr Ali also posted conspiracy theories alleging “Zionist” control of the media, and shared far-right content alleging Mossad involvement in the 2015 terror attack in Paris. He also shared a post claiming that the Jewish population of Europe actually rose during the Holocaust, and equated Israel with Nazi Germany.

In response to his sacking, Dr Ali said that he was disappointed to be dismissed and did not “hate Jews, their religion, people or their culture. I believe that everyone should be allowed to form any society. This is what I’m thinking now, which is what I didn’t think at the time.”

A University of Essex statement confirmed that a member of staff had been dismissed following a tribunal hearing. The statement said: “The university has now completed an independent investigation into the serious allegations made against a member of university staff.”

Daniel Kosky, Union of Jewish Students campaigns organiser, welcomed the dismissal and said that it was the correct decision for “severely antisemitic” social media comments.

Earlier this month, Chris Skidmore, the Minister of State for Universities, urged all of the UK’s higher education institutions to formally adopt the International Definition of Antisemitism.

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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Corbyn supporter David Lindsay threatens violence against EHRC’s staff and CAA’s team following decision to investigate Labour over antisemitism

As soon as the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) launched its statutory investigation into antisemitism in the Labour Party on Tuesday, supporters of the Party proved how urgent the investigation was by declaring that there is no antisemitism within Labour, and additionally that the Commission was controlled by Jews or Zionists or even the Israeli government.

Threats have been made by a “Corbyn supporter”, who we can name as David Lindsay, against the Commission’s staff and Campaign Against Antisemitism’s legal team. We have reported the matter to the police and expect him to feel the full force of the law.

Adam Wagner is one of the barristers representing Campaign Against Antisemitism as the complainant in the Commission’s investigation. Mr Wagner has been the subject of calls for violence by Mr Lindsay, who seems to be a prolific writer of abusive letters and social media posts. So far, Mr Lindsay has written a blog post and he has tweeted links to the blog post as well as explicit calls for violence against Mr Wagner.

Mr Lindsay tweeted: “Does @jeremycorbyn really have those Irish, Middle Eastern and other connections [referring to his connections to the IRA, Hamas and Hizballah]? If so, then the members and the senior staff of @EHRC need to be visited at home. The Boys might usefully begin with @AdamWagner1. #EHRC #Antisemitism #LabourAntisemitism” followed by a link to the blog post. Another tweet said: “Here comes @EHRC on the orders of the Israeli Embassy, by which it is controlled. Against @jeremycorbyn, with whom one of its members, @AdamWagner1, is completely obsessed. #Antisemitism #LabourAntisemitism” also followed by a link to the blog post.

Other activists have stopped short of making threats, but have been taking to Twitter to suggest that the Commission is made up of Jews who would be biased. One tweet read: “EHRC is Chaired by David Isaac he is jewish, most EHRC are. Sky News just reported EHRC said they can’t report on Islamophobia because of funding issues. So how can they find funding to investigate labour antisemitism.” Another said: “To be honest, I am more concerned about the roles of Isaac and Hilsenrath (Chairman and CEO of EHRC), both establishment Jews I believe, in taking the decision to investigate, and during the investigation itself. Standard corporate governance would suggest they should step aside.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has reported the matter to the police. Twitter has so far refused to remove the tweets.

This response from supporters of Jeremy Corbyn amply demonstrates why the Commission’s investigation is so urgent.

https://twitter.com/davidaslindsay/status/1133395803194777600
https://twitter.com/RowlandsOliver/status/1133453165913878528
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Equality and Human Rights Commission launches full statutory investigation into the Labour Party following complaint by CAA

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

The Commission’s investigation will evaluate the Labour Party’s handling of the many acts of antisemitic discrimination and victimisation detailed in the dossiers that Campaign Against Antisemitism has provided in a number of submissions since July 2018.

The Commission, which was created by a Labour government in 2006, is vested with tough powers designed to force organisations to comply with equality and human rights laws.

The decision to launch a statutory investigation under section 20 of the Equality Act 2006 unlocks the Commission’s full range of enforcement powers, allowing it to compel the Labour Party to reveal details of its handling of antisemitism in recent years, including internal communications such as text messages and e-mails. The Commission can also seek court injunctions against the Labour Party to prevent further antisemitic discrimination, harassment and victimisation, and it can also impose an action plan on the Party and enforce compliance through the courts.

The Commission has made the move following a pre-enforcement engagement process with the Labour Party that left it convinced that the Party could not be trusted to resolve its antisemitism problem on its own. During the pre-enforcement engagement process, numerous senior Labour figures called for the Commission to investigate, including Deputy Labour Leader Tom Watson, Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry and former Justice Secretary Lord Falconer.

Gideon Falter, Chief Executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “There are only two reasons that the Commission has taken this extraordinary step. The first is that the Labour Party has repeatedly failed to address its own antisemitism problem. The second is that when the Commission approached the Labour leadership, they still failed to offer to action sufficient to reassure the Commission that the antisemitic discrimination and victimisation would stop.

“Jeremy Corbyn, Jennie Formby and Labour’s National Executive Committee have refused to listen to British Jews nor even to the MPs, MEPs, councillors and activists who have quit Labour because the Party which for decades was a great anti-racist Party has now become a home for hatred in British politics. In just four chilling years, Jeremy Corbyn has turned the Party which pioneered anti-racism into the Party that now finds itself in the company of the BNP, being investigated by the very equality and human rights regulator it once fought so hard to establish. Over the course of his leadership we have seen enough to convince us that Jeremy Corbyn himself is an antisemite and unfit for any public office and though few have acted, most Labour MPs seem to agree with us.

“We are pleased that the Commission’s terms of reference closely follow our recommendations and will see a root and branch investigation of the Labour Party’s antisemitic discrimination, victimisation and harassment, as well as how the Party’s processes and decisions contributed. We commend the Commission for acting on our referral and we have full confidence in its resolve to investigate thoroughly and deliver justice.”

A spokesperson for the Commission said: “The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is today launching a formal investigation to determine whether The Labour Party has unlawfully discriminated against, harassed or victimised people because they are Jewish. The EHRC is pleased that The Labour Party has committed to co-operate fully with its investigation…The EHRC has carefully considered the response it has received from the Party and has now opened a formal investigation under section 20 of the Equality Act 2006 to further examine the concerns. The investigation will seek to determine whether unlawful acts have been committed by the Party and/or its employees and/or its agents; and whether the Party has responded to complaints of unlawful acts in a lawful, efficient and effective manner.”

The terms of reference for the investigation can be found below.

Background

Campaign Against Antisemitism first contacted the Equality and Human Rights Commission during the Labour Party Conference in Brighton in 2017. The conference was so rife with antisemitism that Brighton and Hove City Council’s Labour leader, Warren Morgan, told his own party that he would not permit use of Council premises for the conference again. Mr Morgan has since resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism. At the time, the Chief Executive of the Commission issued a statement demanding that the Labour Party prove “that it is not a racist party”.

Campaign Against Antisemitism made a number of disciplinary complaints to the Labour Party between 2016 and 2018 about Jeremy Corbyn, including about his defence of the antisemitic Tower Hamlets mural in 2012, his Holocaust Memorial Day event in 2010, and his Press TV interview in 2012 (Press TV is an Iranian state broadcaster which Ofcom banned from broadcasting in Britain).

The Labour Party refused to open an investigation into our complaints, and consequently on 31st July 2018, Campaign Against Antisemitism referred the Labour Party to the Commission over its institutional antisemitism. Other organisations, including two groups of Jewish Labour activists, have since written to the Commission to support our referral.

At the Commission’s request, Campaign Against Antisemitism submitted detailed legal arguments in November 2018. We have continued to provide additional legal arguments to the Commission based on developments since November, resulting in the Commission’s announcement on 7th March that it was starting pre-enforcement proceedings against the Labour Party.

During the pre-enforcement period, the Labour Party had an opportunity to make representations to the Commission agreeing a plan of action that would remove the need for a statutory investigation by offering to implement certain measures against antisemitism that the Commission could monitor compliance with.

The Labour Party failed to satisfy the Commission that it could be trusted to address the issue itself, leading to today’s announcement of a full statutory investigation.

Enforcement process and powers

We asked the Commission to open a statutory investigation under section 20 of the Equality Act 2006 into antisemitic discrimination and victimisation in the Labour Party.

Now that a statutory investigation has been launched, the Commission can use its powers to compel the Labour Party to reveal details of its handling of antisemitism in recent years, including internal communications such as text messages and e-mails. It can also seek court injunctions against the Labour Party to prevent further antisemitic discrimination and victimisation, and it can also impose an action plan on the Party and enforce compliance with the plan. Previous statutory investigations include an investigation into unlawful harassment, discrimination and victimisation within the Metropolitan Police Service.

The only other political party to have been subject to a statutory investigation is the British National Party.

Before the Commission opened its statutory investigation, which is considered a form of enforcement action, the Commission entered into a pre-enforcement period of engagement with the Labour Party, allowing it to propose a plan of action and make representations to the Commission giving reasons why enforcement should not commence, and offering to take action voluntarily, under the Commission’s supervision. This is normal practice.

Due to the public and brazen nature of antisemitic discrimination and victimisation in the Labour Party, and due to the Labour Party’s failure to convince the Commission that it would take suitable action, the Commission has now launched a full investigation under section 20 of the Equality Act 2006.

Content of our legal submissions

Campaign Against Antisemitism has submitted four detailed legal submissions to the Commission, initially assisted by specialist human rights counsel Adam Wagner of Doughty Street Chambers and latterly also assisted by Derek Spitz of One Essex Court Chambers. The first was submitted on 9th November 2018.

We will not be releasing the submissions at this stage, however our submissions provided a substantial list of incidents for investigation, including incidents involving Mr Corbyn.

In summary, we made legal arguments that:

  • An unacceptable number of antisemitic incidents of unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation have occurred in Labour in recent years. These have occurred at all levels of the Party and continue to occur.
  • Under Mr Corbyn’s leadership, Labour’s disciplinary mechanisms for dealing with antisemitism have been significantly weakened, and the machinery of the Party has been used to victimise those who stand up against antisemitism. 
  • A culture of denial and victimisation has developed in some sections of Labour in relation to antisemitism. For example, antisemitism allegations are often described as “smears”.
  • The result of the toxic culture which surrounds the issue of antisemitism in Labour is that people who suffer discrimination are subjected to victimisation when they raise complaints or are reluctant to bring complaints in the first place.
  • Antisemitism in Labour should be judged according to the International Definition of Antisemitism, which Labour has itself adopted alongside the government and other major political parties.
  • Labour has failed to put in place a fair and effective complaints and disciplinary process to deal with antisemitism.
  • There is substantial evidence that the problem of antisemitism in Labour has become institutional.
  • Labour appears incapable of resolving this issue of antisemitism itself.
  • There is sufficient evidence to warrant a section 20 statutory investigation by the Commission into whether systemic unlawful acts have occurred in the handling of complaints of antisemitism in relation to Labour officials, members and other representatives, and whether Labour is now institutionally racist.

Terms of reference

The investigation’s finalised terms of reference as issued by the Commission are as follows:

In accordance with paragraph 3 of Schedule 2 to the Equality Act 2006.
Statutory Investigation under section 20 and Schedule 2 of the Equality Act 2006 into The Labour Party by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Background

1. The Commission suspects that The Labour Party (‘the Party’) may have itself, and/or through its employees and/or agents, committed unlawful acts in relation to its members and/or applicants for membership and/or associates.

Scope of investigation

2. The investigation will consider whether the Party carried out such unlawful acts.

3. The investigation will need to be effective but proportionate. The investigation will focus on the Party’s response to a sample of complaints of alleged unlawful acts that have taken place since 11 March 2016. However, the investigation may consider the Party’s response to such complaints that have taken place prior to this date, if it is considered necessary and appropriate.

4. In examining the evidence the Commission will look at such issues as it considers appropriate, which may include any or all of the following:
a. Whether unlawful acts have been committed by the Party and/or its employees and/or its agents
b. The steps taken by the Party to implement the recommendations made in the reports on antisemitism by Baroness Royall, the Home Affairs Select Committee and in the Chakrabarti Report
c. Whether the Rule Book and the Party’s investigatory and disciplinary processes have enabled or could enable it to deal efficiently and effectively with complaints of race and/or religion or belief discrimination and racial harassment and/or victimisation, including whether appropriate sanctions have been and/or could be applied; and
d. Whether the Party has responded to complaints of unlawful acts in a lawful, efficient and effective manner.

5. The Commission will publish a report of its findings and may make recommendations in accordance with Schedule 2 paragraph 16 of the 2006 Act.

Communications concerning this investigation

6. Any communications concerning this investigation may be sent in confidence to [email protected]

Interpretation

7. For the purposes of these terms of reference the following definitions apply:
a. ‘The 2006 Act’ means the Equality Act 2006
b. ‘The 2010 Act’ means the Equality Act 2010
c. ‘The Labour Party’ means the unincorporated association called The Labour Party governed by the Rule Book including those component parts of its structure referred to at Paragraphs 1 and 2 of Clause II, and Clause IX of Chapter 1of the Rule Book 2019 (for the avoidance of doubt this includes the NEC, NCC, CLPs and BLPs) but excluding organisations affiliated to it
d. ‘The Rule Book’ means the Labour Party Rule Book operative at the material time
e. ‘The Commission’ means the Commission for Equality and Human Rights (commonly known as the Equality and Human Rights Commission)
f. ‘Agent’ has the same meaning as in the 2010 Act
g. ‘Associate’ has the same meaning as in the 2010 Act
h. ‘Association’ has the same meaning as in the 2010 Act
i. ‘BLP’ means a branch of a CLP as defined in the Rule Book
j. ‘CLP’ means a Constituency Labour Party as defined in the Rule Book
k. ‘Employee’ has the same meaning as in the 2010 Act
l. ‘Member’ has the same meaning as in the 2010 Act
m. ‘NCC’ means The Labour Party’s National Constitution Committee as defined in the Rule Book
n. ‘NEC’ means The Labour Party’s National Executive Committee as defined in the Rule Book
o. ‘Protected act’ has the same meaning as in the 2010 Act
p. ‘Protected racial characteristic’ means Jewish ethnicity
q. ‘Protected religion or belief characteristic’ means Judaism
r. ‘Racediscrimination’meansdirectdiscriminationor unjustified indirect race discrimination (as those terms are defined in the 2010 Act) because of the protected racial characteristic
s. ‘Religion or belief discrimination’ means direct discrimination or unjustified indirect religion or belief discrimination (as those terms are defined in the 2010 Act) because of the protected religious characteristic
t. ‘Harassment’ means harassment (as that term is defined in the 2010 Act) where the harassment relates to the protected racial characteristic
u. ‘Victimisation’ means victimisation (as that term is defined in the 2010 Act) where the protected act relates to the protected racial characteristic and/or the protected religious characteristic
v. ‘Unlawful acts’ means race discrimination and/or racial harassment and/or religion or belief discrimination and/or victimisation, as defined herein.

8. In the course of the investigation, the Commission may have regard to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism and associated examples, while recognising it is a non-legally binding definition.

How to help

Campaign Against Antisemitism has invested heavily in the legal work required to produce this result, and our volunteers have spent many hundreds of hours compiling evidence.

If you feel that antisemitism is a threat to Britain’s Jews and British society as a whole, please play your part by donating or volunteering to help us. Our success depends on your help.

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Tribestan UK tells Israeli man his order has been cancelled “because the Jews rob us” and “scam the world”

An Israeli man has posted on Facebook an antisemitic e-mail he received from Tribestan UK when he attempted to order a product from them. Rather than shipping his order, he was sent a refund notice along with the message: “We don’t ship to Israel because the Jews rob us! Sorry but that’s a fact! They scam the world. No offence.”

When contacted by the man’s friends, the company 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.

Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “This is a brazen case of antisemitic abuse and discrimination. Tribestan’s Chief Executive, Daniel Davies, has now told us that they were ‘hacked via wifi over a business phone’ and that it was the hacker who issued the refund and sent an e-mail saying orders to Israel will not be fulfilled because ‘the Jews rob us’ and ‘scam the world’. We hear that excuse all too often from antisemites who get caught. We are in touch with the recipient of the e-mail and reviewing legal options with our lawyers.”

