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Former CIA agent accused of leaks ‘drew swastikas’ at high school

A profile published in The New Yorker magazine claims that Joshua Schulte, the former CIA agent accused of the largest leak in the agency’s history, drew swastikas while at high school.

According to the article, Mr Schulte allegedly drew swastikas on the yearbook of a Jewish student “on at least one occasion.”

The profile’s author, Patrick Radden Keefe, quotes school friends of Mr Schulte who allege that the former CIA agent drew swastikas “all over the place.”

In the article, Kavi Patel claimed that Mr Schulte was not antisemitic but liked provoking people and that he recalled Mr Schulte saying: “It’s fun to see the shock on people’s faces.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project. 

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Labour suspends multiple councillors after multiple controversies emerge in wake of local elections

The Labour Party has implemented a raft of suspensions following a series of controversies at local councils.

Cllr Mohammed Iqbal, who is the leader of the Labour group on Pendle Council in Lancashire, has reportedly been suspended by the Party over remarks that he made in a speech last month in which he called for the flag of the Palestinian Authority to be flown from the town hall. He reportedly said: “The fact is that what’s going on in Ukraine, Palestine, and other areas I’ve mentioned, reminds me, I barely passed my GCSE history at school, but many people in this room will remember what justification Hitler had for what he did to the Jews in the Second World War.”

Yasser Iqbal, another Labour councillor who serves as the town’s mayor, reportedly cited Pastor Niemoller’s famous anti-Nazi poem denouncing those who did not “speak out”, saying, according to the JC, that those who failed to speak out against the Jewish state were culpable.

According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” is an example of antisemitism.

Cllr Iqbal reportedly told the JC: “I disagree that this is antisemitic. I have friends who are Jews and Israeli friends who are Jewish and from other faiths.” He apparently added that several Jewish people had contacted him to express their support. Cllr Yasser Iqbal reportedly did not respond to a request for comment.

The motion to fly the flag passed unanimously in the Council, where the Conservatives are in the majority. Among their number is Cllr Mohammed Aslam, who was formerly a Labour councillor and has previously (as a Conservative) been embroiled in controversy, with Cllr Mohammed Iqbal among those calling on the Conservatives to take action.

In Haringey, Cllr Joy Wallace has reportedly been suspended by the Labour Party. Cllr Wallace, who won election last month, allegedly accused a rabbi of being “paid handsomely” for criticising Jeremy Corbyn on Radio 4, among other inflammatory remarks.

The Labour leader on the Council has called on councillors to disclose any controversies or latent scandals in an apparent effort to pre-empt further revelations, as another councillor, Ibrahim Ali, was also suspended by Labour after it emerged that he was previously employed by the controversial CAGE activist group, and in 2015 he reportedly defended the description of the terrorist known as Jihadi John as a “beautiful young man” while speaking to a Parliamentary committee.

In Hillingdon, Cllr Labina Basit has reportedly been suspended by Labour over her past alleged views on antisemitism in the Party, including apparent opposition to the International Definition of Antisemitism.

In Milton Keynes, Cllr Ansar Hussein has also reportedly been suspended by Labour. He was alleged to have shared conspiracy theories about the Jewish state on social media, including some that appear to compare Israeli policies to those of the Nazis. According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” is an example of antisemitism.

Other controversies have also arisen elsewhere.

A handful of Labour councillors have now been suspended since the local elections, with Newham’s Cllr Belgica Guaña having been suspended just hours before the polls opened. Campaign Against Antisemitism has reported her to the police and Newham Council.

The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.

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

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

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Colombia adopts the International Definition of Antisemitism

Colombia has adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism.

The Definition was signed into law by Colombian President Iván Duque. This was witnessed by Dina Siegel Vann, the Director of the Arthur Rochelle Belfer Institute for Latino and Latin American Affairs at the American Jewish Committee.

According to Ms Siegel Vann, President Duque said that he was adopting the Definition “as a means to reject antisemitic practices and discrimination against the Jewish people” in the acknowledgment of the contribution that Jewish people have made to Colombian society.

There has been a Jewish community in Colombia since the Spanish colonisation of South America. This included the people known as Marranos, Spanish Jews who had been forcibly converted to Christianity during the Middle Ages but who continued to practice Judaism in secret.

In the 21st century, there are between 4,500 and 5,500 Jews living in Colombia, making up less than 0.01% of a total population of over 50 million.

Britain was the first country in the world to adopt the International Definition, something for which Campaign Against Antisemitism and Lord Pickles worked hard over many meetings with officials at Downing Street. Colombia joins a growing list of national governments and public bodies to use the Definition.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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SNP’s Tommy Sheppard reported to have spoken at rally with antisemitic signs

An SNP MP is reported to have spoken at a rally that featured antisemitic signs.

Tommy Sheppard MP made a speech calling for pressure on the British Government “to make sure that Israel does answer for its actions.”

However, at the sparsely-attended protest, there were signs with cartoons condemning “bogus antisemitism” and making use of the antisemitic Livingstone Formulation. The “Livingstone Formulation”, named by sociologist David Hirsch after the controversial former Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, is used to describe how allegations of antisemitism are dismissed as malevolent and baseless attempts to silence criticism of Israel. In its report on antisemitism in the Labour Party, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) found that suggestions of this nature were part of the unlawful victimisation of Jewish people in the Party.

The signs also claimed that “Zionism is Racism” and described the Labour Party’s Jewish affiliate and Friends of Israel faction are a “cancer”.

The signs appear to be associated with Labour Against Zionism and Islamophobic Racism (Lazir) and the so-called “Campaign Against Bogus Antisemitism”, both of which were founded by suspended Labour member Pete Gregson, who was expelled from the pro-Corbyn pressure group Momentum and from the GMB trade union and suspended from the Party after suggesting that the Holocaust was exaggerated and for abusive behaviour towards a female Jewish Labour member.

The rally Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh took place on 3rd June.

Several years ago, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards opened an investigation into an event hosted by Mr Sheppard MP, in which it is alleged that Jewish people were deliberately excluded.

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

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

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Argentine politician sued after equating Zionists with Nazis and calling for destruction of Jewish state

Argentina’s Jewish community has launched legal action against a far-Left Argentine politician over a series of reported statements which community figures allege to be antisemitic, including an equation of Zionists with Nazis and an assertion that “the genocidal State of Israel” should be “destroyed to rebuild the state of Palestine.”

In tweets in May, Alejandro Bodart, the Secretary General of the Socialist Workers Movement (MST), posted a meme saying “Zionists = Nazis”. According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” is an example of antisemitism.

The Jewish community’s umbrella organisation DAIA said that it was launching legal proceedings because Mr Bodart’s alleged posts on Twitter violated both Argentina’s anti-discrimination laws and the International Definition of Antisemitism and represented an “attack on peaceful, democratic coexistence.”

MST is a Trotskyist faction that is part of a wider far-left grouping which has four deputies in the Argentine parliament.

In his response, Mr Bodart rejected “demands” for him to “ratify or delete” the posts, saying neither he “nor the MST” would “ratify or rectify anything” for the DAIA “or any other Zionist entity.” He went on charge that “seeking to silence” any “critical voice” “reaffirms” the “political conviction” that “authoritarianism is an intrinsic component of Zionism.”

After the legal action was launched, Mr Bodart took to Twitter to thank his supporters “for all the solidarity” given to him “in the face of Zionist threats.” These “seek to silence those of us who denounce the atrocities of the State of Israel,” he claimed. But he would “continue to defend the heroic struggle of the Palestinian people.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project. 

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Disbelief as former journalist Paul Mason appears on Labour Party’s longlist for Stretford and Urmston seat

Observers have reacted with disbelief after it emerged that the controversial former journalist Paul Mason is on the longlist to become the Labour Party’s candidate for Parliament in the Stretford and Urmston constituency.

Mr Mason, a former Economics Editor of Newsnight and Channel 4 News, was a staunch backer of the antisemitic former leader, Jeremy Corbyn, opposed the former leader’s suspension from the Parliamentary Labour Party and has repeatedly called for the whip to be restored.

He opposed the sacking of Rebecca Long-Bailey from the Shadow Cabinet, which was widely considered a potential turning point in Labour’s handling of antisemitism in the Party.

Mr Mason was also allegedly a member of the Facebook group “Palestine Live”, whose membership reportedly included numerous antisemites and Jew-baiters and where antisemitism was brazenly on display, although there is no suggestion that Mr Mason was himself involved in any such expression.

He has, however, spoken out in the past against the “reflection” of antisemitism in the Labour Party, although it is not entirely clear what the phrase meant.

Meanwhile, in Derby North, it is understood that Nadine Peatfield, the leader of the Derby Labour Group, has been dropped from the longlist for candidates in that seat, after it emerged that she had signed a letter of support for the constituency’s then-Labour MP, the disgraced Chris Williamson. She has reportedly accepted her removal from the list, saying:“I regretted signing the letter very soon afterwards as more information was revealed and I disassociated myself completely from that person from the moment of his second suspension. For my misplaced support of the former MP and for any associated harm to the Jewish community caused by my words or actions related to that support, I apologise unreservedly.”

The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.

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

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Outcry after populist Ontario Party selects candidate who allegedly promoted Holocaust denial material online

Jewish groups in Canada have called on the Ontario Party to drop a candidate who has allegedly made numerous inflammatory statements.

Nikolaos Balaskas allegedly claimed that Jews control the media, presented the Holocaust as a justified response to “Zionist partisans/resistance fighters” and described Zionists as “haters of G-d and his children”, according to B’nai B’rith Canada.

He has also been accused of sharing memes and posts that accuse “Jewish-Bolsheviks” of murdering millions and sharing content from a website containing Holocaust denial content.

Mr Balaskas reportedly made these comments while he was employed by York University in Toronto in 2016. After B’nai B’rith Canada filed a complaint, Mr Balaskas was removed from his position.

Mr Balaskas is running as a candidate for the Ontario Party, which has been described as a “right-wing populist party” and even as “far-right”, in York Centre, a riding with the second biggest Jewish population in Ontario.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Labour publishes latest antisemitism statistics just as spate of new incidents among local councillors emerges

The Labour Party has published its latest statistics in connection with antisemitism disciplinary cases in the Party, just as a spate of new incidents among local councillors has emerged.

The statistics have been published in accordance with Labour’s Action Plan, agreed with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) following its damning report into Labour antisemitism which came following the EHRC’s investigation in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant.

According to the latest figures, of the 148 cases dealt with by Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) since the last report in January, 81 percent involved antisemitism. Just under ten percent involved online conduct, two per cent related to bullying and under one percent involved anti-Muslim hatred.

While some Labour activists hailed the figures, others were more sceptical, with Labour Against Antisemitism pointing out that the number of expulsions for antisemitism cases remains comparably low.

A spokesperson for the Labour Party said: “Antisemitism, like many other hate incidents, has unfortunately been spread by the widespread use of social media and there are many antisemitic conspiracy theories circulating, which are often used to insult, belittle, blame and demonise Jewish people for many different things within our society and government structures. None of this is acceptable, and such behaviour from Labour Party members will not be tolerated as it does not align with our aims and values. The Labour Party has made a commitment to require all members who are respondents in upheld complaints of antisemitism, to undertake appropriate education or training modules.”

At the same time, however, numerous Labour councillors are facing mounting pressure over their social media activity.

Cllr Belgica Guaña, who won re-election in Newham this month, is alleged to have posted on Facebook a horrific article titled “The Holocaust Hoax and the Jewish Promotion of Perversity” arguing that “The Germans were completely justified in persecuting and expelling the Jews…just as we would be today.” The allegation that Cllr Guaña posted the article was made in the JC, based on research by Labour Against Antisemitism. Cllr Guaña was suspended by the Labour Party on the eve of the local elections, reportedly a week after Labour Against Antisemitism submitted its complaint to the Party but, notably, immediately after the allegations were published in the JC. Campaign Against Antisemitism has reported her to the police and to Newham Council.

In Milton Keynes, Ansar Hussain, who was elected in 2021 and has previously served as Wolverton’s mayor, has been alleged to have shared conspiracy theories about the Jewish state on social media, including some that appear to compare Israeli policies to those of the Nazis. According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” is an example of antisemitism. Contacted by the JC, Cllr Hussain reportedly said that he “disagreed with antisemitism” and, regarding the posts, that “I don’t remember these posts.” A Labour Party spokesperson said: “The Labour Party takes all complaints seriously. They are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures, and any appropriate action is taken.”

Since Ibrahim Ali won election in Haringey this month, it emerged that he was previously employed by the controversial CAGE activist group, and in 2015 he reportedly defended the description of the terrorist known as Jihadi John as a “beautiful young man” while speaking to a Parliamentary committee. Cllr Ali has reportedly been suspended by Labour pending an investigation.

Also in Haringey, Joy Wallace, who also won election this month, allegedly accused a rabbi of being “paid handsomely” for criticising Jeremy Corbyn on Radio 4, among other inflammatory remarks. According to the JC, Labour is investigating, but action is yet to be taken.

In Hillingdon, Cllr Labina Basit is also facing scrutiny over her past views on antisemitism in the Labour Party, including alleged opposition to the International Definition of Antisemitism.

In Leeds, Cllr John Garvani has had his nomination for the chairmanship of one of the most high-profile committees on Leeds City Council withdrawn following revelations about his inflammatory social media activity, according to the Jewish Telegraph.

In Derby North, Cllr. Nadine Peatfield, who is looking to become Labour’s candidate for Parliament in the constituency, allegedly defended the disgraced former Labour MP Chris Williamson in the past.

Separately it has been reported that the Brighton Pavilion, Brighton Kemptown and Hove and Portslade Constituency Labour Parties will no longer control their local candidate selection due to concerns over antisemitism and a lack of ethnic minority representation. The decision was approved by Labour’s NEC, which, together with the Regional Executive Committee, will now appoint a five-member panel to vet future candidates.

The move comes after antisemitism allegations among the local council’s Labour group – and the subsequent suspensions and resignations – saw power pass from Labour to the Greens, with one of the councillors at the heart of the scandal being readmitted and then re-suspended from the Party on the eve of the local elections earlier this month.

Finally, Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi, who is the Media Officer of Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL), an antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation, is running for a position on the NEC, and has the endorsement of Mr Corbyn; the actress Maxine Peake who has previously promoted an antisemitic conspiracy theory; the controversial actress Miriam Margolyes; Andrew Feinstein, who was involved in a group raising legal funds for Mr Corbyn and who is allegedly a member of JVL; and Louise Regan, the Chair of the Nottingham East Constituency Labour Party who was reportedly suspended and reinstated by the Party in the past.

Joe Glasman, Head of Political and Government Investigations at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “British Jews reading reports alleging that Labour councillors have shared material justifying the persecution of Jewish people, promoting conspiracies about the Jewish state, opposing the International Definition of Antisemitism and other antisemitic material, will be feeling a sense of déjà vu. It has been two years since Jeremy Corbyn stepped down as leader of the Labour Party, and yet here we are again, with another spate of incidents among Labour officeholders, in some cases newly elected.

“Public statements from Labour and Sir Keir Starmer over the past few months extolling the progress that the Party has made in tackling antisemitism are increasingly divorced from reality. Some progress notwithstanding, clearly Labour is still infested with people who have antipathetic views of Jews and the Party’s vetting process is an offensive joke. Whether the failures of that process are due to enduring procedural deficiencies or the same cultural problems that have bedevilled the Party for years now, or both, Labour is required to address them, and, as these stories show, it has yet to succeed in doing so.”

The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.

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

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

UPDATE: An earlier version of this article reported that Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi had also been endorsed by Syed Siddiqi who, according to Dame Margaret Hodge MP, has in the past associated with the expelled Labour member and antisemite Jackie Walker and the disgraced former Labour MP Chris Williamson, whom Mr Siddiqi has reportedly defended in the past. After the article was published, Jewish Voice For Labour wrote to us saying: “The endorsement by Syed Siddiqi was included in error in a post to our members that was corrected soon after. Syed Siddiqi has endorsed no candidates for the NEC election.”

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John McDonnell and Zarah Sultana under pressure for speaking at rally where chants for Hamas to blow up Israeli city were reportedly heard


Former Labour Party Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell, and Labour MP for Coventry South, Zarah Sultana, are under pressure to explain why they took part in a rally in which the crowd allegedly called for the genocidal antisemitic terrorist group Hamas to blow up an Israeli city.

Both Mr McDonnell and Ms Sultana attended the demonstration, organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and the Stop the War Coalition held in Whitehall on 14th May. Several hundred people were in attendance.

At one point, the crowd was allegedly heard chanting in Arabic “Abu Ubaida…blow up Kiryat Shmona”.

Abu Ubaida is the spokesperson for Hamas’s military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. Kiryat Shmona is an Israeli city near the northern border of Israel.

The Board of Deputies, a Jewish charity, wrote to the two controversial MPs.

Mr McDonnell responded: “I was not aware of the speeches or chants you have cited in your letter but let me make myself absolutely clear that of course I disassociate myself from and condemn any antisemitic statements, speeches or chants or calls for violence if they took place here or on any other occasion. I always have and will always do so.

“One can never control what others say or do at any public gathering but if any actions take place that I disagree with, once this has been pointed out, it is right and important to explain one’s own position.

“With regard to your comments on BDS, again let me make it absolutely clear that I support the policy of boycott, divestment and sanctions, actually like many Israeli and Jewish colleagues, as a means of exerting pressure on the Israeli government to secure a just and fair treatment of the Palestinian people, nothing more.”

Ms Sultana also responded, saying: “I did not hear the chant you reference, and I was not at the demonstration at the time you flag in the recording. I have no hesitation in disassociating myself from such chants, or in condemning any instance of antisemitism. As I am sure you will appreciate, it is impossible for speakers from the main stage of public gatherings like this, which was attended by an estimated 15,000 people, to be aware of the behaviour of every member of the crowd.

“Last May, after a horrifying and widely-reported incident of antisemitic abuse on Finchley Road, I publicly condemned it and expressed my solidarity with the Jewish community in London. As I stated then: the Palestinian people’s struggle for freedom is anti-racist at its heart, driven by a conviction that all peoples should live in equality and with dignity.

“Antisemitism can therefore have no place in the Palestine solidarity movement. I will continue to insist on this, as it is incredibly important to me that my anti-racism is universal, and that – especially as minority communities in Britain – we work to build safety through solidarity.”

The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.

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

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

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CAA and British Ambassador to Mexico discuss antisemitism in different countries

Jon Benjamin, the British Ambassador to Mexico, appeared on the most recent episode of Podcast Against Antisemitism where he discussed the varying rates of antisemitism in countries around the world.

Mr Benjamin, who has represented the United Kingdom in several countries throughout his 36-year-long diplomatic career, said: “My experience of antisemitism around the world varies so hugely. It has something to do with whether there is or isn’t a Jewish community in the country concerned. Early on, I was posted to Indonesia, there are effectively no Jewish people in Indonesia. I’ve been in other countries where the Jewish minority is very small, such as in Turkey.

“And there is always a difference between whether people are basing whatever views they have, favourable or negative, on personal interaction or a more abstract notion of a people, or religion or ethnic group, however they define it, which they don’t actually interact with themselves.”

Mr Benjamin went on to note that “perceptions of Israel…of the Middle East, in general, have a lot to do with how Jewish people are perceived in various parts of the world.

“There is always a spike of antisemitism when there is a spike in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, or Hizballah, or in the intifada periods…there’s always some sort of relationship.”

An intifada is a rebellion or uprising, but the Palestinian intifadas were characterised by acts of terrorism targeting Jews.

Speaking on his current country of residence, Mr Benjamin said: “I’m very struck here in Mexico, [when] I’ve met with the leaders of the Jewish community…and they themselves say that they think the Jewish community here in Mexico may be 40 to 50,000 strong in terms of its size, suffers less antisemitism than any other sizeable Jewish community almost anywhere in the world. 

“It doesn’t mean there’s none, and again, it can be linked to what’s going on in the Middle East itself. But it was very pleasing to me in my first meeting with them to hear them say that broadly speaking, they don’t suffer huge waves of antisemitism.”

Throughout the interview, Mr Benjmain touched upon a wide variety of topics which included the incident in which West Ham fans reportedly chanted “I’ve got a foreskin haven’t you, f***ing Jew” to a visibly Jewish man on a flight, how he first became involved in the fight against antisemitism and why he believes that travelling can help combat prejudice.

The podcast with Mr Benjamin can be listened to here, or watched in its entirety here.

Podcast Against Antisemitism, produced by Campaign Against Antisemitism, talks to a different guest about antisemitism each week. It streams every Thursday and is available through all major podcast apps and YouTube. You can also subscribe to have new episodes sent straight to your inbox.

Previous guests have included comedian David Baddiel, television personality Robert Rinder, writer Eve Barlow, Grammy-Award-winning singer-songwriter Autumn Rowe, and actor Eddie Marsan.

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CAA to write to Honours Forfeiture Committee and House of Lords Appointments Commission over Naz Shah’s “dear friend” Shaista Gohir OBE

Last week, the disgraced Labour Party MP, Naz Shah, congratulated her “dear friend” Shaista Gohir OBE on her appointment to the House of Lords as a non-party political peer.

Regrettably, Ms Gohir, the founding co-Chair of the Muslim Women’s Network, has her own history of inflammatory social media activity, which we can now reveal.

Judging by her tweets, Ms Gohir believes that Israel controls US foreign policy and American political decision-making. In one tweet, she wrote: “Who controls America’s foreign policy? ISRAEL – they would be the ONLY beneficiaries of a US attack on Syria.” Another tweet read: “Will Israel influence the US vote on whether to invade Syria? Are the AMericans really on control of their own decisions? #JustAsking.”

In fact, she appears to believe that Israel “controls” the US and even has such a “hold” over world leaders that it can “get away with murder”, having written in one tweet that “US warns Israel over Palestine talks failure. I bet Israel are quaking in their boots – NOT! Don’t they control US? http://bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-26416958” and in another tweet that “The hold Israel has over world leaders including Muslim ones is extraordinary that they continue to murder Palestinians and get away with it.”

It is not just any sort of murder that the Jewish state purportedly “gets away with”, but genocide comparable to that committed by the Nazis. She wrote: “You cannot continue to victimize someone else just because you yourself were a victim once-there has to be a limit (Edward W.Said) #israel.” According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” is an example of antisemitism.

Ms Gohir is a fan of the ‘right sort’ of Jews, including, it seems, those who ‘learned’ from their experience of the Holocaust. She wrote in one tweet that “It’s a shame that media does not highlight all those Jews who are against the Israeli aggression against Palestinians even in Israel” and in another tweet: “Holocaust survivors condemn Israel http://bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-28916761.”

She finds it “Very worrying that increasingly anyone criticising Israeli govt is deliberately being accused of antisemitism to prevent debate.” This is an example of the antisemitic “Livingstone Formulation,” which holds that Jews level baseless allegations of antisemitism in order to silence criticism of Israel.

It is odd that she would utilise the Livingstone Formulation, however, given that she thought that Ken Livingstone should be suspended from the Labour Party, asking in a tweet: “Will #Corbyn take action against his best mate Ken Livingstone? #NazShah suspended despite apology but Ken not regretful & not suspended.”

It is possible, however, that that tweet was just intended to suggest that her friend Ms Shah had supposedly been unfairly treated. After all, in another tweet she wrote: “Instead of suspending @NazShahBfd the @UKLabour should do roots & branches review on #antiSemitism #sexism & homophobia in party.”

She has said some of the right things on antisemitism in the Labour Party, including a tweet with a cartoon showing Labour sweeping complaints regarding “sexism, homophobia [and] antisemitism” under the carpet.

But that could just be because, judging by various tweets, she did not like Jeremy Corbyn who, lest we forget, suspended her friend Ms Shah.

Campaign Against Antisemitism will be writing to the Honours Forfeiture Committee and House of Lords Appointments Commission.

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

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Race to become Labour Party candidate for Wakefield by-election marred by antisemitism allegations

The race to become the Labour Party’s candidate in the coming Wakefield by-election has been marred by antisemitism allegations.

One shortlisted candidate, Kate Dearden, has reported that she has endured taunts from far-left activists that she is a “Zionist”. Ms Dearden, an official for the trade union Community, has worked in the past with the Union of Jewish Students and the Labour Party’s Jewish affiliate.

The taunts reportedly included “Kate seems to have supported Zionists (UJS/JLM),” while another post said: “Dinner with the Zionists is it? How can you be a socialist party when you have kicked out the Socialists. In fact this little vote has collapsed because you are all a farce.” Yet another post read: “Soo surprised to see Starmer’s choice is a Zionist supporter…”

Another prospective candidate, Jack Hemmingway, is alleged to have downplayed antisemitism within the Labour Party, called for the reinstatement of Jeremy Corbyn after the publication of the Equality and Human Rights Commision’s (EHRC) report about antisemitism in the Party under Mr Corbyn’s leadership, and liked online posts by controversial figures George Galloway and Salma Yaqoob.

