,

French Jewish politician told Muslims will “deal with” her and to prepare for death camps

An antisemitic e-mail was sent to a French Jewish politician telling her that Muslims will “deal with” her and to “prepare for” the death camps.

Yaël Braun-Pivet, a member of the French National Assembly representing the ruling LREM party, revealed on Twitter the contents of an antisemitic e-mail sent to her private online account.

After telling her to prepare for the death camps, the e-mail stated: “This time, it’s the Muslims who will deal with you.”

It also said: “Jews can no longer come into some neighbourhoods. Within two generations it will be whole cities. Demography determines laws.”

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.

, ,

“Good riddance”: Disgraced Baroness Tonge steps down from House of Lords today

The disgraced peer, Baroness Tonge, is stepping down from the House of Lords today.

Her welcome departure follows an announcement earlier this month, in which she said: “I have always promised myself and my family that I would retire when I am 80 years old which is in mid- February. I informed the authorities some months ago. Indeed I think many of us should retire from the Chamber at my age—there are far too many people in the Lords. However, I shall continue to campaign for justice for the people of Palestine.”

The announcement came just days after yet another of her controversial interventions in the upper chamber, when she spoke at a recent debate on antisemitism on university campuses and blamed the rise in antisemitism on actions of the Israeli Government, again. Earlier in the debate, Baroness Tonge was skewered by Lord Polak as someone who has had “a career of repeating old, medieval tropes.”

Baroness Tonge was suspended from the Liberal Democrats before eventually resigning, has a long history of Jew-baiting, denouncing Campaign Against Antisemitism, suggesting that the antisemitic attack on a Pittsburgh synagogue might be Israel’s fault, blaming Israel for a rise in antisemitism, and sharing a cartoon comparing Israel’s policies to those of the Nazis, which is a breach of the International Definition.

In December 2019, Campaign Against Antisemitism joined 88 members of the House of Lords in condemning remarks on Facebook by Baroness Tonge following the general election, in which she commented: “The Chief Rabbi must be dancing in the street. The pro-Israel lobby won our General Election by lying about Jeremy Corbyn.”

In 2020, Lord Pickles called for reform in the House of Lords after Baroness Tonge called Israel America’s “puppet master” and received no sanction.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Good riddance. Baroness Tonge, the disgraced peer with a history of promoting antisemitic tropes, is stepping down from the House of Lords today. The Jewish community welcomes the departure of this hateful figure who should never have been elevated to the upper chamber of our nation. It is a stain on the Liberal Democrats that she was never expelled (she resigned) and on the House of Lords that she was never removed.”

,

Democrats blasted for giving senior human rights role to congresswoman described as “virulent antisemite”

A Democratic congresswoman described as a “virulent antisemite” has been given a senior foreign-affairs role in “upholding and protecting” human rights.

Ilhan Omar, a Democratic congresswoman from Minnesota who was re-elected in November, has in the past accused Israel of “hypnotising” the world. She apologised for the remark, but subsequently alleged that American political leaders’ support for Israel is “all about the Benjamins” (a reference to $100 bills that feature the likeness of Benjamin Franklin) and, following criticism, doubled down by complaining that it seemed to be “okay to push for allegiance to a foreign country.”

Rep. Omar’s comments employ classic antisemitic tropes about Jewish influence, wealth, dual loyalty and conspiracy and she has persistently faced significant criticism. A former Republican White House speechwriter has now branded her a “virulent antisemite” and described her promotion to Vice-Chair of the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Global Human Rights as “absolutely appalling”.

In the past, Congressional Republicans took steps to ostracise Rep. Steve King after he made comments sympathetic to the far-right, and he subsequently lost a party primary in Iowa as a result and is no longer in Congress. Recently, another Republican congresswoman, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, has been heavily criticised and stripped of committee appointments after making antisemitic statements.

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.

,

Portuguese hero facing backlash over antisemitic tweet

Rodrigo Sousa Castro, a leader of the 1974 Portuguese Revolution, has sparked public outrage after he shared an antisemitic social media post.

Mr Sousa Castro was a military general who helped lead the Carnation Revolution of 1974 in Lisbon, which ended the authoritarian Estate Novo regime. Mr Sousa Castro has since been hailed as a national hero and his contribution is celebrated annually on 25th April, known nationally as “Freedom Day”.

On 5th February, however, he posted a tweet that read: “The Jews dominate global finance so they have the vaccines they wanted. It’s a kind of historical revenge. And I won’t say more until the Zionist bulldogs jump.” The tweet employed a classic antisemitic trope.

Leaders of the Portuguese Jewish community issued a statement condemning the general’s remark as deeply antisemitic and prejudiced. The statement added that such overt hate speech must not be ignored because of Mr Sousa Castro’s high profile.

After removing his initial tweet, Mr Sousa Castro stated: “A post in which I speak of Zionism and its crimes in Palestine was deleted because of the support of the Nazi-Zionism legion. Our page is now sanitised”. Under the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” is an example of 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.

, ,

“Skulduggery continues” as Labour reportedly drops without a word its quiet investigation into Deputy Leader Angela Rayner launched following CAA complaint

The Labour Party has taken a regressive step by reportedly opening and promptly closing an investigation into Deputy Leader Angela Rayner over an antisemitism complaint submitted by Campaign Against Antisemitism. The complaint relates to Ms Rayner’s promotion of a book entitled The Holocaust Industry, in which the author claims that the American Jewish establishment exploits the Holocaust for political and financial gain.

We submitted our complaint against Ms Rayner and several other MPs on the day of the publication of the report into antisemitism in the Labour Party by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant in the EHRC’s investigation.

The complaints were accompanied by a specific demand that no investigation be launched until the Labour Party introduced a new, independent disciplinary system, as mandated by the EHRC. Late last year, the Party announced its action plan to address antisemitism, which revealed that the independent process could not be installed until after the Party’s annual conference in autumn later this year.

The Labour Party never acknowledged receipt of our complaint, let alone informed us that an investigation was opened. Nor has the Party disclosed to us that this investigation has now been closed. It is therefore unclear whether any investigation has been carried out at all, but if it has, it has not been independent, by Labour’s own admission.

As far as we are concerned, therefore, the complaint against Ms Rayner remains open, and we expect a full and transparent investigation once the independent disciplinary system is in place later this year.

Gideon Falter, Chief Executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “It is still business as usual for the Labour Party when it comes to antisemitism. It is hard to see how the handling of this complaint by Labour under Sir Keir Starmer has been any different to how it would have been handled under Jeremy Corbyn.

“Our complaint against Angela Rayner was never acknowledged by Labour. The Party also did not confirm that it was investigating, and now it has tried to drop the investigation without a word. The EHRC found Labour’s disciplinary processes unfit precisely because the Party tries to sneak through exonerations without due process. Our complaint demanded that any investigation be delayed until an independent process is installed, which Labour has publicly confirmed cannot happen until the autumn, therefore as far as we are concerned, our complaint remains open.

“The investigation of our complaint against Angela Rayner has been a sham and we will be re-introducing the complaint to the independent disciplinary panel when it is set up. British Jews should be under no illusion that despite Sir Keir’s promises, under his leadership the skulduggery apparently continues at Labour Headquarters.”

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

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

In the first release of its Antisemitism in Political Parties research, Campaign Against Antisemitism showed that Labour Party candidates for Parliament in the 2019 general election accounted for 82 percent of all incidents of antisemitic discourse by parliamentary candidates.

In 2019, Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer showed that antisemitism on the far-left of British politics had 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.

, ,

Conservative local council candidate dropped after reference to “Aryan race” in tweet to Jewish MP

The Conservative Party has reportedly dropped a local council candidate after she referenced the “Aryan race” in a tweet to her local MP, who is Jewish.

Sharon Thomason was in a Twitter dialogue with Labour’s Charlotte Nichols MP, who commented in a tweet on a story about the Prime Minister and his partner expecting a baby, saying “Keep the Aryan race going…”.

Ms Nichols tweeted: “This far right troll is Sharon Thomason, who Warrington Conservatives have selected as their council candidate for Great Sankey North and Whittle Hall – if you wanted a feel for the calibre of candidates they’re selecting locally.”

There has apparently been no denial that the Twitter handle in question is operated by Ms Thomason.

The Conservatives have since reportedly confirmed that Ms Thomason will no longer represent the Party at the local elections in May, saying: “Warrington Conservatives condemns all forms of racism, including antisemitism, they have no place in our Party. We had already been made aware of the tweet before Ms Nichols published it and took action swiftly and immediately. We can confirm that the candidate in question will not be standing for the party at the local elections and is no longer a member.”

Further concerns have been raised as to why, given this tweet was apparently sent a year ago, Ms Thomason was nonetheless selected as a candidate.

Amanda Milling MP, co-Chair of the Conservative Party, said: “These comments are totally unacceptable. This was brought to my attention last week and the member was suspended. She is no longer a member and will not be standing for the party at the local elections.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “We complained to the Conservative Party over its slow and opaque investigation into two Conservative MPs last year. The Party now appears to have learned lessons and has rapidly opened investigations into the conduct of councillors and candidates in Warrington and Hertsmere. We look forward to an efficient and transparent investigation.”

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.

, , ,

Gavin Williamson suggests financial penalties for universities over antisemitism, as CAA provides audit of universities

Gavin Williamson, the Education Secretary, has written to the Office for Students on the matter of adoption of the International Definition of Antisemitism.

The Office for Students is the regulator and competition authority for the higher education sector in England.

In his letter, which covered numerous topics relating to universities and campus life, Mr Williamson called for the Office for Students to undertake “a scoping exercise to identify providers which are reluctant to adopt the definition”.

Recently, Campaign Against Antisemitism launched a dynamic project monitoring adoption of the Definition by universities in real time, and shall be providing the latest figures to the Office for Students. The project also includes those universities that have yet to adopt the Definition or have expressly declined to do so, as well as summaries of select antisemitic incidents on university campuses.

Mr Williamson also called for consideration of “mandatory reporting of antisemitic incident numbers by [higher education] providers”. This antisemitism audit would be designed to “ensure a robust evidence base” to assist regulation of this area by the Office for Students.

Finally, Mr Williamson also noted that, where antisemitic incidents do take place at a university, subject to the response of the institution it may be appropriate to consider applying “sanctions, including monetary penalties”.