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Police swoop on alleged host of internet radio hate station after receiving dossier from CAA

A dossier provided by Campaign Against Antisemitism has led to the arrest by Devon and Cornwall Police of a 67-year-old man from Camborne on Thursday as part of a pre-planned policing operation. The man was arrested on suspicion of producing a racist internet radio broadcast that could incite racial hatred under the Public Order Act 1986. He has since been released but remains under investigation pending further enquiries.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Director of Investigations and Enforcement, Stephen Silverman, said: “The ease with which the internet has been harnessed in recent years by extremists as a vehicle for hate speech is a growing cause for alarm. Campaign Against Antisemitism commends Devon and Cornwall Police for its prompt response and diligent handling of this matter, and will be watching developments with interest.”

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Just 19% of British voters believe Labour and Corbyn are not antisemitic as over 60% condemn Corbyn’s incompetence and dishonesty on issue

A YouGov survey has found that only 19% of British voters say that Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party are not antisemitic.

Just 18 percent of voters say that the Labour Party does not have a problem with antisemitism, while 50 percent think that it does.

The polling shows that in the past year, approximately a further 5% of the public has lost confidence in Mr Corbyn over this matter, reducing those who support him on this issue to less than 20% of the population.

Some of the other key findings for all voters are that:

  • 80 percent say that they had seen either a little or a lot of news coverage about antisemitism in the Labour Party. Campaign Against Antisemitism has been at the forefront of exposing antisemitism in the Party in the national media.
  • 36 percent of all British voters say that Mr Corbyn is antisemitic and 28 percent say that the Labour Party is antisemitic. Only 19 percent say that neither are antisemitic.
  • 65 percent believe that Mr Corbyn’s handling of antisemitism accusations has been incompetent while only 16 per cent think that he has been competent.
  • 60 percent say that Mr Corbyn has been neither honest nor transparent in responding to accusations of antisemitism in the Labour Party, with only 18 percent thinking that he has been honest and transparent.
  • Only 27 percent agree that Labour MPs who are concerned about antisemitism in the Party should remain in the Party nonetheless. So far, just eleven MPs have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism. They have been joined by numerous councillors and members.

YouGov polled a very large sample of 5,180 British adults for the JC between 14th and 17th May for the survey.

In signs that views on antisemitism in politics have become increasingly biased, some of the responses from Labour Party voters are particularly disturbing and revealing:

  • Merely 8 percent say that Mr Corbyn and the Labour Party are antisemitic while 39 percent say that neither are antisemitic.
  • 37 percent say that Mr Corbyn has been honest and transparent in responding to accusations of antisemitism in the Labour Party, while 50 percent say that he has not been honest and transparent.
  • Only 12 percent think that Mr Corbyn is most to blame for the Labour’s antisemitism crisis, with 21 percent blaming Labour’s political opponents.
  • Just 20 percent think that the row over allegations of antisemitism within Labour has increased the amount of hostility Jewish people in Britain experience while 36 percent say that it has not made any difference to the level of hostility.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has begun pre-enforcement proceedings against the Labour Party following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant. The pre-enforcement proceedings are a precursor to opening a full statutory investigation.

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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Labour MEP Mary Honeyball quits the Party citing leadership’s “shameful” failure to tackle antisemitism

Labour MEP, Mary Honeyball, has resigned from the Labour Party, slamming Jeremy Corbyn and the leadership’s “shameful” failure to tackle antisemitism.

Ms Honeyball is one of London’s longest serving MEPs. She has been a Labour member for 43 years, has served as a MEP from 2000 and retired at yesterday’s election.

Announcing her decision in the Evening Standard, she said: “The antisemitism currently infecting the Labour Party, I believe, derives from the Labour leadership’s animosity towards Israel primarily because the country is an ally of the United States. Although the State of Israel and the Jewish people are two completely different things, Corbyn and his allies appear to see fit to view them as virtually one and the same. Shamefully, the Labour leadership have done nothing like enough to purge the Labour Party of the racism shown towards its Jewish members.”

She also criticised Mr Corbyn for being “sympathetic” to Hizballah and Hamas.

In recent months, eleven MPs have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with numerous councillors and members.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has begun pre-enforcement proceedings against the Labour Party following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant. The pre-enforcement proceedings are a precursor to opening a full statutory investigation.

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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Resignation of Theresa May unleashes wave of online abuse claiming she was “destroying Britain’s future for Israel” and controlled by “Zionist banksters”

The resignation today of British Prime Minister Theresa May has unleashed a wave of antisemitic posts on social media.

‘Syed Umar’ exclaimed “Good riddance Zionist bitch” on Twitter. Notorious antisemite, Gilad Atzmon, who humiliatingly capitulated in a libel case against Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Gideon Falter last year, predictably entered the fray and tweeted: “British Jews thank Theresa Je Suis Juif for being a dedicated Sabbos Goy [sic] and destroying Britain’s future for Israel.”

‘Melville Debyuss’ tweeted a claim that Theresa May’s departure heralded the end of the “greedy corrupt lying cheating racist Zionist terrorist war criminal Tories”, adding that he “loves” Jeremy Corbyn. In reference to the horrendous fires that have blazed in Israel, another Twitter user opined: “Israel is in flames and Theresa May is going to step down as PM??? it really is a month of blessings”.

A user named ‘Jay’ waded into a Twitter thread about her resignation: “Shuttup man, Israel is doing to the Palestinians what the Germans did to the Jews. Enough said.”

Over on Facebook, ‘Jefferson Webster’ warned: users wrote: “As one Zionist psychopathe [sic] leaves, another will take over, its [sic] all pantomine [sic] and theratre….! [sic]”

Another conspiratorial post by ‘Robert Broad’ added: “She does what she is told to do so she can achieve considerable wealth from her masters the zionist banksters we call the central bank or better the Bank of England which has nothing to do with England, is resident in a foreign country. It doesn’t even need to present accounts to the inland revenue and it is privately owned by 12 zionist families.”

The hatred was not reserved to the political left. ‘Sean Young’ of Tek Plastering Building Services claimed: “Israel is removing the right in politics, Theresa May is a Zionist and is doing her job to perfection in the destruction of those who wish to conserve the nation”

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CAA applauds Church of Scotland for adopting the International Definition of Antisemitism

The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland has adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism.

Campaign Against Antisemitism applauds the decision which demonstrates the Church of Scotland’s solidarity with the Jewish community in Scotland at this worrying time.

Reverend Dr Richard Frazer, Convener of the Church and Society Council, put forward the proposal to adopt the definition and noted that “antisemitic incidents in the UK are at a record high for the third year in a row.” His motion said that adopting the definition would “aid the Church in challenging antisemitism.”

Britain was the first country in the world to adopt the Definition, something for which Campaign Against Antisemitism, Lord Eric Pickles and others worked hard for over many meetings with officials at Downing Street. The Church of Scotland’s move follows adoption of the definition by the Church of England in September last year.

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Jeremy Corbyn defended “salient points” which were “overlooked” in Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s speech vowing to “wipe Israel off the map” without condemning it

It has emerged that Jeremy Corbyn authored an article in which he defended “salient points” which he felt were “overlooked” in former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s speech vowing to “wipe Israel off the map” at an event called “The world without Zionism”. Mr Ahmadinejad was also quoted as saying that: “Anybody who recognises Israel will burn in the fire of the [Iranian] Islamic nation’s fury.”

While the speech was widely condemned, Mr Corbyn wrote in 2005 for the extreme-left Morning Star: “The opportunity provided by Ahmadinejad’s speech should be used to build dialogue with and within Iran and, of course, on the issue of Palestine. The context overlooked by the sensationalist headlines was that his speech also pointed out what Israel is doing to Palestine. All the righteous indignation never mentioned a few salient points. Israel has illegal and undeclared nuclear weapons, has not signed the non proliferation treaty and continues to develop them.”

Mr Corbyn could not have been in any doubt about the antisemitic nature of the speech, delivered as it was from behind a lectern bearing the title of the event: “The world without Zionism”, however Mr Corbyn did not include any condemnation of the speech, despite it attracting opprobrium from around the world. Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, former US Ambassador Richard Holbrooke and more than a dozen other civic and religious leaders joined with demonstrators outside Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York. Former British Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown also condemned the speech, using an address to the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, in 2008 to say: “To those who believe that threatening statements fall upon indifferent ears we say in one voice: it is totally abhorrent for the President of Iran to call for Israel to be wiped from the map of the world.”

Mr Corbyn’s article was unearthed by investigative journalist Iggy Ostanin.

In addition to seeking a new Holocaust by calling for the annihilation of the Jewish state, Mr Ahmadinejad said the Holocaust was a “myth” and a “lie” and hosted a Holocaust denial conference in 2006 attended by David Duke, the former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.

The latest revelation of Mr Corbyn’s disturbing writings comes just a few days after Hamas, the terrorist organisation which seeks the murder of all Jews worldwide, issued a statement to “salute” Jeremy Corbyn for supporting last weekend’s antisemitic march through London. It said that it had “great respect and appreciation [sic] the solidarity message sent by the British Labor [sic] Party Leader, Jeremy Corbyn.”

Mr Corbyn was formerly paid tens of thousands of pounds to appear on Press TV, the Iranian-run channel, even after it was banned in the UK.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has begun pre-enforcement proceedings against the Labour Party following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant. The pre-enforcement proceedings are a precursor to opening a full statutory investigation.

In recent months, eleven MPs have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with numerous 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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Swastika carved into lift in Parliament’s Norman Shaw Building

A swastika has been carved on a lift in the Norman Shaw North Building of the Parliamentary Estate in London.

The disturbing discovery was made by Oliver Denton Lieberman, the Office Manager for Labour MP for Hampstead and Kilburn, Tulip Siddiq. Mr Lieberman tweeted: “Unbelievable but true — someone has scratched a swastika into the door of our lift in Parliament. Nazi graffiti in the Mother of Parliaments. A sickening act.” He added that he has reported the vandalism to the police.

A spokesperson for the House of Commons told the Jewish News: “We are aware of some highly offensive graffiti in a lift on the Estate and it will be removed as a matter of urgency.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism condemns this appalling act in the heart of British democracy and thanks the House of Commons staff for their swift response.

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Neo-Nazi Jack Renshaw sentenced to life in jail over plot to kill his MP, Rosie Cooper

Jack Renshaw, the former spokesman for National Action, a neo-Nazi terrorist group with a deep rooted antisemitic ideology, has been sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum of 20 years, over his plot to kill his MP, Rosie Cooper.

Mr Renshaw denied being a member of National Action and a jury was unable to reach a verdict on that charge in April last year.

National Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in December 2016 following a long campaign by Campaign Against Antisemitism and others. Under section 11 of the Terrorism Act 2000, membership of a proscribed terrorist organisation is a criminal offence.

Mr Renshaw was sentenced at the Old Bailey for preparing acts of terrorism against Ms Cooper and for threatening to kill a police officer who had been investigating him. He pleaded guilty to both offences last year.

As he was led away in court, he reportedly made what appeared to be a Nazi salute. The Nazi salute, also known as the Hitler salute, is grossly offensive to Jews and is a well-known fascist gesture.

In sentencing Mr Renshaw, Justice McGowan said that: “Your perverted view of history and current politics has caused you to believe it right to demonise groups simply because they are different from you. This is a case in which only a sentence of life imprisonment can meet the appalling seriousness of your offending.”

In 2017, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided to prosecute Mr Renshaw after lawyers for Campaign Against Antisemitism wrote to declare our intention to launch a private prosecution. Mr Renshaw was charged with two offences of incitement to racial hatred in relation to speeches made in 2016, as well as his tweets.

In a video of one of Renshaw’s speeches, he is heard to say: “Now, the refugee problem is part of a bigger problem. It’s a symptom of a disease. That disease is international Jewry. In World War Two, we took the wrong side. We should have been fighting the communists. Instead, we took the side of the communists, and fought the National Socialists who were there to remove Jewry from Europe once and for all. That’s what the Final Solution was. Instead, we let these parasites live among us, and they still do. They get into our councils, they get into our institutions, they get into our parliament, they run our banks, they run all of the companies we see around us. But we let these people, we let these people destroy us, and they are still destroying us now. And we’re pointing fingers at the symptoms and not the disease. Let’s cure the disease and then cure all of the symptoms by default…You can call me Nazi, you can call me fascist, that is what I am.”

Echoing his normal rhetoric, a Twitter account allegedly operated by Mr Renshaw was used to attack Jews, with one tweet declaring: “Jews are financial and cultural parasites, destroying Europe. Let’s actually start the ovens this time. #Holohoax #WithJewsWeLose #NSForever”. Another tweet claimed that the Holocaust was a hoax: “2.4 million Jews were living in Nazi territories, 3.8 million of those Jews applied for reparations and 6 million died? #BasicMath #Holohoax”.

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Universities Minister Chris Skidmore tells UK universities to “show moral leadership” and formally adopt International Definition of Antisemitism

Chris Skidmore, the Minister of State for Universities, has urged all of the UK’s higher education institutions to formally adopt the International Definition of Antisemitism.

In a letter to all universities, Mr Skidmore wrote that: “Institutions like King’s College London are already displaying leadership in this area but I expect our universities, as vehicles of change, to show moral leadership and adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism, which shows that an institution and its senior leaders are serious about ensuring their campuses are tolerant environments where ideas and debate can flourish but persecution can never take hold.”

The Department for Education (DfE) posted a video on Twitter reiterating the message and calling on universities to adopt the definition. Mr Skidmore met with Jewish students yesterday to hear about their concerns and experiences of antisemitism on campus.

Jewish students sometimes suffer appalling intimidation, abuse and even violence at British universities.

The National Union of Students has adopted the definition, but the University and College Union has rejected it.

Campaign Against Antisemitism applauds Mr Skidmore for taking this measure which demonstrates the Government’s support for Jewish students.

Students who would like advice or help can e-mail us at [email protected].

Britain was the first country in the world to adopt the Definition, something for which Campaign Against Antisemitism, Lord Eric Pickles and others worked hard for over many meetings with officials at Downing Street.

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Hamas issues statement in “salute” to Jeremy Corbyn, noting its “great respect and appreciation” for his support of antisemitic march

Hamas, the terrorist organisation which seeks the murder of all Jews worldwide, has issued a statement in which it “salutes” Jeremy Corbyn for supporting this weekend’s antisemitic march through London. It said that it had “great respect and appreciation [sic] the solidarity message sent by the British Labor [sic] Party Leader, Jeremy Corbyn”.

Only one leader of a British political party could expect to be “saluted” by Hamas, the genocidal antisemitic terrorist organisation. Clearly Hamas feels that when it comes to Jews, Jeremy Corbyn is a brother in arms. Who could say that they are wrong after he gave his fulsome backing to this weekend’s chilling antisemitic rally, attended by both the leader of the National Front and known members of the Muslim Brotherhood?

Almost 55,000 people have signed our petition stating that Jeremy Corbyn is an antisemite and unfit for public office.

Hamas’ statement, which was first reported by Mail Online Global Editor Jake Wallis-Simons, comes in response to Mr Corbyn’s decision to warmly back an antisemitic march through London at the weekend. He sent a statement to be read out by Diane Abbott, which was received with cheers by the crowd, amongst which were Shadow Justice Secretary Richard Burgon, National Front leader Tony Martin, and known members of the Muslim Brotherhood. The crowd began cheering at the mere mention of Mr Corbyn’s name and applause and cheering continued as his statement was read. The cheers were videoed by a Twitter user who is well-known to Campaign Against Antisemitism for sending Jews abuse online.

The march, entitled the “National Demonstration for Palestine: Exist! Resist! Return!”, was organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), of which Mr Corbyn is patron. Mr Corbyn has long championed the PSC, attending many of its events, including one of which at which he was filmed applauding antisemitic poetry.

Marchers also cheered as one speaker told them that American Rabbis fuelled the neo-Nazis who shot and killed worshippers at synagogues in the United States, and that Jewish organisations and leaders were “in the gutter with…rats” and “part of the problem”. The speaker was then put in charge of antisemitism training at an official Labour Party event.

Volunteers from Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit went into the thick of the protest to gather evidence which our Crime Unit is already reviewing.

Under a heavy police presence, protesters assembled outside the BBC headquarters and marched to Whitehall, the heart of British democracy, via iconic Regent Street. The BBC is just a short walk from Central Synagogue where many Jews were gathered for the Sabbath.