On Twitter, Mr Hemmingway defended himself, claiming that his comment arguing that Labour was not institutionally antisemitic came before the outcome of the EHRC report, the findings of which he accepts.

Neither Ms Dearden nor Mr Hemmingway were selected as the Party’s candidate.

The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.

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

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

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Government sanctions NUS, saying “enough is enough” over antisemitism scandals, following calls by CAA and others

Following a string of controversies surrounding the National Union of Students (NUS) and its leadership, the Government has decided to sanction the organisation, removing it from all official groups and committees and refusing to engage with it. The move follows calls for the measures by Campaign Against Antisemitism and others.

A Government announcement said that “NUS will be removed from all Department for Education groups and replaced with alternative student representation…The Department for Education has also confirmed that the NUS will not receive any government funding…The allegations of antisemitism, which have been well-documented and span several years, have prompted a feeling of insecurity amongst Jewish students across the country and a worry systemic antisemitism within the organisation is not being properly addressed.”

The news comes despite NUS promising to ‘independently’ investigate itself in the wake of numerous antisemitism scandals. In one recent scandal, the rapper Kareem Dennis, known as Lowkey, was due to headline NUS’s centenary conference. After initially dismissing the concerns of Jewish students and telling them to stand in a segregation away from Mr Dennis, the union came under media scrutiny and eventually Mr Dennis withdrew from the event.

This scandal was immediately followed by the election of Shaima Dallali as NUS’s new President, despite her history of antisemitic tweets and other inflammatory social media posts. Prior to the election, she apologised for one such tweet, but later told The Guardian that it is “absolutely not true” that “I don’t like Jewish people,” nevertheless, “as a black Muslim woman, it [the allegation] is something that I expected.”

In a tweet about the new sanctions, Michelle Donelan, Minister of State for Higher Education, wrote: “Enough is enough. I’ve prepared a package of sanctions against NUS following concerning incidents over many years. Disappointed it has come to this but proud to stand up for Jewish students. NUS will not have a seat at the table until we see real change.”

In a tweet backing his colleague, Nadhim Zahawi, Secretary of State for Education, wrote: “Jewish students need to have confidence that they are being represented, and student bodies must speak fairly for everyone. This will remain until issues are suitably addressed.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “The Government has taken a firm stand shoulder to shoulder with Jewish students and the Jewish community at large after years of antisemitism scandals at NUS. We have found the Government to be very receptive to the concerns that we and others have expressed and these sanctions are precisely the measures that we had hoped to see implemented. We will now see whether these sanctions jolt NUS into action, or consign it to irrelevance. Student organisations are supposed to be filled with voices of hope, not bigotry. Those at NUS who have allowed matters to degenerate this far should be deeply ashamed that it has come to this.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism and others had been calling for the measures. Last month, Robert Halfon MP wrote together with Campaign Against Antisemitism to the Charity Commission calling for an investigation into the union’s charitable arm. The full dossier on NUS, produced by Campaign Against Antisemitism, can be read here. The Government has now also added its voice to calls for an investigation by the Charity Commission.

Campaign Against Antisemitism also made representations to the Government on the matter, including at a campus antisemitism summit organised by Mr Zahawi. In addition to Campaign Against Antisemitism, UJS, CST and others have also called for action.

In recent weeks, over twenty former NUS Presidents wrote a letter expressing their “serious concerns about antisemitism”, and another letter, organised by the Union of Jewish Students (UJS) and signed by over 1,000 Jewish students and allies, called for NUS to launch its ‘independent’ investigation.

In a statement NUS repeated its assurance that it would undertake its own investigation and lamented that “the universities minister [sic] has press released that they will be disengaging with NUS rather than seeking to engage with us directly.”

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].

How NUS has failed Jewish studentsDownload
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Expelled Labour member and controversial filmmaker Ken Loach reportedly set to headline Unite union event for political recruits

Ken Loach has reportedly been advertised as the keynote speaker at an event organised by a leading union for its top political recruits.

The controversial filmmaker, who was expelled by the Labour Party last year, has been invited to headline the Unite Political School, an annual event in Durham in July.

Mr Loach is billed as a “great socialist filmmaker” for the two-day conference of guest speakers, group activities and panels.

Mr Loach’s voice was among the loudest of those who attempt to dismiss Labour’s antisemitism crisis as non-existent and a right-wing smear campaign. He claimed that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was subjected to a “torrent of abuse” that was “off the scale” and that regardless of what he did, the “campaign” of antisemitism accusations was “going to run and run”. He described the BBC’s Panorama investigation into Labour antisemitism as “disgusting because it raised the horror of racism against Jews in the most atrocious propagandistic way, with crude journalism…and it bought the propaganda from people who were intent on destroying Corbyn.”

He was also reportedly behind a motion passed by Bath Labour Party branding the Panorama programme a “dishonest hatchet job with potentially undemocratic consequences” and asserting that it “disgraced the name of Panorama and exposed the bias endemic within the BBC.” John Ware, the programme’s reporter, is apparently considering legal action against Mr Loach for his comments.

In 2017, Mr Loach caused outrage when, during an interview with the BBC, he refused to denounce Holocaust denial. The International Definition of Antisemitism states that “denying the fact, scope, mechanisms (e.g. gas chambers) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World War II (the Holocaust)” is a manifestation of antisemitism. Although Mr Loach later sought to clarify his remarks, he has continued to make inflammatory and provocative statements about Labour’s antisemitism scandal.

While speaking at a meeting of the Kingswood Constituency Labour Party, Mr Loach advocated the removal from the Party of those Labour MPs, some of whom are Jewish, who have taken a principled stand against antisemitism. Shortly after that incident, the Labour Party announced that it would no longer use Mr Loach as a producer of their election broadcasts.

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Ivan Lewis describes suggestion that Labour’s result in Bury South proves Party has repaired relationship with Jewish community as “dangerous and misleading”

Ivan Lewis, the former Labour Party MP who left the Party during Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, has labelled suggestions that Labour’s result in Bury South proves that the Party has repaired its relationship with the Jewish community as “dangerous and misleading”, describing those who suggest otherwise as being “totally out of touch with reality.”

Mr Lewis, a former MP for Bury South who quit Labour and endorsed the Conservatives in the 2019 General Election, called on voters not to support the Conservatives in the local elections last week due to numerous controversies surrounding the local association. Campaign Against Antisemitism helped to publicise these controversies and has written to the Conservative Party calling for an urgent investigation.

In a Facebook post outlining his interpretation of the local election results, Mr Lewis wrote: “I am pleased that Bury Labour Group retained control of the council. I hope this sends the strongest possible message to Bury Conservatives about tackling the antisemitism in their ranks…Finally, there are some who are suggesting that Labour’s result in Bury South proves the Party has repaired its relationship with the Jewish community and the fear of antisemitism has dissipated. They are totally out of touch with reality and run the risk of sending a dangerous and misleading message to the national Party.

“A significant proportion, possibly a majority of Jewish voters who voted Labour in Prestwich, Whitefield, Radcliffe and Unsworth in the council elections or abstained from voting remain very concerned at the prospect of a Labour Government. They have not yet been persuaded that the Labour Party has left the antisemitism of the Corbyn years behind…They do not dispute Keir Starmer has made serious efforts to improve the situation but continue to mistrust the Party’s instincts and worry about those activists who still deny the scale of the antisemitism problem in the Corbyn years. 

“These voters voted Labour or abstained in the council elections because of their support for local candidates, concern at antisemitism in the local Tory party and in the full knowledge their vote would not lead to a change of Government…”

Mr Lewis’ sentiments echo an analysis conducted by Campaign Against Antisemitism of the local election results in the heavily-Jewish borough of Barnet in London. Sir Keir Starmer and other Labour figures claimed that the results in Barnet indicated that the Party has regained the Jewish community’s trust, but our analysis demonstrated that the evidence did not in fact support this contention. Indeed, polling for our Antisemitism Barometer last year showed that an overwhelming majority of Jewish voters — 81% — still believed that the Labour Party is too tolerant of antisemitism. While it is not in doubt that the Labour Party under Sir Keir’s leadership is in a more promising place vis-à-vis antisemitism than it was under his predecessor, it is indisputable that there remains a great deal of work to be done.

Our analysis was protested by some Labour activists, who also pointed to Bury to defend their interpretation of the results. Mr Lewis’ intervention may make those claims even more difficult to sustain.

The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.

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

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CAA writes to Conservative Party over disturbing pattern of incidents in Bury

Campaign Against Antisemitism has this week written to the Conservative Party in relation to a disturbing pattern of incidents in the Bury North and South Conservative Association, which we and others have publicised in recent weeks.

On 17th February, it was reported that a Jewish councillor, Jordan Lewis, was deselected by the local association and was thereby unable to run with the endorsement of the Conservative Party. Ordinarily, in and of itself this would not have been a matter of concern, were it not for the pattern of incidents in the association that was to come. He was replaced by Shahbaz Mahmood Arif in the new Bury West ward, more on whom below.

On 31st March, it was reported that Dr Shadman Zaman, a prospective Conservative candidate in Besses ward, was asked to remove messages sympathetic to Jewish victims of terrorism of Israel. Although the local association claimed that it wanted to keep the election “local” and said in a statement that “Dr Shadman Zaman was not confirmed as a Besses ward candidate because of his failure to comply with instructions regarding electoral law and Party guidance and not because of any of his expressed views,” again, in view of the pattern of incidents, this defence was not entirely as believable to the Jewish community as it might otherwise have been.

On 12th April, it was reported, Sham Raja Akhtar, a Conservative candidate for Sedgley ward, had his endorsement by the Party revoked after numerous historic and inflammatory social media posts were uncovered, including one allegedly comparing Israeli footballers to “assassins”. However, it was claimed that Mr Raja subsequently represented the Conservatives at a hustings as late as 23rd April.

On 13th April, it was reported that Shafqat Mahmood, a Conservative candidate for Redvales ward, also had his endorsement by the Party revoked after historic and inflammatory social media posts were uncovered, including one saying that “Jews r at it again” in reference to a fake news item from a Pakistani propagandist outlet about an Israeli national supposedly being involved with ISIS. The baseless and offensive notion that Jews or the Jewish state created ISIS or direct it is an antisemitic trope that has developed over the past decade. According to a report, Mr Mahmood, who had backed George Galloway’s Workers’ Party in the Batley and Spen by-election last year, had allegedly also shared a social media post which labelled Sir Keir Starmer a “Zionist”. As the Home Affairs Select Committee has made clear, “‘Zionism’ as a concept remains a valid topic for academic and political debate, both within and outside Israel. The word ‘Zionist’ (or worse, ‘Zio’) as a term of abuse, however, has no place in a civilised society. It has been tarnished by its repeated use in antisemitic and aggressive contexts.”

Also on 13th April, it was revealed that Mr Arif, the Conservative candidate for Bury West ward who had replaced Mr Lewis, had allegedly shared an inflammatory article from the controversial far-left website, The Canary, about how Sir Keir Starmer was in receipt of donations from a “pro-Israel lobbyist” and that such “pro-Israel” figures who were backing Sir Keir had been opponents of Jeremy Corbyn. The undercurrent of the claims were – as was by that time common on the far-left – that those who had opposed Mr Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour Party had done so in service to Israel or in order to silence his opposition to Israel, a type of antisemitic trope known as the ‘Livingstone Formulation’, which was highlighted in the EHRC’s investigation into antisemitism in the Labour Party.

At around the same time, concerns were raised about Mazhar Aslam, another Conservative candidate in Sedgley, over his past social media activity. The Party accepted his apology and stood by him.

The foregoing does not represent the first time that the local association has been rocked by allegations of antisemitism. Last year, Cllr Robert (Bob) Caserta was found to have breached the Code of Conduct for Councillors and Other Voting Representatives four times over comments apparently made during an interview to recruit a senior officer at the Council in July 2019. During that interview, Cllr Caserta was alleged to have referred to “grot spots” in Sedgley and said that it would be difficult to communicate with residents “unless you are able to speak Hebrew”. He had the whip removed but was reinstated by the Party. He was not a candidate in Bury in the 2022 local elections.

The recent incidents have raised urgent questions about the local association’s vetting processes, how it handles the revocation of endorsements, and whether the association has tolerated or indulged in prejudice towards Jewish people among its membership or has sought to exploit perceptions of such prejudice in any target electorate.

We have called on the Conservatives to investigate the local association as a matter of urgency.

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

Image credit: Google

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Nebraska adopts the International Definition of Antisemitism

The Governor of the State of Nebraska, Pete Ricketts, has announced that the State will adopt the International Definition of Antisemitism.

Jewish settlement in Nebraska started shortly after it became an organised territory in 1854. As of 2020, there were reported to be 76,300 Jews living in Nebraska, making up 0.5% of a total population of 1.9 million. 

Governor Ricketts said that “We’ve seen a disturbing rise in antisemitism across the country. Here in Nebraska, we’re not immune to it. Someone painted a swastika on a synagogue in Lincoln. We see this rise in antisemitism and must be aggressive in combatting it. We must let people know we stand against hate.”

Nebraska becomes the 27th state to adopt the Definition. This comes after last week’s news that the State of Alaska adopted the Definition after a proclamation by Governor Mike Dunleavy.

Britain was the first country in the world to adopt the International Definition, something for which Campaign Against Antisemitism and Lord Pickles worked hard over many meetings with officials at Downing Street. Since then, numerous local councils, universities and sport associations in the United Kingdom have adopted the Definition, as have several national governments and myriad municipalities and associations around the world.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

Image credit: Google

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Conservative councillor apologises for sending allegedly antisemitic video in WhatsApp group

A Conservative Party councillor in Worcester has apologised after he sent a video that was reported to have been antisemitic in nature to a WhatsApp group.

Cllr Allah Ditta sent the video to a group called ‘Campaign News’, which contained several prominent Conservatives, including Worcester MP Robin Walker and leader of Worcester City Council, Marc Bayliss.

The video reportedly contained a clip from an American talk show, during which one of the guests made antisemitic remarks. 

Cllr Ditta, who claimed that the message had been sent when his phone was left attended, said: “As soon as I became aware of this event I immediately deleted the content and sent an explanation and apology to those on the group.

“The chairman of the association acknowledged this as you can see from the message. I absolutely condemn all forms of racism. I have friends across all faiths and believe in diversity 100 per cent.”

Mr Walker said that “By the time I saw the video was shared in the chat, it had been deleted, adding: “Quite rightly so it was looked into at the time but it was established that the video did not come from a member of the group. As an association, we have several Jewish candidates and we never tolerate any form of discrimination, and antisemitism is included in that.”

However, Michael Foster, who previously served as a Labour Party MP for Worcester, drafted a letter to Conservative Party Chairman, Oliver Dowden MP, about the video.

Mr Foster said: “This screenshot and the video were shared with me by somebody who was involved in the group chat. The fact that Cllr Ditta claims this was a mistake and that his phone was left unattended is ridiculous.

“Given what the Labour party went through with antisemitism, it is critically important that this is highlighted and addressed. We have to ask why he has this kind of content on his phone in the first place?”

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

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Bishop of Oxford says he was “disturbed” by the climate of antisemitism allowed to develop in Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party

The Bishop of Oxford has said that he was “disturbed” by the antisemitism that was allowed to grow in the Labour Party under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn.

The Right Reverend Dr Steven Croft made his admission days before a commemorative event held at Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford, during which the Church of England offered an apology to the British Jewish community eight centuries after Jews were expelled from England.

Sunday 8th May was the 800th anniversary of the 1222 Synod of Oxford, known as the “Magna Carta” of English canon law – the system of laws enforced by the church hierarchy to regulate its organisation – which put antisemitic doctrines in place, forbidding social interactions between Jews and Christians, taxing the Jews, and making them wear a badge to identify them.

The Bishop took the opportunity of the church’s apology to voice his concerns about the climate of antisemitism during Jeremy Corbyn’s tenure as Labour leader, the other causes of which are the “general kind of fragmentation” of British society and Brexit.

The Right Rev Dr Croft said: “Three or four years ago, I was really disturbed by how deeply Jewish friends and the Jewish community in Oxford were affected by the antisemitism that was growing in society as part of the climate that was around.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has lodged a complaint against Jeremy Corbyn, holding him responsible for conduct that is prejudicial or grossly detrimental to the Labour Party, as the Leader during the period of the EHRC’s shameful findings. Given the serious detriment that this conduct has caused, we are seeking Mr Corbyn’s immediate resuspension and, if the complaint is upheld, we will be requesting his expulsion. On the day of the publication of the EHRC’s report, we also submitted a major complaint against Mr Corbyn and other sitting MPs. These complaints are yet to be acknowledged by the Party, and they must be investigated by an independent disciplinary process that the EHRC has demanded and Sir Keir has promised but has yet to introduce.

The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.

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

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

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Welsh Liberal Democrat council candidate suspended hours after being elected after posting inflammatory TikTok video using the slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”

It has been reported that a winning candidate for the Welsh Liberal Democrats has been suspended by the Party just hours after the results were announced for sharing an inflammatory video on TikTok a year earlier.

Little-One Brighouse, the newly elected councillor for Disserth and Trecoed with Newbridge-on-Wye in Powys, central Wales, was suspended by the Liberal Democrats after the Party was made aware of a video that she allegedly shared on TikTok in May 2021 which showed a burning Israeli flag.

In the video, the councillor can reportedly be seen posing in front of the camera while two other video clips play concurrently. In one, the viewer can see a burning Israeli flag. In the other, a caption reads: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, which is a popular chant.

The chant of “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” only makes sense as a call for the destruction of the world’s only Jewish state — and its replacement with a State of Palestine — and is thus an attempt to deny Jews, uniquely, the right to self-determination, which is a breach of the International Definition of Antisemitism.

A spokesperson from the Welsh Liberal Democrats said: “We have received a complaint regarding this candidate which has been reviewed under our independent complaints process. As a result they have been suspended from the Party while the complaint is fully investigated. Liberal Democrats have a long and proud record of standing up against antisemitism and continue to champion a liberal, tolerant and inclusive society for all.”

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

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Leaked recording shows “alt-right” YouTuber saying he wishes someone would “press the button to wipe Jews off the face of the earth”

A leaked audio recording of a well-known YouTuber reported to have a large following on the far-right appears to show him saying that he would like someone to “press the button to wipe Jews off the face of the earth.”

Paul Joseph Watson runs the Prison Planet YouTube channel, which has 1.9 million subscribers, and is a former editor of Infowars, a website owned by far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. Mr Watson is a well-known voice in the controversial “alt-right” movement in which inflammatory conspiracy theories commonly circulate.

Mr Watson’s alleged comments were apparently secretly recorded during a private conversation, and they come in the context of other racist and homophobic slurs. The recording appears to show that Mr Watson says he is sick of “media f***** activists” sticking signs “up in my face trying to get me to join the gay f***** Palestinian cause. I don’t give a shit about Israel and Palestine. I care about white people. Not sand n***** Jew P*** f***** c***s.”

Mr Watson’s output rarely contains such explicit racism, and he is known to have appeared on platforms with former members of the youth conservative movement Turning Point USA, Candace Owens, various figures associated with former UKIP leader Nigel Farage, figures associated with the Brexit Party, and he has reportedly interacted with billionaire Elon Musk on Twitter.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has been monitoring and acting against the threat from the far-right for years and continues to support the authorities following suit.

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Sir Keir Starmer’s claim of restored Jewish trust in Labour following success in heavily-Jewish Barnet not supported by analysis of results

Sir Keir Starmer has claimed that the Labour Party’s success in Thursday’s local elections in the heavily-Jewish borough of Barnet in north London indicates that the Party has regained the Jewish community’s trust.

Labour won the council from the Conservatives after famously failing to do so in 2018, despite other electoral trends that year, in what was widely interpreted as a snub by the Jewish community of the Party under the leadership of the antisemite Jeremy Corbyn, who campaigned with local Labour candidates in Islington this week.

Addressing Labour activists in the borough on the morning after the election, Sir Keir said: “My first words as leader of our Party, when I took over in April 2020, was that we were going to root out antisemitism from our Party, not tolerate it any more in our Party, change our Party. I said the test of that will be whether voters trust us again in places like Barnet, and they’ve done it.

“That is your hard work, that is the change we’ve collectively brought about in our Labour Party, the trust that we’re building, putting us on the road to No 10 the road to that general election. That change these last two years has been really hard for us as a party, but we’ve done it, we’ve built those solid foundations, we’ve won here in Barnet, we’ve won across London, we’re winning from coast to coast.”

However, a closer look at the results shows that the wards of the borough with the largest Jewish populations, including Edgware, Finchley Church End, Garden Suburb, Golders Green, Hendon, Mill Hill and Totteridge returned not a single Labour councillor, with the exception of the new ward of Whetstone.

Polling for our Antisemitism Barometer last year showed that an overwhelming majority of Jewish voters — 81% — still believed that the Labour Party is too tolerant of antisemitism.

It is not in doubt that the Labour Party under Sir Keir’s leadership is in a more promising place vis-à-vis antisemitism than it was under his predecessor, but neither is it disputable that there remains a great deal of work to be done.

Joe Glasman, Head of Political and Government Investigations at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “Sir Keir Starmer’s suggestion that the success of local Labour candidates in the heavily-Jewish borough of Barnet demonstrates that Labour has restored the trust of the Jewish community is decidedly premature. Our latest polling has shown that 81% of the Jewish community still feels that Labour is too tolerant of antisemitism. Yesterday, the most Jewish neighbourhoods in Barnet, including Edgware, Finchley Church End, Garden Suburb, Golders Green, Hendon, Mill Hill and Totteridge, returned not a single Labour councillor. We hope that Labour will concentrate on doing the work of fighting antisemitism rather than misleadingly implying that the problem is solved.”

The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.

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

In recent weeks, we have called out antisemitism and publicised allegations and relevant controversies in the full spectrum of British political parties, including the Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrats, SNP, and Green Party.

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Labour suspends councillor alleged to have posted horrific article arguing “The Germans were completely justified in persecuting and expelling the Jews…just as we would be today”

The Labour Party has reportedly suspended a councillor alleged to have posted a horrific article arguing “The Germans were completely justified in persecuting and expelling the Jews…just as we would be today.”

The suspension came within hours of the JC publicising the allegation, but reportedly a week since Labour Against Antisemitism first filed the complaint, raising questions anew about how Labour is tackling antisemitism in its ranks and reviving concerns about the extent to which PR considerations are a driving factor.

Belgica Guaña is alleged to have posted the article, titled “The Holocaust Hoax and the Jewish Promotion of Perversity”, on Facebook in 2016, two years before she became a councillor in Newham in London, where she is running for re-election this week.

The article says that “The so-called ‘Holocaust’ is propaganda in an ongoing war between the Jews and those with the courage to stand up to them – a war that began with the National Socialists coming to power in Germany in the 1930s and continues to this very day. The Jews do not have the means or the numbers to defeat Europeans with the force of arms so they have to rely mainly on infiltration, subversion, and economic and psychological warfare, with the Holocaust hoax being the best example of the latter. 

“The Germans were completely justified in persecuting and expelling the Jews (which is all that was actually happening), just as we would be today. Hitler and the National Socialists freed Germany from the death grip of the Jews and gave it back to the German people.”

The essay also argues that Jews use pornography to control western societies by way of the “Holocaust hoax”, and pushes the “white genocide” conspiracy theory, as well as claiming that teenage diarist Anne Frank, murdered by the Nazis at Bergen-Belsen, was a “bisexual degenerate” whose popular diary is an “obvious fraud…laced with pornographic and sexually subversive messages”.

In May 2016, Cllr Guaña reportedly shared a post that said that “The Nazi holocaust [sic] was a crime against humanity, and the Israeli Genocide against Palestinians can not be ignored or denied,” and in December 2017, Cllr Guaña is said to have shared a video of the United Nations General Assembly, writing: “If you can have a minute of silence for the 6 million Jews who died in the Holocaust. So how much time should I ask for the more than 50 years of invasion and oppression of the Palestinian people?” Both posts are further breaches of the International Definition of Antisemitism. Other inflammatory material is also alleged to have been posted by Cllr Guaña.

Although Cllr Guaña has been suspended from the Labour Party and therefore no longer enjoys its endorsement in her bid for re-election, she will remain on the ballot paper listed as a Labour candidate, which is unavoidable in view of how close the revelations came before the local elections.

The allegation that Cllr Guaña posted the article was made in the JC, based on research by Labour Against Antisemitism. Earlier this week, Campaign Against Antisemitism announced that it is examining legal options in respect of the posting of the article.

A Labour Party spokesperson said: “The Labour Party takes all complaints seriously. They are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures, and any appropriate action is taken.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said on Wednesday: “The article allegedly shared by this councillor is a not only an abhorrent collection of antisemitic tropes, from Holocaust denial and paedophilia to comparisons of Israel with the Nazis and support for the far-right ‘Great Replacement Theory’, but it may also imply support for Jewish genocide. In view of just how horrific this post is, we are examining legal options.”

The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.