In full, Mr Williamson wrote: “Following my letter to the sector on October 2020 on antisemitism and adoption of the International [D]efinition of Antisemitism across the [Higher Education] sector, we have positive progress, with at least 31 additional institutions adopting the definition. I would like the OfS [Office for Students] to undertake a scoping exercise to identify providers which are reluctant to adopt the definition and consider introducing mandatory reporting of antisemitic incident numbers by providers. This would ensure a robust evidence base, which the OfS could then use to effectively regulate this area. If antisemitic incidents do occur at a provider, the OfS should consider if it is relevant in a particular whether the provider has adopted the definition when considering what sanctions, including monetary penalties, would be appropriate to apply.”

Gideon Falter, Chief Executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “Gavin Williamson is right to continue to urge adoption of the International Definition of Antisemitism by universities, and we shall be providing our research to the Office for Students to provide it with the latest figures. We are also heartened by Mr Williamson’s insistence that universities must report and take action against antisemitic incidents, and that failure to do so may attract financial penalties. Jewish life on campus must be protected from anti-Jewish hatred on campus, be it from academics or students.”

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].

,

Swiss Jews act as far-right party publishes new edition of Protocols

Switzerland’s Jewish community is taking legal action over a new edition of  “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion,” published by the far-right Swiss Nationalist Party (PNOS).

“The Protocols” were an antisemitic hoax fabricated more than a century ago in Czarist Russia and are a source of many of the most virulent antisemitic tropes. PNOS has provided a new foreword which states: “Whether real or fake, we don’t need to worry, because we are mainly concerned with the content.”  

The Swiss Federation of Jewish communities (SIG-FCSI) filed a complaint with the public prosecutor’s office in Bern after the publication was flagged in the PNOS magazine Harus.

In a statement, SIG-FCSI noted that “especially” during the COVID-19 pandemic “conspiracy myths” had gained popularity, including those that were antisemitic. “The publication of ‘The Protocols’ encourages such conspiracy myths and promotes Jew-hatred,.” the statement declared, adding that the new foreword clearly showed that these were the goals of the PNOS.

The PNOS is active mainly in the German-speaking cantons but is not represented in any of Switzerland’s parliaments. It was classified as an “extremist” group in 2001. Its leader, Thomas Steiger, has reportedly used his Facebook page to spread antisemitic propaganda, on one occasion telling a journalist that “Jews should be sterilised.”

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.

, ,

Disgraced Baroness Tonge announces intention to step down from House of Lords

The disgraced peer, Baroness Tonge, has reportedly announced her intention to step down from the House of Lords.

She reportedly told the Jewish News: “I have always promised myself and my family that I would retire when I am 80 years old which is in mid- February. I informed the authorities some months ago. Indeed I think many of us should retire from the Chamber at my age—there are far too many people in the Lords. However, I shall continue to campaign for justice for the people of Palestine.”

The announcement comes just days after yet another of her controversial interventions in the upper chamber, when she spoke at a recent debate on antisemitism on university campuses and blamed the rise in antisemitism on actions of the Israeli Government, again.

Earlier in the debate, Baroness Tonge was skewered by Lord Polak as someone who has had “a career of repeating old, medieval tropes.”

Baroness Tonge was suspended from the Liberal Democrats before eventually resigning, has a long history of Jew-baiting, denouncing Campaign Against Antisemitism, suggesting that the antisemitic attack on a Pittsburgh synagogue might be Israel’s fault, blaming Israel for a rise in antisemitism, and sharing a cartoon comparing Israel’s policies to those of the Nazis, which is a breach of the International Definition.

In December 2019, Campaign Against Antisemitism joined 88 members of the House of Lords in condemning remarks on Facebook by Baroness Tonge following the general election, in which she commented: “The Chief Rabbi must be dancing in the street. The pro-Israel lobby won our General Election by lying about Jeremy Corbyn.”

In 2020, Lord Pickles called for reform in the House of Lords after Baroness Tonge called Israel America’s “puppet master” and received no sanction.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “It is shameful that Baroness Tonge has been permitted to remain in the legislature for so long and is now retiring of her own accord. She should have been stripped of her position and honours long ago. Every day she sat in the House of Lords was a stain on our democracy.”

, ,

New Republican in Congress faces expulsion from committees over antisemitic conspiracy theories

An American congresswoman who has promoted an antisemitic conspiracy theory faces expulsion from her committee posts.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican congresswoman from Georgia who was elected in November, is assigned to two Congressional committees by the House Republican Leader. But Democrats have introduced a resolution to strip Rep. Greene of her committee roles over a series of social media posts in which she has espoused a number of conspiracy theories.

In one Facebook post, for example, she suggested that the 2018 California wildfires had been started for financial gain by the Rothschilds in collusion with the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) using a space laser to clear areas for a high-speed rail project. “Forests don’t just catch fire, you know,” she wrote, adding that there were “too many coincidences to ignore.”

In other posts she has promoted the antisemitic conspiracy theory called the “Great Replacement,” which alleges that “Zionist supremacists” are secretly masterminding Muslim immigration to Europe to make white Europeans a minority.

Ms Greene has advanced the QAnon conspiracy theory, which includes antisemitic tropes, and wrote in one post that the Rothschild family and the controversial Jewish financier George Soros were involved in a plot against President Trump.

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.

, ,

Belgian Prime Minister’s home vandalised with swastikas

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo’s private residence was defaced with several swastikas in the early hours of 31st January.

According to local press, seven large swastikas were found sprayed across a mailbox and the front of the house. The vandalism was discovered the following morning and reported to local law enforcement, who have thus far been unable to identify those responsible.

A demonstration of the far-right political action group Vlaanderen Ons Land, Flanders Our Country, was held the same weekend in Brakel. Police are trying to establish if there is a connection between the demonstration and the vandalism. The protest comprised fifteen participants, however there was reportedly a large federal police presence.

Through his spokesperson, Prime Minister De Croo condemned the damage to his private property and the failed attempt to intimidate his family through fascist and antisemitic symbolism.

According to the Prosecutor’s Office East Flanders, an investigation into the incident is ongoing.

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.

, ,

CAA submits evidence to Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights to counter claims that International Definition of Antisemitism restricts freedom of expression

Campaign Against Antisemitism has submitted evidence to Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights to counter claims that adoption of the International Definition of Antisemitism, especially by universities, stifles freedom of expression.

The Joint Committee on Human Rights comprises members drawn from both the House of Commons and the House of Lords and examines matters relating to human rights. One of its current inquiries is into freedom of expression.

The campaign to encourage universities to adopt the International Definition of Antisemitism has encountered opposition on the basis that adoption somehow stifles freedom of expression, but this argument does not have merit, and the evidence that we have submitted lays out in detail why this is the case. “The claim that adoption of the Definition conflicts with the duty on universities to protect free speech is a familiar and flawed argument, notwithstanding its persistence,” our letter says.

The letter proceeds to analyse the difference between speech that is ‘merely’ insulting or offensive, and speech that is antisemitic, and the implications for whether those types of speech are protected under Article 10 of the European Charter of Human Rights.

We also cite the legal opinion, produced for us in 2017 by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar QC and Jeremy Brier, which argued that “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” and emphasised that “Criticism of Israel, even in robust terms, cannot be regarded as antisemitic per se and such criticism is not captured by the Definition.”

The full letter to the Joint Committee can be accessed below.

, ,

Sir Desmond Swayne reportedly warned by Conservative Party over his appearance on controversial online programme The Richie Allen Show after complaints from CAA and others

The Conservative Party has reportedly confirmed that it has issued a warning to one of its MPs after he appeared on The Richie Allen Show.

Sir Desmond Swayne was on the internet radio program to discuss coronavirus and the lockdown.

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

Sir Desmond also revealed on his website that he has also donated money to a campaign to support Piers Corbyn, the conspiracy theorist and anti-lockdown activist with a history of antisemitic comments who has also been connected to a grossly offensive pamphlet comparing the lockdown to Auschwitz. Sir Desmond also apparently suggested that he had been “tempted” to join an anti-lockdown protest in London led by Mr Corbyn and Mr Icke.

In a statement, the Conservative Party reportedly told the JC: “Desmond has apologised and been warned about his appearance with those who share views not fit for public life and his appearance on a radio station where these views are promoted.”

Sir Desmond tweeted on Thursday: “I have never expressed antisemitic sentiment and if I’d ever given comfort to antisemites I’d be mortified. I do wonder what I’m going to be accused of next.”

Following complaints from Campaign Against Antisemitism and others, he has since added: “I was not aware of the history of this show and had I known my appearance on it would have offended the Jewish community, I would not have appeared on it. I apologise for any offence given.”

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.

,

New Zealand’s failure to do more to help European Jews in 1930’s is “a stain on our history”, says Governor-General

New Zealand’s Governor-General acknowledged the “shameful” treatment by New Zealand of Jewish refugees fleeing Europe in the 1930s. Speaking in Auckland at a commemorative event for International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy said that New Zealand did too little to help European Jews.

“The cards were stacked against them,” said Dame Patsy, who is also a Patron of the New Zealand Holocaust Centre. Pointing out that Government ministers, professional groups and trade unions “openly expressed reluctance to provide a haven for more Jewish refugees”, she said that that reluctance was “a stain on our history.”

As European Jews fled the continent between 1936 and 1938, the New Zealand Government rejected at least 70 percent of more than 1700 formal applications.

Dame Patsy said that the country “also actively discouraged” thousands more from applying. Only about 1200 Jewish refugees were eventually allowed into New Zealand. Dame Patsy said that those who did come were also often met with hostility and were thwarted in their efforts to bring family members to New Zealand.

“We should all acknowledge and learn from our own country’s shameful history with Jewish refugees,” she declared.

The theme of this year’s Holocaust Remembrance Day was the contribution made by those refugees and their families and included comment from former Prime Minister John Key, whose mother was a Jewish refugee.

Dame Patsy’s comments come as antisemitism in New Zealand is increasing, prompting the country’s Race Relations Commissioner, Meng Foon, to to warn against the growing use of longstanding antisemitic tropes “using the language of the Third Reich.”

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.

, ,

Chair of Labour in Newham to be investigated over alleged antisemitism just days after his deputy is suspended over alleged antisemitic social media activity

The chair of Labour in Newham in London is reportedly to be investigated over alleged antisemitism, just days after his deputy was suspended over alleged antisemitic social media activity.