Various placards and badges on brazen display drew upon antisemitic conspiracy theories. One large placard declared that “Israel provokes antisemitism”. A badge emblazoned with a Star of David with a Nazi swastika in its midst proclaimed “Down with Zionism”. Another placard repeated the rhyme frequently chanted by the marchers; “From the [Jordan] river to the [Mediterranean] sea, Palestine will be free”, which only makes sense as a call for the destruction of the Jewish state and its replacement with a Palestinian state, and is thus an attempt to uniquely deny Jews the right to self-determination. One marcher held aloft a placard suggesting that the BBC is controlled by the Israeli Prime Minister, whilst others hinted strongly at blood libels, carrying a coffin emblazoned with a claim that “Israelis execute Palestinian children” while another held a placard showing a diamond dripping with blood, stating that Israel exports “blood diamonds”, a phrase normally used to refer to diamonds mined by war criminals, usually using child slave labour.

The leader of the National Front, Tony Martin, attended the march, as did known Islamist extremists spotted by our volunteers, including one who was wearing the emblem of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Activists from “Labour Against Zionist Islamophobic Racism” or LAZIR, founded by Pete Gregson, who was reportedly expelled from the GMB Union over his claims that Israel “exaggerates” the Nazi Germany’s genocide of six million Jews “for political ends” and who seeks to drive “Zionism out of the Labour Party”, handed out leaflets claiming that Zionism, the movement to grant Jews self-determination, is “racism”.

Marching alongside them was the antisemitism-denial group, the sham Jewish Voice for Labour. Its Secretary, Glyn Secker, made a speech which was rapturously received, claiming that Jews were “in the gutter” and “part of the problem”.

Holding American Rabbis responsible for fuelling the neo-Nazis behind antisemitic terrorism, including the fatal terrorist attack on Poway synagogue, Mr Secker claimed that they were “unleashing the extreme-right to win key votes in marginal states which determine the presidency”.

He then called 119 Labour MPs who are “friends of Israel” a “fifth column in the Labour Party led by [Dame Margaret] Hodge and [Tom] Watson and the Jewish Labour Movement.” Upon hearing the name of the Jewish Labour Movement, the crowd booed loudly.

“What on earth are Jews doing in the gutter with these rats?” Mr Secker asked, after claiming that the “Zionist Federation embraces the [far-right] English Defence League”, which is a fabrication. The crowd responded with calls of “Ban then from the Labour Party”.

Mr Secker then asked when Jews would fight fascism, before building to a crescendo: “Here’s a warning to the [British] Jewish leadership, while you foment your campaign of allegations of antisemitism against Corbyn and the left to silence Israel’s critics, while you cry wolf month after month, year after year in the Labour Party and remain blind to the explosion of the far-right and Islamophobia, you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.” The crowd cheered, by Mr Secker continued: “You serve to protect the poison that would destroy both our freedom and yours. Well brothers and sisters, we are on the side of the Palestinians. We are on the side of the freedom marchers of ghetto Gaza.”

Labour leaders previously intervened to stop Mr Secker from being punished under the Party’s disciplinary process.

Following his speech, Mr Secker has been put in charge of antisemitism training at an official Labour Party event.

Ahed Tamimi, who served almost eight months in prison in Israel for assault, was the star attraction and addressed the crowd briefly. She finished her speech by repeating the antisemitic chant: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit saw no attempt by stewards from the PSC to remonstrate with any of the speakers or marchers.

Richard Burgon, Shadow Secretary of State for Justice, who previously claimed that “Zionism is the enemy of peace” having told a court under oath that he had said no such thing, also addressed the crowd. The fact that Mr Burgon and Ms Abbott, such senior Labour politicians, attended an event which saw widespread antisemitism should be a cause for considerable concern.

The marchers, however, did not have the streets of central London to themselves. A brave group of anti-terrorism activists waving Israeli flags confronted the marchers.

The protest was organised by the PSC, Stop the War Coalition, Palestinian Forum in Britain, Friends of Al- Aqsa and the Muslim Association of Britain. It was supported by the pro-Corbyn Momentum faction of the Labour Party as well as trade unions Unite, PCS, Unison, GMB, RMT, ASLEF, UCU, NEU, TSSA, CWU, and other organisations including the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and the Amos Trust charity.

An investigation by Campaign Against Antisemitism in 2017 exposed extensive antisemitic bigotry amongst supporters of the PSC. Just this week, an Evening Standard investigation uncovered supporters of the PSC sharing antisemitic posts comparing Israelis to Nazis. The shocking antisemitic posts reportedly included a cartoon comparing Israeli Jews with white power neo-Nazis and an image of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu bathing in Palestinian blood, posing with Adolf Hitler.

The march was a clear example of the coalition of antisemitism that British Jews now find themselves the target of. The far-left, the far-right and Islamist extremists clearly all share a common hatred of Jews.

We are now reviewing the evidence that we gathered at the march. Where crimes were committed, we will work with the authorities to ensure that there are arrests and prosecutions.

As for Jeremy Corbyn, his actions clearly show that he is an antisemite who is unfit for office.

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Glyn Secker, who said Jewish organisations are “in the gutter” and “part of the problem”, put in charge of antisemitism training at official Labour event

Glyn Secker, the Secretary of the the antisemitism-denial group, the sham Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL), who said that Jewish organisations are “in the gutter” and “part of the problem”, will reportedly be giving training on antisemitism to Labour members at an official Labour Party event.

According to the JC, an advertisement on Labour’s official website confirms that Mr Secker will be giving a presentation to Reading and District Labour Party on 30th May. He will deliver the talk in his role as Secretary of JVL.

On Saturday, Mr Secker made a speech at the “National Demonstration for Palestine” in central London which was rapturously received, claiming that Jews were “in the gutter” and “part of the problem”.

Holding American Rabbis responsible for fuelling the neo-Nazis behind antisemitic terrorism, including the fatal terrorist attack on Poway synagogue, Mr Secker claimed that they were “unleashing the extreme-right to win key votes in marginal states which determine the presidency”.

He then called 119 Labour MPs who are “friends of Israel” a “fifth column in the Labour Party led by [Dame Margaret] Hodge and [Tom] Watson and the Jewish Labour Movement.” Upon hearing the name of the Jewish Labour Movement, the crowd booed loudly.

“What on earth are Jews doing in the gutter with these rats?” Mr Secker asked, after claiming that the “Zionist Federation embraces the [far-right] English Defence League”, which is a fabrication. The crowd responded with calls of “Ban then from the Labour Party”.

Mr Secker then asked when Jews would fight fascism, before building to a crescendo: “Here’s a warning to the [British] Jewish leadership, while you foment your campaign of allegations of antisemitism against Corbyn and the left to silence Israel’s critics, while you cry wolf month after month, year after year in the Labour Party and remain blind to the explosion of the far-right and Islamophobia, you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.” The crowd cheered, by Mr Secker continued: “You serve to protect the poison that would destroy both our freedom and yours. Well brothers and sisters, we are on the side of the Palestinians. We are on the side of the freedom marchers of ghetto Gaza.”

The protest saw open antisemitism from attendees. Numerous antisemitic banners and placards were carried through the streets, including one declaring that “Israel provokes antisemitism.” In attendance were senior Labour MPs, known members of the Muslim Brotherhood, and Tony Martin, the leader of the neo-Nazi National Front.

Labour leaders previously intervened to stop Mr Secker from being punished under the Party’s disciplinary process.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has begun pre-enforcement proceedings against the Labour Party following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant. The pre-enforcement proceedings are a precursor to opening a full statutory investigation.

In recent months, eleven MPs have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with numerous councillors and members.

Almost 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 BBC inaccurately translates the words of Hamas supporters in order to whitewash the extent of their genocidal antisemitism

On six separate occasions during a programme commissioned by the BBC to mark last year’s riots on Gaza’s border with Israel, the Arabic word for ‘Jew’ was translated as ‘Israeli’ in an apparent attempt to sanitise the rioters’ hatred of Jews. During the programme, entitled One Day in Gaza, the rioters spoke about their involvement in the riots, the protestors referred to ‘Yahudi’, or its plural ‘Yahud’. The only correct translation of this is ‘Jew’ or ‘Jews’, however, the BBC made the editorial decision to substitute ‘Israeli’ or ‘Israelis’ in its subtitled translation, in an apparent attempt to give the impression that Hamas supporters want to kill Israeli Jews but not Jews elsewhere.

In one interview, a young Palestinian man describes in Arabic how “The revolutionary songs excite you, they encourage you rip a Jew’s head off.” The translation provided by the BBC replaced “Jew” with “Israeli”.

In another clip, a Palestinian woman tells the interviewer, “When we wanted to cross the fence, some of us distracted the Jews with stones and Molotov Cocktails.” Again, the translation was shown as “Israeli” instead of “Jew”.

The population of Israel includes Jews, Christians, Muslims and people of other faiths. The BBC’s substitution of ‘Israeli’ for ‘Jew’ appears to be a deliberate attempt to whitewash the murderous antisemitism of Hamas supporters. Hamas is proscribed as a terrorist organisation and seeks the genocide of all Jews worldwide.

Campaign Against Antisemitism will be making a formal complaint to Ofcom about the BBC’s misleading reporting of this highly sensitive issue.

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Prime Minister reveals 80,000 Britons used chat room for neo-Nazis

A white nationalist and neo-Nazi online discussion forum received 80,000 visits from people in the UK, Prime Minister Theresa May has revealed.

According to The Times, the work by the Home Office’s Office for Security and Counter Terrorism shows that the white nationalist and neo-Nazi discussion forum had 12 million posts during its lifetime. In one month it had 800,000 visits, with 80,000 appearing to originate from the UK.

The Prime Minister joined world leaders at the Online Extremism Summit in Paris to focus on international efforts to stop social media being used to organise and promote terrorism. The summit was prompted by the terrorist attack at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand in March, in which 51 people died during an attack that was live streamed on Facebook.

At the summit, the Prime Minister signed up to the “Christchurch Call To Action” pledge to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online. She called for consistent standards to keep internet users safe from harm and said that it is time to confront the growing threat from the far-right. Home Office figures published last year showed that the number of people referred to Prevent, the counter-extremism programme, for concerns over extreme right-wing activity rose by more than a third to 1,312 out of 7,318 referrals in 2017-2018, up from 968 in the previous year.

The summit was also attended by Justin Trudeau, the Canadian Prime Minister, Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, Jack Dorsey, Twitter’s Chief Executive and Sir Nick Clegg, Head of Global Affairs at Facebook.

National Action, a neo-Nazi group with deep rooted antisemitic ideologies, was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in December 2016 following a long campaign by Campaign Against Antisemitism and others. Under section 11 of the Terrorism Act 2000, membership of a proscribed terrorist organisation is a criminal offence.

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Former Labour Minister Bridget Prentice quits Party over “shameful” and “mealy mouthed” failure to tackle antisemitism

Bridget Prentice, the former Labour minister and MP for Lewisham East, has resigned from the Party over its failure to tackle antisemitism.

In a letter posted on Twitter, Ms Prentice wrote: “Over the past three years I have watched in horror as Jewish members have begged for support against the growth of antisemitism both within and out with the Party. Mealy-mouthed words have replaced what should have been strong and determined condemnation of bigots and bullies. The response was slow, reluctant and inadequate…For a pregnant woman MP [Luciana Berger, who is Jewish] to be bullied out of the Party is shameful and embarrassing.”

In response, a Labour Party spokesperson issued the hackneyed and meaningless lie that: “The Labour Party is absolutely committed to challenging and campaigning against antisemitism in all its forms and wherever it occurs.”

Ms Prentice, a Labour Party member for 45 years, served as a Labour MP for Lewisham East from 1992 to 2010 as well as serving as a government whip and a junior minister.

In recent months, eleven MPs have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with numerous councillors and members.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has begun pre-enforcement proceedings against the Labour Party following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant. The pre-enforcement proceedings are a precursor to opening a full statutory investigation.

Almost 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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Witnesses sought over antisemitic violence and verbal abuse targeting elderly man and young boys in St Johns Wood

Witness are being sought over two antisemitic attacks by the same perpetrator on Saturday 4th May as Jews returned home from synagogue in St John’s Wood, in London.

The first attack took place at approximately 12:10 directly outside St John’s Wood Synagogue on Grove End Road. Two men, one of them elderly and walking very slowly with a stick, were accosted by a man walking in the opposite direction. As he approached them, he turned and said “You f***ing Jews”, following up with a torrent of antisemitic abuse. The Jewish men were concerned that their abuser might become violent, so they walked away, at which point the younger Jewish man was kicked hard from behind. He called for security from the synagogue who spoke to the abuser, who they think they might have seen before in the area, whilst the Jewish men walked away.

Approximately five minutes later, the same man perpetrated a second attack, this time on Hall Road against a Jewish father walking home with his two young sons. The man chased after the family, shouting: “You’re scum! You’re all scum! Your people are scum! Disgusting people. F*** you! F*** your sons!” The father, concerned for his children grabbed their hands and crossed the road, but the man followed them, shouting: “Take that revolting thing off your head!” The father instructed his children to run home ahead of him as fast as they could.

The assailant then became distracted by the driver of a white saloon car that was waiting at the traffic lights on Hall Road, giving the father time to catch up with his children and run home with them.

The perpetrator of both attacks has been described to Campaign Against Antisemitism as a lean black man aged around 30 and 191 centimetres (6 feet and 3 inches) tall. At the time of the attacks, he was attired in a track suit with a red and grey top, and a black baseball cap emblazoned with the logo of the Los Angeles Raiders in white outline.

These attacks were committed in broad daylight against people walking with very young children and an elderly man. The perpetrator was violent and persistently abusive, in each case continuing his abuse while his victims tried to get away from him. It is important that he is brought to justice.

Anybody with information about the man described should call the police by dialling 101 and citing crime number 6531054/19, or e-mail Campaign Against Antisemitism at [email protected]. It would be especially helpful to hear from anyone who thinks that they may have seen this man before, was walking or driving in the area, or may have a CCTV system that may have recorded the roads between Grove End Road and Hall Road that afternoon.

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Leak shows Labour took months to act over antisemitism cases, and waited a year to launch formal investigation into comments by Ken Livingstone

BuzzFeed News has obtained hundreds of internal Labour Party e-mails revealing that Labour’s Compliance Unit took took months to act over antisemitism cases, including procrastinating for a year before eventually launching a formal investigation into comments by the disgraced former Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone.

The e-mails were passed to BuzzFeed News by a former Labour Party official and a member of the Labour International group, who both said that they wanted to expose failings in the Compliance Unit’s response to antisemitism complaints before Jennie Formby became General Secretary in April 2018.

According to BuzzFeed News, e-mails between two former senior members of the Labour Compliance Unit, Sam Matthews and John Stolliday, and other Party officials also show that the unit took more than a year to suspend a member who defended fascist participants in the 1936 Battle of Cable Street, and eight months to suspend a council candidate who posted an articleclaiming that the Holocaust was a “hoax”.

In the case of Mr Livingstone, BuzzFeed News revealed that Labour’s Compliance Unit failed to launch a formal investigation over comments he made while he was suspended.

According to the e-mails, in January 2018 concerns were raised with Laura Murray that Mr Livingstone was due to be readmitted to the Party in April that year, as his suspension for his comments claiming that Hitler supported Zionism was due to come to an end.

Ms Murray is the disgraced senior parliamentary aide to Mr Corbyn who was formally appointed to lead the Labour Party’s disciplinary process. She was exposed for intervening to prevent the suspension of alleged antisemite Pat Sheerin from the Labour Party. In leaked e-mails, she said that she intervened on behalf of Mr Corbyn himself.

The e-mails show that Labour’s Compliance Unit had received a number of further complaints about comments made by Mr Livingstone in interviews after his hearing at the Party’s National Constitutional Committee (NCC) in April 2017, but failed to order a formal investigation in the nine months that followed.

Compliance Unit official John Stolliday confirmed in an e-mail to Ms Murray that: “A second suspension was not applied, so he will come back into membership in April. The Party received a small number of complaints about his comments after the NCC hearing. We haven’t formally opened a new investigation yet, and that is a conversation we will have over here.” He added that the situation meant that Mr Livingstone was due to be “unsuspended shortly before the local elections.” He said that he recognised this was “not ideal in terms of campaigning.”

Ms Murray then asked Mr Stolliday if Mr Livingstone’s existing suspension could be extended. She wrote that it would be “disastrous for him to be reinstated as a member just two weeks before the local elections” and requested that the compliance unit inform her of its decision.