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

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

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Labour councillor alleged to have posted horrific article arguing “The Germans were completely justified in persecuting and expelling the Jews…just as we would be today”

A Labour Party councillor is alleged to have posted a horrific article arguing “The Germans were completely justified in persecuting and expelling the Jews…just as we would be today.”

Belgica Guaña is alleged to have posted the article, titled “The Holocaust Hoax and the Jewish Promotion of Perversity”, on Facebook in 2016, two years before she became a councillor in Newham in London, where she is running for re-election this week.

The article says that “The so-called ‘Holocaust’ is propaganda in an ongoing war between the Jews and those with the courage to stand up to them – a war that began with the National Socialists coming to power in Germany in the 1930s and continues to this very day. The Jews do not have the means or the numbers to defeat Europeans with the force of arms so they have to rely mainly on infiltration, subversion, and economic and psychological warfare, with the Holocaust hoax being the best example of the latter. 

“The Germans were completely justified in persecuting and expelling the Jews (which is all that was actually happening), just as we would be today. Hitler and the National Socialists freed Germany from the death grip of the Jews and gave it back to the German people.”

The essay also argues that Jews use pornography to control western societies by way of the “Holocaust hoax”, and pushes the “white genocide” conspiracy theory, as well as claiming that teenage diarist Anne Frank, murdered by the Nazis at Bergen-Belsen, was a “bisexual degenerate” whose popular diary is an “obvious fraud…laced with pornographic and sexually subversive messages”.

In May 2016, Cllr Guaña reportedly shared a post that said that “The Nazi holocaust [sic] was a crime against humanity, and the Israeli Genocide against Palestinians can not be ignored or denied,” and in December 2017, Cllr Guaña is said to have shared a video of the United Nations General Assembly, writing: “If you can have a minute of silence for the 6 million Jews who died in the Holocaust. So how much time should I ask for the more than 50 years of invasion and oppression of the Palestinian people?” Both posts are further breaches of the International Definition of Antisemitism.

The allegation that Cllr Guaña posted the article was made in the JC, based on research by Labour Against Antisemitism.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “The article allegedly shared by this councillor is a not only an abhorrent collection of antisemitic tropes, from Holocaust denial and paedophilia to comparisons of Israel with the Nazis and support for the far-right ‘Great Replacement Theory’, but it may also imply support for Jewish genocide. In view of just how horrific this post is, we are examining legal options.

“The Labour Party must urgently investigate both the veracity of the allegation and how Belgica Guaña was allowed to become and remain a councillor in spite of the post, and why she was endorsed by the Party in her bid for reelection.”

Cllr Guaña is not the only Labour candidate in the coming elections to be embroiled in controversy.

Cllr Lee Garvey, an independent candidate representing Pallister and Berwick Hills in Middlesbrough, had applied to become a member of the Labour Party, but was rejected after concerns were raised about material that he had allegedly shared online. Cllr Garvey allegedly compared Israel’s policies to the Holocaust and referenced antisemitic conspiracy theories surrounding the Rothschild family.

In a 2015 Facebook post referencing then-Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron, Cllr Garvey reportedly wrote: “Just saw an interview with [Channel 4 News presenter John] snow and CaMORON where he says, we need to stop the Demonisation of Jews…Lets look at how I see it…Israel is doing to the Palestinians what they themselves suffered at the hands of the Nazi’s [sic].”

On another occasion, Cllr Garvey allegedly complained about the number of Jewish characters on television, saying: “Watch any US sitcom or show, you will find the vast majority have at least one Jewish character if not a Jewish family. Why is this when they make up JUST 2.2% of the population?? And if like me you fear the TV is just a Propaganda, it certainly makes you think [sic].”

In another alleged 2015 Facebook post, Cllr Garvey is claimed to have referenced classic antisemitic conspiracy theories about the Rothschild family, writing: “I also take the sleeping enhancer from those drug companies I despise, use money to purchase items given to us by the Rothschild family who I regard as less than poo and I also maek most of my living in churches and we all know how I feel about them…”

Another Labour candidate, Anne Pissaridou, representing North Portslade in Brighton, has been suspended by the Party for a second time after new revelations about her social media output. She is accused of posting messages on social media downplaying antisemitism allegations in the Labour Party and reportedly appeared to condone an online attack on a Jewish party member.

A third figure caught up in controversy is former Labour MP Martin Linton. Mr Linton served as the MP for Battersea between 1997 and 2010, but is now running as a council candidate in Wandsworth’s Lavender ward. He has allegedly made a number of inflammatory statements in the past.

In 2010, while Mr Linton was Chair of Labour Friends of Palestine, he reportedly claimed that the “Israel lobby” played a malign role in marginal constituencies. During a meeting held at the House of Commons by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Friends of al-Aqsa, Mr Linton is reported to have said that “There are long tentacles of Israel in this country who are funding election campaigns and putting money into the British political system for their own ends…When you make decisions about how you vote and how you advise constituents to vote, you must make them aware of the attempt by Israelis and by pro-Israelis to influence the election.”

In an appearance on the Islam Channel, Mr Linton said that the antisemitic genocidal terrorist group Hamas should not be called “terrorists”. That is, Mr Linton explained “the wrong word to use when you are talking about someone who is fighting a military occupation”. Mr Linton’s preferred term is “Gazan militants”, because, while the actions of individuals may be described as terroristic, the same apparently cannot be said for groups and governments.

In 2010, Mr Linton appeared on the Iranian-backed news outlet PressTV to, it has been claimed, defend Hamas terrorists in Israeli prisons. On another occasion, he appeared on PressTV to defend Raed Salah, a prolific antisemite who claims that Israel planned 9/11.

Murad Qureshi, the candidate for the ward of Little Venice in west London, is also embroiled in controversy. Mr Qureshi is alleged to have made comments about the “powerful pro-Israel lobby” in the United States, and retweeted a Twitter post which read “You can get away with offending anyone so lomng as they’re not Jewish”. In a 2013 blog post, Mr Qureshi also reportedly questioned the “legal basis” for the trial of the leading Nazi Adolf Eichmann. Mr Qureshi allegedly wrote that “I am not sure the Eichmann trial can be held up as a model of due processes [sic].” From 2016 to 2021, Mr Qureshi was Chair of Stop the War Coalition, and has been photographed alongside Hamas politicians including leader Ismail Haniyeh.

The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.

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

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

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After grotesque claim that Hitler had Jewish origins, Russian Foreign Ministry doubles down, accusing Jews of collaborating with Nazis and inviting antisemitic genocidal terrorists to meeting in Moscow

The Russian Foreign Ministry has doubled down on Sergei Lavrov’s grotesque claim that Hitler had Jewish origins by accusing Jews of collaborating with Nazis and inviting antisemitic genocidal terrorists to a meeting in Moscow.

Mr Lavrov was condemned for remarks on the Italian Rete 4 television channel on Sunday. Asked why Russia needed to “de-Nazify” Ukraine – as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Mr Lavrov have argued repeatedly in recent months – given that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is Jewish, Mr Lavrov answered: “Zelenskyy a Jew? Even Hitler had Jewish origins, the main antisemites are Jews themselves.”

Speaking through an Italian interpreter, Mr Lavrov continued: “For a long time now we’ve been hearing the wise Jewish people say that the biggest antisemites are the Jews themselves.”

After a chorus of international condemnation for his remarks – including by the Israeli Foreign Minister, Yair Lapid, who observed that portraying Hitler as Jewish and accusing Jews of being the real and worst antisemites was the “basest level of racism” – the Russian Foreign Ministry has doubled down.

In a statement, the Ministry reportedly said: “We have paid attention to the anti-historical statements of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yair Lapid, which largely explain the decision of the current [Israeli] Government to support the neo-Nazi regime in Kyiv. Unfortunately, history knows tragic examples of cooperation between Jews and Nazis.” The Ministry further claimed that Israeli mercenaries were fighting with neo-Nazi Ukrainian militias against invading Russian troops.

In addition, it has been reported that a delegation from the antisemitic genocidal terrorist group, Hamas, has been invited to a meeting with the Russian Foreign Ministry in Moscow after a rare phonecall between Mr Lavrov and the Hamas leader.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Alaska adopts the International Definition of Antisemitism

The State of Alaska has adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism after a proclamation by Governor Mike Dunleavy.

In adopting the Definition, Alaska has become the twenty-fifth American state – along with the District of Columbia – to do so.

The history of the Jews in Alaska predates America’s purchase of the territory from the Russian Empire in 1867. As of 2017, the Jewish population in the state was approximately 5,750, making up 0.78 percent of a total population of 736,081.

In October 2019, Michael Graves, from Anchorage, was jailed for posting hate messages calling for violence against Jews and Muslims and for illegally owning a machine gun and silencers. Mr Graves later recanted his views after he was required to take classes and read books about the Holocaust and other forms of race-hate before writing essays about what he learned as part of his eighteen-month sentence.

Britain was the first country in the world to adopt the International Definition, something for which Campaign Against Antisemitism and Lord Pickles worked hard over many meetings with officials at Downing Street. Since then, numerous local councils, universities and sport associations in the United Kingdom have adopted the Definition, as have several national governments and myriad municipalities and associations around the world.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Liberal Democrats reportedly reintegrate member once suspended for sharing former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke video denouncing “Zionist globalism”

The Liberal Democrats appear to have reintegrated a member once suspended for reportedly sharing antisemitic material online.

In 2019, local Liberal Democrat candidate Abjol Miah was suspended during a council by-election in the Shadwell ward of Tower Hamlets after he reportedly shared antisemitic content, including a video produced by David Duke, five years earlier.

Mr Duke is a former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard, and runs a daily radio show that promotes the antisemitic “Zionist Occupied Government” conspiracy theory inspired by the infamous antisemitic conspiracy theory The Protocols of the Elders of Zion and Henry Ford’s notorious collection of antisemitic articles, The International Jew. The video reportedly shared by Mr Miah was titled “CNN Goldman Sachs and the Zio Matrix”.

“Zio”, short for “Zionist”, is an epithet invented and disseminated by Mr Duke, used to disparage anything that he deems to have come from a Jewish source, whether or not the individuals in question are actually Jewish themselves.

Mr Miah also allegedly shared other examples of antisemitic conspiratorial material. They include a picture of the globe with a Star of David on it featuring the words “Zionist globalism”, a picture that collected a series of logos of major newspapers and media companies with an Israeli flag in the background and the headline “Zionist dominated media”, and an illustration of a figure with a withered face, its mouth gagged with an Israeli flag, and words that appear to say “Zio globalist tyranny!” above it.

Mr Miah is understood to have campaigned for London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, in 2016, before having his Liberal Democrat membership “revoked, pending an investigation” following his alleged online activity. However, he is now understood to have been reintegrated into the Party as part of the campaign for Rabina Khan to become Mayor of Tower Hamlets

Ms Khan is a former member of George Galloway’s Respect Party who also campaigned for Sadiq Khan in 2016 before switching allegiance to the Liberal Democrats.

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

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Russian Foreign Minister grotesquely claims Hitler had Jewish origins in latest insulting attempt to justify invasion of Ukraine

The Russian Foreign Minister has claimed that Hitler had “Jewish origins” in his latest insulting attempt to justify his country’s invasion of Ukraine.

Sergei Lavrov made the false assertion, which is based on a long-discredited and antisemitic theory, on Italian television on Sunday.

Asked why Russia needed to “de-Nazify” Ukraine – as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Mr Lavrov have argued repeatedly in recent months – given that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is Jewish, Mr Lavrov answered: “Zelenskyy a Jew? Even Hitler had Jewish origins, the main antisemites are Jews themselves.”

Speaking through an Italian interpreter on the Rete 4 channel, Mr Lavrov continued: “For a long time now we’ve been hearing the wise Jewish people say that the biggest antisemites are the Jews themselves.”

The President of Ukraine and the Prime Minister of Israel led a chorus of international condemnation of the remarks, and were joined by the US Secretary of State, Germany’s Antisemitism Commissioner and the Italian and Canadian Prime Ministers.

The Israeli Foreign Minister, Yair Lapid, observed that portraying Hitler as Jewish and accusing Jews of being the real – and worst – antisemites was the “basest level of racism”.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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European Evangelical Alliance adopts International Definition of Antisemitism

The European Evangelical Alliance (EEA) has adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism.

The EEA, a body which unifies Evangelical Christian communities throughout Europe from its offices in Brussels and Bonn, made its commitment to fighting antisemitism in a ceremony held at the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum in Jerusalem on 27th April.

In a statement read during the ceremony, EEA Board Member and Secretary General Reverend Connie Duarte and EEA President Reverend Dr. Frank Hinkelmann said: “This is a moment of utmost importance to the European Evangelical Alliance. After having visited Yad Vashem today, we had the privilege to hold a commemoration ceremony in the hall of remembrance together with our friends of the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations, with whom members of the global Evangelical Community have been engaged in a dialogue for several years.”

During the ceremony, the EEA representatives laid a wreath bearing the words “In awe and profound shame, yet with the promise for future solidarity”.

Campaign Against Antisemitism applauds the decision, which demonstrates the European Evangelical Alliance’s solidarity with the Jewish community at this worrying time for Jews in Europe.

Britain was the first country in the world to adopt the International Definition, something for which Campaign Against Antisemitism and Lord Pickles worked hard over many meetings with officials at Downing Street. The European Evangelical Alliance joins a growing list of national governments, public bodies and civic organisations to use the Definition.

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Local council candidate dropped by Conservatives allegedly still represents Party at hustings

A local council candidate who had his endorsement by the Conservatives revoked has allegedly gone on to represent the Party at a hustings.

Sham Raja, who was the Conservatives’ candidate in the Sedgley ward in Bury, was dropped by the Party on 12th April, after numerous historic and inflammatory social media posts were uncovered, including one allegedly comparing Israeli footballers to “assassins”.

However, it has been claimed that he appeared at a local hustings representing the Party on 23rd April, despite supposedly no longer being its candidate. He was reportedly filling in for Jason McLeod, who is a candidate for the Party in Levenshulme ward, which is not in Bury.

The claim comes as Conservatives in Bury face mounting scrutiny over the series of allegations of antisemitism and revelations of inflammatory past social media posts by some of its candidates.

Last year, a Conservative councillor in Bury who had the Party whip removed after he allegedly made antisemitic comments in a job interview was reinstated by the Party. Cllr Robert (Bob) Caserta was found to have breached the Code of Conduct for Councillors and Other Voting Representatives four times when he appeared before the Standards Sub-Committee over comments apparently made during an interview to recruit a senior officer at the Council in July 2019, when Cllr Caserta is alleged to have referred to “grot spots” in Sedgley and said that it would be difficult to communicate with residents “unless you are able to speak Hebrew”.

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

Image credit: Google

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Arizona adopts the International Definition of Antisemitism

The State of Arizona has adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism.

On 19th April, Amendment HB 2675, known as the “Arizona Holocaust Education Bill”, passed the state legislature by 49 votes to 3.

The bill, which requires Arizona’s schools to teach about the Holocaust and other genocides on at least two occasions between seventh and twelfth grades, was originally introduced in January 2020, but was delayed by Arizona State Senator Paul Boyer, who wanted to include the Definition.

Jews have been a part of life in Arizona since the 1860s. According to a 2020 study, the state’s Jewish population was 108,075, making up 1.5 percent of a total population of over seven million.

Arizona has not been free of antisemitism. In January 2022, police in Tucson arrested a man in connection with the vandalism of the Kol Ami Synagogue. In November 2021, far-right influencer Tim Gionet, also known as “Baked Alaska”, was charged with damaging a Chanukah display at the Arizona Capitol building in Phoenix the year before. Also in 2021, a woman who identified herself as Melanie Rettler went on an antisemitic tirade at a school board meeting in a Phoenix suburb but her comments went unchallenged.

Sen. Boyer said: “Passing the bill without the IHRA [International] Definition would leave our legislative intent unfulfilled and vulnerable to exploitation.”

Britain was the first country in the world to adopt the International Definition, something for which Campaign Against Antisemitism and Lord Pickles worked hard over many meetings with officials at Downing Street. Since then, numerous local councils, universities and sport associations in the United Kingdom have adopted the Definition, as have several national governments and myriad municipalities and associations around the world.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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State of Ohio adopts the International Definition of Antisemitism

The State of Ohio has reportedly adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism.

Executive Order 2022-06D, called “Defining and Combating Antisemitism”, describes anti-Jewish hatred and prejudice as a “persistent, pervasive, and disturbing problem in American society, including…in Ohio.”

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has ordered all state agencies, departments, boards, and commissions, including public colleges and universities, to adopt the Definition, and encouraged “all federal and local governments and governmental agencies and entities to adopt it as well.”

There has been a steadily growing Jewish presence in Ohio since 1817. According to a 2020 study, the Jewish population was 151,615, making up 1.3 percent of a total state population of nearly twelve million.

The Executive Order points out, however, that Ohio’s Jewish population has been the target of several examples of antisemitic terrorism plots. These include an attempted attack on two synagogues in Toledo in December 2018, and another incident in white a white nationalist was arrested for threatening to attack a Jewish community centre in Youngstown with firearms in August 2019. The perpetrators behind these incidents are now serving prison sentences.

More recently, a professor at Ohio State University avoided long-term disciplinary consequences after using the term “Jew down” in one of her classes while referring to haggling about prices in a market. There have also been instances of antisemitic graffiti on the side of a Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), a zoombombing during an online careers fair at Ohio’s Miami University, and one example where a Jewish couple received antisemitic abuse and threats, and had rocks thrown at their home.

Britain was the first country in the world to adopt the International Definition, something for which Campaign Against Antisemitism and Lord Pickles worked hard over many meetings with officials at Downing Street. Since then, numerous local councils, universities and sport associations in the United Kingdom have adopted the Definition, as have several national governments and myriad municipalities and associations around the world.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Over two hundred signatories endorse letter to Nicola Sturgeon calling for clarity on whether Scottish Green ministers back International Definition of Antisemitism

Over 200 Scots have signed a letter to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in connection with the lack of clarity over whether the two Scottish Green ministers in her Government endorse the International Definition of Antisemitism or not.

Ms Sturgeon, who is the leader of the SNP, has repeatedly stated that all members of the Scottish Government must endorse the Definition as a prerequisite for being part of her devolved administration. However, it remains to be clarified whether or not Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater of the Scottish Greens, which has yet to adopt the Definition but on whose support Ms Sturgeon’s Government depends, support the Definition of not.

In response to these revelations, Sammy Stein, a founder member of the Scottish National Party’s Friends for Peace in the Middle East and Chair of Glasgow Friends of Israel, wrote a letter to Ms Sturgeon which has so far received 213 signatures.

The letter reads: “I was disappointed that you did not provide a clear answer to the matter of the two Scottish Green ministers as, to the best of my knowledge, neither of them has signed up to the IHRA [international] Definition of Antisemitism. I would thank you on behalf of the Scottish Jewish community for continuing to support the IHRA Definition and your strong stance against antisemitism. You have also made your position abundantly clear by stating that ‘I do speak for and am accountable for all the members of my Government, which is a signatory to the IHRA Definition of Antisemitism, and every minister before being appointed to my Government has to be clear that they sign up to and accept it. That includes the two Green Party members. It is my understanding however that with regards to your statement above, neither of the Green Party ministers has as yet signed up to the IHRA Definition despite the fact that they were invited by you to join the Government in August 2021. It would be helpful to know if this is correct and if it is, how is it possible that the two Green Party ministers were appointed to your Government BEFORE they signed up to the IHRA Definition.

“I would be grateful if you can advise the steps you plan to take in order to ensure that these two ministers comply with your guidance and how long it may be before you consider the appropriate steps to exclude them from your Government. I would suggest that this is a matter by which your commitment to continuing to actively support your stance against racism in general and antisemitism, in particular, will be judged and I do hope and expect that you will stay true to your publicly stated position.”

Mr Stein said: “There appears to be a clear discrepancy between what Nicola Sturgeon says about combating antisemitism and waht she decides to do about it. I believe she is very sincere in her support for adopting the IHRA definition, but she is clearly concerned about upsetting the Greens and losing control of her majority in Parliament. The fact that so many people felt compelled to sign this letter shows the strength of feeling within the community and I hope she takes notice of this and resolves this matter.”

Ms Sturgeon recently addressed a gathering of Scottish Jews, reiterating her Government’s commitment to the Definition but coming under pressure over the position of the Scottish Greens.

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

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Labour Party candidate in Vale of Glamorgan suspended after referring to Ukrainian President as a “Zionist” and “fascist”

The Labour Party has suspended a candidate in the upcoming local elections after he reportedly referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is Jewish, as a “Zionist”, questioning why he had so much support.

Ziad Alsayed, a candidate for the Baruc ward in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, allegedly wrote the tweet in Arabic on 26th February, saying “How could we side with a country that has a Zionist president?” He has since deleted the tweet.

Alun Cairns, Conservative MP for the Vale of Glamorgan, expressed his concern about another tweet written by Mr Alsayed, in which the Labour candidate calls Mr Zelenskyy a “fascist”. Mr Alsayed is understood to have responded to an expression of solidarity for Ukraine written by London Mayor Sadiq Khan with the words: “If you mean the Ukrainian people that’s OK, but not the fascist president.”

Although the Labour Party has suspended Mr Alsayed pending an investigation, he will remain on the ballot for the election, nominally as the Party’s candidate, because nominations have already closed.

A spokesperson for Labour said: “The Labour Party takes all complaints seriously. They are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures, and any appropriate action is taken.”

The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.

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

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

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Scrutiny mounts over alleged antisemitism and other concerning claims among Bury Conservatives

Scrutiny is mounting over numerous allegations of antisemitism and other concerning claims among Conservatives in Bury.

Shaf Mahmood, who was due to stand as a Conservative candidate in the Redvales ward, saw his endorsement from the Party reportedly revoked last week after it emerged that he has tweeted, in 2017, that “Jews r at it again”. According to a report in the Jewish News, Mr Mahmood, who had backed George Galloway’s Workers’ Party in the Batley and Spen by-election last year, had allegedly also shared a social media post which labelled Sir Keir Starmer a “Zionist”.

That revocation came a day after another Conservative candidate, Sham Raja, who was the Conservatives’ candidate in the Sedgley ward, was also dropped after numerous historic and inflammatory social media posts were uncovered, including one allegedly comparing Israeli footballers to “assassins”. The tweets were reported in the Jewish Telegraph.

Another Conservative, Shahbaz Mahmood Arif, the candidate for Bury West, reportedly shared an inflammatory article from the controversial far-left website, The Canary. He had been selected by the local party after a young Jewish councillor had been – apparently inexplicably – deselected a few weeks ago. Another prospective Conservative candidate who was unsuccessful in his bid for selection feared that he was blocked due to his sympathies for the Jewish community and pro-Israel views, which Bury Conservatives denied.

Concerns have also been raised about Mazhar Aslam, another Conservative candidate in Sedgley, over his social media activity.

In a statement, Bury Conservatives said: “Following certain social media posts being brought to our attention yesterday made by two of the candidates for Sedgley Ward the Association has investigated the matter and spoken to both candidates. Mr. Sham Raja no longer has the endorsement of Bury Conservative Party in this election. Mr Mazhar Aslam continues to be a Conservative Candidate. His explanation was that the single post complained of was not antisemitic in nature although he understood some would not agree with the contents of his post.  He apologised and undertook to be more careful with the use of his language in this sensitive area in the future. His explanation and apology were accepted. We also wish to make clear that Dr Shadman Zaman was not confirmed as a Besses Ward candidate because of his failure to comply with instructions regarding electoral law and Party guidance and not because of any of his expressed views.”

Nick Jones, the leader of Bury Conservatives, said: “I am appalled at such ignorance regarding the State of Israel and I have asked the Conservative Association to investigate these matters immediately. As a Party we accept different views but it’s how these views expressed when the line is crossed is our challenge and investigation must be robust. As these statements have come to the attention of the association, I welcome that they have been dealt with robustly and on the day of them arising. The Conservative Council Group on Bury Council are friends of Israel and we fully support the IHRA [International] Definition of Antisemitism.”

Last year, a Conservative councillor in Bury who had the Party whip removed after he allegedly made antisemitic comments in a job interview was reinstated by the Party. Cllr Robert (Bob) Caserta was found to have breached the Code of Conduct for Councillors and Other Voting Representatives four times when he appeared before the Standards Sub-Committee over comments apparently made during an interview to recruit a senior officer at the Council in July 2019, when Cllr Caserta is alleged to have referred to “grot spots” in Sedgley and said that it would be difficult to communicate with residents “unless you are able to speak Hebrew”.

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

Image credit: Google

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Chair of Enfield Southgate Conservative Association suspended after photo emerges of him dressed in full Nazi uniform

The Chair of the Enfield Southgate Conservative Association has been suspended pending an investigation after a photograph emerged apparently showing him dressed in full Nazi military regalia.