Cllr Mushtaq Mughal, who chairs the Labour Group, is reportedly being investigated over social media posts. He reportedly posted on social media a video from the fringe and controversial Neturei Karta group with the caption: “Israel is govern by Zyonist not by Jews revealed by Jewish Rabbi [sic]”.

In another post he wrote: “Real Islam & real Judaism together can bring peace in the world. Israel is not Jewish state & it’s acts against God, Said jewel in USA [sic]”. The posts go back to 2016 and 2014.

The launch of the investigation comes shortly after the Deputy Chair of Labour in Newham was suspended over social media posts, including the same antisemitic post as that shared by Naz Shah MP several years ago. Cllr Nazir Ahmed shared a post in December 2017 with an image situating Israel in the middle of the United States and calling for the relocation of Israel to America. This was the same post for which Ms Shah apologised and was suspended from the Labour Party in 2016. Cllr Ahmed described the image as an “easy solution for Israel Palestine conflict!”

In another Facebook post, from 2014, Cllr Ahmed shared a video that asked whether “Israel have USA in the pocket [sic]”.

A Labour spokesperson said at the time that the “Party takes all complaints of antisemitism extremely seriously and they are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures, and any appropriate disciplinary action is taken.”

Inexplicably, Cllr Mughal has apparently not been suspended, raising questions about the enduring consistency of Labour’s disciplinary processes.

Meanwhile, Newham’s only Jewish councillor has reportedly condemned the handling of antisemitism allegations by the borough’s Labour mayor.

Newham London Borough Council has not properly adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism, after a Labour councillor deliberately amended the accompanying examples, which are integral to the Definition.

Campaign Against Antisemitism recently 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 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.

In the first release of its Antisemitism in Political Parties research, Campaign Against Antisemitism showed that Labour Party candidates for Parliament in the 2019 general election accounted for 82 percent of all incidents of antisemitic discourse by parliamentary candidates.

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

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

, ,

Antwerp attack on Orthodox boy after Mayor criticises Jewish community over alleged non-compliance with coronavirus precautions

An Orthodox Jewish boy and his father were violently attacked in Antwerp on Wednesday night.

The incident, in which the alleged assailant grabbed the 13-year-old Orthodox boy by the throat and then attacked the boy’s father, was blamed on antisemitism that has resurfaced in the Belgian city and was possibly fuelled by comments from Antwerp Mayor Bart De Wever in relation to COVID19 compliance and the Orthodox community.

Two days earlier, Mayor De Wever had commented on the poor response to a mail-shot inviting 6,500 residents of Antwerp’s Jewish quarter to test for the virus. In criticising the low response he asserted that the community risked a “wave of antisemitism” as a result.

His critics claim that the comments, in which he referenced “Jewish schools” and the “Jewish quarter”, singled out Jews for criticism and helped to fuel antisemitism in Belgium.

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.

, ,

Labour’s Shadow Communities Secretary calls on all Labour Councils and universities to adopt International Definition of Antisemitism

Labour’s Shadow Communities Secretary has called on all local authorities controlled by his Party, as well as all universities, to adopt the International Definition of Antisemitism.

Steve Reed made the announcement in a debate in the House of Commons, saying: “With the support of Keir Starmer, I have asked every Labour council to adopt the [International] Definition of Antisemitism with all the examples. We’ve backed the Secretary of State’s request for Universities to do the same.”

The announcement comes after repeated calls by the Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick and the Education Secretary Gavin Williamson for local authorities and universities to adopt the Definition.

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

, , ,

CAA calls for immediate Conservative Party investigation after Sir Desmond Swayne appears on notorious conspiracy theorist online radio program, The Richie Allen Show

It has been revealed that Sir Desmond Swayne, has appeared on The Richie Allen Show.

The Conservative MP was on the internet radio program to discuss coronavirus and the lockdown.

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

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

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “It is appalling that Sir Desmond Swayne appeared on The Richie Allen Show, which is a magnet for antisemites and conspiracy theorists and is hosted by a protégé of the modern-day antisemitic hate preacher David Icke who has also questioned the number of Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust. MPs must set an example in the platforms to which they lend their prestige, and ignorance is no excuse. No MP should be cavorting with the far-right, and the Conservative Party must immediately investigate.”

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.

,

Romanian Foreign Minister says online antisemitism has risen significantly during the pandemic

According to the Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, antisemitism and incidences of discrimination have intensified online throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

The head of Romanian diplomacy spoke at an event organised on the 80th anniversary of the Bucharest pogrom against Jews in 1941.

Mr Aurescu stated that the Romanian Government will soon complete and finalise the development of a national strategy against rising antisemitism, radicalisation, xenophobia and hate speech, with a plan that can be implemented to halt the growing phenomenon in the country. He assured that increasingly accurate data will help prepare law enforcement forces to tackle hatred, and school curricula and university courses will be harnessed to enable young people to recognise manifestations of such.

Mr Aurescu maintained that Romania is also actively involved in the development of the European Union’s first antisemitism strategy, which it hopes will be launched for public debate in the near future.

According to the head of the ministry, these strategies are intended to prevent the recurrence of tragedies such as the Bucharest pogrom during WWII, which saw at least 120 Jews murdered, hundreds injured and 1,100 homes, shops and synagogues looted and damaged. He stated that this was not an isolated incident, with the ensuing Pogrom of Iasi and the deportation of Jews to the Transnistria region.

The Government hopes that it can close “one of the darkest and most painful chapters in the history of Romania”.

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.

,

“Ireland is committed to fighting antisemitism and racism”: says Irish Taoiseach at Holocaust Memorial

Taoiseach Michéal Martin addressed a virtual commemoration in the Mansion House, Dublin on 24th January to mark National Holocaust Memorial Day.

Mr Martin said that education is an “important tool” in strengthening and deepening the collective understanding of the events of the Holocaust, and maintained that the country is continually committed to combating antisemitism.

The two remaining Holocaust survivors in Ireland, Tomi Reichental and Suzi Diamond, also addressed the event, which was organised by the Holocaust Education Trust Ireland. Mr Martin stated that the value of sharing their personal experiences and their continual efforts to raise awareness is “incalculable”.

The Irish Prime Minister also noted that last June the Government appointed a specific anti-racism committee with a mandate to construct and develop a new national action plan, and he maintained that the fight against rising rates of antisemitism in Europe must be “sustained” to account for growing technologies and platforms that provide new opportunities for “old hate and prejudice”.

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.

, ,

Disgraced Baroness Tonge appallingly uses House of Lords debate on antisemitism to blame it on actions of Israeli Government, yet again

Baroness Tonge has blamed the rise in antisemitism on actions of Israeli Government, again.

In a debate called by CAA honorary patron Baroness Deech over the adoption of the International Definition of Antisemitism by universities, the disgraced Baroness Tonge called for an “investigation into why these [antisemitic] incidents are increasing”, noting apparent upswings during conflicts between Israel and the antisemitic genocidal terrorist group Hamas in Gaza in 2009 and 2014.

Baroness Tonge continued: “Whenever I suggest a connection between the two, I am told this is ‘victim blaming’, which it is not. The victims are innocent Jewish people — students, in this case. They are victims because of the illegal actions of the Israeli Government. Please will our Government investigate the connection?”

While Baroness Tonge is correct to note that conflagrations in the Middle East can have an impact on antisemitism in the UK, this is not always the case. For example, the rise of the antisemite Jeremy Corbyn to the leadership of the Labour Party — and the unlawful anti-Jewish racism carried out by the Party during his time in office — were not in some way a response to developments in the Middle East.

Moreover, if there is such an upswing in antisemitism in the UK during Middle East skirmishes, it is likely because antisemites in Britain are holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the State of Israel (or its perceived actions), which is itself antisemitic, according to the International Definition of Antisemitism. It is regrettable that, in a debate about whether universities should be adopting the Definition, Baroness Tonge did not allude to this point or to the Definition at all. She remains more concerned to blame Israel for the rise in antisemitism instead of the antisemites.

Earlier in the debate, Baroness Tonge was skewered by Lord Polak as someone who has had “a career of repeating old, medieval tropes.”

Baroness Tonge was suspended from the Liberal Democrats before eventually resigning, has a long history of Jew-baiting, denouncing Campaign Against Antisemitism, suggesting that the antisemitic attack on a Pittsburgh synagogue might be Israel’s fault, blaming Israel for a rise in antisemitism, and sharing a cartoon comparing Israel’s policies to those of the Nazis, which is a breach of the International Definition.

In December 2019, Campaign Against Antisemitism joined 88 members of the House of Lords in condemning remarks on Facebook by Baroness Tonge following the general election, in which she commented: “The Chief RabbI must be dancing in the street. The pro-Israel lobby won our General Election by lying about Jeremy Corbyn.”

In 2020, Lord Pickles called for reform in the House of Lords after Baroness Tonge called Israel America’s “puppet master” and received no sanction.

, ,

Tom Tugendhat MP says Shami Chakrabarti “only got her peerage because she cosied up and covered up antisemitism in the Labour Party”

Tom Tugendhat MP has asserted that Shami Chakrabarti “only got her peerage because she cosied up and covered up antisemitism in the Labour Party”.

The Conservative MP and Chairman of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee made the claim on BBC’s PoliticsLive yesterday, where he featured on a panel with Baroness Chakrabarti.

He said: “It’s a bit rich for Shami to talk about cosying up when she only got her peerage because she cosied up and covered up antisemitism in the Labour Party.”

Baroness Chakrabarti denied that this was the case.

But Mr Tugendhat insisted: “The entire Jewish community sees you as having covered up the antisemitism [in] the Corbyn Labour Party.”

Baroness Chakrabarti then referred Mr Tugendhat to her report on Labour antisemitism, the publication of which directly preceded her nomination for a peerage, which was the first such nomination Jeremy Corbyn had made, having promised never to nominate anyone to the House of Lords. Lady Chakrabarti’s report was a whitewash.

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.

In the first release of its Antisemitism in Political Parties research, Campaign Against Antisemitism showed that Labour Party candidates for Parliament in the 2019 general election accounted for 82 percent of all incidents of antisemitic discourse by parliamentary candidates.

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

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

,

Morocco signs up to combat antisemitism in Memorandum of Understanding with US State Department

Morocco’s quasi-official Association Mimouna has signed an agreement with the US State Department to work to combat antisemitism in Morocco.

The agreement was signed on 15th January via Zoom by the President of Association Mimouna, El Mehdi Boudra, and the State Department’s Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, Elan Carr.