Yet Mr Livingstone faced no action until March when he eventually had his suspension extended, nearly a whole year after the new complaints were received and two months after Ms Murray’s request.

The former Labour official who passed BuzzFeed News the e-mails claimed: “Even after Laura Murray’s intervention, it still took the Compliance unit another two months to extend Ken Livingstone’s suspension, and that was nearly a year after they received the complaints. All the time the possibility of Livingstone being reinstated meant the party was being dragged through the mud in the press.”

In response to this expose, a Labour Party source told BuzzFeed News that since becoming General Secretary, Jennie Formby has sped up the process for dealing with antisemitism complaints. They claim that between April 2018 and January 2019, 96 members were handed suspensions and 12 were expelled.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has begun pre-enforcement proceedings against the Labour Party following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant. The pre-enforcement proceedings are a precursor to opening a full statutory investigation.

In recent months, eleven MPs have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with numerous councillors and members.

Over 50,000 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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Crowds at Corbyn-supported anti-Israel march attended by National Front leader cheer as speaker says Jewish organisations are “in the gutter” and “part of the problem”

Central London was brought to a chaotic standstill today as thousands marched and rallied against Israel at the “National Demonstration for Palestine: Exist! Resist! Return!”

The march saw open antisemitism from attendees, many of whom cheered as one speaker told adoring crowds that Jewish organisations are “in the gutter” and “part of the problem”. Numerous antisemitic banners and placards were carried through the streets, including one declaring that “Israel provokes antisemitism.” In attendance were senior Labour MPs, known Islamist extremists, and Tony Martin, the leader of the neo-Nazi National Front.

Volunteers from Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit went into the thick of the protest to gather evidence which our Crime Unit is already reviewing.

Under a heavy police presence, protesters assembled outside the BBC headquarters and marched to Whitehall, the heart of British democracy, via iconic Regent Street. The BBC is just a short walk from Central Synagogue where many Jews were gathered for the Sabbath.

Various placards and badges on brazen display drew upon antisemitic conspiracy theories. One large placard declared that “Israel provokes antisemitism”. A badge emblazoned with a Star of David with a Nazi swastika in its midst proclaimed “Down with Zionism”. Another placard repeated the rhyme frequently chanted by the marchers; “From the [Jordan] river to the [Mediterranean] sea, Palestine will be free”, which only makes sense as a call for the destruction of the Jewish state and its replacement with a Palestinian state, and is thus an attempt to uniquely deny Jews the right to self-determination. One marcher held aloft a placard suggesting that the BBC is controlled by the Israeli Prime Minister, whilst others hinted strongly at blood libels, carrying a coffin emblazoned with a claim that “Israelis execute Palestinian children” while another held a placard showing a diamond dripping with blood, stating that Israel exports “blood diamonds”, a phrase normally used to refer to diamonds mined by war criminals, usually using child slave labour.

Known Islamist extremists were also spotted by our volunteers, including one who was wearing the emblem of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Activists from “Labour Against Zionist Islamophobic Racism” or LAZIR, founded by Pete Gregson, who was reportedly expelled from the GMB Union over his claims that Israel “exaggerates” the Nazi Germany’s genocide of six million Jews “for political ends” and who seeks to drive “Zionism out of the Labour Party”, handed out leaflets claiming that Zionism, the movement to grant Jews self-determination, is “racism”.

Marching alongside them was the antisemitism-denial group, the sham Jewish Voice for Labour. Its Secretary, Glyn Secker, made a speech which was rapturously received, claiming that Jews were “in the gutter” and “part of the problem”.

Holding American Rabbis responsible for fuelling the neo-Nazis behind antisemitic terrorism, including the fatal terrorist attack on Poway synagogue, Mr Secker claimed that they were “unleashing the extreme-right to win key votes in marginal states which determine the presidency”.

He then called 119 Labour MPs who are “friends of Israel” a “fifth column in the Labour Party led by [Dame Margaret] Hodge and [Tom] Watson and the Jewish Labour Movement.” Upon hearing the name of the Jewish Labour Movement, the crowd booed loudly.

“What on earth are Jews doing in the gutter with these rats?” Mr Secker asked, after claiming that the “Zionist Federation embraces the [far-right] English Defence League”, which is a fabrication. The crowd responded with calls of “Ban then from the Labour Party”.

Mr Secker then asked when Jews would fight fascism, before building to a crescendo: “Here’s a warning to the [British] Jewish leadership, while you foment your campaign of allegations of antisemitism against Corbyn and the left to silence Israel’s critics, while you cry wolf month after month, year after year in the Labour Party and remain blind to the explosion of the far-right and Islamophobia, you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.” The crowd cheered, by Mr Secker continued: “You serve to protect the poison that would destroy both our freedom and yours. Well brothers and sisters, we are on the side of the Palestinians. We are on the side of the freedom marchers of ghetto Gaza.”

Labour leaders previously intervened to stop Mr Secker from being punished under the Party’s disciplinary process.

Ahed Tamimi, who served almost eight months in prison in Israel for assault, was the star attraction and addressed the crowd briefly. She finished her speech by repeating the antisemitic chant: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit saw no attempt by stewards from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) to remonstrate with any of the speakers or marchers.

Jeremy Corbyn, who is patron of the PSC, gave the march his ringing endorsement. A statement from him was read out by Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott and videoed by a Twitter user who is well-known to us for sending Jews abuse online. The crowd began cheering at the mere mention of Mr Corbyn’s name and applause and cheering continued as his statement was read. Mr Corbyn has long championed the PSC, attending many of its events, including one of which at which he was filmed applauding antisemitic poetry.

Richard Burgon, Shadow Secretary of State for Justice, who previously claimed that “Zionism is the enemy of peace” having told a court under oath that he had said no such thing, also addressed the crowd. The fact that Mr Burgon and Ms Abbott, such senior Labour politicians, attended an event which saw widespread antisemitism should be a cause for considerable concern.

The marchers, however, did not have the streets of central London to themselves. A brave group of anti-terrorism activists waving Israeli flags confronted the marchers.

The protest was organised by the PSC, Stop the War Coalition, Palestinian Forum in Britain, Friends of Al- Aqsa and the Muslim Association of Britain. It was supported by the pro-Corbyn Momentum faction of the Labour Party as well as trade unions Unite, PCS, Unison, GMB, RMT, ASLEF, UCU, NEU, TSSA, CWU, and other organisations including the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and the Amos Trust charity.

An investigation by Campaign Against Antisemitism in 2017 exposed extensive antisemitic bigotry amongst supporters of the PSC. Just this week, an Evening Standard investigation uncovered supporters of the PSC sharing antisemitic posts comparing Israelis to Nazis. The shocking antisemitic posts reportedly included a cartoon comparing Israeli Jews with white power neo-Nazis and an image of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu bathing in Palestinian blood, posing with Adolf Hitler.

The fact that this march saw such brazen displays of antisemitism, with warm support for and from the Labour Party and major trade unions, as well as with the attendance of Islamists and at least one neo-Nazi leader, clearly shows the coalition of antisemitism that British Jews now find themselves the target of. The far-left, the far-right and Islamist extremists clearly all share a common hatred of Jews, and they all attempt to conceal their antisemitism as opposition the world’s only Jewish state.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Crime Unit is now reviewing the evidence gathered today by the volunteers of our Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit. Where crimes have been committed, we will pursue prosecutions.

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The Times should apologise for publishing front-page claim that privately-schooled children in Britain face discrimination akin to Nazi propaganda

Today The Times published an article on its front page claiming that children who attend private schools in the UK face discrimination akin to Nazi propaganda.

In the article, Dr Anthony Wallersteiner, headmaster at Stowe School in Buckinghamshire, complained that the universities of Oxford and Cambridge had been reducing the number of places that they offered to pupils from private schools.

However, without a trace of disagreement, The Times then wrote: “Dr Wallersteiner, who is of Jewish descent, also likened criticism of private schools and the elite to antisemitic abuse, saying: ‘The rise of populists and polemicists has created a micro-industry in bashing private schools. Some of the criticisms echo the conspiratorial language of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. It was relatively easy for Hitler and his henchmen to suggest that the Jewish minority was over-represented in key professions: medicine, law, teaching and the creative industries. Privately educated pupils in the UK are also being accused of dominating the top jobs and stifling social mobility…it is all too facile to stereotype groups and ignore the fact that lawyers, doctors, writers and politicians are individuals.’”

Nazi propaganda against Jews was used to generate public support not only for exclusion from education but also for brutal beatings, boycotts, degradation and eventually the mass murder of six million Jewish men, women and children.

Tasteless Holocaust analogies do not belong in the debate about education in this country. Moreover, they do not belong on the front page of respected national newspapers.

Campaign Against Antisemitism calls on The Times to apologise for publishing Dr Wallersteiner’s remarks without editorial indication of their absurdity, and investigate how such an offensive comparison came to pass all of the many levels of editorial supervision to be published on the front page. It is clear that senior members of the editorial team responsible for this decision are in dire need of history lessons.

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Andrew Murray, close adviser to Jeremy Corbyn, authored article claiming roots of 9/11 lay in “Zionist colonialism”

It has emerged that in 2005, Andrew Murray, a close adviser to Jeremy Corbyn, authored an article in which he claimed that the roots of the 9/11 terror attacks lay in “Zionist colonialism” of the Balfour Declaration.

The comments, which appeared in an article that he wrote for the extreme-left Morning Star newspaper, have been exposed by investigative journalist Iggy Ostanin.

Mr Murray, who is the Unite union’s Chief of Staff, suggested that the 9/11 attacks were a criminal act rather than an act of war. He continued: “Even if one considers it a war, only the most Anglo-Saxon-centric commentator could consider it the start of the war. For millions around the world, the ‘war’ began with the Anglo-French seizure of Arab lands as the Ottoman empire rotted, with the Balfour declaration in 1917 giving the green light to Zionist colonialism.”

In March this year, The Times reported that Mr Murray remarked in a 2008 book that: “Hitler is uniquely excoriated because his victims were almost all white Europeans.”

Mr Murray sparked controversy when he reportedly linked the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing to UK foreign policy. He said that he condemned attack “without reservation” but argued British action abroad had “contributed to the environment in which these sorts of atrocities take place.”

Mr Murray also reportedly took an interest in lifting the suspension of activist, Glyn Secker, who was accused of antisemitism, according to leaked e-mails. According to The Sunday Times, Mr Secker was being investigated for joining the antisemitism-infested Palestine Live Facebook group, whose members had posted conspiracy theories about supposed Israeli involvement in the 9/11 terror attacks, but Mr Corbyn’s Director of Strategy and Communications, Seamus Milne, told Party officials to reinstate Mr Secker. Mr Murray said that Mr Corbyn himself was “interested in this one.”

Mr Murray’s daughter, Laura, is the disgraced senior parliamentary aide to Mr Corbyn who was formally appointed to lead the Labour Party’s disciplinary process. She was exposed for intervening to prevent the suspension of alleged antisemite Pat Sheerin from the Labour Party. In leaked e-mails, she said that she intervened on behalf of Mr Corbyn himself.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has begun pre-enforcement proceedings against the Labour Party following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant. The pre-enforcement proceedings are a precursor to opening a full statutory investigation.

In recent months, eleven MPs have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with numerous councillors and members.

Over 50,000 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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Asian Image calls out antisemitic video blaming Jews for putting more gas in carbonated drinks during Ramadan

The Asian Image has exposed a conspiracy-theory laden antisemitic video that blames Jews for deliberately increasing the gas content in carbonated drinks during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Campaign Against Antisemitism thanks and commends The Asian Image for reporting this story and for bravely calling out antisemitism. The Asian Image is the “North West’s biggest and most widely read Asian Newspaper.”

The newspaper voices concerns about the dissemination of antisemitic videos, stating: “One of the most alarming features is how people are now sharing videos without realising the antisemitic nature of the content. Some of these are in English but a growing number are in other languages.”

It concludes with: “If a video was being shared which supported anti-Muslim conspiracy theories there would indeed be understandable uproar. So, why are we so irresponsible when it comes to such content?”

In the video, a man speaking Urdu states that it is important not to begin fasting with carbonated drinks, claiming that cold and carbonated drinks can even cause death. He then claims that many carbonated drinks companies are owned and run by Jews who have “purposely planned” to increase the carbonation of some soft drinks, and that according to the Quran, Muslims are not permitted to have relations or friendships with Jews in any way.

This is one of the most bizarre antisemitic conspiracy theories that we have come across and we applaud The Asian Image for bringing this to the attention of their large readership. The persecution of Jews has often been underpinned by the idea that Jews participate in secret and sinister plots to exert wide-ranging control throughout the world.

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Labour successfully stands Rachel Abbotts as a councillor after ignoring complaint and letting local Party rule that sharing article claiming “Jews declared war on Germany” was not antisemitic

The Labour Party has succeeded in standing Rachel Abbotts as a councillor in Derbyshire amid claims that the Party totally ignored a complaint that she had posted on Facebook that “the Jews declared war on Germany in 1933.” Despite the complaint being passed to the local MP, Ruth George, the national Labour Party said that it had no record of a complaint and the local Labour Party said that the post was not antisemitic because Cllr Abbotts had shared it without commenting on it.

According to the JC, Cllr Abbotts posted the neo-Nazi material in 2016 as she took part in a discussion on Facebook with her partner, Mark Abbotts. He had told another person that: “people seem to forget that it was the Jews who declared war on Germany”, before attempting to share a link to back up his claim. When he could not share it, he wrote that: “Hitler stated that no-one will ever ask the victors if they told the truth…and its [sic] probably isn’t available, the truth apparently rarely is, but its [sic] still true…”

Cllr Abbotts then reportedly shared a screenshot of the article that her partner appeared to be referring to, an article republished on a website called “Wintersonnenwende”, which attempts to rehabilitate the image of Hitler and the Nazi regime.

According to Wintersonnewende, the article was originally published on The Barnes Review, a website the Southern Poverty Law Center calls “one of the most virulent antisemitic organisations around…dedicated to historical revisionism and Holocaust denial.” The article put the words “The Holocaust” in quotation marks and claimed that “Jewish leaders, in combination with powerful international Jewish financial interests” boycotted Germany “for the express purpose” of crippling the economy to bring down the Nazis. It added that Jewish people “effectively fired the first shot in the Second World War.”

It also claimed that the Nazis never planned to exterminate Jews and that the deportation of German Jews to the East was in response to “the leadership of the world Jewish community [having] formally declared war on Germany…the German authorities thus deemed Jews to be potential enemy agents.”

Complaints about the material Cllr Abbotts shared online were sent to local Labour MP Ruth George and in February she said that she had passed it on to the local and national Labour Party, according to the JC. The Party’s complaints unit, however, claimed to have no record of receiving the material and is now investigating “urgently”. Ms George herself was implicated in antisemitism and was forced to apologise in February after she suggested that the MPs who quit Labour to set up Change UK due to antisemitism may have been “financially backed” by Israel.

Fiona Sloman, who chairs the High Peak Constituency Labour Party, told the JC that the local Party became aware of the matter in February but stressed that “sole responsibility for investigating such matters lies with the national Labour Party.” The local Party met to re-examine Cllr Abbotts’ nomination for the council but found “no evidence of antisemitism on Rachel’s part”, she added, saying Cllr Abbotts had shared the article without commenting on it.

Cllr Abbotts was elected a Labour councillor on High Peak Borough Council in Derbyshire in the local elections last week, giving Labour a majority of just one seat.

In response to the exposé, Cllr Abbotts posted on Facebook that she was “deeply and sincerely sorry” for what happened. She claimed that she shared the article to dispute and not support her partner’s argument, saying there were “serious health issues” affecting both her and her partner, who “after talking it through, realised [his argument] was wrong.” Cllr Abbotts said this “in no way excuses what happened but I hope it provides some degree of context.” She said the suggestion Jewish people “declared war” on the Nazis was “an obviously wrong and clearly antisemitic claim.”

This is further proof that the Labour Party is institutionally antisemitic.

Another Derbyshire activist was implicated in the Labour antisemitic crisis recently. The Jewish News reported that Kasey Carver, who was photographed with convicted Holocaust denier Alison Chabloz, stood for Labour for the St John’s Ward in High Peak but failed to win a seat.