The image appears to show Colin Davis, a former Head of Military Law at London-based firm Carters Solicitors, dressed in full Nazi uniform, in a back garden. It was apparently taken during the 1980s and was reportedly found at a property that Mr Davis and his former wife used to live in.

Mr Davis is said to be “well connected” with the British Armed Forces and claims that he may have been a member of the British Army Reserves at the time that the photograph was taken.

It has been reported that Mr Davis was meant to stand in the May 2022 local elections as a Conservative candidate, and had been tipped potentially for the Oakwood ward – which has many Jewish potential voters – in the north London council.

Enfield Southgate Conservatives have since removed Mr Davis’s profile from its website. A similar action seems to have been undertaken by Carters Solicitors.

Mr Davis told Jewish News: “I have a long history of representing all the principles for which the Conservative Party stands. I’m not familiar with the photograph you are referring to. I have in the past served as a councillor. I have done all sorts of things. I have exposed extremism wherever it is to be found. On the other hand like Voltaire, I have tended to defend those whose own extremism has sometimes manifested itself in extreme types of intolerance. That doesn’t include defence of Nazism.”

Leader of the Enfield Southgate Conservatives, Cllr Joanne Laban said: “Mr Davis has been suspended from the Party by Enfield Southgate Conservative Association pending investigation. The Conservative Party takes allegations of this nature extremely seriously and the swift action taken reflects this.”

Concerns have also been raised about Bury Conservatives in Manchester, where a candidate has been dropped by the local Party after inflammatory social media posts emerged following other controversies. Campaign Against Antisemitism is continuing to monitor developments.

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

Image credit: Jewish News

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Canada set to ban Holocaust denial

It has been reported that Canada plans to criminalise Holocaust denial in a bid to deal with increasing antisemitism.

The Canadian government is said to be debating a law that would make it illegal to either publicly deny that the Holocaust took place at all or to justify it or trivialise details about it, including the number of Jews killed. The law will not, however, apply to what people say in private conversations.

According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Denying the fact, scope, mechanisms (e.g. gas chambers) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World War II (the Holocaust)” is an example of antisemitism.

Canada now follows a number of mainly European countries that have passed laws banning Holocaust denial including Austria in 1947 (amended 1992), Belgium in 1995, the Czech Republic in 2001, France in 1990, Germany in 1985, and Greece in 2014. 

There is, however, no mention of the penalties to be faced by perpetrators of Holocaust denial, though one version of the bill proposes a two-year jail sentence.

Other countries have imposed harsh penalties on those who violated these laws, including well-known Holocaust deniers and revisionists like French presidential candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen (fined three times between 1987 – 2016), French Holocaust revisionist Robert Faurisson (fined €7,500 and given three months’ probation), and Ernst Zündel, Horst Mahler, and David Irving, who were all handed lengthy jail terms by German courts.

The bill is justified as Canadian MPs and anti-hate groups have expressed their concerns about rising antisemitism in the country.

Vice-President of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs Richard Marceau said: “Jewish Canadians comprise one per cent of the Canadian population yet are the target of 62 percent of all religiously motivated hate crimes. We live in a time of rising antisemitism.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Waves of protest after Prime Minister of Peru praises Hitler

The Prime Minister of Peru has claimed that remarks appearing to praise Hitler were misunderstood and has offered to apologise in person to the Israeli ambassador.

Anibal Torres reportedly praised the Nazi leader for turning Germany into the “first economic power in the world”, a comment met with protest by both the Israeli and German embassies.

The 79-year-old Prime Minister made the remark in Huancayo, an Andean town at the centre of ongoing protests over the economic situation in the country. Mr Torres praised Hitler’s and Mussolini’s infrastructure policies, saying: “On one occasion Hitler visited the north of Italy, and Mussolini shows him a highway built from Milan to Brescia, Hitler saw this and went to his country and filled it with highways, airports and turned Germany into the first economic power in the world. We have to make an effort, make sacrifices to improve our roads.”

The Israeli Embassy said that “Regimes of death and terror cannot be a sign of progress,” adding: “Hitler was responsible for the death of six million Jews, to praise him is an offense to the victims of that world tragedy.”

The German embassy said: “Adolf Hitler was a fascist and genocidal dictator, in whose name the worst war of all time was carried out from Germany and the genocide of six million Jews was committed. Against this backdrop, Hitler is not the right reference as an example of any kind.”

A Peruvian legislator who had lived in Germany for two decades demanded that Mr Torres apologise to the German people, while Peru’s Jewish Association observed that this was not the first time that politicians in the country had comments of this sort, insisting that “the seriousness of these expressions do not merit explanations or half apologies.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Sir Keir Starmer apologises again for Corbyn years following numerous expulsions and suspensions of Labour officeholders at the local level

Sir Keir Starmer has apologised again for how Jewish members of the Labour Party and the community more generally were treated under his antisemitic predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn.

In his first interview with a Jewish newspaper since his election as Labour leader exactly two years ago, Sir Keir did not apologise for his own role backing Mr Corbyn. Sir Keir also declined to tell the JC whether he believed that Mr Corbyn is antisemitic.

The interview came following numerous expulsions and suspensions of Labour officeholders at the local level.

In Plymouth, Cllr Chaz Singh, the Chair of the Council’s Equalities Working Group, has come under fire for allegedly retweeting a post by a local firm of beekeepers directed at the local ward councillors, which said: “You’re lucky, if you get to see yours! We have three, and they’re as much use as Anne Frank’s drum kit!” The tweet was in reference to a local dispute about sewage. Cllr Singh was criticised by his colleagues for apparently using social media to amplify an offensive analogy to a victim of the Holocaust, and in particular for doing so given his position at the Council and purported status as a champion of diversity.

In Dudley, Cllr Zafar Islam was reportedly suspended from Labour after months of inaction by the Party following a complaint.

The complaint by Labour Against Antisemitism, submitted in September 2021, detailed Cllr Islam’s social media activity, where he claims a “witch-hunt” has taken place against Labour politicians critical of Israel, among other inflammatory remarks.

In London, the former Chair of the Hampstead and Kilburn Constituency Labour Party, Pete Firmin, has reportedly been automatically expelled from Labour over alleged support for factions that have been proscribed by the Party.

In Wales, a former leader of Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council, has been revealed not to have left Labour after 46 years of his own accord, but rather because he was expelled following disciplinary action. Cllr Hedley McCarthy had reportedly been accused of ‘liking’ antisemitic posts on social media, which he denied, saying that he has “a proven track record of opposing racism of all forms, including antisemitism.”

However, a Labour Party spokesman reportedly said: “Hedley McCarthy was expelled from the Labour Party in January 2022 following the conclusion of an internal disciplinary investigation into antisemitic social media activity. It is therefore incorrect for Hedley McCarthy to claim that he resigned from membership of the Labour Party.”

The local Constituency Labour Party (CLP) reportedly claimed that it had not been aware of the expulsion, relying instead on Cllr McCarthy’s claim that he had left of his own accord. Cllr McCarthy said in response: “I want to apologise to my former colleagues in the Labour group and the CLP for not informing them of the suspension or the eviction letter.” He added that he had been concerned about the confidentiality of the disciplinary process, apparently having been warned that any breach could result in further disciplinary action. “In any case, I left the group in November and didn’t see that the letter was relevant to them by then,” he said, adding: “I am sorry now that I didn’t speak out about these ridiculous accusations.”

The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.

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

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

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Conservative councillor who claimed America, Israel and Saudi Arabia are a “trilogy of Zionists” and that “Zionism is one of the worst afflictions on the world” resigns from Thomas Deacon Education Trust 

A Conservative councillor who was suspended from the Party last year over social media posts, before being permitted to re-join, has resigned from the Thomas Deacon Education Trust.

The Trust has confirmed to Campaign Against Antisemitism that Ishfaq Hussain was appointed a trustee of the Thomas Deacon Education Trust on 20th September 2021 and that he subsequently stepped down as a trustee on 3rd March 2022. The reasons for his resignation are not spelled out.

Cllr Hussain had apologised for sharing antisemitic tropes on Facebook. In one Facebook post, he accused the “Saudi regime” of being “long standing puppets of America and Israel,” and went on to label them “a trilogy of zionists.” He then remarked that “Islam doesn’t breed terrorists the zionist trilogy do.” Mr Hussain also shared a video that was captioned: “The Jews in Israel are not true Jews.”

Cllr Hussain had also captioned his profile picture: “This person does not recognise the State of Israel.” He also reportedly claimed that “Zionism is one of the worst afflictions on the world” and made other inflammatory comments about “Zionists”.

In his apology, Mr Hussain said: “I recognise Israel’s right to exist and wholeheartedly support a two-state solution. I deeply regret that my frustration at events in Israel and Palestine led me to suggest otherwise. Some of my previous language was ill-judged and offensive. It also echoed antisemitic tropes in ways I had not fully understood. However strongly we feel, we should never let our emotions get the better of us. By doing so, I allowed myself to become part of the problem. I am truly sorry.”

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

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Nicola Sturgeon reiterates her Government’s commitment to International Definition of Antisemitism while SNP candidate comes under fire for allegedly breaching it

Nicola Sturgeon has reiterated her Government’s commitment to the International Definition of Antisemitism, even as one of her Party’s candidates in upcoming local elections has been accused of breaching it.

Responding to a comment that her Government included two ministers from the Scottish Greens (the Scottish branch of the Green Party), which was described as having “out-Corbyned Corbyn”, the First Minister and SNP leader told the assembly of 250 Scottish Jews: “I am not able to speak for another political party. But I do speak for and am accountable for every minister in my Government. My Government is a signatory to the IHRA [International] Definition of Antisemitism and all ministers have to be clear that they sign up to that and accept that — and that includes the two Green ministers. There is no tolerance in my government for antisemitism or discrimination, prejudice, racism of any kind. I want to assure you of that very, very clearly.”

Last year, Campaign Against Antisemitism helped to expose the Scottish Greens’ controversial record in relation to antisemitism.

Ms Sturgeon also praised Jewish students, whom she had met recently, for their frankness in discussing the discrimination that they had faced on campus. “I want to make this point very forcibly,” she said, “So long as anyone feels discriminated against, we as a Government have more work to do.”

The First Minister also spoke about Holocaust education, saying: “As generations pass, it is vital that future generations understand what happened. However, understanding the Holocaust is not the same as understanding what it’s like for Jewish communities in countries across the world today.”

On the subject of antisemitism in politics, Ms Sturgeon conceded that the SNP had faced problems. Indeed, Campaign Against Antisemitism’s latest Antisemitism Barometer has shown that 39% of British Jews believe that the SNP is too tolerant of antisemitism.

As it happened, at around the same time, her Party was being urged to fire an SNP candidate in the upcoming local elections after it emerged that he had allegedly tweeted that it was “sickening that Israeli Jews bring up their kids to hate and kill,” using a photo of an American-Jewish family.

The picture in the seven-year-old post is of Bill Bernstein, a kippah-wearing former gun shop owner from Nashville, posing with his daughter Gertrude, both with guns.

Wullie Graham, who is standing in Pollok ward in south Glasgow, was accused by political rivals of having published an antisemitic post and his Party was called on to remove him as a candidate.

In a statement, the SNP said: “Mr Graham has apologised for a post in 2015 that he readily admits was stupid and indefensible. He has taken steps to reach out to the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities as he seeks to make amends and learn from this.”

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

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Far-right ‘Our Homeland’ Party becomes third-largest party in Hungarian Parliament

A far-right political party has won seven seats in Hungary’s general election.

Mi Hazánk (Our Homeland) won 6.7% of the vote in the election, which means that it is now not only in Parliament for the first time, but it has also become Hungary’s third-largest party.

Our Homeland was founded in 2018 after a split with the nationalist Jobbik party, which first came to Europe-wide attention in the 2009 European Parliament elections. The President of the European Jewish Congress has described Jobbik as an “unashamedly neo-Nazi party” and, elsewhere, the Party has been referred to as an “antisemitic organisation”. Jobbik’s use of well-known antisemitic canards about Jewish financial control has been called “overt antisemitism” and antisemitic rhetoric has even been described as Jobbik’s “trademark”.

The Party has, however, spent the last seven years recasting itself as a moderate conservative party. Our Homeland was formed by former Jobbik members unhappy with this rebranding exercise.

Though Rabbi Shlomó Köves, Chief Rabbi of the Orthodox EMIH-Association of Hungarian Jewish Communities, has described Hungary as one of the safest places for Jews to live in Europe, the emergence of Our Homeland as an electoral force has drawn concern from Hungary’s 100,000-strong Jewish community. 

However, Rabbi Köves also made a point of saying that in the past, both Jobbik and Our Homeland “openly had racism and antisemitism on their agenda.”

“Both at this point are not openly making antisemitic statements, but they’re very dangerous. And the real problem that I see is that since the left joined Jobbik [to oppose Fidesz], if in the future anyone else in the government would want to cooperate with Mi Hazank — not that it seems necessary for any reason — but it would be very hard to argue why they shouldn’t do it.

“Throughout this whole [opposition building] process there’s been a legitimisation of these extreme-right neo-Nazi groups.” 

Our Homeland’s criticisms of globalisation have been described as being “spiced up” with antisemitic conspiracy theories, including references to a “global elite”, the Jewish Hungarian financier George Soros, and the Rothschild banking dynasty.

Hungary’s controversial long-time Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, and his national-conservative Fidesz Party, won Sunday’s election, increasing its vote by about twenty points and gaining two parliamentary seats. This marks Mr Orbán’s fourth successive term as Prime Minister, his fifth in total.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Far-right Austrian rapper sentenced to ten years in jail for glorifying Nazi ideology

A neo-Nazi activist and rapper from Austria has been handed a ten-year jail sentence by a Vienna court.

The 37-year-old artist, who recorded music under the name ‘Mr Bond’, was found guilty of glorifying Nazi ideology. This is a crime in Austria under the country’s 1947 Verbotsgesetz (Prohibition Act), which not only banned the far-right paramilitary organisations that flourished even after the defeat of the Nazi regime, but made it illegal to deny, condone or try to justify the Holocaust.

Mr Bond’s music was based on the appropriation of existing rap songs, to which he gave new lyrics with Nazi and antisemitic themes. One such song was used by the assailant of the October 2019 attack outside a synagogue in the eastern German city of Halle, in which two people died. The murderer, Stephan Balliet, filmed his crime and put it on the internet, soundtracked by Mr Bond’s song.

Mr Bond was described as “particularly dangerous” by the court. In the same trial, his brother was sentenced to four years in prison for running an antisemitic website.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Justice Minister Lord Wolfson defends the International Definition of Antisemitism, saying that it’s “Calumny to say that the fight against antisemitism shuts down free speech”

Justice Minister Lord Wolfson has defended the International Definition of Antisemitism against claims that it shuts down free speech.

Speaking at a conference held at the Tottenham Hotspur Football Stadium, Lord Wolfson said that there is no conflict between the British Government’s embrace of the Definition and its commitment to freedom of speech, maintaining that “It’s calumny to say that the fight against antisemitism in some way shuts down free speech, it simply doesn’t.”

Lord Wolfson said that the Definition had no implications for freedom of speech, making a clear distinction between free speech and hate speech. He said that “Antisemitism is hate speech, and all democracies have drawn a line between free speech and hate speech. There are things you cannot say because they are defamatory, and there are things you cannot say because they are racist.”

The Under-Secretary for Justice even said that he disapproves of the word “antisemitism”, preferring “anti-Jewish racism”. There are, he said, some people who fail to see that antisemitism is a problem, despite their vocal commitment to anti-racism in all its forms.

He also explained that those who have attempted to claim that the Definition prevents criticism of Israel are wrong because there is a difference between criticising the policies enacted by the Israeli government and applying a double standard to Israel, singling it out for criticism in a way that would not be done to another country.

In July 2017, Campaign Against Antisemitism published an opinion of expert counsel on the adoption of the Definition. David Wolfson QC (now Lord Wolfson) and Jeremy Brier, who acted pro bono, drew up the nine-page opinion. The opinion includes a detailed assessment of the definition itself, considers the application of the Definition in difficult cases, and contains useful advice for politicians and public bodies, such as universities, which are considering using the Definition.

The opinion states that: “The Definition is a clear, meaningful and workable definition. The Definition is an important development in terms of identifying and preventing antisemitism, in particular in its modern and non-traditional forms, which often reach beyond simple expressions of hatred for Jews and instead refer to Jewish people and Jewish associations in highly derogatory, veiled terms (e.g. ‘Zio’ or ‘Rothschilds’). Public bodies in the United Kingdom are not ‘at risk’ in using this Definition. Indeed, this Definition should be used by public bodies on the basis that it will ensure that the identification of antisemitism is clear, fair and accurate. Criticism of Israel, even in robust terms, cannot be regarded as antisemitic per se and such criticism is not captured by the Definition. However, criticisms of Israel in terms which are channels of expression for hatred towards Jewish people (such as by particular invocations of the Holocaust or Nazism) will in all likelihood be antisemitic.”

The full opinion can be accessed here.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has also produced a primer on the relationship between the International Definition of Antisemitism and freedom of speech.

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Labour’s NEC proscribes Labour Left Alliance, reportedly due to its stance on antisemitism

The Labour Party’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) has proscribed the Labour Left Alliance, reportedly due to the faction’s stance on antisemitism.

Labour Left Alliance is a member-based group with close links to Labour Against the Witchhunt and Labour In Exile Network, which were among four groups banned by the NEC last July. Labour Against the Witchhunt has since disbanded, with its members focusing their energies on other groups instead.

Twenty members of the NEC voted in favour of the proscription of Labour Left Alliance at yesterday’s full meeting, while eleven voted against.

The ban on another group, Alliance for Workers’ Liberty, was divided on the same lines, while the vote to ban Socialist Labour Network was split nineteen to eleven. The latter two groups are not believed to have been proscribed in connection with antisemitism.

A spokesperson for the Labour Party said: “The NEC has decided that these organisations are not compatible with Labour’s rules, or our aims and values.”

The Labour MP and Corbyn ally, Clive Lewis, tweeted: “Proscription lists; mass expulsions; the centralisation of power. It’s naive to think the ‘crisis of democracy’ and the slide to authoritarianism afflicting western polities won’t affect our own political institutions.”

However, the NEC declared that there are no plans to proscribe another controversial pro-Corbyn group, Momentum. It is reported that NEC papers read: “Custom and practice also establishes that the definition of a ‘political organisation’ does not include organisations that are compatible with the aims and values of the Labour Party…This includes networks of members, such as Sikhs for Labour or the Labour Muslim Network; single issue campaigns, such as Labour for a Green New Deal; and ginger groups, such as Labour First, Momentum, and Progress.”

A meeting earlier this month of Labour Left Alliance featured questions from Tony Greenstein and Gerry Downing, both of whom have been expelled from the Labour Party. Mr Downing was a founder of Labour Against the Witchhunt, and at this meeting he referenced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Jewish identity and declared his support for Russia in its invasion of its neighbour. Tina Werkmann, who was chairing the meeting, then said about Mr Downing’s comments: “About Zelenskyy being Jewish I think this is a very dodgy territory to go down it’s not his Jewishness that is the problem it’s that he’s a Zionist and he works with fascists. Zionism and fascists they can work very well together and they have done in the past and they go hand in hand in Britain as well. So that’s not an issue. But I don’t think we need to peddle antisemitism crap here in this section.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism: “We commend the NEC for banning Labour Left Alliance, which is another important step in the fight against antisemitism and antisemitism-denial in the Labour Party. It is regrettable that Momentum has been given a new lease on life, however, which risks the Party looking like it only goes after low hanging fruit. We have always been clear that this process would take years, and yesterday’s NEC vote shows that progress is being made, but slowly.”

The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.

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

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

Image credit: Harry’s Place

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Slovakian Parliament commemorates victims of the Holocaust

To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the first trains taking the country’s Jews to Auschwitz, the National Council of the Slovak Republic has officially denounced the transport and appealed to remaining survivors and their relatives for forgiveness.

Slovakia was originally the eastern province of the first Czechoslovak Republic, formed after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian empire in 1918. After Hitler annexed the Sudetenland in the wake of the 1938 Munich Agreement, Slovakia seceded from Czechoslovakia, becoming the Slovak Republic.

This state would, in turn, become a Nazi satellite state following the racial policies of the Third Reich, in which Slovakian Jews were robbed of their human and civil rights. Eventually, 70,000 of them were sent to Nazi concentration camps in two waves, the first from March to October 1942 and the second from September 1944 to March 1945. The vast majority of the Jews reported to these camps would be murdered. 

Slovak parliamentarians also observed a minute’s silence in honour of the victims.

The only party that did not take part in the vote on the resolution was the openly neo-Nazi People’s Party Our Slovakia. Party leader Marian Kotleba is a vocal supporter of Jozef Tiso, President of the Slovak Nazi puppet state. Mr Kotleba has called Jews “devils in human skin” and promoted the “Zionist Occupied Government” conspiracy theory. Other party members have been charged with Holocaust denial, a criminal offence in Slovakia, on several occasions.

In the 2020 Slovakian parliamentary elections, People’s Party Our Slovakia won seventeen of the 150 available seats with a vote share of 7.97%. The Party reportedly has almost no support in any of the country’s major cities, including the capital Bratislava.

On 5th April 2020, Marian Kotleba was given a six-month suspended sentence for harbouring neo-Nazi sympathies. The appeals court did, however, dismiss an earlier ruling convicting Mr Kotleba of the illegal use of neo-Nazi symbols, for which he had been sentenced to four years and four months in prison.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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NUS elects President who tweeted antisemitic chant and said that Jeremy Corbyn should never have been suspended from Labour Party

A student politician who was forced to apologise for tweeting an Islamist chant threatening Jews has been elected President of the National Union of Students (NUS).

Last week, it was revealed that the then-hopeful NUS candidate Shaima Dallali was forced to apologise for tweeting the words of an antisemitic chant. In 2012, during an escalation of tensions between Israel and the antisemitic genocidal terrorist group Hamas, Ms Dallali tweeted the words “Khaybar Khaybar, ya yahud, Jaish Muhammad, sa yahud.”

Translated into English, this chant means “Jews, remember the battle of Khaybar, the army of Muhammad is returning.” It is a classic Arabic battle cry referencing the massacre and expulsion of the Jews of the town of Khaybar in northwestern Arabia, now Saudi Arabia, in the year 628 CE.

Ms Dallali issued a statement on 23rd March, saying: “Earlier today I was made aware of a tweet I posted ten years ago. During Israel’s assault on Gaza I referenced the battle of Khaybar in which Jewish and Muslim armies fought. I was wrong to see the Palestine conflict as one between Muslims and Jews. The reference made as a teenager was unacceptable and I sincerely and unreservedly apologise.”

Ms Dallali is currently the President of the City, University of London students’ union. Last year, prior to Ms Dallali’s tenure as President, the union organised a controversial campus-wide referendum on the International Definition of Antisemitism after reportedly failing to consult Jewish students.

It has now come to light that Ms Dallali’s output on Twitter also included other inflammatory messages, including one last May allegedly saying that “organisations like UJS [the Union of Jewish Students] have a history of bullying pro-Palestine sabbs [sabbatical officers] and activists. You speak one word of solidarity and they’re after you. UJS and their likes need to be called out.”

Another alleged tweet from 2018 read: “So your special forces invade the Gaza Strip, attempt to kidnap a Hamas commander, kill him and others. Then cry about Hamas being the terrorists. Makes perfect sense. #GazaUnderAttack.” Hamas is an antisemitic genocidal terrorist organisation that is proscribed in the UK.

Other alleged tweets expressed support for Jeremy Corbyn, the antisemitic former leader of the Labour Party. On 17th November 2020, Ms Dalalli wrote a response to Mr Corbyn’s readmission to the Labour Party, saying that “He should never have been suspended in the first place.” A few months later, on 5th January 2021, Ms Hallami tweeted that “Jeremy Corbyn was too good for this godforsaken country.” At present, these tweets have not yet been deleted, though it has been reported that several others have.

Last week, the Chair of the Education Select Committee, Robert Halfon MP, excoriated NUS for failing to send a representative to attend his recent hearing, particularly given that the hearing took place just days after a scandal involving the rapper Kareem Dennis, known as Lowkey, who was due to headline the union’s centenary conference. After initially dismissing the concerns of Jewish students, who pointed out the rapper’s inflammatory record, the union came under media scrutiny and eventually Mr Dennis withdraw from the event.

In an attempt at an apology, NUS grotesquely alleged that “Whilst we welcome genuine political debate, we’ve been sad to see the use of harassment and misinformation against Lowkey.” Swiping at Mr Halfon, NUS has asserted that “MPs and education leaders are accountable to us not the other way round,” declared that “Old school bullying culture is never acceptable including at Government committees [sic],” and that “Elected student leaders aren’t required to take endless levels of abuse in their roles.”

Concerns were also raised about the outgoing President of NUS and one of her Vice Presidents.

NUS’s handling of Jewish concerns over the booking of Lowkey was discussed on the most recent episode of Podcast Against Antisemitism.