The agreement – a Memorandum of Understanding – follows the signing of the Abraham Accords aimed at normalising relations with Israel and promoting the acceptance of Israel and Zionism. A similar Memorandum of Understanding was signed in October between the State Department and Bahrain.

While neither the Moroccan organisation nor the signatory in Bahrain are Government bodies, both have the blessing of their nation’s respective royal family.

The Memorandum of Understanding commits the parties “to work together to share and promote best practices for combating all forms of antisemitism, including anti-Zionism and the delegitimisation of the State of Israel.” It also commits them to combat “other kinds of intolerance and hatred.”

In a statement, Morocco’s ambassador to the United States, Princess Lalla Joumala, said that the agreement “reinforces the deep and longstanding partnership ” between the United States and Morocco “in the fight against all forms of intolerance and the promotion of peace and mutual coexistence.”

She added: “It is an unwavering engagement spearheaded by His Majesty King Mohammed VI” who “ upholds the proud heritage of tolerance perpetuated by his forefathers.”

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.

, ,

Australia reviews funding after UNRWA distributes antisemitic material calling for jihad to children

A watchdog monitoring peace and tolerance in the Middle East has accused the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) of distributing educational materials containing antisemitism and calling for jihad.

The Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School (IMPACT-se) has published a report that alleges that material promoting jihad and violence was distributed by UNRWA to hundreds of thousands of pupils in the Palestinian Authority and Gaza, which is controlled by the genocidal antisemitic terrorist organisation, Hamas.

UNRWA reportedly said that an internal review had been conducted. The UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini blamed the distribution of the offending educational materials on the coronavirus pandemic. “Unfortunately, in the rush to continue students’ education uninterrupted, some material the Agency had previously identified as not in line with UN values was mistakenly included.”  

The Australian Department of Foreign Trade and Affairs (DFAT) has said it would investigate the issue, following the IMPACT-se report. Australia gave $8.39 million in 2020, making it the 19th-biggest contributor to the $921 million pledged to UNRWA in 2020.

A DFAT spokesperson told The Australian newspaper: “UNRWA has a fundamental obligation to remain unbiased and impartial while it delivers its humanitarian mandate.” 

According to the IMPACT-se report, some textbooks erased Israel from maps or labelled the country as “Palestine.” Other books featured phrases such as: “Jihad is one of the doors to Paradise” and “The motherland is worthy of any kind of sacrifice.” A social-studies booklet aimed at fourteen- and fifteen-year-olds contains the claim that Israel “deliberately spreads disease by dumping radioactive and toxic waste”, which is reminiscent of the age-old antisemitic trope that Jews spread disease.

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.

, ,

Jeremy Corbyn launches High Court bid to reverse his suspension from the Labour Party, while a separate court challenge against the EHRC’s devastating report goes nowhere

Jeremy Corbyn, the former leader of the Labour Party, has launched a bid in the High Court to overturn his suspension from Labour over remarks he made following the publication of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) devastating report into antisemitism in the Party.

The first hearing, which took place earlier this week, related to the disclosure of evidence pursuant to Mr Corbyn’s insistence that there was a deal between his representatives and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer on which Sir Keir supposedly reneged.

Campaign Against Antisemitism 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 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.

Separately, a case brought against the EHRC in connection with its report by two members of the public has apparently failed to advance because the claimants lacked legal standing. At least one of the claimants, Justin Schlosberg, last year lost a case in the High Court challenging Ofcom’s decision not to sanction the BBC over the Panorama investigation into Labour antisemitism.

Another challenge against the EHRC has reportedly been brought by the disgraced former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone and Cllr Pam Bromley, who were both singled out for criticism by the EHRC’s report.

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.

In the first release of its Antisemitism in Political Parties research, Campaign Against Antisemitism showed that Labour Party candidates for Parliament in the 2019 general election accounted for 82 percent of all incidents of antisemitic discourse by parliamentary candidates.

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

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

, ,

Shortlisted Lib Dem London Mayoral candidate expelled from Party over historic antisemitic incident

Geeta Sidhu-Robb, who last year was shortlisted as a Liberal Democrat candidate for the London mayoralty, has reportedly been expelled from the Party.

Ms Sidhu-Robb was revealed to have made antisemitic comments when she was a Conservative candidate in the 1997 General Election (she apologised for the comments at the time and again more recently when they re-emerged).

However, the Liberal Democrats’ leader, Sir Ed Davey, said that the Party’s vetting process was “completely flawed” and that he was “furious” when the incident resurfaced.

A disciplinary panel was reportedly convened and, after hearing evidence, apparently unanimously decided to uphold all the complaints.

Ms Sidhu-Robb reportedly said: “I have already publicly apologized for an act of momentary stupidity that took place 24 years ago under extreme provocation, but I am not a racist or antisemite and never have been, as anyone who knows me will attest. I find it deeply disappointing that a faction within the Liberal Democrats, who felt threatened by a fresh, engaging, female-centric approach to politics, have used this incident as a pretext to remove me from the party. However, I am now looking forward to focusing fully on my broader work, empowering a new generation of women to become strong, healthy, confident leaders by sharing the tools which have helped me during my career as an award-winning entrepreneur.”

A Lib Dem spokesperson reportedly said: “The Liberal Democrats take all allegations of this nature extremely seriously. The party suspended Geeta Sidhu-Robb within 24 hours of receiving a complaint and can confirm that, following our investigation, she was expelled late last year.”

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.

, ,

Concerns raised over prospect of Cllr Noah Tucker being reinstated to the Labour Party in March, despite history of troubling comments leading to his brief suspension

Concerns have been raised over the prospect of Cllr Noah Tucker being reinstated to the Labour Party in March, despite his history of troubling comments which led to his suspension in September 2020, and further reported comments since.

The Haringey councillor was exposed last year as having told Tottenham’s Constituency Labour Party to drop a “zero-tolerance” clause from an antisemitism motion that it was debating, and is Cllr Tucker is reported to have suggested that Israel was somehow to blame for the racist killing of George Floyd, which is a popular antisemitic conspiracy theory. He has also defended the disgraced former Labour MP Chris Williamson.

It was also recently reported by On London that Cllr Tucker may have opined on a group chat that “The purging will be outsourced to people nominated by the BoD,” by which he meant suspensions of Labour members over antisemitism will be “outsourced” to the Board of Deputies of British Jews, a leading Jewish communal organisation. He reportedly also lamented the failure of the pro-Corbyn pressure group Momentum to “oppose the centrists on Brexit and antisemitism.” Other concerning pronouncements were also reported.

Cllr Tucker reportedly said at the time of his suspension: “I am an opponent of racism in all its forms including antisemitism. Social media posts have been collated, including selective editing, seemingly in a malicious attempt to falsely associate me with antisemitism. States and organisations which engage politically are legitimately subjects of discussion and criticism. I am confident that a fair process by the Labour Party will reinstate me soon to full membership.”

It is not believed that Haringey Council itself has taken any action against Cllr Tucker, despite having adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Something is rotten in the London Borough of Haringey. This one Labour-dominated local authority has seen a Council Leader step down in protest at Labour’s antisemitism, another councillor withdraw as a parliamentary candidate over antisemitism, two further councillors suspended by the Labour Party over antisemitism, and Jewish councillors complain of being the targets of antisemitism or having their identity give rise to prejudice by fellow local Party members.

“Under previous leadership, Haringey adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism. Not only must Labour investigate the local Party in the borough, but the Council itself must now launch its own investigations and take action against the offenders. This disgraceful state of affairs is totally unacceptable.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism recently 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 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.

In the first release of its Antisemitism in Political Parties research, Campaign Against Antisemitism showed that Labour Party candidates for Parliament in the 2019 general election accounted for 82 percent of all incidents of antisemitic discourse by parliamentary candidates.

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

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

, , , ,

Calls from British far-right to emulate attack on US Capitol in the UK spark concern

Concerns have been raised by calls from the British far-right to emulate the attack on the US Capitol in the UK.

Posts on 4chan and Gab, both networks popular with the far-right, were of particular concern, including a Gab group called Britfam with close to 5,000 British members.

A significant proportion of the posts were reportedly threats against British politicians and calls for action emulating the attack on the US Capitol, and included antisemitic abuse toward social media companies (for example, “another Jew silencing us”), the British Prime Minister and the President of the United States. 

There were also references to the Rothschilds and Israeli involvement.

Research by the Community Security Trust and Hope Not Hate suggests that calls for violence currently remain marginal, but called for vigilance from Government.

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.

, ,

Labour’s Deputy Chair of Newham Council suspended after sharing same antisemitic social media post as Naz Shah MP

Labour’s Deputy Chair of Newham Council has been suspended over social media posts, including the same antisemitic post as that shared by Naz Shah MP several years ago, according to the Jewish News.

Cllr Nazir Ahmed shared a post in December 2017 with an image situating Israel in the middle of the United States and calling for the relocation of Israel to America. This was the same post for which Ms Shah apologised and was suspended from the Labour Party in 2016.

Cllr Ahmed described the image as an “easy solution for Israel Palestine conflict!”

According to the report, in another Facebook post, from 2014, Cllr Ahmed shared a video that asked whether “Israel have USA in the pocket [sic]”.

A Labour spokesperson reportedly said that the “Party takes all complaints of antisemitism extremely seriously and they are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures, and any appropriate disciplinary action is taken.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism recently 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 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.

In the first release of its Antisemitism in Political Parties research, Campaign Against Antisemitism showed that Labour Party candidates for Parliament in the 2019 general election accounted for 82 percent of all incidents of antisemitic discourse by parliamentary candidates.

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

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

, , , ,

CAA’s latest Antisemitism Barometer study shows Jewish community regaining confidence after the Corbyn era but scars remain, with Labour, CPS and BBC coming in for opprobrium

Today, Campaign Against Antisemitism publishes its latest Antisemitism Barometer, comprising a survey of the British public’s views toward Jews and a poll of the Jewish community.

The Barometer’s poll of the British public’s views towards Jews is the first survey to use the Generalised Antisemitism Scale, devised by Dr Daniel Allington of King’s College, Louise Katz of the University of Derby, and Dr David Hirsh of Goldsmiths, for the purpose of this study. The survey was designed and analysed by Dr Allington, with fieldwork carried out by YouGov.