Ms Chabloz was convicted of criminal offences in relation to songs mocking Holocaust survivors and claiming that the Holocaust was a Jewish fraud. She was convicted in the first case of its kind, following a private prosecution by Campaign Against Antisemitism, which the Crown eventually agreed to take over. She appealed the decision in the Crown Court and the conviction was upheld in February this year, setting a new precedent. Ms Carver, a committee member of Glossop Labour Club, was reported to the Party’s Governance and Legal Unit, as confirmed by local MP Ruth George a year ago. Ms Carver reportedly organised fundraising events with the group Glossop for Kids in Gaza which were attended by Ms Chabloz. A photograph from 2014 shared by Glossop for Kids in Gaza shows Ms Carver with Ms Chabloz and other activists holding up a Palestinian flag at an event. The photograph appears on Ms Chabloz’s Facebook page. Ms Carver told the Jewish News that: “I ran those benefits and [Chabloz] sang in one of them and that’s the photograph you refer to. She came to those benefits often. Then she left the area and then it came to our attention [in 2016] that some of the stuff she was putting out was outrageous antisemitism.”

Screenshots of deleted Facebook posts sent from Carver’s personal account have been widely circulated online. A Facebook post from 2015 linked back to a blog post published on the website “Semitic Controversies”, above which Ms Carver commented: “Just looked at the potentially Zionist influence of the BBC.” Another deleted post linked to a story published in “Global Research CA”, which suggested that Israel backs ISIS. The post read that: “Various indications of Israel support for ISIS in the past but this is looking more convincing. If true, just shows what a mixed up and morally reprehensible mess that has been created in Syria.” Ms Carver told the Jewish News: “I regret that and I have been to antisemitism training then and I am very much more aware of the sensitivity of the [BBC] post and I have apologised.” She added that she had not intended to promote the view that Israel backs ISIS. She added “Our branch has been put on antisemitism training to make people more aware.”

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has begun pre-enforcement proceedings against the Labour Party following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant. The pre-enforcement proceedings are a precursor to opening a full statutory investigation.

In recent months, eleven MPs have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with numerous councillors and members.

Over 50,000 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 journalist and Momentum activist Greg Hadfield supported Alex Braithwaite during suspension by Labour over conspiracy theory tweets about Israel and “Rothschilds”

Disgraced Labour activist Greg Hadfield, has reportedly been caught supporting Labour candidate Alex Braithwaite, who was suspended from the Party for a series of tweets which included conspiracy theories about Israel and the Rothschild family.

According to the Brighton and Hove News, Mr Hadfield, who has twice been suspended from the Labour Party, posted a series of tweets endorsing Ms Braithwaite in the local council elections after her suspension.

Mr Hadfield was first suspended in 2014 for 11 months over claims he had bullied fellow members, including jumping out at Labour’s South East Regional Director from behind a bin. He was suspended again in October 2016 for alleged intimidating behaviour, and only reinstated in February this year.

During this time, the paper wrote that he remained a member of Momentum, the pro-Corbyn campaign group, even serving on its steering committee and helping to draw up its slates when candidates for this year’s elections were selected.

Ms Braithwaite was suspended for a series of allegedly antisemitic tweets which included conspiracy theories about Israel and the Rothschilds.

The Daily Telegraph revealed that she shared a video which claimed that Israel was deporting “African migrants” to protect the “Israeli bloodline”. She also circulated an article which claimed that German police officers had marched against a “Rothschild European Central Bank”. It went on to claim the Rothschild family had been “responsible for almost every war on earth”, and were not “Jewish” but rather “satanist” and “the Illuminati.”

Amanda Bishop, another Labour member in the area, was suspended last week when she responded to Ms Braithwaite’s suspension by calling for a march on Hove synagogue. The Labour Party reportedly took ten days to launch an investigation into Ms Bishop’s comments.

Mr Hadfield, a former Daily Mail and Telegraph journalist, told Brighton and Hove News: “I was proud and privileged to support Labour Party candidates across Brighton and Hove, including in Wish. Alex Braithwaite is a black, feminist socialist — and one of the kindest, most gentle comrades I have ever met.” He added that charges of antisemitism “should not be used as casual abuse — for self-serving reasons — by often-anonymous, anti-Corbyn supporters of Peter Kyle, the MP for Hove.”

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has begun pre-enforcement proceedings against the Labour Party following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant. The pre-enforcement proceedings are a precursor to opening a full statutory investigation.

In recent months, eleven MPs have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with numerous councillors and members.

Over 50,000 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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Michael McGough, former treasurer of Brexit Party, who accused some Jewish politicians of having “shallow UK roots”, is still a director of the Party

Michael McGough, the former treasurer of the Brexit Party who reportedly left over social media posts, including posts accusing some Jewish politicians of having “shallow UK roots”, is still listed as a director of the organisation.

Mr McGough was reportedly removed as treasurer a month ago after posting what the Party called “unacceptable statements.” A Party statement at the time said that he would no longer have any role in the organisation.

According to The Guardian, which exposed the posts, in some messages, Mr McGough referred to Ed and David Miliband and Peter Mandelson as having “shallow UK roots” or being “devoid of UK roots.”

To portray Jews as being foreign to Britain or their home country is a common antisemitic trope. It has echoes of Jeremy Corbyn’s comment that Zionists “don’t understand English irony.”

The Guardian reported that one post from Mr McGough in 2017 called David Miliband the “son of an east European communist now milking it from a charity in New York and devoid of UK roots.” Another message said that: “The Miliband dudes and Mandelson have the shortest of roots. Transient folk they have no loyalty to the UK.”

One reply by another user reportedly told Mr McGough that he was on “slightly dangerous ground”. McGough replied that: “True, but there is a valid point to be made even if it seems offensive. It is not dissimilar to Lord Tebbit’s cricket test.” A post about Mandelson read that: “I resent being called racist by an old queen with shallow UK roots.”

Another senior member, Catherine Blaiklock, the first leader of the Party, reportedly resigned over a series of anti-Islam messages but also remains listed as a director.

Both Mr McGough and Ms Blaiklock were longtime UKIP members and moved to the Brexit Party with Nigel Farage, the Party leader and fellow director.

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Evening Standard investigation uncovers antisemitic posts by Palestine Solidarity Campaign supporters comparing Israelis to Nazis

An Evening Standard investigation has uncovered supporters of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) sharing antisemitic posts comparing Israelis to Nazis.

The shocking antisemitic posts reportedly included:

  • A cartoon comparing Israeli Jews with white power neo-Nazis.
  • An image of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu bathing in Palestinian blood posing with Adolf Hitler.
  • A photo of Palestinians queuing next to a border wall with the words: “21st century concentrations camp? No, just Palestinians coming home from their Israeli slave jobs.”
  • A cartoon in which neo-Nazis with swastikas are likened to Jewish men with an Israeli flag screaming “Kill all Arabs.”
  • A graphic comparing Israel and the Nazi regime, with a swastika flag.
  • A graphic meme that compared victims in Buchenwald concentration camp to an image of a West Bank checkpoint.

Under the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” is antisemitic.

Another post attacked Deputy Labour leader Tom Watson and labelled him an “agent” of the Israeli state.

An investigation by Campaign Against Antisemitism in 2017 also exposed extensive antisemitic bigotry amongst supporters of the PSC.

The PSC told the Evening Standard that it: “takes accusations of antisemitism very seriously and has procedures in place to address such allegations…including the implementation of disciplinary sanctions”. It said its “values of anti-racism and anti-discrimination” are reflected in its guidance for members.”

Jeremy Corbyn is an honorary patron of the PSC and has even applauded antisemitic poetry at one of their events.

The PSC has called a demonstration in London this weekend which will be monitored by Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit.

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Ten-metre high swastika daubed on family-owned smoked salmon factory established by Holocaust survivor

A ten-metre high swastika has been daubed on the factory of H. Forman & Sons, established by Aaron ‘Harry’ Forman, who fled pogroms, and his son, a Holocaust survivor. Lance Forman, the third generation in the business, is the current proprietor.

The Metropolitan Police Service is investigating. The crime is believed to have been committed at around 23:30 last night. Witnesses should call the police on 101, or contact [email protected] and we will pass any information on. Officers are currently reviewing CCTV surveillance images.

Mr Forman tweeted: “Just returned from a business trip in the US to a call from my factory, that someone had done this!! A totally sick act. My father is a Holocaust survivor who fled the Nazis and came to the UK after the war. My great grandad and founder of Formans fled Antisemitic pogroms too.” He told the JC: “My dad fled the Nazis in Poland and is a Holocaust survivor who spent the war years as a child in a Siberian prison camp. He has worked with HET [the Holocaust Educational Trust] to teach children about the horrors of antisemitism. So the fact that we have been targeted in this antisemitic way is quite horrific and sick. The police have images of the culprits on CCTV and I sincerely hope they are tracked down.”

Mr Forman is currently a candidate for the Brexit Party and there has been some speculation that this antisemitic hate crime might have a political dimension.

Campaign Against Antisemitism condemns this appalling act of Jew-hatred committed at a time of increasing danger for Jews in Britain. We call on anybody who may have information about the incident or the perpetrators to do the right thing and contact the police.

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In Holocaust video featuring five UK Prime Ministers, Tony Blair says “poison” of antisemitism has returned to “political mainstream” in rebuke of Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour

In an apparent rebuke of Jeremy Corbyn, former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair said that the the “poison” of antisemitism has returned in a rebuke of Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party.

In powerful comments in a video in support of the new National Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre, Mr Blair said that: “Antisemitism and hate did not end in 1945. Unfortunately today some of this poison is back from the political fringe to parts of the political mainstream.”

He added that: “So, it’s absolutely right that this new national memorial is situated right next to Parliament. So we can show what happens when racism and prejudice go unchecked.”

Prime Minister Theresa May appeared alongside Mr Blair and the three other living former UK Prime Ministers, Sir John Major, Gordon Brown and David Cameron, in the video.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has begun pre-enforcement proceedings against the Labour Party following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant. The pre-enforcement proceedings are a precursor to opening a full statutory investigation.

In recent months, eleven MPs have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with numerous councillors and members.

Over 50,000 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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Following meetings with CAA and our allies, police vow to “intervene to enforce the law” if Hizballah flags are flown at “Al Quds Day” parade

Following meetings between the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and Campaign Against Antisemitism and our allies, police have vowed to “intervene to enforce the law” if Hizballah flags are flown, as they have been at previous “Al Quds Day” demonstrations, which have traditionally been a rally for supporters of the genocidal antisemitic terrorist organisation.

In February this year, Hizballah was completely proscribed by the Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, with the support of the Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt. This followed a gruelling effort over several years by Campaign Against Antisemitism and our allies.

Until then, the British Government had distinguished between Hizballah’s “military wing” and “political wing”, even though Hizballah mocked the Government and said that no such distinction exists. 

The loophole enabled brazen shows of support for Hizballah, including the pro-Hizballah “Al Quds Day” parade which is organised by a registered charity. Hizballah supporters marched through the heart of London, heard from antisemitic speakers and even draped babies in Hizballah flags.

The law has now also been changed to allow police officers to seize flags or clothing bearing the insignia of terrorist organisations, and also arrest anybody who publishes photographs of them.

Writing to Campaign Against Antisemitism and our allies, and also to the organisers of the “Al Quds Day” parade, following a number of meetings, Superintendent Nick Collins noted: “In previous years we have seen support for the group Hizballah, including flags, banners and chanting…The MPS is aware of the significant impact that the support for a terrorist organisation can have on the communities of London. It fully intends to intervene to enforce the law, where possible, should any offences be disclosed.”

Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “Hizballah seeks the murder of Jews worldwide and it has made good on its threats, slaughtering Jews from Burgas to Buenos Aires. It was outrageous that Hizballah supporters were allowed to march through the streets of our capital and we fought long and hard as a community to stop terrorist supporters from being allowed to brazenly flaunt their hatred. We are pleased that the police have put in place robust plans to enforce the law and our Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit will be out in force as well to capture evidence should any crimes relating to supporting banned terrorist organisations be committed.”

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BBC withdraws programme entitled “Isn’t it time we stopped using the Jewish Holocaust as propaganda for the Jewish cause?”

The BBC has removed a World Service programme from its International Question Time series entitled “Isn’t it time we stopped using the Jewish Holocaust as propaganda for the Jewish cause?”.

The programme, which was broadcast on the BBC World Service in August 1998, was resurrected and has been available online since 21st March 2016. It was highlighted by a Twitter user, who used the BBC Sounds app to look for programmes about Jewish topics and was shocked to find the title among the top results.

The programme itself covered various topics and included on its panel the distinguished late Professor David Ceserani, but it appears that the programme was named purely for its first ten minutes, which were spent discussing the question of whether the Holocaust is Jewish propaganda in response to a question from a caller from Lebanon.

The panel in fact dealt with the antisemitic question intelligently and firmly, but the decision to use such an antisemitic title on BBC apps beggars belief.

Campaign Against Antisemitism is pleased that the BBC has now withdrawn the programme, but it is utterly outrageous that it was posted in the first place with such an antisemitic title. We are asking the BBC to explain how this happened and what action it will take once it has identified the staff responsible.

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Kamran Ishtiaq, President of British Pakistani Youth Council, would still “salute” Hitler for killing Jews and claims Holocaust might have been caused by Jews

Kamran Ishtiaq, who has been President of British Pakistani Youth Council since 2009, said in 2014 that he would “salute” Hitler for killing Jews, and has now reportedly reaffirmed his views.

After posting a picture of Hitler on his Facebook page, which received 40 likes, he was admonished by another Facebook user who wrote: “Hitler was a racist bro”. Mr Ishtiaq responded: “I know that and to be honest he would have killed Muslims too if he got a chance. But you know what, I would salute him still if he killed 90 Muslims and 92 Jews.” He then followed up with another comment, adding: “Now why he is my hero cuz, he just killed Jews, didn’t get a chance to kill Muslims… lol.”

In a long telephone interview with BirminghamLive, he confirmed that he stood by his statements, whilst also questioning whether six million Jews really died in the Holocaust, suggesting that the figure might have been “exaggerated” in order to justify Jewish “revenge”. He also suggested that the Jews may have done something “to the Germans” to cause the Holocaust.

Asked by BirminghamLive whether he still felt that Jews deserved to be massacred, Mr Ishtiaq said: “To be honest with you, I feel that about the Jews who are killing the Palestinians now. Not the Jews who are leaving Israel — there are Jews who support Palestine. I was reading today in the media that there are Jews leaving Israel because Israel didn’t live up to their expectations. OK, but Jews, American Jews, yes I feel like that about them. The ones who are murdering the Palestinians. I do feel that about them. And what I wrote there, it’s about the Jews.”

He added: “When I say Jews, it’s not the Jews fighting the Jewish killers of Palestinians, the Jews who are with Muslims, but the Jews which are killing the Palestinians, yes. The murderers. I mean if anything happened to any Jewish community here my youths would be there frontline to support them. Jewish people here are not Palestinian-killing like the Jews over there. They’re peaceful like us Muslims here. They don’t want nothing to do with that. It’s like the terrorists. You can’t hate all Muslims because you hate terrorists. You can’t hate all Jews because you hate the killing Jews.”

Asked about Jews killed by the Nazis, Mr Ishtiaq said he did not believe that six million Jews were killed in the Holocaust: “To be honest, I don’t believe that. Every attack, anything on Jews is exaggerated. Yeah. I think that was an exaggeration too. He killed Jews, yeah. He did kill Jews, there’s no doubt in that. He killed Jews. But that figure is a question mark for me.”

Asked why he thought the Nazis killed Jews, he replied: “We don’t know what happened then. If they were doing this now, killing Palestinians, we don’t know what they done to the Germans at that time.”

Asked why the figure would be exaggerated, Mr Ishtiaq said: “It gives the Jewish people a reason, you know retaliation — ‘Look what’s happened to us? We were nearly being ethnic cleansed and have to stick together’. It gives them a point of unity, it gives them a reason to retaliate, revenge, you know, empathy, whatever, you could say.”

Asked if he thought Hitler was wrong to kill the Jews, he said: “Er, no, I can’t think for Hitler. I can’t think why Hitler killed them. I just made that statement [on Facebook]. So why and how, I couldn’t tell you. I stand by the statement I made, yes.”

Mr Ishtiaq said his views about Jews were shared by young people he worked with: “They feel ten times worse. My job is to get that feeling out of them, but I need positives to erase that feeling out of them. The Jews, the Israel [sic], have not given me a positive. Them feelings are getting day by day worse after what the Israelis are doing.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism is reporting Mr Ishtiaq to West Midlands Police, as well as to Birmingham City Council as he absolutely should not be anywhere near children if he holds such views.