Binyomin Gilbert, Programme Manager at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “Shaima Dallali’s election as NUS President only a week after the Lowkey scandal is just the latest indication that this union does not even aspire to represent Jewish students. She has not even taken office and has already had to apologise for one historic antisemitic tweet while rapidly deleting many other inflammatory social media posts. If she wishes to show that she personally has learned a lesson and seeks to lead a truly inclusive union, she should commit to meeting with Jewish students and educate herself on their concerns and also announce that NUS under her leadership will recommit to the International Definition of Antisemitism. If she cannot bring herself to do that in short order, the Government should end its enormous grant to NUS.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism monitors the adoption of the International Definition of Antisemitism by universities.

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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State of Kansas adopts the International Definition of Antisemitism

The Kansas state Legislature has reportedly adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism.

Bill HCR 5030, the short title of the bill named “Recognising the growing problem of antisemitism in the United States”, was adopted unanimously in the Kansas Senate with 38 “Yea” votes.

Gavriela Geller, Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relations Bureau, American Jewish Committee in Kansas is reported to have said: “We can’t fight what we can’t define. The adoption of the definition is a crucial step towards combating rising Jew-hatred.”

The 2014 Pew Religious Landscape Survey showed that less than one percent of Kansas adults identified as Jewish. In 2017, the Jewish population of Kansas was reported to be 17,300. This has not meant, however, that the midwestern state has been free of antisemitic incidents. 

In April 2014, 73-year-old Frazier Glenn Miller Jr, a former member of the Ku Klux Klan and known neo-Nazi, was convicted of murder after killing three people in a shooting spree at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Kansas City and the Jewish retirement community Village Shalom, both in Overland Park, Kansas. Mr Miller was sentenced to death, but died in prison in 2021 while awaiting execution.

Britain was the first country in the world to adopt the International Definition, something for which Campaign Against Antisemitism and Lord Pickles worked hard over many meetings with officials at Downing Street. Since then, numerous local councils, universities and sport associations in the United Kingdom have adopted the Definition, as have several national governments and myriad municipalities and associations around the world.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Chief Prosecutor’s report shows “omnipresent” antisemitism in Berlin

The publication of the 2021 Antisemitism Report by the Berlin Attorney General’s Office has reportedly sparked concerns among authorities in the German capital.

The annual report, which has recorded rising antisemitism in recent years, states that there have been two main trends in antisemitic discourse over the last twelve months: coronavirus conspiracy theories and incidents apparently inspired by developments in the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Much of the rhetoric that has emerged from anti-vaccination conspiracy theorists has compared lockdowns to the Holocaust. These crude and inflammatory comparisons have included Berliners donning yellow stars bearing the word “Unvaccinated”, a comparison that has been made across the world, including in the United Kingdom, Canada, Ukraine and elsewhere.  

Such symbolism is reminiscent of the kind of insignia Jews in Germany and occupied Europe were forced to wear by the Nazis. Those wearing such items in 2021 do so in order to compare the persecution of the Jewish people with protective measures sanctioned by the German federal government in order to deal with the pandemic. Anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination networks have become known as hotbeds of antisemitic conspiracy theories and tropes.

The report also contains a section on antisemitic incidents relating to Israel. It states that these kinds of incidents are inspired by the intensification of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the antisemitic genocidal terrorist group. Protests and demonstrations against Israel resulted, it says, in “many anti-Jewish and anti-Israel incidents.” In response to the spike in antisemitic incidents, Germany banned the Hamas flag in June.

The report clearly shows a growing antisemitism problem in the German capital. In 2021, Berlin authorities dealt with up to 661 cases motivated by antisemitism, including “antisemitic animosities, insults, threats and physical attacks.” This marks an increase from 417 such incidents in 2020 and 386 in 2019. This follows a similar report put out by the Federal Association of Departments for Research and Information on Antisemitism (RIAS), a Berlin-based agency that reports and documents antisemitic incidents throughout Germany. The RIAS study revealed that there had been 522 antisemitic incidents registered in Berlin between January and June 2021 – a period that includes the elevated tensions between Israel and Hamas – marking a seventeen percent year-on-year increase, and the highest number of such incidents since 2018.

Chief Prosecutor Claudia Vanoni said of the most recent report that “In 2021, the year of the 1700th anniversary of Jewish life in Germany, antisemitism was omnipresent as well.”

We reported last year that the German Government will pay €35 million to combat antisemitism. German Education and Research Minister Anja Karliczek said: “This is the highest number [of antisemitic incidents] in the last couple of years. There’s reason for worry that this is only the tip of the iceberg and that the unreported number of daily attacks on Jews is substantially higher.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Israeli Knesset member’s virtual meeting zoombombed with antisemitic abuse

A member of Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, is reported to have tried to hold a Zoom meeting about the relationship between Israel and Jews in the diaspora, only for him to become a target for references to Hitler and the Nazis.

Zoombombing is when people join a Zoom video call with the intention of derailing it. This usually involves spewing antisemitic, racist, or otherwise hateful rhetoric.

Alon Tal, a member of the Blue and White party, organised the open-access online event, entitled “How Israel can better represent Jews around the world?” for the evening of Sunday 20th March. 

Soon after the gathering began, however, several people joined in and began filling the screen with offensive language. They also wrote “Hitler was right” and plaudits for other Nazi leaders in Zoom’s chat function. Mr Tal was then forced to cancel the call, which has been rescheduled for the evening of Sunday 27th March.

Quoting the Hasidic Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, Mr Tal is reported to have said: “We will continue to strengthen our partnerships with our friends around the world. And most importantly, we will have no fear at all.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Controversial councillor who joked about “Jew process” and was expelled from Labour Party now joins Greens

A controversial councillor infamous for joking about “Jew process” and who was expelled from the Labour Party has now been welcomed to the Green Party.

Jo Bird, who re-joined the Labour Party in 2015 when Jeremy Corbyn was running for the Party’s leadership, has a long history of controversy relating to Jews, including renaming ‘due process’ in the Labour Party as “Jew process”, for which she was suspended; supporting the expelled Labour activist Marc Wadsworth, who was thrown out of the Party after a confrontation with Jewish then-MP Ruth Smeeth; and worrying about the “privileging of racism against Jews, over and above — as more worthy of resources than other forms of racism.”

Elected to Wirral Council in August 2018, Cllr Bird is a member of Jewish Voice for Labour, the antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation, and she has described Labour’s institutional antisemitism as based on mere “accusations, witch-huntery and allegations without evidence”.

Cllr Bird appears to have been expelled from the Labour Party for her association with the proscribed antisemitism-denial group, Labour Against the Witchhunt. Cllr Bird said on Facebook: “I’m delighted to say that the Labour Party have expelled me today. They say its [sic] for speaking at a meeting (more than three years ago) and signing a petition (early 2020) – organised by Labour Against the Witchthunt, which they banned only four months ago. I’m not free from the Labour Party’s hostile environment, where Jewish people like me are 31 times more likely to be investigated for talking about the racism we face.” She concluded by stating that “this racist Labour party is so different to the Party I joined in 2015. The Labour Party is dying as a vehicle for social justice.”

Cllr Pat Cleary, who leads the now six-strong contingent of Green councillors on Wirral Council, said in a statement this week that “hardworking people like Jo are very welcome in the Green Party.”

The move comes just after Campaign Against Antisemitism published new polling that shows that a majority of British Jews believe that the Green Party is too tolerant of antisemitism, making it only the second party, after Labour, to cross that threshold.

Recently, the controversial former Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, was denied membership of the Green Party, while inflammatory former Deputy Leader, Shahrar Ali, was dropped as the Party’s Spokesperson for Policing and Domestic Safety, but not over allegations of antisemitism, which have dogged him in the past.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has extensively documented alleged antisemitism among officers of the Green Party of England and Wales, including the Party’s former Equalities and Diversity Coordinator who now holds the International Coordinator portfolio, on which the Green Party has failed to act.

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

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Idaho politics rocked by indulgence of far-right

State politics in Idaho have been rocked by at least two incidents of Republican politicians indulging the far-right.

First, Lieutenant Governor Janice McGeachin reportedly appeared on stage via video link with members of the America First Political Action Conference (AFPAC), led by known Holocaust-denier and far-right leader Nick Fuentes, who has often used antisemitic language and tropes.

The appearance came as a surprise to Rabbi Dan Fink, head of Boise’s Congregation Ahavath Beth Israel, who had recently received a letter from Ms McGeachin asking him to collaborate on an antisemitism task force.

Rabbi Fink expressed his worries about the militias who form the core of McGeachin’s support: “My first thought was, you’ve got to be kidding me. It seems like you’re missing the point with what we’re dealing with locally.”

Then, it emerged that, separately, Dan Bell, the Youth Chairman for a Republican Committee in Western Idaho, had sought to encourage Republicans to switch parties in order to elect the far-right activist Dave Reilly to a leadership position in the Democrat Party in order to discredit it.

Mr Reilly reportedly attended the deadly white supremacist march in Charlottesville, Virginia, and is claimed to have said that “all Jews are dangerous” and that “Jews pretend to be white when it’s expedient for them.” He has previously run unsuccessfully for an Idaho school board.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Denmark develops antisemitism action plan for schools

Denmark has become the latest country to develop an official action plan to tackle antisemitism for students in schools.

In a statement published by Eurydice, the European Union’s network for Europe-wide analysis and information about education systems and policies, Danish policymakers state that they have advanced fifteen initiatives to improve young people’s understanding and knowledge of the Holocaust and antisemitism.

Of the initiatives about antisemitism research and prevention, protection of Jews and Jewish institutions, information for how to deal with antisemitic incidents, and issues surrounding foreign policy, the Eurydice statement specifies five: compulsory education about the Holocaust at all levels of the Danish education system, from primary to secondary school pupils; expanding efforts towards Holocaust remembrance; ensuring teachers understand the harms caused by ostracising pupils based on their background; broadening interreligious dialogue between young people; and providing students with more information about the life and culture of Danish Jews.

These initiatives aim to let pupils know how to fight antisemitism within a broader framework based on mutual tolerance and recognising how what they say and do may well have negative consequences for others. They also encourage educational institutions to make sure that students acquire the knowledge and skills to fight antisemitic myths and conspiracy theories.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Russian invasion of Ukraine sees plethora of Nazi references, involvement of actual neo-Nazi soldiers, and divides opinion on the global far-right

The Russian war on Ukraine has elicited a plethora of Nazi comparisons and is witnessing actual neo-Nazi soldiers on the battlefield. The war has also divided opinion within the far-right globally, as discussed on this week’s episode of Podcast Against Antisemitism.

President Putin of Russia justified his war on Ukraine in part by claiming that he needed to “denazify” the country, a stance that was reinforced by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and apparently also adopted by China. Mr Lavrov also compared the United States to Hitler, stating: “Napoleon and Hitler, they had the objective to have the whole of Europe under their control…Now Americans have got Europe under their control. And we see the situation has really demonstrated what role the EU is playing in the context of the global situation. They are just fulfilling a role. So we see, like in Hollywood, there is absolute evil and absolute good and this is unfortunate.”

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy has compared Mr Putin to Hitler and described the invasion of his country as “pure Nazism”. The comparisons drew condemnation from Yad Vashem Israel’s Holocaust museum, for “trivilisation” of the Holocaust.

The Holocaust references became particularly acute when reports emerged of the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center being hit by a Russian missile aiming for a nearby Kyiv television mast. Mr Zelenskyy then called for Jewish people around the world to speak out against the Russian invasion, saying: “For any normal person who knows history, Babyn Yar is a special part of Kyiv, a special part of Europe…It is a place of prayer and a place of remembrance for the 100,000 people killed by the Nazis…Who do you think you are, to make it a target for your missiles?” It subsequently emerged that the Memorial had not been damaged. 

While war inevitably gives rise to unpleasant and inflammatory rhetoric, the presence of actual neo-Nazis on the battlefield has been a greater cause for alarm. In particular, attention has been drawn to Ukraine’s Azov Battalion, a neo-Nazi militia that formed during the 2014 War in the Donbas and has since been subsumed into the Ukrainian National Guard, putting neo-Nazi troops on the Government’s payroll. In 2020, Facebook came under pressure following the revelation that a network of 80,000 white supremacists was operating on its platform In more than 40 neo-Nazi websites, where merchandise sales were funding the Azov Battalion and the Misanthropic Division, another far-right Ukrainian group. One of the Azov Battalion’s Facebook pages at the time was reportedly called “Gas Chambers”, and visitors were directed to websites featuring imagery of white skinheads standing next to murdered Jews and black people.

Marking International Women’s Day, NATO tweeted a message of solidarity with Ukrainian women, only to delete the tweet after observers noticed that a female soldier in one of the images was displaying a neo-Nazi sun symbol on her uniform.

All this being said, the Azov Battalion ran in Ukraine’s 2019 election but won only two percent of the vote, which is markedly lower than far-right gains in other Eastern European countries. Indeed, Ukraine voted overwhelmingly to elect Volodymyr Zelenskyy as President, a Jewish man whose family was partially wiped out during the Holocaust.

On the Russian side, it was reported that the Russian President hired the Wagner Group, a collective of mercenaries who have been described as a private paramilitary organisation, to assassinate Mr Zelenskyy. The head of the group is Dmitry Utkin, a reported neo-Nazi. Photographs of Mr Utkin show Nazi SS tattoos on his shoulders and a Nazi-style eagle, or Reichsadler, on his chest.

In addition to those on the ground, the global far-right has also been divided in its stance on the war. Some on the far-right have expressed regret that two “white” nations are engaged in a “brother war”, with sympathy shown for Ukrainian civilians. Others are backing Ukraine, and the Azov Battalion in particular, inferring that if the Battalion is opposing Mr Putin, he must be the real enemy. Yet others are siding with Russia, which is viewed by its far-right supporters as the saviour of the white race, in contrast to Ukraine, which has supposedly been heading towards self-destruction through efforts to integrate with Western, liberal Europe.

One thing that the far-right does agree on, predictably, is that the Jews (or, as they are sometimes more subtly described in these circles, “globalists”) have masterminded the war. Whether it is because Mr Zelenskyy is Jewish (as are, for that matter, several senior Ukrainian politicians), or because Mr Putin is supposedly in thrall to Jewish oligarchs, the far-right agrees that the Jews are to blame. For example, Nick Griffin, the former leader of the BNP, posted on his Telegram channel: “#IStandWithRussia against NATO and those Jesus referred to as the Synagogue of Satan,” while the former KKK leader David Duke too has said that the war is a conspiracy by Jews to kill non-Jews.

Full analysis of this topic is available in Episode 15 of Podcast Against Antisemitism.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Poster of Jewish MP defaced with swastika and Adolf Hitler moustache in Australia

A poster of a Jewish MP in Australia was defaced with a swastika and an Adolf Hitler moustache recently.

The election poster of Josh Burns, who represents Australia’s Labour Party and is the Federal Member of Parliament for the Melbourne division of Macnamara, was vandalised with a black marker. On his forehead, a swastika was drawn, along with a kippah, Hitler moustache and beard.

Mr Burns said: “It was obviously very disappointing to see this kind of ugly graffiti in the heart of our local community, but I was overwhelmed with the support I received from parliamentary colleagues on both sides of the political divide, and from people across the nation. 

“There’s no place for the swastika in Australia and there’s no place for antisemitism or any form of racism in this country. The ugly actions of a small few will only galvanise us to keep fighting against antisemitism, racism and extremism.”

Mr Burns posted the photograph to his Facebook profile, writing: “I’m not putting this up for sympathy – to be honest, I’ve got thicker skin than that. But I’m putting this graffiti up as a reminder that there are some lines that shouldn’t be crossed. And because democracy is precious and needs defending. 

“Elections can be brutal and sometimes politics in Australia is not practised at the highest level. I get that. But being able to freely express one’s political views, peacefully and respectfully, is an essential part of Australia.” 

“It will be cleaned today and we will continue on with a full day of campaigning,” he added. “With even more determination and focus to help shape and build our wonderful, democratic Australia.”

Last year, State of Victoria announced that it was expected to become the first Australian state to ban the display of Nazi symbols.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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European Council adopts new “conclusions” in the fight against antisemitism

The Council of the European Union has developed new “conclusions” in the fight against antisemitism. 

The Council, which is composed of the heads of government of each member state of the EU, has passed a resolution to treat antisemitism as something different from other kinds of racism, inviting member states to adopt the International Definition of Antisemitism. commit to urging social media companies to “rapidly detect, assess and remove illegal online hate speech of a racist and antisemitic nature”, increase security at Jewish institutions, strengthen the powers of law enforcement to tackle antisemitic hate crime, and implement various other measures.

The document calls on the European Commission to treat “the fight against all forms of racism and antisemitism as priorities of the European Union.”

The resolution comes after the European Commission published a strategy to tackle antisemitism for the first time last year.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Kentucky Republicans embroiled in numerous antisemitism controversies while Louisiana Democrat candidate for senate praises Louis Farrakhan

Kentucky Republicans have become embroiled in numerous antisemitism controversies in recent days, while a Democratic candidate for Senate in Louisiana has drawn condemnation for praising the antisemitic hate preacher, Louis Farrakhan.

In Kentucky, a Republican lawmaker has sparked outrage after claiming that a pill used to induce abortion was developed during WWII under the name Zyklon B, which was the gas used to eterminate Jews during the Holocaust. He reportedly added that the man “who developed [the pills] was a Jew” and that they were created “because [Jewish people are] making money on it.” Representative Danny Bentley then went into a discussion of the intimate lives of Jewish women, “since we brought up the Hebrew family today.” Although the pill was indeed developed by a Jewish pharmacist, that was in the 1980s and had no connection at all to the Holocaust.

Mr Bentley later apologised, saying: “Last week we received a heartbreakingly sad reminder that antisemitism still exists in our society and I apologise if my comments today caused similar pain or any doubt that I stand with the Jewish community against hatred.” He added: “My intention was to speak as a pharmacist to the history of RU-486 and respond to a proposed amendment. I clearly should have been more sensitive with my comments.”

The controversy came shortly after a pair of Republican lawmakers, also in Kentucky, apologised for using an overtly antisemitic term during another recent legislative committee meeting.

Representative Walker Thomas used the phrase “Jew them down” during a discussion over the price of leases in an area devastated by tornadoes, while Senator Rick Girdler repeated it, but immediately withdrew it. The Lexington Herald-Leader reported that Mr Thomas asked if the state could “Jew them down on the price,” while Mr Girdler, who co-chairs the committee, repeated Mr Thomas’ question before quickly correcting himself, according to the report.  

The news outlet later reported that both lawmakers apologised for using the phrase, which is redolent of the antisemitic trope that Jewish people are cunning and miserly.

“I sincerely regret using that term,” said Mr Thomas, noting that “this is not who I am” nor “what my faith leads me to be.” It was, he said, “a phrase I have heard throughout my life, but this experience has provided me with an opportunity to reflect on the impact that words have and the fact that we must be smarter today than we were yesterday.” 

The outlet reported that Mr Girdler said that he was sorry if he “had offended anyone,” and had no “hate or malice” in his heart for anyone in the Jewish community.  

While apologies were welcome, said Melanie Maron Pell, from the local office  of the American Jewish Committee, there were many words and phrases to use “without succumbing to derogatory references” to Jews. An elected official “wilfully using” such a phrase, she said, was “contributing to the spread of a classic antisemitic trope.” Ms Pell added that “elected officials must be among the first to recognise the harm” such “derogatory terms can cause, especially when antisemitism is on the rise in the United States.”  

Meanwhile, it has emerged that a Democratic candidate in Louisiana, who is challenging incumbent Republican Senator John Neely Kennedy, appeared on Louis Farrakhan’s spokesperson’s podcast in 2020, lavishing praise on Mr Farrakhan, who is the leader of the controversial Nation of Islam, and describing himself as a “long-time supporter” of the antisemitic hate preacher.

Gary Chambers Jr, the local activist running for Senate, appeared on Dr Ava Muhammad’s podcast. Dr Muhammed is reportedly the national spokesperson for Mr Farrakhan, who has compared Jews to termites and called them “wicked”.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project. 

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Australian State of New South Wales introduces bill to ban swastika

The Australian State of New South Wales (NSW) is close to banning the swastika following the reporting of some 31 incidents in which the Nazi symbol was displayed.

The bill, introduced by opposition Labour Party member Walt Secord, would ban the public display or dissemination of the Nazi symbol. The bill imposes maximum penalties of approximately 4,000 Australian dollars (£2,250) and six months in prison and includes exemptions for its use in Hindu traditions.

Following a joint endorsement for the bill from the NSW Board of Deputies and the Hindu Council of Australia, the Standing Committee on Social Issues will now consider amendments before sending the bill to Australia’s upper legislative body for debate.

“The Nazi swastika is an emblem of pure evil,” said Board of Deputies CEO Darren Bark in a joint statement with the Hindu Council of Australia. “It represents the dehumanisation of millions of people; the death of our Australian servicemen and women; and one of the most inhumane, hate-based and murderous regimes and ideologies to ever exist.”

Mr Secord, the Shadow Minister for Police and Counter-Terrorism, introduced the bill following a report by Australia’s ABC News stating that police had seen a rise in extremist behaviour in NSW. He said that in 2020, police were notified 31 times about Nazi symbols and flags, but were powerless to act.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Labour Party antisemitism training uses mural defended by Jeremy Corbyn as example

It has been reported that a mandatory two-hour antisemitism training course delivered to Labour Party MPs and officials depicts the notorious mural that was defended by Jeremy Corbyn, the antisemitic former leader of the Party, as an example of antisemitism.

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.

Following complaints, the mural was due to be removed, prompting Mear One to post on Facebook: “Tomorrow they want to buff my mural. Freedom of Expression. London Calling, Public art.” Mr Corbyn commented: “Why? You are in good company. Rockerfeller [sic] destroyed Diego Viera’s [sic] mural because it includes a picture of Lenin.”

One Labour source reportedly said of the inclusion of the mural in the training: “Whereas Corbyn defended this image, course facilitators are using it as a potent illustration of antisemitism.”

Other examples used in the 44-slide PowerPoint, which was announced last year and initially met with a revolt and antisemitic conspiracy theories by antisemitism-deniers in the Party, include the blood libel, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, Nazi-era drawings, and popular internet memes. The training is required under the Action Plan agreed between the Party and the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).

The course also teaches the International Definition of Antisemitism, which was adopted by the Party, under pressure, during Mr Corbyn’ tenure as leader.

The Jewish former Labour MP, Ruth Smeeth, said: “We’re under no illusions. Rooting out the toxic culture will not be a quick job. We know it will take time. But by using education, a proper disciplinary process and leadership from Keir Starmer, progress is being made.”

The Labour Party was found by the EHRC to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.

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

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

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Romanian officials pay tribute to hundreds of Holocaust refugees who died in sinking of ship

For the first time in the country’s history, Romanian officials have paid tribute to the hundreds of Jewish refugees fleeing persecution during the Holocaust who died in the tragic sinking of a ship.

In December 1941, nearly 800 Jewish people boarded the MV Struma, a ship due to travel from the southern Romanian coastal city of Constanţa to Mandatory Palestine via Turkey. However, once the boat docked in Istanbul, Turkish authorities refused to provide entry to the refugees, leaving the boat in the harbour for over two months. Authorities then towed the boat out to sea without an anchor or working engine, and the boat sank the very next day. It is believed that a Soviet submarine mistook the MV Struma for a hostile vessel, and torpedoed it, leaving only one survivor.

On Tuesday, a ceremony, attended by approximately 80 people, was held in commemoration at Constanţa. Romanian Rear Admiral Mihai Panait said at the event: “We commemorate today not only a tragic event, but we also bring back the attention to the suffering caused by the repression of the Jews during the Second World War.”

David Saranga, Israel’s ambassador to Romania, said: “It’s the first time that Romania officially commemorates the Struma’s tragedy on Romanian soil, and it’s part of the efforts of successive governments in recent years to face the past and the events of the Holocaust era, when half of the country’s Jewish community was murdered.”

Last month, a Romanian political party was criticised for referring to Holocaust education as a “minor topic”.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Canadian Mayor apologises for referring to rally that featured swastikas as “peaceful”

A Canadian Mayor has apologised after she referred to an anti-vaccination rally where swastikas were present as “peaceful”.

The rally was organised in opposition to mandates concerning the vaccination status of truckers returning to the United States from Canada. However, among other signs and flags at the rally, the Nazi symbol was also on display throughout. 

At one point during the demonstration, Conservative MP Michael Cooper delivered a televised interview whilst a flag bearing a swastika was visible in the background.

The Mayor of Fredericton, Kate Rogers, apologised for her remarks after Dr Manju Varma, the Commissioner on Systemic Racism for New Brunswick, said that it was wrong to call the rally peaceful, stating: “I can count racist symbolism and imagery directly tied to or explicitly referencing white ethnonationalism, white supremacy, antisemitism, anti-refugee hate, and far-right extremism…Let me be absolutely and unequivocally clear: these are acts of violence.”