  • Using the new twelve-question Generalised Antisemitism Scale, the survey shows that 55% of British adults do not harbour any antisemitic views; they did not affirm a single one of the twelve statements.
  • The other side of the coin, however, is that there is deeply troubling normalisation of antisemitism, as 45% of British adults did affirm at least one antisemitic statement, although over half of them only agreed with one or two antisemitic statements.
  • 12% of British adults have entrenched antisemitic views, affirming four or more antisemitic statements. 
  • The most popular antisemitic statement was that “Israel treats the Palestinians like the Nazis treated the Jews”, with which 23% of British adults agreed. That view is antisemitic under the International Definition of Antisemitism adopted by the Government.

The Barometer also includes a separate survey of British Jews designed and analysed in consultation with Dr Allington and carried out by Campaign Against Antisemitism and Jewish community partners. The survey reveals that:

  • British Jews are showing early signs of recovery from the Corbyn era but have been left scarred. Far more British Jews are optimistic about their future in the UK this year, but the proportion who decline to display visible signs of their Jewish identity due to antisemitism is at a record high.
  • British Jews’ confidence in the criminal justice system is low: a majority believes that the Crown Prosecution Service does not do enough to protect British Jews and the courts were also strongly criticised. Only the police receive more praise than criticism.
  • British Jews reserve the greatest opprobrium for politicians. They believe that almost every political party is more tolerant of antisemitism than it was last year; the Labour Party is viewed as more than twice as tolerant of antisemitism than any other party showing that it still has a great deal of work to do to win the confidence of British Jews.
  • In the first ever poll on the subject, an overwhelming majority of British Jews — 91% — want the Government to proscribe Hamas in its entirety.
  • Two thirds of British Jews are deeply concerned by the BBC’s coverage of matters of Jewish concern, and 55% by its handling of antisemitism complaints, Channel 4 also performs poorly with British Jews. Both broadcasters are state-funded.

Gideon Falter, Chief Executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “Britain’s Jews are back from the brink. This study starkly shows that Labour under Jeremy Corbyn dealt a crushing blow to Jews’ confidence in their very future in this country, and that our community is now beginning to recover.

“But scars remain. Notwithstanding the relief felt by so many, our data shows that nearly half of those who normally wear outwards symbols of their Judaism now feel they have to hide it, and despite nine months of Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership of Labour, British Jews remain just as sure that the Party harbours antisemites.

“Though Britain remains one of the best countries in the world in which to live as a Jew, almost a fifth still feel unwelcome in this country. The departure of Mr Corbyn is no substitute for the sustained action and leadership to protect the Jews of this country — in politics, universities and social media — for which we have been calling for years.”

The full Barometer is available at antisemitism.org/barometer.

,

Germany bids to erase last traces of Nazi era as it deletes remnants of anti-Jewish legislation

Anti-Jewish laws introduced during the Third Reich are among pieces of legislation that the German government is being asked to remove from its statute books.

One such law required German Jews who did not have a “typically” Jewish name (according to a list compiled by the Reich Interior Ministry) to add a forename, “Israel” for men and “Sara” for women, in all official documents. The law, passed in 1938, came into effect in January 1939 and gave Jews one month to register their “new” name or face a prison sentence.

The Federal Antisemitism Commissioner Felix Klein found 29 statutes that had still to be deleted entirely, including many introduced under the notorious Nuremberg Laws. Although the post-War occupying powers purged the Israel/Sara law, it was never completely deleted. Describing it as “the most blatant of all”, Mr Klein said that anyone who wished to change their name in Germany, even today, was still “confronted with this antisemitic-motivated law.”

Mr Klein said that he had sent the German Bundestag a complete list of antisemitic laws still on the statute books, calling for their reformulation or deletion.

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.

, ,

French Government spokesperson receives letter filled with antisemitic threats

Gabriel Attal, a French politician of the La Républice En Marche! (LREM) Party, received a letter on 8th January that contained antisemitic and homophobic threats against him.

On the envelope, the individual responsible had drawn a yellow and a pink Star of David in a direct reference to the identification system used by the Nazi regime. The letter read: “We’ll kill you…We’ll burn the trash…Bravo Attal = 2 Stars = Yellow and Pink!”

Mr Attal, who currently serves as Government spokesperson under President Emmanuel Macron, shared the hateful content on his social media page and stated that the letter acts as further evidence for what seems to be a significant problem within the country. He argued that the “fight must be permanent” to overcome and prevent racism, antisemitism and homophobia.

Mr Attal announced further that he has filed a complaint into the incident.

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.

, ,

Labour Party fulfils first task under Action Plan with discrete Antisemitism Complaints holding page on website, but CAA to seek clarification over apparent error

Under the Action Plan published by the Labour Party in December 2020, the Party had pledged that “A new antisemitism complaints handling webpage will be uploaded by 31 December 2020”. The Party has fulfilled this requirement by publishing a discrete Antisemitism Complaints holding page on its website.

The Action Plan was produced in response to the devastating report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) that found that the Labour Party had broken the law in its discrimination against Jewish people.

The new webpage serves two functions. The first is as a holding page, reiterating that “the Labour Party is committed to implementing the recommendations [of the EHRC] as quickly as possible” and explaining that “This webpage will continue to be updated regularly throughout 2021, including for: [a] Further guidance for antisemitism complaints procedures [and b] Code of conduct against Antisemitism.”

The second function is to provide a portal to a “summary of statistics of disciplinary cases determined by the Labour Party’s NEC [National Executive Committee] in 2019,” although the document itself appears to be designed to showcase the disciplinary action that Labour has taken since May 2020, shortly after Sir Keir became leader, and the reference to 2019 in the title is an error. That being said, the document makes reference to case numbers in 2014-2018 but makes no reference to 2019 whatsoever. We are therefore writing to the Labour Party to clarify what this document is showing.

Campaign Against Antisemitism will continue to monitor Labour’s progress in fulfilling its Action Plan, implementing the recommendations of the EHRC and, above all, making the Party safe for Britain’s 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.

In the first release of its Antisemitism in Political Parties research, Campaign Against Antisemitism showed that Labour Party candidates for Parliament in the 2019 general election accounted for 82 percent of all incidents of antisemitic discourse by parliamentary candidates.

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

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

, ,

New UN budget includes provision to mark notorious Durban conference that tried to equate Zionism with racism

The UN General Assembly has approved an operating budget that includes money to commemorate an event which has been widely described as antisemitic.

Despite protests from the United States, the $3.231 billion budget containing a provision to mark the notorious 2001 World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa, was approved. The General Assembly voted 167 in favour, with only the United States and Israel voting against.

Kelly Craft, the US Ambassador to the UN, accused the world body of “extending a shameful legacy of hate, antisemitism, and anti-Israel bias” by supporting an official event to mark the infamous Durban conference during the next General Assembly session.

The Durban conference was dominated by clashes over the Middle East. The US and Israel walked out over a draft resolution that equated Zionism with racism. The language was amended in the final documents, but the conference was seen as the beginnings of the boycott of Israel known as BDS, the tactics of which an overwhelming majority of British Jews believe are intimidatory.

The UN regular budget is funded on a sliding scale with the US paying the largest share. In September, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wrote to the 193 member states warning that UN operations were under great pressure due to a “deepening liquidity crisis” exacerbated by the COVID pandemic. That being said, the approved budget was higher than the draft budget that he had proposed.

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

, , ,

Actor Keith Allen defends Jeremy Corbyn over antisemitism

The actor Keith Allen has defended Jeremy Corbyn over antisemitism, complaining of the “appalling treatment” meted out to the former Labour leader.

Mr Allen said in an interview with the Radio Times that Mr Corbyn had been treated “appallingly” by the media, which was “scared” of him.

Regarding Mr Corbyn’s antisemitism, Mr Allen said: “I don’t think for one moment that he’s an antisemite”.

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.

,

Satan and Jews are “two sides of same coin” says Yemeni Government minister

A senior Government minister in Yemen made a series of antisemitic statements in a speech broadcast on Yemen TV, including a claim that Israel controls the drugs trade and another that Satan and Jews were “two sides of the same coin”.

In a Friday sermon delivered in the capital, Sanaa, and broadcast on the Yemeni television station, Al-Eman, Health Minister Dr Taha Al-Mutawakkil said: “Satan and the Jews” were “two sides of the same coin.” He also said that “Jewish trade relies on sex and drug trafficking” and claimed that Israel distributes drugs to Arab and Muslim societies as part of Jewish plans to harm them.

He also said that Muslims who carry out suicide attacks against Islamic targets were “under the influence of Jewish drugs”.

In a previous Friday sermon, Dr Al-Mutawakkil reportedly suggested that the United States may be behind the COVID-19 pandemic.

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.

,

Italian politician trivialises Star of David in anti-vaccine tweet

A prominent Italian political personality tweeted an edited image of a Star of David which appeared to represent an identification badge, akin to those used in Nazi-era Germany, for individuals who would choose to abstain from the COVID-19 vaccination.

Francesca Donato sent the tweet on 31st December 2020.

Ms Donato was elected as a member of the European Parliament for the League political party in 2019 and currently participates in the Democracy and Identity group in the Parliament. She is also the President of Eurexit, an Italian eurosceptic think tank.

The tweet, which received significant backlash, was captioned: “We started from #everthingwillbealright and we have come to the point where they propose stuff like this” in reference to the perceived stigmatisation of ‘anti-vaxxers’.

Following public outcry across several of her social media platforms, the tweet was deleted. Ms Donato has not commented upon the recent incident.

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.

,

Kaifeng Jews suffer under Beijing’s religious crackdown

China’s crackdown on unapproved religions is impacting Kaifeng’s Jewish community, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Despite numbering barely 1,000, the Jewish community of Kaifeng is reportedly falling foul of Beijing’s campaign to erase non-sanctioned religions. An ancient well and stones marking a 12th-century synagogue have been removed or have vanished beneath cement as the authorities strive to erase Jewish history from the area. The authorities have also reportedly torn down the Hebrew signs indicating “Teaching Torah Lane” while a building used for holding services has a security camera directed at its entrance and it has been plastered with posters about China’s “management of religious affairs” and reminders that Judaism is prohibited.

Jewish schools have been closed and exhibits documenting the history of Jews in Kaifeng have also disappeared from a museum and a historic guild hall.

Unable to obtain Jewish religious materials, members of the Jewish community pass around dog-eared pamphlets compiled when Jewish scholars, rabbis and tourists flocked to Kaifeng as China opened up in the 1990s. Now, one resident explained, “no print shop dares to help us copy these”.