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Petition demands resignation of Omar Chowdhury, after Bristol Students’ Union allows him to remain its minorities officer despite telling Jewish student to “be like Israel and cease to exist”

Omar Chowdhury, the University of Bristol Students’ Union’s Black and Minority Ethnic officer has been allowed to remain in his post after making antisemitic comments online.

Mr Chowdhury told Izzy Posen, a Jewish student, that he should “be like Israel and cease to exist.” He also said to Mr Posen that his comments were like “Israeli settlements: always popping up where they’re not wanted.”

The comments which have been deleted were made on the university’s student “confessions” Facebook page, called Bristruths, which is publicly accessible.

Mr Posen complained to Bristol Students’ Union, which launched an independent inquiry. It concluded that Mr Chowdhury’s comments were antisemitic but stopped at giving him him a formal warning. The Union also made “recommendations” that Mr Chowdhury make an unqualified apology, educate himself on antisemitism and work with Jewish students to rebuild their trust.

In a statement, the Union said: “Omar’s comments were found to be antisemitic, and in addition to receiving an official warning about his future conduct, a series of recommendations have been made for Omar.”

Mr Chowdhury issued a statement “wholeheartedly” apologising to Mr Posen. He extended his apology to “Jewish students at the university, and the wider Jewish community for these ignorant and offensive comments.” He acknowledged that his remarks were “antisemitic and unacceptable, adding: “I regret my words and I am disappointed in myself for contributing to the hostile environment that is faced by Jewish people at university and in society.”

Mr Chowdhury said that Jewish students had good reason to be concerned about his ability to work as Bristol Students’ Union’s ethnic minority officer, acknowledging: “I take responsibility for my words and actions, and now it is my job to show that I can and will work with Jewish students to represent them at this university and regain their confidence before I begin my role in June. Over the last two weeks, I have already begun efforts to educate myself on antisemitism and I have learned a lot just in this small timeframe. I want to continue to grow my understanding of antisemitism and the different forms it takes and will undertake antisemitism training as part of this. I will do everything I can to show that these comments do not represent my character and commit to creating a more welcoming environment for minorities in the work I do next year, starting with myself.”

Mr Posen accepted his apology in a post on Facebook. “Apology accepted. I’m glad that Omar could stay in his elected role and that he has expressed remorse. I wish him the best of luck in his future work on campus.”

Bristol’s Jewish Society said in a statement that they “recognise that there are a variety of views surrounding the controversial decision in response to the antisemitic breach of conduct by BME Officer elect Omar Chowdhury, all of which are valid. Although Chowdhury’s apology appears genuine and we look forward to seeing the actions that he takes to combat antisemitism, Jewish students may still rightly be concerned.”

A petition calling for Mr Chowdhury’s resignation has already received nearly 1,000 signatures. It demands that he resigns as the BME officer after his “antisemitic abuse”, stating that an official warning is “not enough”.

Campaign Against Antisemitism considers it to be extremely important that Mr Chowdhury apologise, as he has done, and take steps to educate himself so that he can overcome his vile antisemitism. However, we do not agree with the University of Bristol Students’ Union that he is a suitable champion for students from minorities and should not remain in that role.

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Labour Against Zionist Islamophobic Racism launches to drive “Zionism out of the Labour Party” and fight antisemitism, but not the “fraudulent” kind

A new campaign group, “Labour Against Zionist Islamophobic Racism”, or LAZIR, has been set up to support Jeremy Corbyn and campaign for the International Definition of Antisemitism to be dropped and for the Jewish Labour Movement to be thrown out of the Labour Party. The group’s logo is a laser beam smashing the logo of a Jewish Labour group.

The founder appears to be Pete Gregson, who was reportedly expelled by the GMB Union after he claimed that Israel was a “racist endeavour” that “exaggerates” the Nazi Germany’s genocide of six million Jews “for political ends.” According to a post on his Facebook page, Labour Against the Witch Hunt, are seeking to expel him from their group. If he is expelled, Mr Gregson has vowed to hold a launch event for LAZIR outside Labour Headquarters in London.

Interestingly, this is the second time that Labour Against the Witch Hunt has split, the first time being when Gerry Downing was expelled and founded Labour Against the Witch Hunt Within Labour Against the Witch Hunt, both of which met at opposite sides of the same pub at the same time. Mr Downing, who was himself expelled from the Labour Party due to his views on the Holocaust, now appears to be advising Mr Gregson on policy for LAZIR.

LAZIR, which is not to be confused with the villages of Lazir in Iran and Azerbaijan, the popular Lazir karaoke bar in Mexico, or the very catchy Lazir Lazir song, has already attracted thousands of supporters, according to a petition which was launched to support the group on April Fools’ Day.

Due to the timing of the petition and farcical policies of the group, Campaign Against Antisemitism initially wondered whether it had been launched as some kind of satirical joke or a prank. Indeed the petition includes a call “to get Zionism out of the Labour Party, because Zionism is racism” and declares its dedication to one “Jeremy Corbynto”, whom we could not identify despite an exhaustive online search, including in Italian and Maltese.

Another policy of LAZIR has caused controversy even amongst antisemitism deniers within Labour. LAZIR called for the Jewish Labour Movement to “be disaffiliated from the Labour Party and replaced with Jewish Voice for Labour” but even the sham Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL) group has distanced itself from them, posting on Facebook that they have “become aware of an initiative called Labour Against Zionist Islamophobic Racism (LAZIR) which has made reference to the role of JVL. We wish to make clear that we were not consulted on the use of our name and are not associated with this venture.”

However, British Jews can rest assured that LAZIR has also pledged to fight antisemitism, just not the “fraudulent” kind.

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Jeremy Corbyn joins his most rabid supporters in claiming he is victim of “mischievous” political smear campaign plotted by Jewish peer and Rupert Murdoch

In what seems to be a major shift in policy, instead of his usual protestations of innocence when challenged with examples of his own antisemitism, Jeremy Corbyn has now gone a step further claimed to be the victim of a “mischievous” political attack orchestrated by Jewish peer Lord Finkelstein, plotted secretly with media mogul Rupert Murdoch.

Mr Corbyn was referring to the furore over his 3,500 detailed foreword to Imperialism: A Study penned by economist John Atkinson Hobson in 1902. The book contains numerous attacks on the supposed wrongdoing of Jews, who are described as a “single and peculiar race” accused of plotting to subjugate mankind through financial control, but Mr Corbyn did not once criticise these antisemitic conspiracy theories, instead lavishing glowing praise on the book, describing it as “great”, “remarkable”, “brilliant”, “very powerful”, “valid”, “correct” and “very prescient”.

In defending himself against the accusation that he had yet again praised an antisemite, Mr Corbyn went far beyond his usual protestations of innocence, writing in a letter: “This accusation is the latest in a series of equally ill-founded accusations of anti-Jewish racism that Labour’s political opponents have made against me. I note that the Hobson [foreword] story was written by a Conservative Party peer [Lord Finkelstein] in a newspaper whose editorial policy, and owner [Rupert Murdoch], have long been hostile to Labour. At a time when Jewish communities in the UK, and indeed across Europe, feel under attack, it is a matter of great regret that the issue of antisemitism is often politicised in this way.”

This statement is a clear sign that Mr Corbyn has decided to join in with his most rabid supporters in claiming that British Jews are wilfully playing a part in a political plot to smear him as a racist. In the past, when under pressure, he would occasionally rebuke his supporters for claiming that antisemitism allegations were merely political smears. Now he joins in with them.

Just in the past week, in addition to learning of his foreword to Mr Hobson’s antisemitic book, it has also come to light that Mr Corbyn claimed that Israel has “control” over US foreign policy and has secret “unbelievably high levels of influence” over the British media. These revelations merely add to the already considerable weight of evidence that Mr Corbyn himself is an antisemite.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has begun pre-enforcement proceedings against the Labour Party following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant. The pre-enforcement proceedings are a precursor to opening a full statutory investigation.

In recent months, eleven MPs have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with numerous councillors and members.

Over 50,000 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 seeking explanation for weak response to discovery that academics paid by Commission for Countering Extremism tweeted antisemitic material

Two academics paid up to £10,000 each to advise the Commission for Countering Extremism have posted antisemitic material online, including that Israel is in an “alliance with Al Qaeda”, according to The Sunday Times.

Professor Tahir Abbas, who holds a post at the Institute of Security and Global Affairs at Leiden University in the Netherlands, reportedly tweeted that Labour’s problem with antisemitism had been exaggerated, and that the “fear of antisemitism is greater than the reality”, and that the issue had been used to “target” Jeremy Corbyn.

The second academic, Dr Sadek Hamid, retweeted an article claiming that the “Israel lobby” had “manufactured” the Labour Party’s antisemitism crisis. His account claims that his retweets are “not endorsements”.

The academics both edited Political Muslims, and recently spoke together at an event organised by the notorious Islamic Human Rights Commission, which organises the annual “Al Quds Day” parade through London, which has traditionally been a show of support for Hizballah, the genocidal antisemitic terrorist organisation, support for which has now been made illegal in the UK following years of campaigning by Campaign Against Antisemitism and our allies.

Speaking at the event, Dr Hamid said that he had taken his role with the Commission to help “dismantle” Prevent, the Government’s counter-extremism programme. Speaking alongside Dr Hamid, Professor Abbas reportedly said that Muslim radicalisation was “natural”, given the “widening inequality” facing British Muslims and that “being radical by itself is not necessarily a problem”, although violent radicalisation was.

The Sunday Times claims that an official at the Commission, Euan Neill, said that the academics’ opinions were “inevitable among some of the people” that the Commission worked with.

Sara Khan, the Commissioner told the newspaper: “Having been made aware of these abhorrent tweets, I have already challenged the academics. They both stated they rejected antisemitism…”

Professor Abbas told The Sunday Times that he was not an anti-semite and had deleted the tweet, which he said was “sloppily worded”.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has confidence in Sara Khan and the weak response to this matter is uncharacteristic. We are seeking clarification from her as to why she has not responded more forcefully.

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In outrageous statement, Labour claims that by pointing out Jeremy Corbyn’s use of an antisemitic trope, CAA is reinforcing antisemitism

In an outrageous statement, Labour has claimed that it if you point out an antisemitic trope, that is reinforcing antisemitism. This statement sets a new low in Labour Party responses to accusations of antisemitism.

Labour was responding to the revelation yesterday that in 2009 Jeremy Corbyn authored an article in which he claimed that a decision by the BBC not to broadcast a 2009 appeal to send money to Gaza demonstrated the “unbelievably high levels of influence that Israel’s government appears to have in the upper echelons of parts of the media.” He also wrote that Israel has “control of US foreign policy.” The comments which appeared in an article that he wrote for the extreme-left Morning Star were exposed by investigative journalist Iggy Ostanin.

Responding to Mr Corbyn’s comments about media control, a spokesperson for the Labour Party said that: “The suggestion that Jeremy was talking about Jewish people, when he commented on the greater level of media influence the Israeli government has than the Palestinian leadership, is entirely false, and itself relies on a damaging antisemitic trope.”

The accusation of Jews controlling foreign policy and the media is one of the most well known antisemitic conspiracy theories. Under the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Making mendacious, dehumanising, demonising, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective — such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions” is antisemitic.

It is very clear to us that Mr Corbyn was deploying an antisemitic trope, and the Labour Party’s attempt to blame us for calling him out on it is appalling.

The notion that the Israeli government has “control of US foreign policy” and “unbelievably high levels of influence” over the media is a conspiracy theory drawn straight from racist myths about Jewish power. Mr Corbyn has a history of endorsing such conspiracy theories, whether he is accusing “the hand of Israel” of being behind Islamist attacks in Egypt, or writing his glowing foreword to a tome alleging that a “peculiar race” has successfully plotted to control Europe. Due to the weight of evidence, we have had no option other than to conclude that the reason Mr Corbyn promotes these views is that he himself is an antisemite.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has begun pre-enforcement proceedings against the Labour Party following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant. The pre-enforcement proceedings are a precursor to opening a full statutory investigation.

In recent months, eleven MPs have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with numerous councillors and members.

Over 50,000 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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Jeremy Corbyn claimed Israel has “control of US foreign policy” and “unbelievably high levels of influence…in the upper echelons of parts of the media”

It has emerged that in 2009, Jeremy Corbyn authored an article in which he claimed that a decision by the BBC not to broadcast a 2009 appeal to send money to Gaza demonstrated the “unbelievably high levels of influence that Israel’s government appears to have in the upper echelons of parts of the media.” He also believed that Israel has “control of US foreign policy”.

The comments which appeared in an article that he wrote for the extreme-left Morning Star have been exposed by investigative journalist Iggy Ostanin.

The accusation of Jews controlling foreign policy and the media is one of the most well known antisemitic conspiracy theories. Under the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Making mendacious, dehumanising, demonising, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective — such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions” is antisemitic.

The notion that the Israeli government has “control of US foreign policy” and “unbelievably high levels of influence” over the media is a conspiracy theory drawn straight from racist myths about Jewish power. Jeremy Corbyn has a history of endorsing such conspiracy theories, whether he is accusing “the hand of Israel” of being behind Islamist attacks in Egypt, or writing his glowing foreword to a tome alleging that a “peculiar race” has successfully plotted to control Europe. Due to the weight of evidence, we have had no option other than to conclude that the reason Mr Corbyn promotes these views is that he himself is an antisemite.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has begun pre-enforcement proceedings against the Labour Party following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant. The pre-enforcement proceedings are a precursor to opening a full statutory investigation.

In recent months, eleven MPs have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with numerous councillors and members.

Over 50,000 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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London Mayor Sadiq Khan photographed posing with Labour Councillor Nisar Malik whom he criticised for antisemitic posts, including blaming “Zionist Jews” for 9/11

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has been caught posing in a photo last night with Nisar Malik, a Labour Councillor in Hounslow, whom he criticised for antisemitic posts on Facebook, including blaming “Zionist Jews” for 9/11.

Mr Khan officially opened Hounslow House, the local council’s new headquarters, and posed next to Cllr Malik and his colleagues. The photo is still on the Mayor’s Twitter account.

Cllr Malik, a Labour Councillor in Hounslow since 2014 and the former Mayor from 2015 to 2016, has breached the International Definition of Antisemitism on numerous occasions.

On 29th April 2016, he shared a post on his Facebook page entitled ‘Ex London Mayor Ken Livingstone now accused of being anti-semitic’ [sic] which contains the following comment attributed to Ken Livingstone: “There’s been a very well-orchestrated campaign by the Israel Lobby to smear anyone who criticizes Israeli policy as anti-Semitic [sic].”

On 12th April 2018, he shared a video featuring a tweet which asserted that a captured ISIS commander was in fact a Mossad agent. He stated: [a] “Israeli and American created ISIS”, and added: [b] “How do we know if they are not the same countries dropping chemical bombs and blaming Asad [sic]??”

Cllr Malik posted on Facebook expressing his doubts over events surrounding a chemical attack in Syria and claiming that America’s agenda was to “split Syria to please the Zaniest [Zionist] government of Israel.”

On 16th April 2018, he shared a post on Facebook alleging that “America, France and the UK don’t want to talk about Palestine [sic] hardship…every week we go through the remembrance of Holocaust and we should. But why there is no debate on Israel and Palestine? The Zaniest [Zionist] Lobby controls all the media and they don’t allow anyone to discuss the big elephant in the room.”

On 7th August 2018, he commented on his Facebook page: ”The Labour Party or Corbin [sic] are absolutely not ani-semantic [sic]. This is all propaganda incase [sic] if the general election is called soon because the prime minister is in [sic] big mess.”

On 29th August 2018, it was reported that, in August 2017, Cllr Malik had shared a video by the preacher, nationalist and leader of the Nation of Islam, Mr Louis Farrakhan, in which Mr Farrakhan is reported as saying: “It is now becoming apparent that there were many Israelis and Zionist Jews in key roles in the 9/11 attacks”. It was also reported that Cllr Malik had written above this post: “Is this true, do you think?”

Cllr Malik reportedly removed the Facebook posts and was “reported through the Labour Party disciplinary process.”