Mayor Rogers apologised on Twitter, writing: “When I referred to the protest this past weekend as peaceful, I meant that it was contained and managed without use of force.

“I understand that my characterisation of the protest minimised the impact felt by members of our community and I am sorry.”

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

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Sir Keir Starmer shows pragmatism over principle in revealing interview with Channel 4 News

In a Channel 4 News interview broadcast on 15th February, Sir Keir Starmer declined to express remorse for serving alongside and backing the antisemite Jeremy Corbyn, and said that whether Mr Corbyn returned to the Parliamentary Labour Party, from which he is currently suspended, is “a matter for him and the Chief Whip”.

In comments that are unlikely to satisfy those who question how Sir Keir could have served in Mr Corbyn’s Shadow Cabinet through the years of the Labour Party’s antisemitism crisis, only to begin to speak out against it when he ran for leader of the Party, Sir Keir nevertheless did go on speculate that Mr Corbyn is unlikely to be a Labour candidate in the next General Election.

Asked by presenter Cathy Newman, “Do you regret serving alongside Jeremy Corbyn?” Sir Keir responded: “No. I think it’s very important for people to make the arguments wherever they can, and that gave me the ability to make the argument about NATO in the Shadow Cabinet.”

Ms Newman pressed the Labour leader, asking: “Would you and are you looking to deselect Jeremy Corbyn now so that he can’t stand again as a Labour MP?”

Sir Keir replied: “Well Jeremy Corbyn’s position at the moment is that he’s not got the Labour whip for reasons that everybody understands in relation to his response to the antisemitism report. That remains the situation, and will remain the situation until something’s done about it.”

Ms Newman further asked: “But are you going to show leadership on this and deselect him?” Sir Keir responded, “Well look, the whip has been removed from Jeremy and that’s the same position it’s been for…” but was interrupted by the presented, who observed: “But that’s different from deselecting him for the next election.” Sir Keir reiterated: “Well, he’s not a Labour MPa t the moment.”

Finally, Ms Newman asked: “Can you see any scenario that he will stand under the Labour banner at the next election?”

He replied: Well, at the moment he’s not a Labour MP and so I don’t see how that’s possible, but you know that’s a matter for him and the Chief Whip, but, you know, we’ve been in this position for over a year now.”

Meanwhile, Labour has reportedly dropped an investigation into Diana Neslen, a member of the antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation, Jewish Voice for Labour. Ms Neslen apparently threatened to sue the Labour Party for discrimination based on her anti-Zionist beliefs and her position, expressed in a 2017 tweet that was reportedly the subject of Labour’s investigation, that the Jewish state is a “racist endeavour”. According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination (e.g. by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour)” is an example of antisemitism.

This matter was also the cause of one of the BBC’s numerous recent controversies in relation to antisemitism, as the broadcaster invited Ms Neslen to a panel to discuss whether anti-Zionism should be a protected characteristic under the Equality Act, only to invite someone else instead, record the segment but then not air it after pressure from an outraged Jewish community.

In the past, Ms Neslen has reportedly denied that the Jewish former Labour MPs Luciana Berger and Dame Louise Ellman were “hounded out” of the party under Mr Corbyn, and has apparently posted: “Zionism is not Judaism. It is blasphemy.”

Also in the past week, Mr Corbyn withdrew from what news reports described as a “Hamas-linked rally”.

Joe Gasman, Head of Political and Government Investigations at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “This interview is revealing. Once again, Sir Keir Starmer has not apologised for standing by Jeremy Corbyn through the years of Labour’s antisemitism crisis, and he has declined to show leadership by actively deselecting the former leader, relying instead on Mr Corbyn being automatically replaced by virtue of his ongoing suspension from the Parliamentary Labour Party. Even with regard to the future of that suspension, Sir Keir avoided taking responsibility, asserting that it was not a matter for him but for the Chief Whip. The only bright spot was that he could not foresee Mr Corbyn having the endorsement of the Labour Party in the next General Election.

“This is illustrative of how Sir Keir is addressing antisemitism in the Labour Party: passively letting things happen in the hope that the antisemites will go away without showing real leadership by calling out racism against Jews for what it is and actively expelling it. This is about pushing the problem away rather than seeking justice; it is pragmatism over principle.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has lodged a complaint against Jeremy Corbyn, holding him responsible for conduct that is prejudicial or grossly detrimental to the Labour Party, as the Leader during the period of the EHRC’s shameful findings. Given the serious detriment that this conduct has caused, we are seeking Mr Corbyn’s immediate resuspension and, if the complaint is upheld, we will be requesting his expulsion. On the day of the publication of the EHRC’s report, we also submitted a major complaint against Mr Corbyn and other sitting MPs. These complaints are yet to be acknowledged by the Party, and they must be investigated by an independent disciplinary process that the EHRC has demanded and Sir Keir has promised but has yet to introduce.

The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.

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

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

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German politician rebukes education officials over failure to remove antisemitic stereotypes from textbooks

A German politician has condemned education officials for failing to remove antisemitic stereotypes from school textbooks.

Jonas Weber of the Social Democrat Party (SPD) in Baden-Württemberg said that disturbing portrayals of Jewish people could still be found in the State’s educational resources, stating: “Unfortunately, we have the impression the Ministry of Education does not want to set the necessary priorities in the fight against antisemitic stereotypes in textbooks.”

It was said that some of Mr Weber’s primary concerns lie with medieval and Renaissance period texts and cites examples such as Martin Luther’s “Against the Jews And Their Lies” from 1543, a seventeenth-century Spanish Catholic text, as well as enlightenment thinkers including Voltaire, Feuerbach, Marx and Schopenhauer.

Dr. Michael Blume, the first antisemitism commissioner for the State of Baden-Württemberg, asked for the creation of a committee “to make textbook approval in Baden-Württemberg more transparent”, prompting the State’s Ministry of Education to analyse a sample of textbooks for examples of antisemitism, with the assistance of the Central Council of Jews and Baden-Württemberg’s Centre for School Quality and Teacher Training (ZSL).

However, Michael Kilper, Head of the Department for General Education schools, said: “The representations of Judaism are predominantly technically correct and appropriately differentiated.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project. 

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Fury as Italian educators try to equate local massacre with the Holocaust

A circular issued by the Italian Ministry of Education to heads of schools has caused anger in Italy’s Jewish community for comparing a local massacre to the Holocaust.

The guidelines were issued ahead of the National Memorial Day, or Day of the Exiles, on 10th February, which also commemorates events known as Foibe, during which up to 350,000 members of the ethnic Italian population in north-east Italy were killed by Yugoslav Partisans during and after WWII.  

The guidelines, which seek to draw a parallel between the killing of the Italians, whose leader Mussolini was a close ally of Hitler, with the wholesale slaughter of Europe’s Jews, has generated outrage.

The National Association of Italian Partisans (ANPI) – who fought against Mussolini – has stated that the parallel is “aberrant and unacceptable”, while Emanuele Fiano, a member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies and a prominent figure in the Italian Jewish community, said that the comparison between “the project of total extermination of the Jewish people [and the] massacre of Foibe by Tito’s troops is totally wrong.”

On Twitter, ANPI London wrote that “By comparing the Foibe killings with Nazi genocide, the Italian right is whitewashing the country’s past.”

Osvaldo Napoli of the centre-right political party, Cambiamo, said that comparing the persecution of the Jewish people, who were victims of “the Nazi-Fascist genocide,” with the violence of Marshal Tito’s national-communism is “offensive to the Jews who survived the extermination.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project. 

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Sir Keir Starmer receives torrent of antisemitic abuse in connection with controversial Jimmy Savile claims

Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party, has received a torrent of antisemitic abuse in connection with controversial claims that, in his previous role as Director of Public Prosecutions, he was responsible for the failure to prosecute Jimmy Savile, the sexual predator who targeted child fans.

Posts online described Sir Keir’s wife, who is Jewish, as “an Israeli”, and said that his “children are being raised as Jews and he’s been quoted as saying he is ‘Zionist without qualification’, spuriously adding that “Savile was a notable Israeli supporter who had met senior Israeli politicians and was considered an esteemed friend of Israel.”

Another post said: “Damn straight, never voting for zionist apartheid loving Starmer and yesterday was staged, it was a play right out his Israeli master’s handbook.”

Yet another claimed that “Starmer has far more a case to answer on Savile than Corbyn ever did on antisemitism.”

The abuse has been roundly condemned.

The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.

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

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

Image credit: Chris Boland

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Fury as Brighton Labour readmits councillor suspended over antisemitism, while Labour councillor in Dudley yet to face sanction over his social media activity

The Labour Party in Brighton has stoked controversy by readmitting a councillor suspended in connection with allegations of antisemitism.

Cllr Anne Pissaridou was suspended from Labour in 2020, reportedly in connection with antisemitism allegations, and a Facebook post in particular.

At the time, she said: “I am deeply sorry for my actions and any distress I have caused to the Jewish community. This happened several years ago, before I was a councillor, and the posts I shared do not reflect my views. I do not seek to excuse my mistake. I deeply regret not properly reading information before sharing such hurtful links. I am aware of the complaint that has been made to the Labour Party and will fully co-operate with any investigation.” 

In 2021, when her suspension was due to end, her colleagues wrote to the Council’s Chief Executive to exclude her from their faction. They have now reversed themselves, however, welcoming her reinstatement.

In a statement, Brighton and Hove Labour Group of Councillors said: “The Brighton and Hove Labour Group of Councillors have decided to readmit Cllr Pissaridou into the Labour Group after a period of exclusion. The Labour Group have made this decision as they feel Cllr Pissaridou has made conscious and sustained efforts to educate herself on issues around antisemitism and antisemitic tropes. She has also begun rebuilding trust with members of the local Jewish community and has apologised wholeheartedly for her actions that led to her initial suspension from the Labour Party.

“The Labour Group are clear that whilst we welcome the rehabilitative steps Cllr Pissaridou has taken, there is an ongoing learning journey we must all continuously take to improve our efforts to be proactive anti-racists and ever vigilant in the face of antisemitism. The Brighton & Hove Labour Group are clear that there is no room for antisemitism or any other form of racism in our party, on our council, or in our city. That’s why we pledged to become an anti-racist Council, and we remain committed to delivering on that promise.”

The about-turn has been met with fury by local activists.

Meanwhile in Dudley, action is yet to be taken against Cllr Zafar Islam despite a complaint reportedly having been made against him months ago.

The complaint by Labour Against Antisemitism, submitted in September 2021, details Cllr Islam’s social media activity, where he claims a “witch-hunt” has taken place against Labour politicians critical of Israel, among other inflammatory remarks. The activist group reportedly has yet to hear if any action has been taken in connection with the complaint.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “If Jackie Walker, Marc Wadsworth and Chris Williamson have no place in the Labour Party, then surely those like Cllr Zafar Islam who appear to have defended them and persistently complain about how Labour antisemitism allegations are pushed by a ‘Lobby’ must be investigated and sanctioned. Yet it remains unknown if the Party has taken any action against Cllr Islam at all, despite a complaint having been made months ago. Sir Keir Starmer claims that he has ‘shut the door’ on antisemitism, but with cases like these it looks more like the Party is shutting the door on campaigners who want transparency and action.”

The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.

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

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

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Green Party rejects Ken Livingstone’s bid to join, and drops Shahrar Ali as policing spokesperson but not over antisemitism allegations

The Green Party has reportedly rejected a bid by the controversial former Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, to join the Party.

Mr Livingstone, 76, quit the Labour Party after being suspended over comments that he made about Hitler supporting Zionism.

The former mayor has an exceptionally poor record on antisemitism and relations with the Jewish community, which predated his terms as mayor and has endured since. Among many other entries, that record includes welcoming, during his first term as mayor, a radical, antisemitic cleric to City Hall, and during his second term comparing a Jewish journalist to a Nazi concentration camp guard, a comment that got him briefly suspended as mayor before the suspension was overturned.

More recently, Mr Livingstone contended that Adolf Hitler “was supporting Zionism”, an assertion that prompted 107 MPs to sign a statement describing his words as “insidious racism” and eventually led to his resignation from the Labour Party.

Indeed, Mr Livingstone is infamous in the Jewish community for inspiring the so-called ‘Livingstone Formulation’, by which Jews who cite evidence of antisemitism are accused of lying, conspiring or having deceitful motives in doing so.

Mr Livingstone recently said: “I genuinely think we’re heading toward extinction before the end of the century because no government anywhere is doing enough to tackle the impact of climate change. At Cop26 they all said the right things but…you’ve got to get people to completely change the way we live and no government around the world seems to have the courage to do that.”

He claimed that he made contact with the Green Party in the past about joining, but that “they never got back to me.” He suspected that they “thought that if they brought me in they’d be accused of being antisemitic.”

It is understood that membership applications from high-profile political defectors are reviewed by a Green Party regional council for consultation.

Asked about the apparent rejection of Mr Livingstone’s membership bid, a spokesperson for the Green Party said: “The Green Party does not comment on individual applications for membership. We reserve the right to exclude people from membership where necessary, in line with the party’s principles and values.”

Separately, it has been reported that the Greens have dropped their inflammatory former Deputy Leader, Shahrar Ali, as the Party’s Spokesperson for Policing and Domestic Safety, apparently for “for breaches of the Speakers’ Code of Conduct”. Dr Ali, who remains a member of the Party, has longed faced criticism from Party activists over his alleged views on trans rights, and there is speculation that this may be the reason for his ouster. It is notable that he has also faced criticism over his stances on antisemitism and yet this has apparently played no role in the pressure that he has faced.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has extensively documented alleged antisemitism among officers of the Green Party of England and Wales, including the Party’s former Equalities and Diversity Coordinator who now holds the International Coordinator portfolio, on which the Green Party has failed to act.

Our Antisemitism Barometer survey of British Jews in 2020 found that the Greens were second only to Labour in how many respondents felt that the Party was too tolerant of antisemitism (43%), while our Antisemitism Barometer 2019 showed that antisemitism on the far left of British politics has surpassed that of the far right.

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

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UN panel reports only seven Jews remain in Yemen due to persecution from Houthi rebels and Government

A United Nations (UN) panel has stated that persecution from Houthi rebels, the Iranian proxy whose organisation is known as Ansar Allah, and a previous Government have forced Yemeni Jews out.

The findings were included as a part of the UN’s report on how civil war has affected Yemen, and stated that a Jewish population of 50,000 has now been dwindled down to just seven, one of whom is imprisoned. 

The report said: “The panel documented the systematic persecution of Jews in Houthi-controlled areas.

“Most of [the] Jewish population left Yemen after several years of persecution, which started under former President Ali Abdullah Saleh but intensified under the Houthis. The panel knows of seven Jewish individuals still in Yemen, including one who remains detained despite an order to release him issued in July 2019.”

The report also detailed the ongoings on a Houthi summer camp where children were expected to “regularly shout the Houthi slogan ‘Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse the Jews, Victory to Islam’.”

Earlier this month, we reported that the Health Minister for the areas of Yemen controlled by the rebel Houthis embarked on a rant about Jewish people in which, among other statements, he accused Jews of controlling the global economy.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Unite suspends official who accused veteran Jewish MP of “weaponising the Holocaust” to push her “Zionist aims”

Unite, one of Britain’s biggest unions, has suspended an official who accused a veteran Jewish MP of “weaponising the Holocaust” to push her “Zionist agenda”.

Communications Officer Nick West reportedly wrote online of the Labour MP, Dame Margaret Hodge, that she “makes millions of us sick to our stomachs. A woman who has weaponises both her faith and the Holocaust to forward her own petty and Zionist aims. While memorialising the awful stain on humanity that was the slaughter of millions of Jews, Romany and gays, those like Hodge who wield the bloodshed as a political weapon are beyond redemption. Humanity would not miss her.”

A fellow Unite member reacted to the post by saying: “Your comment is absolutely vile and if anyone is weaponising the Holocaust, it is you.”

According to reports, this is not Mr West’s first brush with controversy in relation to antisemitism, having previously appeared to compare Israel to the Nazis, in breach of the International Definition of Antisemitism. He wrote: “Criticism of the state of Israel isn’t antisemitism. The Jews suffered great tragedy and now inflict it on others.”

He also played down antisemitism allegations in the Labour Party, writing in 2018: “As we know it’s all cobblers orchestrated by the power of the state of Israel’s lobbying and right-wing MPs’ objections to Corbyn. Labour needs to stand up and say this and stop apologising.” 

A spokesperson for Unite said: “Unite takes this matter extremely seriously.  The employee in question has been suspended and an investigation is under way.”

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

Image credit: JC

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Czech Republic announces national strategy to combat antisemitism

Jan Lipavský, the Czech Foreign Minister and member of the progressive Czech Pirate Party, has announced that the Czech Republic will adopt a national strategy to combat antisemitism.

The Czech Foreign Affairs Ministry is reportedly preparing the strategy in tandem with the Czech Interior Ministry, other ministries and Jewish organisations.

Mr Lipavský noted that the Czech Republic could be proud of the fact that the country has a relatively low number of antisemitic incidents, but added that “even here the amount of speech and other forms of racial intolerance on the Internet is rising. This also applies to the Romani minority.” 

The move comes after the Federation of the Jewish Communities of the Czech Republic reported a rise in antisemitism, though still believed that antisemitism was at a relatively low level compared with other European countries and remained safe for Jews.

Mr Lipavský also added that the country would be hosting an international forum on the Holocaust in November. 

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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US Vice President criticised for “disgusting” Holocaust Memorial Day trip to Honduras for inauguration of President beset by antisemitism allegations

Vice President Kamala Harris has been criticised for a trip to Honduras on Holocaust Memorial Day to meet the country’s new President whose husband and running-mate have been beset by allegations of antisemitism.

On her arrival in Honduras, Vice President Harris tweeted a tribute to the six million Jews who perished in the Shoah, writing: “Today, we honour the six million Jews and other victims murdered by the Nazi regime during the Holocaust.” She continued: “We must teach our children the truth about the atrocities…so that together we give meaning to that timeless pledge, ‘never again’.”

Ms Harris was in Honduras to attend the inauguration of the new socialist President Xiomara Castro, in a bid to get her help to stem the crisis on America’s southern border. The leaders also held a meeting at which Ms Harris announced that the US would be sending more aid, including more Covid vaccine doses, to the Central American nation. The Biden administration sees cooperation and investment in the Northern Triangle countries – Honduras, Mexico and El Salvador – as the way to ease the crisis on its border. 

Ms Castro’s husband Manuel Zelaya, a former President, claimed after the country’s 2009 coup that “Israeli mercenaries” were torturing him “with high-frequency radiation,” while Ms Castro’s running mate, Salvador Nasralla, has reportedly said that Jews control the global money supply. Mr Nasralla also stated in 2020 that “the boss” of the country’s outgoing President Juan Orlando Hernández, was “the Government of Israel.”  

‘It’s totally disgusting and unacceptable that the US Vice President would attend this inauguration and give legitimacy to this vile behaviour, especially on the day we honour and remember the six million Jews and millions of others killed in the Holocaust,”  said Lee Zeldin, a Jewish Republican Congressman. 

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project. 

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Laura Pidcock quits Labour’s ruling NEC after motion to restore whip to antisemite Jeremy Corbyn fails

Laura Pidcock, the former Labour MP, has resigned from the Labour Party’s ruling National Executive Committee after a motion calling for the restoration of the whip to the antisemite Jeremy Corbyn failed to pass.

Ms Pidcock, a staunch ally of Mr Corbyn’s who sat on his front bench, previously voted last year against the NEC’s proscription of the antisemitism-denial group, Labour Against the Witchhunt, and later challenged the practice of expelling Party members based on apparent involvement with the group.

The motion to restore the whip to Mr Corbyn – which, even if passed, would not have effected a restoration in itself – was defeated by 23 votes to fourteen, with one abstention. The margin reflects the divide on the NEC between pro-Corbyn elements and those less sympathetic to the former leader.

Mr Corbyn reacted to the vote by tweeting: “Today’s NEC vote and Keir Starmer’s ongoing decision to bar me from sitting as a Labour MP is disappointing. I am grateful for and humbled by the support I’ve received, especially from my Islington North constituents. The struggle for peace, justice and sustainability goes on.”

In her resignation statement, Ms Pidcock said that “I am resigning because of what I see as an irreconcilable difference between the actions of the Labour Party as it stands and the principles that underpin the way I have been taught to treat people and my idea of what a political organisation should be for.” She described Sir Keir Starmer’s tenure as leader so far as leading to “a barrage of top-down changes which is making it hostile territory for socialists, from those of us on the NEC, to those in CLPs [Constituency Labour Parties] across the country.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “We welcome the NEC’s decision not to call for a restoration of the whip to the antisemite Jeremy Corbyn. The next step for the Party is to investigate our complaints against him and expel him from the Labour Party, to which he was disgracefully readmitted after an embarrassingly short suspension. The NEC vote reflects a Party that remains divided over what kind of party it wishes to be. It is yet further evidence that the fight to make Labour a safe place for Jews still has a long way to go.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has lodged a complaint against Mr Corbyn, holding him responsible for conduct that is prejudicial or grossly detrimental to the Labour Party, as the Leader during the period of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) shameful findings. Given the serious detriment that this conduct has caused, we are seeking Mr Corbyn’s immediate resuspension and, if the complaint is upheld, we will be requesting his expulsion. On the day of the publication of the EHRC’s report, we also submitted a major complaint against Mr Corbyn and other sitting MPs. These complaints are yet to be acknowledged by the Party, and they must be investigated by an independent disciplinary process that the EHRC has demanded and Sir Keir has promised but has yet to introduce.

The Labour Party was found by the EHRC to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.

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

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

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Israeli resolution combatting Holocaust denial gets overwhelming support at United Nations

For only the second time ever, an Israeli resolution has been passed by the United Nations’ General Assembly, in this instance about preserving the memory of the Holocaust and combatting denial.

The resolution, which passed last week, called for a clear definition of Holocaust denial and concrete steps to fight it.

With 114 countries listed as co-sponsors – including many that joined minutes before it was carried – the resolution was passed by consensus.

The resolution also calls for the adoption of the International Definition of Holocaust, some of the examples of which deal with Holocaust denial, and resolves for UN member states and agencies to promote Holocaust education and awareness.

The only country that publicly opposed the resolution was Iran, whose ambassador claimed that Israel exploits “the suffering of Jewish people in the past as cover for the crimes it has perpetrated over the past seven decades against regional countries.” Iran is unable to vote at the UN, however, because it has not paid its due for the past two years, therefore it could not request a full roll-call vote.

Israel’s previous successful UN resolution, passed by the UN General Assembly in 2005, established 27th January as International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project. 

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Ken Livingstone declares intention to apply to join Green Party

The controversial former Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, has declared his intention to apply to join the Green Party.

Mr Livingstone quit the Labour Party after being suspended over comments that he made about Hitler supporting Zionism.

The former mayor has an exceptionally poor record on antisemitism and relations with the Jewish community, which predated his terms as mayor and has endured since. Among many other entries, that record includes welcoming, during his first term as mayor, a radical, antisemitic cleric to City Hall, and during his second term comparing a Jewish journalist to a Nazi concentration camp guard, a comment that got him briefly suspended as mayor before the suspension was overturned.

More recently, Mr Livingstone contended that Adolf Hitler “was supporting Zionism”, an assertion that prompted 107 MPs to sign a statement describing his words as “insidious racism” and eventually led to his resignation from the Labour Party.

Indeed, Mr Livingstone is infamous in the Jewish community for inspiring the so-called ‘Livingstone Formulation’, by which Jews who cite evidence of antisemitism are accused of lying, conspiring or having deceitful motives in doing so.

Last week, Mr Livingstone said: “I genuinely think we’re heading toward extinction before the end of the century because no government anywhere is doing enough to tackle the impact of climate change. At Cop26 they all said the right things but…you’ve got to get people to completely change the way we live and no government around the world seems to have the courage to do that.”

Mr Livingstone has claimed that he made contact with the Green Party in the past about joining, but that “they never got back to me.” He suspected that they “thought that if they brought me in they’d be accused of being antisemitic.”

A member of the London Assembly, Zack Polanski, said: “The rules are very clear that there’s no space in the party for antisemitism, transphobia, racism, sexism or any other form of discrimination and while it wouldn’t be appropriate to comment on any individual application, I’d expect any new member – whoever they are – to follow our code of conduct.”

It is understood that membership applications from high-profile political defectors are reviewed by a Green Party regional council for consultation.

A spokesperson for the Green Party said: “We welcome everybody who shares our political aims and values to join the Green party.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has extensively documented alleged antisemitism among officers of the Green Party of England and Wales, including the Party’s former Equalities and Diversity Coordinator who now holds the International Coordinator portfolio, on which the Green Party has failed to act.

Our Antisemitism Barometer survey of British Jews in 2020 found that the Greens were second only to Labour in how many respondents felt that the Party was too tolerant of antisemitism (43%), while our Antisemitism Barometer 2019 showed that antisemitism on the far left of British politics has surpassed that of the far right.