Groups such as the Sino-Judaic Institute and Shavei Israel had previously set up centres and helped some to emigrate. But both groups were among the first targets of the Government crackdown and expelled a few years ago.

Jews first settled in China’s historic former capital over 1,000 years ago. Of the 1,000 Kaifeng residents who claim Jewish heritage only around 100 are practising Jews. Yet the Jews in Kaifeng are remarkably resilient, and have found ways to keep their faith alive. Each week, meetings are supposedly held in secret to celebrate Shabbat, and candles to mark Chanukah were lit over the festival. “Whatever we do, we’re always very careful to make sure the authorities don’t find out,” one man said.

A local man, who said he dreamed of training in Israel to be a rabbi, claimed it was “Government policy” to “make sure the next generation doesn’t have any Jewish identity.”

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.

, ,

Liberal Democrats launch investigation into local branch spokesperson who claimed the “fake antisemitism campaign against Labour is the worst single episode of misinformation I have ever witnessed”

The Liberal Democrats have reportedly launched an investigation into the spokesperson for its Bromley branch after he made controversial comments about antisemitism in the Labour Party.

Jonathan Coulter, a former editor of the Liberal Democrats Friends of Palestine newsletter, reportedly declared at a non-Party event earlier this month that “fake antisemitism campaign against Labour is the worst single episode of misinformation I have ever witnessed”.

He also referenced “antisemitism smears” in a similar connection, repeating a popular trope that has been at the centre of Labour’s scandal institutional racism against Jews.

A spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats reportedly said: “The Party has received a complaint and in line with our processes an independent investigation has been opened.”

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.

,

EU ruling upholding Belgian ban on Jewish ritual slaughter curtails fundamental rights of Jews, say campaigners

Jewish groups have warned that laws banning Jewish ritual slaughter could appear all across Europe following a ruling by a European Court of Justice (ECJ).

The ECJ ruling, which was released on 17th December, upholds a Belgian ban on ritual slaughter methods by Jews and Muslims. European Jewish groups claim it sets a precedent that will allow authorities to order the pre-stunning of animals which is not permitted in ritual slaughter.

The ruling follows a 2017 ban by two Belgian regions of slaughter without pre-stunning. A legal challenge to the bans, filed by Belgium’s main Jewish communal body, was sent by the Constitutional Court to the ECJ to determine if the bans were lawful. The ECJ ruling directly opposes an opinion given in September by Gerard Hogan, the European Advocate-General who said that EU states were “obliged to respect the deeply-held religious beliefs of adherents to the Muslim and Jewish faiths” by allowing ritual slaughter of animals.

Shechita UK Campaign Director, Shimon Cohen said they were “disappointed” with the ruling, and would be looking to “understand the long-term implications.” He said the ruling would be “very significant” for UK Jews “even post-Brexit.”

Rabbi Menachem Margolin, chairman of the European Jewish Association (EJA), said it was “a sad day for European Jewry.”

The President of the European Union of Jewish Students, Bini Guttmann, expressed his shock to the JC, suggesting it would “make Jewish life in Europe as we know it impossible.” 

Allowing the prohibition of kosher slaughter, said Mr Guttman, was “a clear signal that the fundamental rights of Jews can be curtailed in the EU.”  

Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, president of the Conference of European Rabbis claimed the judgment “flies in the face of recent statements” that Jewish life was “to be treasured and respected” and said the bans had already led to shortages of kosher meat in Belgium.

 “We are told by European leaders that they want Jewish communities to live and be successful in Europe,” noted Chief Rabbi Goldschmidt, “But they provide no safeguards for our way of life.”

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.

,

US Antisemitism monitor to become Ambassador to aid fight against anti-Jewish racism

A bill raising the status of the United States’ antisemitism monitor to “Ambassador-at-Large” was passed unanimously by the US Senate on 16th December.

The post of Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism was created in 2004 by the US Congress to combat anti-Jewish racism overseas. As ambassador, the envoy will have easier access to the Secretary of State as well as increased funding. It is also believed that recommendations are more likely to be seen as having the backing of the administration.

Nevada Democrat Senator Jacky Rosen, who led sponsorship of the bipartisan bill, said that, as antisemitism continued to rise at “an alarming rate across the globe”, it was “critical” to elevate the monitor role. The House of Representatives passed a similar bill last year, meaning it is almost certain to become law soon.

Jewish groups welcomed the measure.

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.

, ,

Plaid Cymru “has work to do to win the confidence of anyone who opposes racism”: CAA makes submissions to Party’s internal review into antisemitism

Campaign Against Antisemitism has today made submissions to Plaid Cymru’s review into antisemitism in the Party.

Plaid Cymru’s internal review will reportedly be led by Liz Saville Roberts MP, the leader of the Party’s small contingent at Westminster, and it aims to ensure that there is “zero tolerance” of antisemitism in the Party.

The review was announced following the publication of the damning report into antisemitism in the Labour Party by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant in the EHRC’s investigation, having made the formal referral that prompted the launch of the unprecedented full statutory investigation.

Our submissions come on the same day that the EHRC has published new “Guiding Principles” for all political parties and other associations.

The core of the submissions relates to numerous cases that Campaign Against Antisemitism has compiled, with input from concerned Plaid members and other members of the public, to whom we are grateful. The cases can be reviewed here.

One of the cases concerns a former leader of the Party, Leanne Wood, who has courted controversy at least twice this year in relation to antisemitism. Another concerns repeat offender Sahar Al-Faifi against whom the Party has failed to take action.

Joe Glasman, Head of Political and Government Investigations at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “We welcome Plaid Cymru’s announcement of a review into antisemitism in its ranks in the wake of the EHRC’s devastating investigation into anti-Jewish racism in the Labour Party, in which we were the complainant.

“Plaid Cymru has responded positively to our offer of representations, which we have submitted today, drawing attention to a number of very worrying cases, including a former leader of the Party. Among the cases there also appears to be a pattern of possible equality law breaches, similar to those laid out by the EHRC in its report on antisemitism in the Labour Party and which the EHRC has said apply to all political parties.

“Plaid Cymru is making the right decision to try to get ahead of this problem, but it will have to show that it is willing to act. Its recent decision not to take action against repeat offender Sahar Al-Faifi certainly shows that it has work to do to win the confidence of anyone who opposes racism.

“It appears that there are good people in Plaid Cymru who wish to address the challenge of antisemitism within the Party, but as with the Labour Party, the proof of their goodwill lies not in words, but in the actions they take to combat it.”

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.

, ,

EHRC publishes guidance warning all political parties of their responsibilities, as requested by CAA

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has today published new guidance for all political parties and associations, following a request by Campaign Against Antisemitism.

The ‘New Guiding Principles for all Associations and Membership Organisations’ comes following the EHRC’s devastating report on antisemitism in the Labour Party, which was found 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.

Now the EHRC has, following a request by Campaign Against Antisemitism, published guidance for other political parties and associations, drawing on its investigation and report into Labour.

The Guiding Principles cover what constitutes unlawful discrimination; the importance of setting standards of behaviour and creating an inclusive culture; and the role of leadership – which were all areas of failure for Labour and from which other parties should learn. The Guidance also emphasises the need for a clear and accessible complaints policy; training; and a clear, published social media policy, which it has also mandated for Labour in the agreed Action Plan published yesterday.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “We welcome this guidance from the EHRC, which we requested. Labour, under the direction of the EHRC, must work to return to decency after its unlawful breaches of equality law, but political parties across the United Kingdom must also learn the lessons of Labour’s antisemitism scandal in their treatment of Jews and other minorities. This guidance is a useful resource in that effort, and we will also continue to hold all political parties to account over anti-Jewish racism.”

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

,

Rio unveils Holocaust Memorial

A Holocaust memorial has been inaugurated in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

 Overlooking Sugarloaf Mountain, the memorial comprises a 72-foot tower with the Commandment, “Thou shalt not kill”, at its base. Beneath the tower is an interactive exhibition area.

Government officials and Jewish communal representatives, including Brazil’s Secretary of Communications Fabio Wajngarten, attended the inauguration on 13th December. Mr Wajngarten, the grandson of Holocaust survivors, represented President Jair Bolsonaro.

Brazil’s Supreme Court president, Judge Luiz Fux – himself the grandson of Jewish refugees from Bulgaria – quoted Elie Wiesel saying: “indifference is the greatest danger for humankind.”

The memorial will work with other major institutions abroad and is expected to host exhibitions. The cornerstone was laid in 2017 by Rio Mayor Marcelo Crivella, who said that Rio had been “magnified, dignified, ennobled, and redeemed” with the creation of the memorial.

Some 35,000 of Brazil’s 120,000-member Jewish community live in Rio.

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.

, ,

Accusations of antisemitism return to a New York village

The Justice Department announced on 2nd December 2020 that it had filed a lawsuit against the village of Airmont, New York, with allegations that it violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalised Persons Act.

It was reported that the village had targeted the local Orthodox Jewish community through zoning ordinances that restricted and prevented the potential approval of religious schools and synagogues. The complaint alleged further that, by enforcing its zoning code in a discriminatory manner and an implementation of an eighteen-month moratorium, Orthodox Jews were intentionally limited from using their private property to construct Sukkahs (tabernacles) and Mikvahs (ritual huts), in line with religious observance.

In 1995 the village’s first Mayor, trustees and zoning board reportedly engaged in a conspiracy to deprive Orthodox Jewish residents of their civil rights to practice their faith freely, with one local allegedly stating: “the only reason we formed this village is to keep those Jews…out of here.”

The Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division stated that the recent alleged abuse of power was explicitly aimed at the exclusion of a specific minority group from the wider community and it was therefore “unlawful” and overtly antisemitic in nature.

The Department of Justice has assured residents that it will continue to use “full force” to ensure that the right to worship with undue interference is protected to prevent a recurrence.

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.

, ,

As EHRC authorises Action Plan for Labour to “drive out antisemitism” CAA warns “Jewish community should be under no illusions” in months ahead

The Labour Party has today published its Action Plan, entitled “Driving out antisemitism from the Labour Party”, as required by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in its devastating report on antisemitism in the Party.