After seeing some of the Facebook posts, Mayor Khan told LBC that: “Some of those remarks are clearly antisemitic. I think the Labour Party should be investigating those comments speedily and if those complaints are upheld then anybody with those views should be kicked out of the Labour Party.”

It is appalling to see that Cllr Malik is still enjoying an active political life.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has begun pre-enforcement proceedings against the Labour Party following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant. The pre-enforcement proceedings are a precursor to opening a full statutory investigation.

In recent months, eleven MPs have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with numerous councillors and members.

Over 50,000 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 Prescott reportedly asked Jewish journalist what she “can do about Israel” when asked about Labour antisemitism

Lord Prescott, the former Deputy Prime Minister from 1997 to 2007 and Labour MP for Hull East, has reportedly ranted aggressively at a Jewish journalist when asked about Labour antisemitism, claiming that Labour’s antisemitism crisis under Jeremy Corbyn was all “about Israel” and demanded to know what she “can do about Israel”.

Following an interview to promote Channel 5’s new series, British Made With John Prescott, a well-established reporter who wishes to remain anonymous, reportedly asked for Lord Prescott’s opinion on how best to resolve Labour antisemitism. She reportedly told him that she was a British Jew and that she was very concerned by the issue.

However according to reports in the JC, Lord Prescott responded: “Is there anything you can do about Israel and its behaviour?” He continued, in what the journalist and witnesses described to the JC as an aggressive tone: “All of this is about Israel — dead children — settlers on someone else’s land.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism considers Lord Prescott’s outburst to be antisemitic. Under the International Definition of Antisemitism, which the Labour Party has adopted, “Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel” is antisemitic.

Shocked and upset, the journalist reportedly left the room at Channel 5’s head office in Camden, north London, and was consoled by colleagues. The exchange took place in front of other Channel 5 staff and it is not said whether they intervened.

Channel 5 declined to comment to the JC but sources at the channel said Lord Prescott’s comments were “a private exchange” with the journalist, after the interview had been completed and did not represent the views of the channel. When asked for a comment, Lord Prescott said: “F*** off.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism is utterly disgusted by Lord Prescott’s antisemitic outburst, which comes as further proof that the Labour Party is rotting from the head. Under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, antisemitism has become rife in the Party, with the disciplinary process that is supposed to punish antisemitism and keep it out of the Party going into meltdown. Lord Prescott should doubtless have little fear of repercussions from within the Party. That is why it is so crucial that the Equality and Human Rights Commission has begun pre-enforcement proceedings against the Labour Party following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant. The pre-enforcement proceedings are a precursor to opening a full statutory investigation.

In recent months, eleven MPs have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with numerous councillors and members.

Over 50,000 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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Jeremy Corbyn’s glowing foreword for book claiming banks and press are controlled by “a single and peculiar race” is yet further evidence that he is an antisemite

It has emerged that Jeremy Corbyn wrote a glowing foreword to a book which argued that the banks and the press are controlled by “a single and peculiar race.” Mr Corbyn praised the book as “brilliant”, “correct and prescient” and a “great tome.”

The foreword written by Mr Corbyn was uncovered by The Times columnist Daniel Finkelstein. In 2011, Mr Corbyn agreed to endorse a new edition of Imperialism: A Study which was written by economist John Atkinson Hobson in 1902.

In the book, Mr Hobson asked: “Does anyone seriously suppose that a great war could be undertaken by any European state, or a great state loan subscribed, if the house of Rothschild and its connections set their face against it?” This clearly invokes the antisemitic Rothschild conspiracy theory. The Rothschilds established themselves as a wealthy family of bankers in the early nineteenth century. They appear in many anti-Jewish conspiracy theories as a sinister, controlling force.

In another tract, he wrote that: “United by the strongest bonds of organisation, always in closest and quickest touch with one as other, situated in the very heart of the business capital of every state, controlled, so far as Europe is concerned, by men of a single and peculiar race, who have behind them many centuries of financial experience, they are in a unique position to control the policy of nations.”

Mr Hobson went on to say that: “there is not a war, a revolution, an anarchist assassination, or any other public shock, which is not gainful to these men; they are harpies who suck their gains from every new forced expenditure and every sudden disturbance of public credit”.

He also argued that: “the direct influence exercised by great financial houses in ‘high politics’ is supported by the control which they exercise over the body of public opinion through the press”.

According to The Times, Mr Corbyn wrote in his foreword: “what is brilliant, and very controversial at the time, is his [Hobson’s] analysis of the pressures that were hard at work in pushing for a vast national effort, in grabbing new outposts of Empire on distant islands and shores.” He added that: “Hobson’s railing against the commercial interests that fuel the role of the popular press with tales of imperial might, that then lead on to racist caricatures of African and Asian peoples, was both correct and prescient”.

Central to Mr Hobson’s analysis of the “pressures that were hard at work” were the finance houses supposedly controlled by Jews. Mr Hobson wrote that “These great businesses — banking, booking, bill discounting, loan floating, company promoting — form the central ganglion of international capitalism.”

Henry Zeffman, also writing in The Times, pointed out that Mr Hobson’s antisemitism was well-known and central to his theories, for example in another book, The War in South Africa: Its Causes and Effects, released two years earlier in 1900, Mr Hobson blamed “a small group of international financiers, chiefly German in origin and Jewish in race” for the Boer War. He added that “the rich and powerful liquor trade…is entirely in the hands of Jews…the stock exchange is needless to say, mostly Jewish…the press of Johannesburg is chiefly their property.”

It has also emerged that Mr Corbyn was a guest speaker at a launch for the republication of Mr Hobson’s book.

Wes Streeting, Labour MP for Ilford North tweeted that: “My advice to any Labour MP today: refuse to defend Jeremy Corbyn lauding a book containing classic antisemitic tropes. If he wants to defend the indefensible he should go on the airwaves and defend himself. He has a responsibility to explain himself.” He was responding to the fact that Rebecca Long-Bailey had responded to a question about whether Mr Corbyn is an antisemite on BBC Radio 4 by laughing.

A Labour Party spokesman told The Times that: “Jeremy praised the Liberal Hobson’s century-old classic study of imperialism in Africa and Asia. Similarly to other books of its era, Hobson’s work contains outdated and offensive references and observations, and Jeremy completely rejects the antisemitic elements of his analysis.”

This latest revelation is yet further proof that Mr Corbyn is an antisemite.

Under his leadership, the once fiercely anti-racist Labour Party has become an existential threat to British Jews. Over 50,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Mr Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has begun pre-enforcement proceedings against the Labour Party following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant. The pre-enforcement proceedings are a precursor to opening a full statutory investigation.

In recent months, eleven MPs have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with numerous councillors and members.

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Fourth arrest over internal Labour Party antisemitic hate dossier leaked to LBC, following report by CAA

A fourth arrest has been made after Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Chairman, Gideon Falter, called into an LBC phone-in with Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick and made a live-on-air police report of the antisemitic hate crimes detailed in a secret Labour Party dossier which had been leaked to LBC and reviewed by a former police Commander responsible for obsessing hate crime, Mak Chishty.

The latest arrest is of a 44-year-old man from Newham who was arrested this morning on suspicion of incitement to racial hatred, which is a very serious criminal offence.

This fourth arrest follows the arrest of two men in their 50s as well as a woman in her 70s, at the end of March, all also on suspicion of incitement to racial hatred. Those three are understood to have been expelled from the Labour Party after the Party learned on LBC that its secret dossier had been reported to the police by Campaign Against Antisemitism live on air.

The secret internal dossier contains over eighty pages of antisemitic hatred by Labour Party members, including numerous admissions of guilt, but the Labour Party kept the dossier secret, not even telling Jewish Labour MPs who were directly threatened within it. This is despite police considering threats to their safety to be so severe as to warrant special police protection.

Some of the perpetrators admitted to the Party that they were behind some of the hatred chronicled in the dossier, which is just one of many dossiers compiled by the Party’s internal Compliance Unit for consideration by the Party’s Disputes Panel. The original researchers who compiled the dossier have now left the Party, with at least one of them publicly voicing their disgust at attitudes towards antisemitism.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has called for the Metropolitan Police Service to demand that the Labour Party hands over its further secret internal dossiers detailing antisemitic hate crimes by Party members, and for police officers to seize the dossiers if they are not provided willingly. We have also called for the Labour Party to be investigated for keeping its evidence of the crimes secret.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has begun pre-enforcement proceedings against the Labour Party following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant. The pre-enforcement proceedings are a precursor to opening a full statutory investigation.

In recent months, eleven MPs have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with numerous councillors and members.

Over 50,000 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 reportedly took ten days to start an investigation over Amanda Bishop’s call for members to march on her local synagogue

The Labour Party reportedly took ten days to launch an investigation into a Party member, Amanda Bishop, who called for fellow activists to “march” on her local synagogue.

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***”.

The Telegraph reported that Labour was forced to suspend Ms Braithwaite, who was also a council candidate in the upcoming elections, after the newspaper revealed that she had posted a web of online Rothschild and Israel conspiracy theories.

After Ms Bishop’s comments were uncovered, Labour sources reportedly confirmed that she had been suspended pending an investigation.

However, according to PoliticsHome, a local Party member reported the comments to Labour’s Compliance Unit on 16th April. On 25th April, the member emailed the Party again asking why no action had yet been taken, copying in General Secretary Jennie Formby. The following day, the complainer reportedly received an e-mail from Ms Formby’s office informing them that the case had been passed to the Compliance Unit “as a matter of urgency.”

PoliticsHome reports that Brighton and Hove Council’s community safety team was also informed of the comments which led to increased security outside local synagogues during Passover.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has begun pre-enforcement proceedings against the Labour Party following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant. The pre-enforcement proceedings are a precursor to opening a full statutory investigation.

In recent months, eleven MPs have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with numerous councillors and members.

Over 50,000 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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Swindon Advertiser publishes letters accusing Jews of appropriating “ill feeling toward Semites” and attacking “bogus campaign against antisemitism”

Letters to the editor have been published in the Swindon Advertiser accusing the Jewish community of appropriating “ill feeling toward Semites”, and attacking the “pro-Israel lobby and their bogus campaign against antisemitism.”

The letters appeared under the headline “The perpetrators need to be opposed and condemned, not pandered to” and were in response to an article in the Swindon Advertiser about Kate Linnegar. Campaign Against Antisemitism had condemned Ms Linnegar in a BBC exposé. Ms Linnegar, Labour’s candidate for Swindon Borough Council, as well as its prospective parliamentary candidate for the North Swindon seat at the next general election, had shared articles arguing that false allegations of antisemitism were being manufactured or “weaponised” to discredit Jeremy Corbyn.

In a statement, she told the BBC that: “I sincerely apologise for having liked or shared these posts in the past and for the offence this has caused” adding that she has since “developed a deeper understanding about the issue”. Labour said the posts were published in 2016, before the UK government and the Party adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism and that Ms Linnegar was “committed to tackling antisemitism within her own party and society” but regardless of when the definition was formally adopted, it pointedly failed to apologise or commit to taking any kind of disciplinary action.

In one letter to the editor titled “Antisemite or anti-Zion,” the writer said that: “The original definition of antisemitism has been amended to such a degree that the original concept of ill feeling toward Semites (people who speak a Semitic language, which would include Jews and Arabs) has been appropriated by the Jewish community and the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (in 2016) to include criticism of the State of Israel.”

In another letter to the editor titled “Political cave-in,” the writer said that: “How sad to see my local Labour Party parliamentary candidate caving in to the pro-Israel lobby and their bogus campaign against antisemitism.” They added that: “Palestinians have suffered 70 years of ethnic cleansing, expropriation, assassination, brutal military aggression and daily harassment and humiliation. The perpetrators need to be opposed and condemned, not pandered to.”

One has to question the editorial process at the Swindon Advertiser that would allow these letters to be published. The editors should never have allowed these letters to be published in the first place. We call on them to remove the letters from the website and apologise for it.

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George McManus, who was suspended from Labour over “Judas” Facebook comment, made Labour spokesman in Yorkshire

George McManus, who was briefly suspended from the Labour Party after posting a Facebook comment about Tom Watson likening him to “Judas” for accepting donations from Jewish businessman Sir Trevor Chinn, has reportedly been made Labour spokesman in the East Riding of Yorkshire. He is also a local election candidate for Labour in the Minster and Woodmansey Ward in the East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

Mr McManus, who sat on Labour’s National Policy Forum as a Momentum-backed member, wrote that: “Apparently [the] Electoral Commission states that Watson received £50,000+ from Jewish donors. At least Judas only got 30 pieces of silver.” Judas was supposedly a disciple of Jesus who betrayed him for money, and for centuries was used as a means of inciting hatred and even murder by portraying Jews as money-obsessed and disloyal.

Mr McManus deleted the post and apologised, calling his comments “crass”, “wrong”, “inappropriate and hurtful.” Labour reportedly reinstated Mr McManus after just eight weeks.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has begun pre-enforcement proceedings against the Labour Party following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant. The pre-enforcement proceedings are a precursor to opening a full statutory investigation.

In recent months, eleven MPs have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with numerous councillors and members.

Over 50,000 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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Football Association clears player Wayne Hennessey of performing Nazi salute, saying he did not know what it was

Footballer Wayne Hennessey has been cleared by the Football Association’s (FA) Independent Regulatory Commission of the accusation of performing a Nazi salute because it was ruled that he did not know what a Nazi salute was.

The Nazi salute, also known as the Hitler salute, is grossly offensive to Jews and is a well-known fascist gesture. It was the gesture of adoration for Adolf Hitler performed by massed German mobs who attacked and killed Jews, as well as by Nazi Germany’s armed forces as they murdered millions of Jews during the Holocaust.

Mr Hennessey, the Crystal Palace goalkeeper and Wales international player, was pictured with his right arm in the air and left hand above his mouth in a photograph posted on Instagram by German team-mate Max Meyer on 5th January. The gesture is often used as an attempt to mimic Hitler, with the left hand used to imitate a moustache.

Mr Hennessey denied the charge and said that any resemblance to the Nazi gesture was “absolutely coincidental”. His defence stated that he did not know what a Nazi salute was, according to the FA’s written reasons after the charge was found not proven.

Mr Hennessey said that he “waved and shouted at the person taking the picture to get on with it” and “put my hand over my mouth to make the sound carry”. He reportedly submitted photographs to the panel of him making similar gestures during matches to attract the attention of team-mates.

The panel said Mr Hennessey was “able to corroborate” his explanation with a series of photographs, including one that showed his right arm raised and left hand across his mouth in a “similar way” to the photo posted on Instagram. They said that he showed a “lamentable degree of ignorance” about Adolf Hitler, fascism and the Nazi regime.

The charge was found not proven after two members of the three-man panel believed the photograph had been “misinterpreted”. The other said the “only plausible explanation” was that Hennessey performed the salute.

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Men on London Underground allegedly threaten to cut orthodox Jew’s sidelocks off with knife and scissors

A group of men allegedly approached an orthodox Jewish man on a London train and threatened to use a knife and scissors to cut off his sidelocks.

Stamford Hill Shomrim, a Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch, are looking into the incident. They said that the incident took place on a train in the London Underground near Oxford Circus Station in central London on Sunday.

If you have any more information, please contact Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123 or British Transport Police on 0800405040 and quote reference 253.

We are following this case with interest.

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New law grants police stronger powers to stop display of terrorist flags ahead of annual “Al Quds Day” parade

The law has been tightened to grant police stronger powers to stop the display of proscribed organisation’s flags prior to the annual “Al Quds Day” parade, which has traditionally been a pro-Hizballah event at which numerous supporters of the genocidal antisemitic terrorist organisation marched through London waving the organisation’s flag, wearing clothing emblazoned with its emblem, and carrying placards stating “We are all Hizballah”.

In February this year, Hizballah was completely proscribed by the Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, with the support of the Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt. This followed a gruelling effort over several years by Campaign Against Antisemitism and our allies.

Until then, the British Government had distinguished between Hizballah’s “military wing” and “political wing”, even though Hizballah mocked the Government and said that no such distinction exists.

The loophole enabled brazen shows of support for Hizballah, including the pro-Hizballah “Al Quds Day” parade which is organised by a registered charity. Hizballah supporters marched through the heart of London, heard from antisemitic speakers and even draped babies in Hizballah flags.

In addition to the total proscription of Hizballah, the law has now been changed to enable police officers to take much firmer action.

The Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019 has changed the Terrorism Act 2000’s provision against wearing the uniform of banned terrorist organisations, which also included waving terrorist flags.

Under section 13 of the Terrorism Act, “A person in a public place commits an offence if he wears an item of clothing — or wears, carries or displays an article [including a flag] — in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a member or supporter of a proscribed organisation.”

The law has now been amended, to allow police officers to seize flags or other articles as evidence, stating: “A constable may seize an item of clothing or any other article if the constable reasonably suspects that it is evidence in relation to an offence under subsection (1), and is satisfied that it is necessary to seize it in order to prevent the evidence being concealed, lost, altered or destroyed.” The law further states that officers may require individuals to remove any terrorist-branded clothing, with certain exceptions, such as underwear.

Additionally, the law has been changed to make it an offence to publish images or videos of clothing or other articles that would “arouse reasonable suspicion that the person is a member or supporter of a proscribed organisation”.

These amendments will ensure that Hizballah supporters will no longer be able to display the Hizballah flag and intimidate British Jews with impunity as they have done for years at successive “Al Quds Day” parades.

This year’s parade is scheduled for 2nd June in central London and Campaign Against Antisemitism, along with other Jewish community organisations, have been in discussion with the Metropolitan Police Service to ensure that any shows of support for Hizballah are firmly punished.

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Disgraced Corbyn aide Laura Murray, who intervened to stop suspension of alleged antisemite, formally appointed as Labour’s Head of Complaints

Jeremy Corbyn’s close parliamentary aide, the daughter of one of his major allies, has now been formally appointed to lead the Labour Party’s disciplinary process.

According to the Labour Party, Ms Murray is “the best person for the job”, despite the fact that she has been publicly disgraced after being caught preventing the suspension of Pat Sheerin, an alleged antisemite who has now been arrested on suspicion of incitement to racial hatred, the most serious non-violent form of hate crime.

Ms Sheerin is one of three former Labour activists who have been arrested on suspicion of incitement to racial hatred. The arrests were made after Campaign Against Antisemitism reported a secret Labour Party dossier to Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick live on air, after it was exposed on LBC radio.

Ms Sheerin is alleged to have posted material claiming that there are links between Israel and Isis, and promoting the idea that Jewish groups fomented the Ukrainian revolution.

Leaked e-mails have also shown that Ms Murray intervened to stop the suspension of a Labour member who praised the antisemitic mural, which Mr Corbyn also defended.

Ms Murray has also accused television star and antisemitism campaigner Rachel Riley of endorsing physical attacks on Mr Corbyn over his handling of antisemitism in the Party, leading to Ms Riley launching a libel claim.

Campaign Against Antisemitism considers the brazen appointment of Ms Murray as yet further evidence that the Labour Party cannot be trusted to tackle its antisemitism problem.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has begun pre-enforcement proceedings against the Labour Party following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant. The pre-enforcement proceedings are a precursor to opening a full statutory investigation.

In recent months, eleven MPs have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with numerous councillors and members.

Over 50,000 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 selects seven candidates for upcoming elections who have been engulfed in Party’s antisemitism crisis, including activist photographed with convicted Holocaust denier Alison Chabloz

The Labour Party has selected six candidates for the upcoming local council and European Parliament elections who have been engulfed in the Party’s antisemitism crisis, including a former ally of Alison Chabloz, the convicted Holocaust denier.

Martin Mayer

Martin Mayer, a Labour Party activist who reportedly claimed that the Israeli lobby had “manufactured” the Labour’s antisemitism crisis has been selected as a candidate for the upcoming European Parliament election. According to the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Mayer, a former member of Labour’s National Executive Committee and a Unite union activist, has been chosen to stand as the Member of European Parliament (MEP) for Yorkshire and Humber.

Mr Mayer, who is a retired transport worker, has also reportedly been active in Labour Against the Witchhunt (LAW), a group set up to protest the expulsion of Labour members for alleged antisemitism. A report of a meeting of LAW in Sheffield last May said Mr Mayer had “shared fascinating stories from his time on the Labour Party NEC and the many ‘bogus’ claims of antisemitism he witnessed first hand.” According to the newspaper, in 2016 Mr Mayer sent an e-mail entitled “How Israel lobby manufactured UK Labour party’s antisemitism crisis.” In the e-mail he allegedly complained that “Labour’s Blairite right wing have used the smear of antisemitism to undermine Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership.” Mr Mayer also reportedly circulated an e-mail from Tony Greenstein, who was expelled from the Labour Party for abusive conduct including calling Jews “Zios” on social media, in which Mr Greenstein accused Mr Corbyn’s critics of “a dirty tricks operation” worthy of the CIA.

In a statement to the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Mayer said that: “When I was on the NEC I was shocked and appalled to see cases of antisemitism within our Party. I said back then and I say again now: it does exist within our Party, it is a problem, and we must not tolerate it. I was also concerned about factionalism undermining the integrity of the disciplinary processes and the fight against antisemitism. I regret the language I used to express this and I would not use it today. Since then, I have learnt a lot more about this subject and I realise that words like ‘smear’ have the effect of downplaying and dismissing this very serious issue.” He added that: “I did not deny the problem exists within our Party, and I believe anyone who denies it is contributing to the problem. As we’ve seen from the figures that the Party recently released, this is a small minority in our Party, but they must be kicked out.”

David Sheard

The Sunday Telegraph also revealed that three more Labour councillors and candidates for the local elections have recently posted material appearing to endorse the claim that accusations of antisemitism have been exploited by the “Israel lobby” and Jewish groups in the UK.

In a tweet responding to concerns raised by Wes Streeting MP about voters being put off Labour by claims of antisemitism, David Sheard, the Deputy Leader of Kirklees Council, reportedly responded that: “Jewish organisations run a concerted campaign against JC [Jeremy Corbyn] and Wea [sic] Streeting is not surprised that it is working.” Mr Sheard did not respond to a request for a comment from the Sunday Telegraph.

Eleanor Tristram

Eleanor Tristram, a candidate for Stafford Borough Council, reportedly shared a claim on Facebook that the Jewish MP Ruth Smeeth was funded by the “Israel lobby” and also described the Labour antisemitism crisis as a “smear” organised by “pro-Israel Labour MPs”. Ms Tristram also reportedly shared a Facebook post that stated that: “The current antisemitism witch-hunt against Chris Williamson, Jackie Walker and others, and against our own Labour Party constituencies is a fraud…The attacks, orchestrated by the right-wing of the Labour Party led by Tom Watson, reinforced by the MSM [mainstream media], are not really about antisemitism. They are a cover for sabotage…These pro-Israel Labour MPs know that such a government would oppose attacks on the Palestinian people.” Responding to claims that she was helping to spread antisemitic comments, Ms Tristram told the Sunday Telegraph that: “The current row over antisemitism is a witch hunt against Jeremy Corbyn. There is no problem with antisemitism in the party. I’ve not seen any examples of it at meetings or at party conference. It’s part of a campaign in the mainstream media to discredit the leadership.” She added that: “The majority of antisemitism directed at [Jewish members] has not come from Labour members and if it has they have been expelled.”

Mick Bone

Another Labour candidate, Mick Bone, who is seeking election to Middlesbrough Council, reportedly shared a graphic suggesting that the Israeli Embassy controls BBC News, and that Jewish employees such as the BBC’s former Director of Television, Danny Cohen had dual loyalty to Israel. Mr Bone also reportedly shared Facebook memes calling for Israeli diplomats to be expelled from Britain and accused the “Israeli lobby” of leading a witch hunt against Mr Corbyn. He refused to comment when contacted by the paper.

In relation to Mr Sheard, Ms Tristram and Mr Bone, a Labour Party spokesperson told the Sunday Telegraph that: “The Labour Party takes all complaints of antisemitism extremely seriously and we are committed to challenging and campaigning against it in all its forms. All complaints about antisemitism are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures and any appropriate disciplinary action is taken.”

These latest revelations came after The Telegraph reported on 15th April that Labour was forced to suspend Alexandrina Braithwaite, a council candidate, after the newspaper revealed that she had posted a web of online Rothschild and Israel conspiracy theories.

Frances Naggs

Separately, The Independent has reported that the author of an open letter that claimed that a Jewish community protest in Parliament Square last March was the work of a “very powerful special interest group” has been selected as a Labour council candidate. Frances Naggs, a Labour activist in Staffordshire, is standing for Labour as a councillor in Staffordshire Moorlands. Ms Naggs’ letter was reportedly shared widely on social media and received thousands of likes. She reportedly wrote: “Yesterday we witnessed the full onslaught of a very powerful special interest group mobilising its apparent, immense strength against you. It is clear this group can employ the full might of the BBC to make sure its voice is heard very loudly and clearly. It is a shame not every special interest group can get the same coverage.” She added: “But, and it is a very big but, we live in a democracy, a one member one vote democracy and no special interest group, regardless of their history or influence, can be allowed to dictate who the rest of us can vote for or how we vote.” Ms Naggs told Independent that the letter was a “naïve mistake” and that she had not been referring to Jewish groups.

Kasey Carver

Additionally, The Jewish News reports that Kasey Carver, who was photographed with convicted Holocaust denier Alison Chabloz, is standing for Labour for the St John’s Ward in High Peak. Ms Chabloz was convicted of criminal offences in relation to songs mocking Holocaust survivors and claiming that the Holocaust was a Jewish fraud. She was convicted in the first case of its kind, following a private prosecution by Campaign Against Antisemitism, which the Crown eventually agreed to take over. She appealed the decision in the Crown Court and the conviction was upheld in February this year, setting a new precedent. Ms Carver, a committee member of Glossop Labour Club, was reported to the Party’s Governance and Legal Unit, as confirmed by local MP Ruth George a year ago. Ms Carver reportedly organised fundraising events with the group Glossop for Kids in Gaza which were attended by Ms Chabloz. A photo from 2014 shared by Glossop for Kids in Gaza shows Ms Carver with Ms Chabloz and other activists holding up a Palestinian flag at an event. The photo appears on Ms Chabloz’s Facebook page. Ms Carver told the Jewish News that: “I ran those benefits and [Chabloz] sang in one of them and that’s the photograph you refer to. She came to those benefits often. Then she left the area and then it came to our attention [in 2016] that some of the stuff she was putting out was outrageous antisemitism.”

Screenshots of deleted Facebook posts sent from Carver’s personal account have been widely circulated online. A Facebook post from 2015 linked back to a blog post published on the website “Semitic Controversies”, above which Ms Carver commented: “Just looked at the potentially Zionist influence of the BBC.” Another deleted post linked to a story published in “Global Research CA”, which suggested that Israel backs ISIS. The post read that: “Various indications of Israel support for ISIS in the past but this is looking more convincing. If true, just shows what a mixed up and morally reprehensible mess that has been created in Syria.” Ms Carver told The Jewish News: “I regret that and I have been to antisemitism training then and I am very much more aware of the sensitivity of the [BBC] post and I have apologised.” She added that she had not intended to promote the view that Israel backs ISIS. “Our branch has been put on antisemitism training to make people more aware.”

Kate Linnegar

The BBC has also reported that Kate Linnegar, Labour’s candidate for Swindon Borough Council, as well as its prospective parliamentary candidate for the North Swindon seat at the next general election, has shared articles arguing that false allegations of antisemitism were being manufactured or “weaponised” to discredit Jeremy Corbyn. In a statement, she told the BBC: “I sincerely apologise for having liked or shared these posts in the past and for the offence this has caused” adding that she has since “developed a deeper understanding about the issue”. Labour said the posts were published in 2016, before the UK government and the Party adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism and that Ms Linnegar was “committed to tackling anti-Semitism within her own party and society” but regardless of when the definition was formally adopted, it pointedly failed to apologise or commit to taking any kind of disciplinary action.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has begun pre-enforcement proceedings against the Labour Party following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant. The pre-enforcement proceedings are a precursor to opening a full statutory investigation.

In recent months, eleven MPs have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with numerous councillors and members.

Over 50,000 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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Esteem Magazine claims it was “hacked” and tells CAA only “the cleaner” is available to speak after tweet suggesting that blame for antisemitism lies on Jews’ “own doorstep”

Leeds-based Esteem Magazine, which boldly claims to be “the North’s biggest lifestyle magazine and the number one free publication in the UK” appears to be imploding after its farcical handling of a tweet from its account on Saturday that stridently blamed Jews for antisemitism. The tweet, in response to another Twitter user who was complaining about antisemitism said: “Omg — why oh why throughout history do Jewish people get verbally and physically attacked? Maybe if it’s happened for millennia Jewish people should look in there [sic] own doorstep. Ask — why is all the time [sic]”.

Esteem Magazine subsequently claimed that its social media had been hacked and complained about the backlash to the earlier tweet, tweeting anew: “Wow. We have been hacked.who we don’t know [sic]. The terrible comments we have received have been shocking.” However the supposed hacker also seems to have been keen to defend the magazine’s reputation after posting vile commentary about Jews, tweeting: “Biggest publication in the N [North] of UK. HOWEVER NOT RACIST. We were pointing out that if there is a problem maybe look at why and address the source. We do not condone any form of racism — you have taken this out of context”. The supposed hacker even allegedly sent a direct message to a Twitter user claiming that they “were simply starting what they hoped would be a healthy debate”.

After a tweet complaining that the backlash on Twitter had “spolit my holiday quite frankly”, the magazine then tweeted that its director and major shareholder, Neil Saville, will be resigning: “A formal investigation will be taking place as to the origin of the comments made. Due to the upset caused by these comments, and the ill health which has since taken him, Neil Saville will be resigning as a director of both Esteem Media and Coppertop Digital Ltd today.” This was followed by another tweet saying that: “On behalf of everyone at Esteem Magazine, we apologise for any upset caused by tweets posted on our twitter.”

However the magazine then took its Facebook and Twitter accounts offline.

When Campaign Against Antisemitism called the magazine on its main number, 0113 258 0752, to request a statement, the person who answered claimed that she was “the cleaner” and that nobody else was in the office. When asked when someone other than “the cleaner” might be available to speak, we were told “maybe tomorrow”.

The antisemitic tweet which has been widely condemned by Twitter users was deleted, but not before Campaign Against Antisemitism had archived it.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s volunteers in Leeds will be looking for copies of the magazine so that advertisers can be contacted, and we have already begun contacting companies which advertise on the magazine’s website.

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CAA petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an “antisemite” who is “unfit to hold any public office” passes 50,000 signatures

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an “antisemite” who is “unfit to hold any public office” has passed 50,000 signatures.

The petition notes that Mr Corbyn has “lied, distracted, tried to twist the definition of antisemitism to exclude his past conduct, and issued false apologies when pressure mounted” and that “his actions have been consistent with those of an ideological antisemite”. It concludes: “For as long as the Labour Party is in Jeremy Corbyn’s grip, it cannot be a force for good. His past demonstrates that he should never have been elected to the leadership of the Labour Party and he is unfit to hold any public office. Antisemites must not hold positions of power.”

The petition has already made headlines in newspapers such as The Times and The Sun and the petition continues to spread virally through Facebook, Twitter and e-mail.

Those signing have done so despite an attempt by Change.org to disparage them by posting a notice at the top of the petition warning that its facts are contested. You may wish to tell Change.org what you think about their warning notice by e-mailing [email protected].

Pressure is mounting on the Labour Party as a poll showed that 55% of the British public agrees with the petition’s sentiment that Mr Corbyn is unfit for office over antisemitism.

Meanwhile, the Equality and Human Rights Commission has begun pre-enforcement proceedings against the Labour Party following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant. The pre-enforcement proceedings are a precursor to opening a full statutory investigation.

Since the Commission began its pre-enforcement proceedings against Labour, further appalling evidence has come to light, including revelations that Jeremy Corbyn’s own staffers and senior allies were interceding on behalf of antisemites. Senior figures in the Labour Party have said they would welcome the Commission pursuing our complaint, including two Shadow Cabinet members — Emily Thornberry and Tom Watson — as well as Labour peers and MPs including Dame Louise Ellman, Lord Falconer, Dame Margaret Hodge, Cath McKinnell, Ruth Smeeth, Alex Sobel and Wes Streeting.

In light of the evidence that Campaign Against Antisemitism has presented, and these calls for help from within Labour, we expect the Commission to announce a statutory investigation so that it can avail itself of its full legal powers to compel the Labour Party to act against the antisemites in its ranks.

In recent months, eleven MPs have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with numerous councillors and members.

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.