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

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Mayor leads condemnation of “vile” and “hateful” antisemitism at health board meeting in Massachusetts town

The Mayor of a Massachusetts town has led local and state-level condemnation of antisemitism describing it as “vile,” “hateful” and “unwelcome.”

The comments from Northampton Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra follow a Board of Health meeting in late December when several participants made anti-Jewish remarks or displayed swastikas on Zoom screens. The Mayor also pointed to flyers seen in the city that had antisemitic messages.

The “actions are vile, hateful, and are unwelcome in the city of Northampton” and were “profoundly hurtful to our Jewish neighbours,” declared Mayor Sciarra.

At the meeting to discuss a vaccine mandate for Northampton, a man on Zoom, claiming to be called David Rosenberg, described board members as “unelected, rich Jewish doctors.” The same man said: “We are tired of you attacking our way of life and attacking our children.” He added: “We will resist.”

Another man, who claimed to be called “Justin Goldberg” asked on Zoom if the Board were “willing to put people in camps,” stating “frankly, I think that is where this is heading.”

A third person used the screen name “Jews will not replace us” and displayed three swastikas as their Zoom photo.

In her statement, Mayor Sciarra said that while the city officials “acknowledge constitutionally protected free speech” at public meetings “that does not mean that we do not denounce hateful and derogatory comments or images.”

She added: “We must speak up against the words and actions of those who sow hatred…They are a threat to the safety and peace of our community.”

At a City Council meeting following the incident, one Northampton councillor said: “The antisemitism that was expressed was unconscionable and shocking.” Councillor Stanley Moulton said that while he was “an ardent supporter” of free speech, “hate speech cannot be tolerated.”

Senator Jo Comerford, who represents Northampton, said legitimate criticism of official measures had “crossed a bright line” and had been “marred” by “violent rhetoric and antisemitic slurs,” adding: “We must join together to reject such dangerous bigotry.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project. 

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Jeremy Corbyn reportedly considering launching new party while allies seek to restore Labour whip to him

Jeremy Corbyn, the antisemitic former leader of the Labour Party, is reportedly considering launching a new political party.

Mr Corbyn is apparently being urged by his allies to register his organisation, the Peace and Justice Project, as a political party. Mr Corbyn set up the Project following his suspension from the Labour Party in order to coordinate his activism.

However, Mr Corbyn has also recently observed that he could stand as an independent at the next election. He reportedly said: “Let’s not go into too much speculation about this…my wish is to stand as a Labour candidate…I do feel I’ve been very badly treated, but let’s take it one step at a time.”

Although Mr Corbyn was suspended from the Labour Party, he was rapidly and disgracefully readmitted. However, the whip has not been restored to him, so he is in the absurd position of being a member of the Labour Party who sits as an independent MP.

Now, Nadia Jama and Ian Murray, both allies of Mr Corbyn on Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC), have submitted a motion to the NEC calling for the whip to be restored to the former leader. Even if successful, the motion cannot require the whip to be restored to Mr Corbyn.

Late last year, Ms Jama seconded a motion challenging the practice of expelling Party members based on apparent involvement with groups that were proscribed after the time of alleged involvement, and earlier last year Ms Jama voted against the proscription of Labour Against the Witchhunt by the NEC.

The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.

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

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

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Labour MPs Grahame Morris, Nadia Whittome, John McDonnell and Lucy Powell all under pressure in relation to antisemitism

Four Labour Party MPs – Grahame Morris, Nadia Whittome, John McDonnell and Lucy Powell – are now under pressure in relation to antisemitism.

The Mail on Sunday revealed that the Labour MP Grahame Morris is the director of the controversial “Palestine Deep Dive” company. Research by Labour Against Antisemitism uncovered Mr Morris’ association with the company, of which he is the founding director. The MP reportedly admitted being a director of the purportedly educational organisation and that he had failed to declare this directorship to Parliament.

The company’s website has previously published an article claiming that “Israel’s racism” has “let loose the pogroms so reminiscent of Czarist times and Kristallnacht in Germany, 1938.” According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” is an example of antisemitism.

The website has also attacked BBC’s Panorama for contributing to a “smear campaign” against Labour, due to its investigation into antisemitism in the Party. The website reportedly apologised for this latter article by the controversial musician and activist, Roger Waters, last month. Mr Waters has made other outrageous claims on the website as well.

The website has interviewed the activist and comedian, Alexei Sayle, who has claimed that allegations of antisemitism “amongst supporters of Jeremy Corbyn are a complete fabrication.” Palestine Deep Dive has also reportedly platformed the controversial figure Tariq Ali, who has previously tried to link Israel to the racist killing of George Floyd – a trope for which Rebecca Long Bailey was fired from the Shadow Cabinet – among other inflammatory claims.

Grahame Morris is believed to be the only sitting MP in the entire House of Commons not to have endorsed the International Definition of Antisemitism. In 2012, he himself apparently tweeted: “World’s richest Jacob Rothschild, John Paulson & George Soros Are All Betting That Financial Disaster is Coming.”

Mr Morris reportedly said that, although he is a director of the company, he has “no involvement in the editorial decisions” of the website, and he issued an apology for failing to register his directorship with the House of Commons.

A spokesperson for the company reportedly said that the website “has not knowingly published material that may be considered antisemitic, nor has it been challenged as such. If this would ever be the case, it would be removed.”

Meanwhile, former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell MP and fellow Socialist Campaign Group member Nadia Whittome MP both reportedly shared a platform with expelled Labour member and outspoken filmmaker Ken Loach. Sir Keir Starmer pledged during his leadership campaign that any Labour member who shares a platform with a member expelled in relation to antisemitism would be disciplined, but he has consistently failed to fulfil this promise.

Reports have also emerged that Lucy Powell MP, the Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, has been campaigning with Cllr. Majid Dar, a Labour councillor in Manchester who was suspended following allegations of antisemitism. Cllr Dar’s sister, Yasmine Dar, is an ally of Jeremy Corbyn and served as the head of Labour’s disputes panel. She is infamous for claiming that the Party did not have a problem of institutional antisemitism even as her brother was suspended over antisemitism allegations.

Scandals relating to antisemitism continue to rock the Labour Party at other levels as well. For example, a Labour councillor in West Lancashire, Ron Cooper, has tweeted: “If Corbyn was Labour Leader again then hundreds of thousands of members would rejoin the Party. @Keir_Starmer Stands for nothing #Purge of socialists and following commands from Israel.” Cllr. Cooper was swiftly suspended from the Party pending an investigation, and currently sits as an independent councillor, the whip having been withdrawn.

There are also unverified reports that Maureen Madden, the Chair of the North Tyneside Constituency Labour Party, has been expelled from the Labour Party. She has reportedly shared Rothschild conspiracy theories in the past.

Furthermore, Jewish Voice for Labour, the antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation, has tweeted in response to verified reports of Chinese espionage in Parliament: “Chinese interference in Parliament is unacceptsble [sic] and the security services were correct to draw attention to it. When are they going to turn their attention to the widespread Israeli Parliamentary interference #LFI #CFI #LDFI.” Claims that the Jewish state or lobbyists on its behalf wield excessive power in foreign nations is a common trope.

Joe Glasman, Head of Political and Government Investigations at Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Sir Keir Starmer’s failure to fulfil his pledge to discipline MPs and others who share platforms with expelled members continues to haunt him. He tells non-Jewish audiences that he has closed the door on antisemitism in his Party – while whispering to Jewish audiences that there is still more to do – but his own MPs and officeholders continue to push the door wide open. With the new disciplinary system yet to be tested, Labour cannot be said to have gotten to grip with its scandal of institutional racism against Jews.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has lodged a complaint against Jeremy Corbyn, holding him responsible for conduct that is prejudicial or grossly detrimental to the Labour Party, as the Leader during the period of the EHRC’s shameful findings. Given the serious detriment that this conduct has caused, we are seeking Mr Corbyn’s immediate resuspension and, if the complaint is upheld, we will be requesting his expulsion. On the day of the publication of the EHRC’s report, we also submitted a major complaint against Mr Corbyn and other sitting MPs. These complaints are yet to be acknowledged by the Party, and they must be investigated by an independent disciplinary process that the EHRC has demanded and Sir Keir has promised but has yet to introduce.

The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.

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

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

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Alliance for the Union of Romanians Party criticised for dismissing Holocaust education as “minor topic”

A Romanian political party has been criticised for referring to Holocaust education as a “minor topic”.

The Alliance for the Union of Romanians party, or AUR, which holds 43 seats in Romania’s Parliament, issued a statement accusing the Government of relegating “fundamental subjects” such as “exact sciences, Romanian language and literature and national history” in favour of “minor topics” such as “sexual education” and “history of the Holocaust.”

The Government, the statement said, is trying “to undermine the quality of the education system in Romania.”

The Government’s Special Representative for Combating Antisemitism, Alexandru Muraru, reportedly hinted at the possibility of outlawing AUR, calling the Party “a threat to Romania’s constitutional order.”

In his Party’s defence, AUR’s co-leader, Claudiu Tarziu said: “We are Christians, so we can’t be antisemites.” He denied calling the Holocaust a “minor topic” and referenced the “sinister horrors” visited upon on Jews by “the Nazi regime”.

The AUR has drawn controversy since its surprising election result in 2020, when it won 9% of the vote and entered Parliament for the first time, as its leaders have reportedly defended historical figures who served in Ion Antonescu’s wartime regime, which was allied with the Nazis.

According to official Romanian statistics, between 280,000 and 380,000 Jews were murdered or died in territories under Romanian administration during WWII.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project. 

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Scottish Labour leader under pressure to discipline Mercedes Villalba MSP who called for Party whip to be returned to antisemitic former leader Jeremy Corbyn

The Leader of Scottish Labour is under pressure to discipline one of his MSPs who called for the Labour Party whip to be returned to the antisemitic former leader, Jeremy Corbyn.

North East Scotland MSP Mercedes Villalba tweeted last week: “Jeremy Corbyn is a Labour Party member and should have the whip restored to him immediately.”

Mr Corbyn was suspended by the Labour Party but shambolically readmitted, but the whip was not restored to him, leaving him in the absurd position of being a member of the Labour Party but an independent MP.

Ms Mercedes has previously spoken out in the support of the disgraced former leader.

Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour Leader, tried to distance himself from the Ms Villalba’s remarks but fell short of disciplining her. Asked if Mr Corbyn should apologise for his role in the Party’s antisemitism scandal, Mr Sarwar said: “Yes, I think that’s the least that anyone who has caused pain or hurt should do in that situation. The reality is that that is an internal disciplinary process and we have got to reflect on the impact that the antisemitism row – it was more than a row – had on communities across the country. I have been spending a lot of time speaking to the Jewish community here in Scotland and I have heard directly about the pain and the anguish that that whole episode caused and I am working to rebuild our relationship with all our communities across Scotland, including the Jewish community.

“As someone who has campaigned on Islamophobia and antisemitism and other forms of prejudice and hate, I know we can’t afford to be complacent. I would much prefer that those responsible for the pain apologised directly, reflected on their position. But I want us to focus on the future, not the past. I am not interested in past leaders or past problems or past issues. I am interested in the future and I expect every Labour MP, MSP and councillor to be focused on the future as well.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Jeremy Corbyn’s absurd status as a Labour member who sits as an independent MP, when in fact he should not be in the Party at all, has left Labour and the public in confusion over Labour\s position on racism against Jews. If Anas Sarwar is serious when he says that the Party cannot be complacent in fighting antisemitism, then he must discipline Mercedes Villalba MSP for supporting the restoration of the whip to Mr Corbyn. Scottish Labour must decide whether it is a party of people who support the antisemite Jeremy Corbyn or not.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has lodged a complaint against Mr Corbyn, holding him responsible for conduct that is prejudicial or grossly detrimental to the Labour Party, as the Leader during the period of the EHRC’s shameful findings. Given the serious detriment that this conduct has caused, we are seeking Mr Corbyn’s immediate resuspension and, if the complaint is upheld, we will be requesting his expulsion. On the day of the publication of the EHRC’s report, we also submitted a major complaint against Mr Corbyn and other sitting MPs.

The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.

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

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

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Conservative councillor who claimed America, Israel and Saudi Arabia are a “trilogy of Zionists” and that “Zionism is one of the worst afflictions on the world” is permitted to re-join party after suspension

A Conservative councillor who was suspended last year over social media posts has reportedly been permitted to re-join the Party.

A spokesperson for Peterborough Conservatives reportedly confirmed that Ishfaq Hussain, who represents the city’s Dogsthorpe ward, had re-joined following an investigation.

Cllr Hussain had apologised for sharing antisemitic tropes on Facebook. In one Facebook post, he accused the “Saudi regime” of being “long standing puppets of America and Israel,” and went on to label them “a trilogy of zionists.” He then remarked that “Islam doesn’t breed terrorists the zionist trilogy do.” Mr Hussain also shared a video that was captioned: “The Jews in Israel are not true Jews.”

Cllr Hussain had also captioned his profile picture: “This person does not recognise the State of Israel.” He also reportedly claimed that “Zionism is one of the worst afflictions on the world” and made other inflammatory comments about “Zionists”.

In his apology, Mr Hussain said: “I recognise Israel’s right to exist and wholeheartedly support a two-state solution. I deeply regret that my frustration at events in Israel and Palestine led me to suggest otherwise. Some of my previous language was ill-judged and offensive. It also echoed antisemitic tropes in ways I had not fully understood. However strongly we feel, we should never let our emotions get the better of us. By doing so, I allowed myself to become part of the problem. I am truly sorry.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “It is right that Cllr Hussain apologised for his inflammatory remarks, but suspensions pending an investigation are not in themselves a sanction. The Party must reveal the results of any investigation and require Cllr Hussain to undertake antisemitism training so that he understands why his comments were so detrimental.”

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

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Leader of Dutch right-wing party ordered by judge to delete social media posts comparing COVID-19 restrictions to the Holocaust

Thierry Baudet, leader of the ring-wing party Forum for Democracy (FvD), posted content to Twitter in which he compared the Dutch Government’s policy on combating COVID-19 to the Holocaust. However, Mr Baudet was ordered by a judge to delete the four tweets or face a fine of €25,000 a day until they have been deleted. 

Mr Baudet was also forbidden from making such references in future speeches. 

In one tweet dated from 14th November, Mr Baudet wrote: “The current situation can be compared to the 1930s and 1940s. The unvaccinated are the new Jews, the ignorant who exclude them are the new Nazis and NSB [wartime Dutch Nazi organization] members.”

“There, I said it,” he added.

In another tweet, accompanied by images of unvaccinated children paired with one of a Jewish boy wearing a yellow star in Nazi Germany, Mr Baudet wrote: “Ask yourself: is this really the country you want to live in? In which children who are ‘unvaccinated’ are not allowed to go and see Santa Claus? And need to be dried off outside after swimming lessons?” 

“If not: THEN RESIST! Do not participate in this apartheid, this exclusion!”

The case was brought against the right-wing party leader by two Dutch Jewish organizations, the Center for Information and Documentation on Israel (CIDI) and the umbrella Central Jewish Consultation (CJO), and was backed by four Jewish Holocaust survivors. The plaintiffs asserted that the tweets were “seriously insulting and unnecessarily hurtful to the murdered victims of the Holocaust, survivors and relatives.” 

The judge, upholding the ruling, said that Mr Baudet “spoke in an unnecessarily offensive way to victims of the Holocaust and their relatives,” before adding that “The right to freedom of expression for a representative of the people is not unlimited.”

The FvD have said that it will be appealing with the decision, tweeting that “Freedom of expression is restricted by the judge,” and called the ruling a “totally hallucinatory statement.”

In February, Mr Baudet provoked outrage by stating that the trials against Nazi leaders in Nuremberg after World War II were “illegitimate”.

Mr Baudet resigned as leader last year after several members of his Party were accused of antisemitism, but was reinstated shortly after. 

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has launched a new weekly podcast. New episodes of Podcast Against Antisemitism are available every Thursday and can be streamed here or downloaded wherever you get your podcasts. 

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Tory aide reportedly grabbed Jewish journalist’s face to check his nose and “judge his Jewishness” 

An aide working for the Conservative Party reportedly grabbed a Jewish journalist’s face in order to check his nose and “judge his Jewishness”.

Alexander Brown, a Westminster Correspondent based in Parliament who writes for The Scotsman, has shared his account of how whilst out for drinks with colleagues, he was grabbed by a Tory aide so that they could view his nose from the side and, as Mr Brown writes, check his “Jewishness”. 

Mr Brown said: “Going for drinks and desperate to build contacts, a staffer had asked about my background, and I’d shared I studied an MA in Jewish History. Before I’d even finished speaking she had grabbed my jaw, tilted my head to the side to look at my nose and spat out ‘you don’t look Jewish’.”

He adds that he was warned not to report the incident so as not to risk damaging his career. “This was a Tory staffer grabbing me in public to judge my Jewishness, at a time it was supposedly only the Labour Party that had a problem. It took place during the Corbyn years,” Mr Brown writes. “It was a depressing, draining time, with the avalanche of antisemitism on Twitter a constant in my life both personal and professional.”

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

Campaign Against Antisemitism has launched a new weekly podcast. New episodes of Podcast Against Antisemitism are available every Thursday and can be streamed here or downloaded wherever you get your podcasts. 

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Calls to remove new Austrian Interior Minister from position amid antisemitism allegations

Calls to remove the new Austrian Interior Minister from his position have arisen amid antisemitism accusations.

Gerhard Karner was made Interior Minister on 6th December, but shortly after, accusations of antisemitism surfaced from comments he made over a decade earlier when he was said to have accused Austria’s center-left Social Democrats of working “against the country with gentlemen from America and Israel,” and described them as “climate poisoners.”

The German news website Der Spiegel, who published the report which featured the accusations, also included a quote from the Minister’s spokesperson who said that he was referring to “dirty campaigning” by an Israeli political adviser.  

An open letter, which included signatories from Jewish students, academics, Nobel Prize-winning playwright Elfriede Jelinek and others, stated: “The antisemitic dimension of this comment is obvious. We are convinced that this person is completely unsuited to the office of interior minister and call on the government to put our security in the hands of moderate politicians.”

Mr Karner reportedly said on Monday that he regrets his comments, but rejected the accusations of antisemitism. “If things I said then were understood ambiguously, I regret that,” Karner said. “The comments were never in any way intended to go in this direction, and I would not make them now.”

Mr Karner has also reportedly arranged to meet with Oskar Deutsch, President of the Jewish Community of Vienna (IKG) and the Federal Association of Jewish Religious Communities in Austria, who had asked the Minister for clarification on his comments.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has launched a new weekly podcast. New episodes of Podcast Against Antisemitism are available every Thursday and can be streamed here or downloaded wherever you get your podcasts. 

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Azerbaijan to commemorate International Holocaust Memorial Day for first time

The President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, has announced that for the first time, Azerbaijan will commemorate International Holocaust Memorial Day on January 27th. 

The decision reportedly arose after a meeting with New York-based rabbi, Rabbi Marc Schneier, who said of their encounter: “President Aliyev said in response, ‘We would very much like to do this, and to be a part of it,’ and said that he would instruct his Foreign Ministry to coordinate with Israel’s ambassador to Azerbaijan in planning the commemoration events for the day.”

“I think this is one more step, one more benchmark in Aliev’s unparalleled solidarity and commitment to his indigenous Jewish community, and to world Jewry and the State of Israel,” he continued.

President Aliyev also agreed to provide funding to the only Jewish school in Azerbaijan, the Chabad Ohr Avner Jewish school in Baku, the country’s capital.

Rabbi Schneier added: “All around the Muslim world, we are seeing miracles of a bold new support for Jewish life and partnership between our communities. This magnanimous demonstration by President Aliyev is truly an astounding example of goodwill at the highest level, and mirrors Azerbaijan’s wholehearted commitment to the embrace of its Jewish population. I express my heartfelt thanks and gratitude to President Aliyev for his profound commitment to interreligious cooperation and coexistence.”

Azerbaijani Chief Rabbi Schneor Segal, a leader of the Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States, also praised the President’s pledge to assist the school financially. “Azerbaijan is taking the concept of tolerance to a whole different level than what we see anywhere else in the world,” said Rabbi Segal. “For decades, the Jewish community has enjoyed a comfortable and peaceful life, without experiencing any sign of antisemitism. The government is truly committed to supporting and strengthening the future of the Jewish community in Azerbaijan. We are thankful to President Aliyev for his constant care for the Jewish population.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has launched a new weekly podcast. New episodes of Podcast Against Antisemitism are available every Thursday and can be streamed here or downloaded wherever you get your podcasts. 

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Tory MP compares NHS COVID Pass to Nazi Germany during BBC Radio 5 interview

Marcus Fysh, the Conservative Party MP for Yeovil, compared the NHS COVID Pass to Nazi Germany during a BBC Radio 5 interview earlier this week.

During the interview, Mr Fysh told interviewer Rachel Burden that if people don’t feel safe and secure going to a pub or a restaurant without COVID restrictions, then they should not go. He said: “You don’t tell other people what they should do with their bodies.”

Ms Burden replied that the point that she was making was that “you’re not telling someone what to do with their body other than to say they’ve taken a test.” Mr Fysh responded: “You are segregating society based on an unacceptable thing. We are not a ‘papers please’ society. This is not Nazi Germany, okay?”

“No, I don’t think it is,” Ms Burden replied, adding: “And I think there’s a long, long way between what people are being asked to do and Nazi Germany.”

In August, Campaign Against Antisemitism created an Instagram post detailing why it is wrong to compare vaccines to the Holocaust.

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

Campaign Against Antisemitism has launched a new weekly podcast. New episodes of Podcast Against Antisemitism are available every Thursday and can be streamed here or downloaded wherever you get your podcasts. 

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Today, as Labour Party is mandated by law to introduce semi-independent disciplinary process, CAA resubmits complaints against fifteen sitting Labour MPs including Angela Rayner

Today is a key monitoring date and sign-off point in the Labour Party’s Action Plan agreed with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). The Action Plan came in the wake of the EHRC’s finding that Labour had unlawfully discriminated against Jewish people following an investigation in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant.

Under the Action Plan, it is required today that “An independent process is up and running and will be used to determine 100% of applicable antisemitism complaints,” save for cases already at the adjudication stage under the existing system.

Last year, on the day that the EHRC published its report, Campaign Against Antisemitism submitted complaints against fifteen sitting MPs, including former Leader Jeremy Corbyn and current Deputy Leader Angela Rayner, as well as Diane Abbott, Tahir Ali, Mike Amesbury, Apsana Begum, Richard Burgon, Barry Gardiner, Kate Hollern, Afzal Khan, Rebecca Long Bailey, Steve Reed, Lloyd Russell-Moyle, Barry Sheerman and Zarah Sultana, as well as other officeholders and candidates.

Although Mr Corbyn sits as an independent MP, he nevertheless absurdly remains a member of the Labour Party – after he was rapidly readmitted following his brief suspension – and therefore subject to its disciplinary processes. On 18th November 2020, we submitted a further complaint about Mr Corbyn over his personal responsibility for the Party being found guilty of unlawful acts of antisemitism, for which he must be held to account.

We asked that our complaints not be investigated until an independent process is introduced. At Party conference in September of this year, Labour endorsed a proposed semi-independent disciplinary process, and today the Party is required to have it up and running.

In the year since they were submitted, none of our complaints have been acknowledged, let alone investigated, therefore we resubmit them today with the expectation that a timeframe for their investigation be provided and that an efficient, fair and transparent investigation be conducted.

Joe Glasman, Head of Political and Government Investigations at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “Addressing antisemitism in the Labour Party and making it safe for Jews depends on delivering justice for the years of discrimination and pain that the Party continues to cause for the Jewish community in Britain. That must include investigating those MPs who have been culpable in promoting or excusing racism towards Jews or belittling allegations of antisemitism as ‘smears’, which the EHRC recognised was central to the unlawful victimisation of Jews by the Party.

“The Party has not even acknowledged our complaints of one year ago, let alone investigated them. As of today, the Party is required to have introduced a semi-independent disciplinary process to handle antisemitism complaints. We have therefore resubmitted our complaints against fifteen sitting MPs and expect them to be investigated efficiently, fairly and transparently.”

The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.

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

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

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Lib Dem candidate apologises for tweets that appeared to compare English Channel migrants to Jewish inmates at Auschwitz

The Liberal Democrat candidate in the coming North Shropshire by-election has apologised after social media posts emerged in which she appeared to compare the experience of migrants crossing the English Channel to Jewish inmates at the Auschwitz death camp.

Helen Morgan, reportedly wrote on Twitter in September 2020 about her son reading The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, a book about the son of a Nazi camp commandant befriending a Jewish boy on the other side of the fence.