The Action Plan covers numerous areas, including the need for a culture change in the Party and an “Independent Antisemitism Complaints Handling Process”, as well as greater consultation with the Jewish community. Campaign Against Antisemitism has been calling for some of these steps for years and included them in recommendations to the EHRC, which has now mandated that Labour finally take them.

Gideon Falter, Chief Executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “The Action Plan authorised by the EHRC shows just how far Labour has fallen. Having found that the Party broke the law, the EHRC has rightly adopted a remarkably firm enforcement approach for two years, made all the more necessary by last month’s disgraceful expedited reinstatement of Jeremy Corbyn to the Party.

“We welcome this Plan, which includes numerous steps that we have demanded of the Party for years but which it is only now promising to implement after being ordered to do so by the EHRC. As the complainant in the EHRC’s investigation, we have been vindicated. We look forward to working with Labour to drive out antisemitism and restore the Party to its fiercely anti-racist past, but there is a long way to go.

“The Jewish community should be under no illusions: the Action Plan does not envisage an independent disciplinary process until a year from now. This extremely long delay is down to the Party’s refusal to hold a special conference of its membership to make the necessary changes to its rulebook sooner. Until then, our complaints against fifteen sitting MPs, including Mr Corbyn, will remain outstanding, and it will be impossible for British Jews to assess whether Labour is addressing antisemitism effectively.

“This document shows just how much Labour still needs to do to transform its culture and processes. The Action Plan provides a roadmap, but it is a very long road indeed.”

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.

In the first release of its Antisemitism in Political Parties research, Campaign Against Antisemitism showed that Labour Party candidates for Parliament in the 2019 general election accounted for 82 percent of all incidents of antisemitic discourse by parliamentary candidates.

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

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

, , ,

Success for CAA as Culture Secretary announces social media companies will have duty of care to users and “criminal antisemitic posts will need to be removed without delay”

The Culture Secretary has announced today that social media companies will have a duty of care to users under new legislation, and that “criminal antisemitic posts will need to be removed without delay”.

Oliver Dowden made the announcement in an article for The Telegraph, in which he pledged to crack down on other online vices, such as terrorism, child sexual abuse, self-harm, cyber-bullying and indecent material.

Social media companies that fail their duty of care will face gargantuan fines of up to ten percent of their global turnover, and Parliament will reserve the right to introduce criminal sanctions for executives if these measures do not bring about change.

Campaign Against Antisemitism launched a petition in August, in the aftermath of the Wiley episode, calling for new legislation urgently to introduce a requirement for technology companies to remove racist incitement within set timeframes, a duty of care for social networks with personal liability for executives, and tighter requirements to provide evidence to police under warrant.

The petition can be signed here: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/333146/

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “This is a big victory for those of us in the Jewish community who have urged the Government to compel social media companies to take responsibility for criminal content and racist incitement on their platforms. We are pleased that the Culture Secretary has taken these concerns on board and is proceeding with new laws to prevent criminals from operating online. Without this campaign by us and our allies, this announcement may not have come about, and we are grateful to all the other organisations, celebrities and activists who have pushed for this alongside us.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism continues its robust engagement with social media companies over the content that they enable to be published, and we continue to make representations to the Government in this connection.

, ,

Labour’s Chanukah message greeted with reams of antisemitic messages

The Labour Party’s Chanukah message on Facebook has been greeted with reams of antisemitic messages from the Party’s social media following.

The graphic read: “Happy Chanukah from all of us at the Labour Party”. The accompanying message was: “As Jewish communities across Britain light the first candle of the menorah this evening, the Labour Party would like to wish you a very happy Chanukah. Chanukah Sameach!”

The antisemitic messages in response to the greeting included: “66,5 million Brits ruled over by 245,000.”; “Unless you’re a left leaning Jewish person…then we’ll suspend you from the party. I think you missed that bit…”; “…Shouldn’t the party be above all devise [sic] things like race and religion, it just looks so pro Jewish it is becoming embarrassing.”; “but only the right kind of Jews”; “I think you mean: Happy Chanukah, from Labour, to everyone in the Jewish community that agrees with the land grab”; “The electorate has spent the last ten years telling the Labour Party that they don’t represent working class people any more — The Labour Party responds by making more of a hue and cry about circa 360,000 people than any other minority group…”; “We might as well say Happy whatever it is… Otherwise we are expelled….”; “Better watch out, Starmer’s Stasi will be looking to find socialists to expel. Don’t mention Apartheid Israel’s war crimes.”; and “Starmer is rebranding Labour. It will now be known as the Likud party.”

Among the 2,000 comments, there was also plenty of pushback against these and other racist remarks.

Campaign Against Antisemitism recently 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 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.

In the first release of its Antisemitism in Political Parties research, Campaign Against Antisemitism showed that Labour Party candidates for Parliament in the 2019 general election accounted for 82 percent of all incidents of antisemitic discourse by parliamentary candidates.

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

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

, ,

Sir Keir Starmer under pressure again after Diane Abbott shares platform with suspended JVL member

Sir Keir Starmer is under pressure again after Diane Abbott reportedly shared a platform with a suspended Labour member.

Ms Abbott, the former Shadow Home Secretary under Jeremy Corbyn, shared a platform with Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi, the Media Officer of Jewish Voice for Labour, an antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation. Ms Wimborne-Idrissi was recently suspended from Labour after giving a speech in support of Mr Corbyn and criticising the “weaponisation” of antisemitism in the Party.

The two shared a platform at the a ‘Solidarity with Jeremy Corbyn Sunday Stroll’ in London Fields, Hackney over the weekend.

This is not the first time Ms Abbott has shared a platform with a suspended or expelled Labour member, but, although Sir Keir made a pledge during the leadership election campaign that he would suspend MPs who gave a platform to former Labour members suspended or expelled in the wake of antisemitic incidents, the Labour Party declined to take any action last time. It remains to be seen whether Sir Keir or the Party will take a different course this time.

Ms Abbott is herself the subject of a complaint by Campaign Against Antisemitism, submitted to the Labour Party, which is still pending.

Campaign Against Antisemitism recently 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 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.

In the first release of its Antisemitism in Political Parties research, Campaign Against Antisemitism showed that Labour Party candidates for Parliament in the 2019 general election accounted for 82 percent of all incidents of antisemitic discourse by parliamentary candidates.

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

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

, , ,

Former BNP leader Nick Griffin compares lockdown to Auschwitz

The former leader of the BNP, Nick Griffin, has compared Britain’s lockdown rules to Auschwitz.

In a tweet, Mr Griffin wrote: “‘Science can set us free’ – Matt Hancock. There’s a slogan to put over the main gate into the lockdown concentration camp as the doctors experiment on the inmates.”

The phrase “science can set us free” is an allusion to the infamous slogan atop the gates of the Auschwitz concentration camp, “Arbeit Macht Frei” (“Work sets you free”), and the camp is known not only for the murder of untold numbers of Jews but also the hideous scientific experiments carried out on inmates.

In case there was any doubt about Mr Griffin’s meaning, the tweet included a picture of Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, signing a book of commitment to Holocaust education.

Comparisons of lockdown rules, regardless of politics, with the Holocaust are a form of minimisation of the Holocaust and an insult to the Jewish community and right-thinking people, and they do nothing to further the public debate.

, ,

Norway cuts aid to Palestinian Authority over antisemitism and incitement to violence in its educational materials

The Norwegian Parliament has endorsed a cut in aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA) due to ongoing concerns over antisemitism and incitement to violence against Jews in its educational material.

According to IMPACT-se, an organisation that monitors hate speech in regional education, the materials continue to contain racism, antisemitism and incitement to violence, despite promises of improvements by the PA. As a result, the Norwegian Government is cutting 30 million Krone (£2.6 million) in aid.

The Progress Party led the push to reduce aid, with one MP saying “not a single Krone should go to Palestinian education” until the PA materials stopped containing “hate speech.” He also regretted that it had taken “so many years to take a strict line.”  

“The Palestinian school curriculum abounds with calls for violence and hatred against Israel and for martyrdom to be glorified,” noted Sylvia Listhaug, deputy leader of the Progress Party. “It is quite clear that Norway cannot support this.”

A Christian Democrat MP and Foreign Affairs Committee member Geir Toskedal said that he and his colleagues had long “been uneasy about both [the] textbooks and teaching programmes.”

Last June, Norway’s foreign minister, Ine Eriksen Søreide, announced that funds earmarked for the PA’s education sector would be withheld until changes were made to schoolbooks. In December the Norwegian Parliament urged the PA to remove violent, racist and antisemitic materials from its school curriculum, or face funding cuts.

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.

, ,

Labour frontbencher compares Prime Minister to Adolf Hitler

A Labour frontbencher has compared the Prime Minister to the Nazi leader, Adolf Hitler.

Bill Esterson MP, who is Shadow Minister for International Trade, tweeted: “My dad’s family is Jewish. We have no idea how many of our relatives were murdered in the holocaust. I fear [Prime Minister Boris] Johnson’s actions are leading us to a very dangerous place.”

Political disagreements on Brexit or other policy matters are no justification for comparisons with Nazi Germany, and Mr Esterson must apologise for the grotesque analogy.

It is understood that Mr Esterson has deleted the tweet.

Campaign Against Antisemitism recently 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 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.

In the first release of its Antisemitism in Political Parties research, Campaign Against Antisemitism showed that Labour Party candidates for Parliament in the 2019 general election accounted for 82 percent of all incidents of antisemitic discourse by parliamentary candidates.

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

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

,

Canadian MP denies antisemitism after controversial intervention in finance debate

A Canadian MP is denying charges of antisemitism after allegedly calling out the name “George Soros” during a speech about the economy by Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland in Canada’s House of Commons on Tuesday.

Mr Soros, a financier, philanthropist and controversial political activist, is often the subject of antisemitic conspiracy theories.

Conservative MP John Brassard allegedly invoked Mr Soros as Ms Freeland was responding to a question about the Government’s post-COVID plans for the economy.

Amid the noisy jeering that accompanied her statement, an MP – later identified by Liberals as Mr Brassard – was allegedly heard to yell “George Soros”.

Mr Brassard is refusing to apologise and is denying charges of antisemitism. “There was nothing in what I said that was in any way antisemitic,” he told a Liberal MP. It is unclear whether Mr Brassard was invoking Mr Soros because of a tangible connection between Mr Soros’ political activism or for some conspiratorial purpose.

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.