Ms Morgan tweeted: “He commented that the Nazis were only able to do such terrible things because they didn’t think their victims were people. He’s 11. On Twitter this morning, there are people talking about cancelling their RNLI [Royal National Lifeboat Institution] donations because they have picked up ‘illegals’. The language used every day in this country – by the Government, press and people with thousands of followers on social media – it’s nothing short of chilling.  We have travelled too far down this road. We urgently need to turn back.”

In the same thread, she apparently ‘liked’ a tweet by another user who claimed: “Having visited Auschwitz concentration camp in the recent past. It really brings home man’s inhumanity to man. Now on a daily basis the language and actions of the Conservative Party make me more and more concerned about the direction they are taking the UK and its people.”

Ms Morgan has also apologised for telling Home Secretary Priti Patel to “tear up your copy of Goebbels’ manual” on Twitter in an exchange on migrants crossing the English Channel. Ms Morgan removed the tweets and said: “I apologise for this insensitive tweet which I have taken down.”

A Liberal Democrat spokesperson said: “Helen Morgan has taken down this tweet and apologises if any offence was caused. She is passionate about standing up against this Conservative Government which is taking people in Shropshire for granted.”

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

Campaign Against Antisemitism has launched a new weekly podcast. New episodes of Podcast Against Antisemitism are available every Thursday and can be streamed here or downloaded wherever you get your podcasts.

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Labour councillor who chanted “From the River to the Sea” has whip removed and Jeremy Corbyn’s former legal head deselected, but elsewhere local Labour group passes motion praising Ken Loach

A Labour Party councillor who chanted “From the River to the Sea” at a rally and called a former Jewish Labour MP a “hideous traitor” has reportedly had the whip removed.

Sam Gorst, a councillor in Liverpool, is reportedly no longer a member of the local Labour Group and will sit as an independent. Cllr Gorst was filmed earlier this year marching alongside Jeremy Corbyn and chanting “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free”. The chant only makes sense as a call for the destruction of the world’s only Jewish state – and its replacement with a State of Palestine – and is thus an attempt to deny Jews, uniquely, the right to self-determination, which is a breach of the International Definition of Antisemitism. The rally was addressed by Mr Corbyn and former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, and was endorsed by Labour MPs Paula Barker, and Kim Johnson.

Labour Against Antisemitism has also previously claimed that Cllr Gorst was involved in the now-proscribed Labour fringe groups, Labour Against the Witchhunt and Labour in Exile Network.

Cllr Gorst, who is reported to have been suspended from the Labour Party for twelve months in August 2020, claimed that Mr Corbyn was a victim of a “smear campaign”, described the Jewish Labour MP Luciana Berger as a “hideous traitor” when she declared her intention to run for Merseyside Mayor in 2016, and called another Jewish Labour MP, Dame Louise Ellman, a “disgrace” when she quit the Party in 2019 over antisemitism.

Cllr Gorst reportedly said that he is “appealing this injustice.”

In London, the Labour Party’s former Director Governance and Legal under Mr Corbyn’s leadership has been deselected as a candidate by the Party in advance of next year’s local elections.

Thomas Gardiner, a councillor in Camden who was referenced repeatedly in the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)’s report into Labour antisemitism, which followed an investigation in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, was involved in overseeing the Party’s catastrophic complaints process. He became known for his decision that a meme showing an alien crustacean with a Star of David emblazoned on its back sucking the life out of the Statue of Liberty was somehow not antisemitic.

It is understood that Mr Gardiner launched an appeal against the deselection, but that the decision was upheld.

Elsewhere in London, the Hornsey and Wood Green Constituency Labour Party has come under fire for approving a motion that praises the outspoken filmmaker and expelled Labour member Ken Loach. The motion also called for local public screenings of his films. The motion was reportedly proposed by local member and television actress Margot Leicester.

A second motion claimed that Labour under the leadership of Sir Keir Starmer had become a “hostile environment” as a result of the “expulsions of prominent socialists.”

The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.

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

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

Campaign Against Antisemitism has launched a new weekly podcast. New episodes of Podcast Against Antisemitism are available every Thursday and can be streamed here or downloaded wherever you get your podcasts.

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Philadelphia civil servant resigns after allegations of antisemitism and “fostering toxic work environment”

Michael Rashid, the head of Philadelphia’s Commerce Department, has resigned after allegations surfaced of his antisemitic comments and abusive workplace behaviour.

Mr Rashid said in a statement that his “continued service would serve as a distraction from the work of the Department.”

Department staffers had told the Philadelphia Inquirer of, among other incidents, multiple instances when Mr Rashid had discussed the film Schindler’s List, allegedly telling them how he had previously thought the film was “Jewish propaganda” and avoided watching it.

Offensive social media posts by Mr Rashid have also emerged, including one in which the official reportedly quotes Malcolm X as complaining that, while “Jew Town” neighbourhoods had Jewish stores, Black areas did not have equivalent shops. According to PhillyVoice, which first revealed the posts, another post allegedly criticised the portrayal of a “white Jesus” as a “psychological tool” that “subliminally engrains the myth of white superiority into the subconscious minds of people of colour.” .

Commerce Department staffers had also accused Mr Rashid of fostering a toxic work environment and verbally abusing employees, with the result that several allegedly left the agency in protest.

Mr Rashid said he had spoken with leaders of the Jewish community in Philadelphia to apologise for his “previous comments which were inappropriate and insensitive.”

He said he looked forward to “engagement with the community going forward” and said it was important that the Department stayed focused on its “mission of supporting Philadelphia’s business community at this critical time as we continue to recover from the devastating impacts of the pandemic.” Accepting the resignation, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said in a statement that the City was “committed to ensuring a fair and inclusive working environment where the values of respect and dignity are upheld.”

Jewish groups had condemned the revelations about Mr Rashid’s past comments, with the American Jewish Committee asking the Mayor to call for his resignation and urging the Mayor to “take immediate action” and “work with the Jewish community to educate all city offices and city-funded institutions” to make Philadelphia “truly” the “city of brotherly love where pluralism and diversity are respected and honoured.”

Michael Balaban, President of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, also condemned the revelations in a statement, saying that, “if there is no room in our City for antisemitism,” then Mr Rashid should be removed from office immediately.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project. 

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New poll reveals majority of Jewish Labour Party members do not find other local members friendly and welcoming

A new poll has revealed that 65% of Jewish members of the Labour Party do not find other local members friendly and welcoming.

In a poll of 2,890 people carried out by the Fabian Society in August, 65% of Jewish respondents disagreed with the claim that other local members are all friendly and welcoming, a new report has found, which was the highest proportion of any group, including LGBT, under-35s, women and other ethnic minority members.

One member told the pollsters:: “I was asked questions [by fellow local members] about my loyalty and affiliations and memberships because I am Jewish. Other candidates were not asked these questions.”

Another worried that their candidacy for office might be blocked because of their membership of the Party’s Jewish affiliate.

The survey was open and promoted through blogs, social media and organisations affiliated to the Labour Party, and its authors noted that those polled were “not designed to be representative of the membership as a whole.”

Since the poll was carried out, the Labour Party has endorsed a new semi-independent disciplinary process, although it has not yet been implemented.

A Labour Party spokesman said: “Keir [Starmer]’s relentless focus since his election as leader has been on positively changing the Labour Party. Thanks to the significant progress made, we are proving to the public that we understand and are acting on their priorities. This progress includes rebuilding our relationship with the Jewish community, and demonstrating wholeheartedly that only Labour is the party of equality and opportunity for our members and the country. We are committed to taking our dedicated membership with us at every step.”

The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.

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

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

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Far-left Dutch party labels event commemorating the Holocaust “inherently racist”

A far-left Dutch party has reportedly labelled an event commemorating the Holocaust “inherently racist”.

In a draft of its program for Amsterdam’s upcoming March elections, the BIJ1 Party allegedly claimed that “the Indonesian, Surinamese, Korean, Iraqi victims of the Dutch (or of the violence supported by the Netherlands) are not commemorated,” and that as long as this is the case, “Amsterdam should not serve as a platform” for the event.

Amsterdam’s official memorial commemoration for victims of the Holocaust and Dutch casualties of war is held on 4th May.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has launched a new weekly podcast. New episodes of Podcast Against Antisemitism are available every Thursday and can be streamed here or downloaded wherever you get your podcasts.

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Scottish NHS staff “scared” after Tory councillor who previously apologised for comments appearing to diminish the Holocaust is appointed to health board

Scottish NHS staff are reportedly “scared” after a Conservative councillor who previously apologised for comments appearing to diminish the Holocaust was appointed to a health board.

In a post on a martial arts forum several years ago, Cllr Ryan Houghton, wrote under the username, Razgriz, that there was “no credible evidence to suggest the Holocaust did not happen” but revealed that “I do find some of the events fabricated, and exegarated [sic] in some cases.” He continued: “As history is written by the victors there is always going to be a bit of re-writing.” He also praised the “interesting” research of the antisemitic Holocaust-denier, David Irving. However, in a later post he said that he was “not defending David’s Irving’s views” and that he does not agree with “some of the stuff he says.”

According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Denying the fact, scope, mechanisms (e.g. gas chambers) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World War II (the Holocaust)” is an example of antisemitism.

Cllr Houghton is also accused of having made homophobic and anti-Muslim statements online. In a statement at the time, he said: “I apologise unreservedly for any hurt now caused by these comments and have been in contact with members of the Jewish community in Aberdeen.”

According to The National, a senior figure from NHS Grampian has said that staff had been “astonished and actually scared” in reaction to the appointment of Cllr Houghton, which was effected by a letter sent by Scottish Health Secretary Humza Yousaf in May. Cllr Houghton was appointed “in your capacity as the nominated Local Authority Councillor from Aberdeen City Council”.

Aberdeen Council must appoint an elected member to the NHS Grampian board by law.

Earlier this year, Cllr Houghton withdrew as co-leader of the Council just days after being elected, due to his past comments. It is understood that he remains leader of the Conservative group on the Council.

A spokesperson for the Scottish Conservatives said that Cllr Houghton “had fully apologised for his comments, [and] was fully investigated by a committee, who ruled in favour of lifting his suspension. Perhaps most importantly, his appointment on the board was brought forward by Humza Yousaf who said he was looking forward to working with him in addressing challenges and opportunities.” The spokesperson also observed that a former chairman of Aberdeen Synagogue had said that while what Cllr Houghton had said “wasn’t right…it shouldn’t be held against him for the rest of his life.”

A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: “There is no place in public life for holocaust denial, racism or any other form of discrimination and prejudice. The Health Secretary has no role in deciding which councillors are chosen by local authorities to sit on health boards – other than issuing a standardised routine letter to them after their appointment. We understand the concerns being raised about this appointment and will be in contact with NHS Grampian to check that all correct processes have been followed and to discuss the serious allegations being made.”

A spokesperson for NHS Grampian said that the health board “takes all matters relating to equality, diversity and human rights very seriously. We have received the concerns and are currently seeking clarity about due process.”

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

Campaign Against Antisemitism has launched a new weekly podcast. New episodes of Podcast Against Antisemitism are available every Thursday and can be streamed here or downloaded wherever you get your podcasts.

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Antisemitism-denial group Labour Against the Witchhunt reportedly disbanding

The antisemitism-denial group Labour Against the Witchhunt is in turmoil over a decision by members to merge with another controversial group, Labour in Exile Network.

Both groups were proscribed by the Labour Party earlier this year and, in the months since, those who have had affiliation with the groups have been automatically expelled from the Party.

In a statement, members of Labour Against the Witchhunt, including Jackie Walker, explained that they were resigning from the group’s steering committee following a vote on 27th November over whether to merge with Labour in Exile Network, which reportedly passed by 47 votes to 27, with twelve abstentions.

The motion to merge was reportedly moved by the “notorious antisemite” Tony Greenstein, who apparently believed that Labour Against the Witchhunt had “outlived its usefulness”. However, the signatories of the statement believed that the group’s mission would not be served by merging with other, less focused groups that were simply committed to Jeremy Corbyn’s 2017 and 2019 election manifestos.

Earlier this year, Mr Greenstein was declared bankrupt by a judge after failing to comply with court orders to pay Campaign Against Antisemitism after his defamation claim against us humiliatingly backfired.

The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.

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

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

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Anti-racism trainer who ran Cabinet Office inclusivity workshop has record of comparing Israel to Nazis and wishing death on “Zionists” and was even barred from standing as a Labour candidate

An anti-racism trainer who ran an inclusivity workshop for the Cabinet Office reportedly has a record of comparing Israel to Nazis and wishing death on “Zionists”.

An investigation by the JC revealed that Mizanur Rahman, known as Mizan the Poet, ran a training session at the Cabinet Office in 2019 called “an inclusive Britain”, despite having shared posts comparing Israel to Nazis and white supremacy.

According to the report, in 2014, Mr Rahman posted photos of prisoners at the Buchenwald concentration camp alongside people at the Ephraim-Taybeh checkpoint, referencing the supposed “similarities”. In a caption, he said: “In the Holy Land, the Zionist government, with the support of the majority of Israel’s population, are themselves perpetuating a holocaust against the Palestinian people. After the bodies are counted and the atrocities documented, how will the Zionist government excuse themselves for committing these crimes against humanity?”

According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” is an example of antisemitism.

Mr Rahman also tweeted about a wounded Israeli soldier: “Hopefully he, and all IDF soldiers and Zionists, will lose more than just their limbs…their lives!!!!”

Another post said: “#Israel has no right to exist. Israel was founded on terrorism, ethnic cleansing and practises antisemitism as #palestinians are #semitic.”

In 2018, he reportedly attended an Al-Quds Day march in London, where flags of the antisemitic genocidal terrorist group, Hizballah, were on display. One of the speakers at the rally called for Israel to be “wiped off the map.” Hizballah has since been banned in full in the UK as a terrorist organisation.

After a session at the Ministry of Defence in 2019, he reportedly tweeted: “I spoke about institutional racism/Islamophobia, the role of the media, Prevent, detention centres and other ways that racism manifests in society.”

When former London Mayor Ken Livingstone was suspended resigned from the Labour Party after claiming that Hitler supported Zionism, Mr Rahman reportedly described Mr Livingstone’s remarks as “pure historical fact”.

This month, Mr Rahman apparently complained to the Labour Party after being banned from a list of potential candidates for local council.

According to the JC, when asked on Twitter whether he still believed that all Zionists should die, Mr Rahman said: “The answer to that is no. I, personally would like a peaceful solution to the conflict where Palestinian rights would be upheld and treated equally to their Israeli counterparts. With that said, the Palestinians are living under an occupation…” adding that he had “nothing against Jewish self-determination,” before giving further views on Israel.

A spokesperson for the Cabinet Office said: “The Cabinet Office has recently adopted an increased due diligence process for guest speakers in line with cross-government best practice. This includes enhanced searches of social media. All events are consistent with the Civil Service Code of Conduct.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “It is astonishing that the Cabinet Office could have engaged a speaker who apparently holds such virulent antisemitic views to educate about racism. This incident is one of many that raise troubling questions about the ‘anti-racism training’ industry in this country. Not only has this field long had a blind spot when it comes to racism against Jews, but examples of industry figures actually promoting antisemitism arise too often to be ignored. Over the past several years, we have seen how frontline politicians have identified as ‘lifelong anti-racists’ in an effort to deflect very real allegations of antisemitism. It is time that public bodies and private corporations stop assuming that just because people call themselves ‘anti-racist’, they actually are.”

Image credit: YouTube

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Leicester City Labour councillor suspended over antisemitism allegations after allegedly accusing Sir Keir Starmer of being an “agent of Israel”

A Labour Party councillor on Leicester City Council has reportedly been suspended after allegedly accusing Sir Keir Starmer of being an “agent of Israel”.

Jacky Nangreave, who represents Westcotes ward, is accused of saying of Sir Keir that “he seems to be an agent of Israel, I wonder what they can offer him.” She also allegedly posted a comment saying that “Zionism is terrorism”, with the hashtag “#HangTheGoddamnBankers”, according to a sixtreen-page-report by Labour Against Antisemitism.

It is claimed that she used a social media handle called Jacqueline Cryar.

Cllr Nangreave has also reportedly declared support for the disgraced former Labour MP Chris Williamson and the antisemite Jackie Walker.

Cllr Nangreave said: “I am very sorry for what I see is a misunderstanding with the party and I hope it will be resolved positively soon. I continue to be a councillor for Westcotes…Residents can contact me about any problems they have with the council or the area.”

Leicester City Council has adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism.

The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.

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

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

Image credit: Labour in Leicester

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Australia bans the antisemitic genocidal terrorist group Hizballah in its entirety

Australia has banned the antisemitic genocidal terrorist group Hizballah in its entirety

Until now, Australia only proscribed the so-called “military wing” of Hizballah, but, since such a division is entirely artificial, Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews has now rightly extended that ban to all of Hizballah’s operations.

She noted that the Iran-backed terror group “continues to threaten terrorist attacks and provide support to terrorist organisations,” and poses a “real” and “credible” threat to Australia.

The ban means that membership, public support and financing of Hizballah will be illegal in Australia.

Ms Andrews also announced today that her country would be proscribing the far-right group The Base, which she described as “a violent, racist neo-Nazi group known by security agencies to be planning and preparing terrorist attacks.”

In 2019, the UK banned Hizballah in its entirety, and last week, the Home Secretary Priti Patel announced a full ban on the antisemitic genocidal terrorist Hamas in the UK, following calls by Campaign Against Antisemitism and allies.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Jo Bird and Pamela Fitzpatrick are expelled from the Labour Party as pro-Corbyn former MP Laura Pidcock seeks to challenge the purge

Controversial Labour figures Jo Bird and Pamela Fitzpatrick have been expelled from the Labour Party.

Cllr Bird, who re-joined the Labour Party in 2015 when Jeremy Corbyn was running for the Party’s leadership, has a long history of controversy relating to Jews, including renaming ‘due process’ in the Labour Party as “Jew process”, for which she was suspended; supporting the expelled Labour activist and friend of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Marc Wadsworth, who was thrown out of the Party after a confrontation with Jewish then-MP Ruth Smeeth; and worrying about the “privileging of racism against Jews, over and above — as more worthy of resources than other forms of racism.”

Elected to Wirral Council in August 2018, Cllr Bird is a member of Jewish Voice for Labour, the antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation, and she has described Labour’s institutional antisemitism as based on mere “accusations, witch-huntery and allegations without evidence”.

Cllr Bird appears to have been expelled for her association with the proscribed antisemitism-denial group, Labour Against the Witchhunt. Cllr Bird said on Facebook: “I’m delighted to say that the Labour Party have expelled me today. They say its [sic] for speaking at a meeting (more than three years ago) and signing a petition (early 2020) – organised by Labour Against the Witchthunt, which they banned only four months ago. I’m not free from the Labour Party’s hostile environment, where Jewish people like me are 31 times more likely to be investigated for talking about the racism we face.” She concluded by stating that “this racist Labour party is so different to the Party I joined in 2015. The Labour Party is dying as a vehicle for social justice.”

Pamela Fitzpatrick, a former Labour Parliamentary candidate against whom Campaign Against Antisemitism has had an outstanding complaint, has also been expelled. She says her expulsion was due to her having spoken to the proscribed Socialist Appeal group in 2020.

Former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell came to her defence, tweeting: “The expulsion of Pam Fitzpatrick is the culmination of a campaign of harassment that should never be accepted in any organisation, let alone the Labour Party. Join me in calling for an independent investigation into this case & reinstatement of this fine socialist.”

Another former Labour Parliamentary candidate, Corrie Drew, has quit the Party after declining to defend herself following her apparent suspension from Labour in September. Ms Drew is also a former Chair of the Bournemouth Constituency Labour Party.

The pro-Corbyn former MP Laura Pidcock, who sits on Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC), has meanwhile submitted a motion at the NEC challenging the practice of expelling Party members based on apparent involvement with groups that were proscribed after the time of alleged involvement. The motion, seconded by Nadia Jama, also calls for clarity on the threshold of involvement in the proscribed groups that qualifies one for expulsion from the Party.

Both Mis Pidcock and Ms Jama voted against the proscription of Labour Against the Witchhunt by the NEC earlier this year.

The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.

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

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

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Home Secretary vindicated in banning Hamas in full, following campaign by CAA and others, after it emerges that yesterday’s terrorist who murdered grandson of prominent British rabbi was member of Hamas’ supposed “political wing”

The Home Secretary has been vindicated in her decision to ban the antisemitic genocidal terrorist group Hamas in full, after it emerged that the terrorist who murdered the grandson of a prominent British rabbi yesterday was a member of the group’s supposed “political wing”.

The Home Secretary’s announcement on Friday that she would proscribe Hamas in full followed calls by Campaign Against Antisemitism and allies for the Government to ban the terrorist group in its entirety. 

Until now, the UK has only proscribed the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades — the so-called “military wing” of the terrorist group, leaving the supposed “political wing” free to operate and its supporters at liberty to proselytise, even though there is no material distinction between the supposed “wings” of Hamas, which share the same personnel and where political leaders launch military operations.

Yesterday’s terror attack, carried out by a member of Hamas’ supposed “political wing”, is a monstrous case in point.

Because of this loophole, Hamas flags can be flown, its ideology can be promoted, funds can be raised, material can be disseminated, and its representatives can operate in the UK.

In her speech in Washington D.C. on Friday, Priti Patel observed that “the current listing of Hamas creates an artificial distinction between various parts of that organisation – it is right that that listing is updated to reflect this.”

Ms Patel also said that “one of the saddest things: I’ve been a member of Parliament for ten years and antisemitism has dominated my time in Parliament, my time in politics, as an active politician, certainly in the United Kingdom. So, it’s well-versed and well-known, the acts of antisemitism that have taken place in the United Kingdom. And also some of those in political quarters as well that have been proponents of that.

“That is simply unacceptable and even this year alone, in central London and other parts of the country, in the United Kingdom, we have seen the most abhorrent and appalling acts of antisemitism, levelled against the Jewish community and that is simply not acceptable.

“And we will always stand up, we will always speak out, we will always say that we will not tolerate antisemitism which is racism and I think it’s absolutely right that politicians such as myself and others, continue in that fight to stop antisemitism and call it out.”

The fatality in yesterday’s terror attack was Eliyahu David Kay, a 26-year-old immigrant from South Africa and grandson of a prominent British rabbi. The terrorist, Fadi Abu Shkhaidem, also wounded four others before being killed by security forces.

Today, we mourn Eliyahu David Kay.

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New survey shows antisemitic beliefs persist in Germany, especially among AfD supporters

A new survey has revealed that antisemitic beliefs persist across the German population and especially among voters of the right-wing Alternative für Deutschland Party (AfD).

The survey, conducted by polling firm Forsa on behalf of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, showed that almost a third (30%) of Germans agreed that Jews exploit German guilty over the Holocaust to “derive an advantage”. The figure rose to 59% of supporters of the AfD.

More than one in five (21%) respondents agreed with the suggestion that Israeli policies mirrored those of Nazi Germany, a direct reference to the International Definition of Antisemitism. This rose to 32% among AfD supporters.

Almost a quarter (24%) believe that Jews exercise disproportionate influence over German politics, while half of AfD supporters agreed.

Despite these findings, 92% of respondents agreed with the statement, “I have nothing against Jews.” However, only 57% of those surveyed agreed with the statement, “I have nothing against Zionists.”

Recently, updated figures were published by Germany’s federal government showing that, so far in 2021, there have been an average of six antisemitic incidents every 24 hours.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Hope Not Hate rescinds award to artist after he appeared to downplay Labour antisemitism and was pictured with disgraced former MP Chris Williamson

The advocacy group Hope Not Hate has rescinded an award to an artist after he appeared to downplay antisemitism in the Labour Party and was pictured with the disgraced former MP Chris Williamson.

Singer Joe Solo was one of three nominees selected by a public vote to win a Hope Hero award for his anti-poverty project. The award was a joint project of Hope Not Hate and the trade union Community.

However, it since emerged that in September 2018 and February 2019 Mr Solo posted messages of solidarity with Mr Williamson on social media.

He also tweeted: “I don’t join in with the Corbyn/antisemitism row because I believe it is being used a political tool to enable much darker forces. So I believe Mr Corbyn is antisemitic? No, of course not. And nor do they…” The tweet ended with a link.

In a joint statement, Hope Not Hate and Community said: “Since the announcement of the award it has been brought to our attention that in 2018 and 2019 Joe Solo published several social media posts that we deem unacceptable.

“Hope Not Hate have long been clear that antisemitism in the Labour Party has been a major problem and vocal in our condemnation of Chris Williamson. One of the major mistakes made by the Labour Party was making excuses instead of acting when faced with antisemitism. We will not make that same mistake.

“As such we have decided to withdraw the award from Joe Solo and we have reached out to him to offer training on the issue of antisemitism and explain why we found the tweet unacceptable.”

The statement also praised Mr Solo’s work, and ended with an apology: “We also apologise unreservedly to our friends and comrades who have been hurt by this situation. We will continue to do more to be allies in the fight against antisemitism.”

We are seeking to recruit a General Counsel a Video and Content Creator 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.

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