,

Saudi prince breaches International Definition of Antisemitism by accusing Israel of “incarcerating [thousands] in concentration camps”

A Saudi prince and former senior Government official on Sunday claimed that Israel has “incarcerated [thousands] in concentration camps”.

Prince Turki al-Faisal al Saud, the former head of Saudi intelligence and a former ambassador to the UK and the United States, made the comment at a panel discussion in Bahrain.

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

,

Nazi-era phonetic alphabet set for erasure

A version of Germany’s phonetic alphabet which was adopted in the Nazi era is set to be removed following a campaign by activists.

Alongside the current worldwide phonetic alphabet – also known as the NATO or aviation alphabet – Germany has its own phonetic alphabet. Created in 1890 it was amended in 1934 in accordance with Nazi ideology.

The Nazis changed 14 terms, including names derived from Hebrew or considered particularly Jewish. Also, ‘Nathan’ became ‘Nordpol’ (North Pole) allegedly symbolising the master race and Ypsilon became ‘Ypres,’ famously known as the WWI battle where Germans first used poison gas.

After WWII, Ypres was changed back to Ypsilon but Nordpol is still in use in the German alphabet today. 

Germany’s Institute for Standardisation (DIN) has, however, now agreed to remove the Nazi-era changes and to devise new terms for the problematic letters following a request from an activist based in Baden-Württemberg.

The President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany welcomed the activist initiative, noting that it was “high time we freed ourselves from the language of the Nazis.”

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.

, ,

How long does it take the Conservatives to investigate alleged antisemitism? Today marks one year since the Party announced three investigations, two of which are still outstanding

Today is the one-year anniversary of the Conservatives’ announcement of three antisemitism investigations. To date, the Tories have only disclosed that one has concluded, with those into Sally-Ann Hart MP and Lee Anderson MP apparently still outstanding. The Party must complete these investigations immediately and publish the outcomes.

In the closing days of the General Election in December 2019, the Conservative Party announced that it was commencing investigations into alleged antisemitism on the part of three Parliamentary candidates – Sally-Ann Hart, Lee Anderson and Richard Short – two of whom won their seats.

Only some of the allegations were reported at the time; others are still unknown.

We have received confirmation from the Conservative Party that the investigation into Richard Short has concluded, but while the Party has claimed to us some months ago that the investigation into Lee Anderson was near completion, we have not been provided with any further updates, nor has any public disclosure been made.

The investigations, during which the subjects were not suspended from the Party, have now taken a full year since they were announced, and there is still no indication of when the investigations might be formally concluded and the outcomes disclosed.

One of the MPs, Sally-Ann Hart, claimed in a television interview several months ago that a panel investigation relating to her had also been concluded and that she had attended social media training, but there has been no public announcement.

In the absence of any public disclosures by the Party, as far as we are concerned the investigations into Lee Anderson MP and Sally-Ann Hart MP are still open until the public is verifiably informed otherwise.

Ironically, since not all of the allegations have been made public, their gravity cannot be assessed, leaving the Party’s procedural failures in the spotlight.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Today we mark the one-year anniversary of an announcement of three investigations into antisemitism by the Conservative Party. One of them has concluded, but the Party has declined to disclose the progress in two of the others, which both relate to sitting MPs.

“These investigations were reassuringly announced by the Conservatives at the end of last year, in some cases before the allegations were even known to the public. But there is no justification for these investigations to be taking this long. These are not murder investigations, and the Tories now risk making their poor procedures and lack of transparency, rather than the allegations themselves, the real story. The Conservative Party must conclude these investigations immediately and finally publish the results.”

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.

,

Politician named Adolf Hitler wins election in Namibia but insists he has no plans for world domination

A politician named Adolf Hitler Uunona has been elected to the Namibian Parliament.

Namibia is a former German colony that remains home to a small German-speaking community.

In the recent election Mr Uunona, an anti-Apartheid activist, won 1,196 votes compared to 213 votes for his opponent, which in turn meant he won the seat on the ticket of the ruling SWAPO Party.

He maintains that his father, and the wider community, lacked an understanding of what Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime stood for, and stated that his name has subsequently been viewed as “totally normal” by family members and local residents. Mr Uunona, referred to as ‘Adolf H’ in the local government gazette, has reassured media outlets that he has no affiliation with fascist ideology and will not strive for world domination like his namesake.

The politician explained further that it would be “too late” to change his name officially and his name therefore appeared in full on the official results website following his victory.

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.

,

European Democrat Students adopt the International Definition of Antisemitism

The European Democrat Students (EDS) has passed a motion to tackle antisemitism through the adoption of the International Definition of Antisemitism.

The pan-European official student organisation of the European People’s Party (EPP) announced the decision at the EDS Council meeting on 22nd November. The EDS represents over 1 million students and young people from 40 member organisations across 35 countries, and is currently one of the largest youth organisations operating in Europe.

Other youth parties and organisations across Europe are being called upon to follow the example of the EDS to reflect a zero tolerance for 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.

, ,

JVL’s Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi reportedly suspended from Labour after rebellious meeting of her local Chingford and Woodford Green Labour Party

It is being reported that Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi has been suspended from Labour pending an investigation after a rebellious meeting of her local Chingford and Woodford Green Labour Party.

Ms Wimborne-Idrissi is the Media Officer of Jewish Voice for Labour, an antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation, as well as the Vice-Chair of Chingford and Woodford Green Labour Party.

The recent meeting reportedly featured speeches from both the Chair, Gary Lefley, and Ms Wimborne-Idrissi criticising Sir Keir Starmer and General-Secretary David Evans over their response to the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s damning report into antisemitism in the Labour Party.

The Labour Party and many of its local branches have been in a state of confrontation over the past several weeks (if not months) over antisemitism issues and the suspension by the Party and rapid readmission of Jeremy Corbyn.

In her comments, Ms Wimborne-Idrissi allegedly said: “The cynical manipulation of Jewish fears and concerns is unforgivable and undermines all our work against racism of all kinds.” She also reportedly criticised the “weaponisation” of antisemitism, saying: “May I just say there are many Jews in the party, including me, who endorse 100 percent what Pippa said about the weaponisation.”

It is reported that these speeches by the Chair and Vice Chair encouraged other aggressive speeches, and that both Mr Lefley and Ms Wimborne-Idrissi have been suspended from Labour pending an investigation.

Recently, Ms Wimborne-Idrissi called for Labour members to “resist” Sir Keir Starmer’s efforts to address antisemitism in the Party.

Campaign Against Antisemitism recently 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 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.

In the first release of its Antisemitism in Political Parties research, Campaign Against Antisemitism showed that Labour Party candidates for Parliament in the 2019 general election accounted for 82 percent of all incidents of antisemitic discourse by parliamentary candidates.

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

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

, ,

The SNP has selected an MP previously suspended for antisemitism to sit on its conduct committee: it’s a wrong move

An SNP MP previously suspended for antisemitism and subsequently readmitted was yesterday selected at the Party’s conference to sit on its internal conduct committee.

Neale Hanvey was the SNP’s Parliamentary candidate for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath in the 2019 General Election, but during the campaign it emerged that he had posted antisemitic comments on social media in 2016, in one case comparing Israeli policy to that of the Nazis, in breach of the International Definition of Antisemitism, and in another case sharing an image of the Jewish financier George Soros depicted as a puppet master controlling the world.

Upon the revelation, Mr Hanvey recognised the breach and issued an immediate apology, saying that he was “genuinely and deeply sorry”. The SNP nonetheless suspended him, despite the impact that this suspension could have on the Party’s chances in the marginal seat. Mr Hanvey remained on the ballot under the SNP’s name, however, because the deadline for nominations for electoral candidates had passed.

Local SNP activists continued to campaign for Mr Hanvey, however, despite the calls from Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP leader, for them to cease doing so and campaign for neighbouring candidates instead. Whether these calls were genuine or simply issued to appear to distance the Party from Mr Hanvey’s comments in the knowledge that the activists would ignore the calls anyway and help elect someone who appeared to be the SNP candidate is not known.

Mr Hanvey won the election but entered Parliament as an independent MP. After six months, he was readmitted. However, Campaign Against Antisemitism later discovered that on the day Mr Hanvey issued his original apology, he had “liked” a series of tweets that appeared to undermine the substance and purpose of his apology, bringing his sincerity into question. In June, we brought this to his attention, and he replied: “The past six months have been an important journey and learning process for me…I’ve developed my understanding of antisemitism in all its forms. I am now absolutely clear that, however unintentional, the social media posts I shared two years ago were antisemitic in nature. I have apologised unequivocally and I was grateful for the opportunity to reflect on my journey in a recent article for Jewish News. While I cannot undo mistakes in the past, I have learned from them and I am committed to using my role as an MP to challenge and promote a better understanding of antisemitism, racism and intolerance of all forms.”

Mr Hanvey quietly deleted the offending social media activity.

The SNP has also faced a deeper, related controversy in recent months when a Party official tasked with investigating Mr Hanvey on behalf of the Party was herself forced to resign after she described Israel as a “Nazi state”. It is likely that the Party therefore has more to do to eliminate antisemitism among its officials and members.

Mr Hanvey’s elevation to the conduct committee is not an appropriate move so soon after his readmission after a suspension for antisemitism.

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.

, , ,

Senior United Nations official asks whether Labour politician pledging to Jewish audience that she will fight antisemitism has also ‘offered solidarity to Palestinians’

A senior official at the United Nations has tweeted to ask whether a Labour Party politician pledging to a Jewish audience that she will fight antisemitism has also ‘offered solidarity to Palestinians’.

Mark Seddon is media advisor to the President of the General Assembly and has previously worked as a speechwriter for a former UN Secretary-General, as well as for Al Jazeera as its UN correspondent.

Mr Seddon was reacting to a report on Twitter that Labour’s Deputy Leader, Angela Rayner, told a Jewish group: “If I have to suspend thousands and thousands of members, we will do that. Because we cannot and we will not accept an injury to one, because an injury to one is an injury to all.” Ms Rayner was referring to attempts to address Labour’s scandal of institutional antisemitism.

Mr Seddon replied to the tweet saying: “Today is the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. Has Angela Rayner recorded her support and solidarity for those being oppressed? A genuine question.”

There is no interpretation of Mr Seddon’s question, given its context, other than that he sees efforts to combat antisemitism in the UK as somehow connected to or even contrary to certain stances on Middle Eastern politics, and that Ms Rayner had no moral authority to address a domestic Jewish group on antisemitism without also expressing a position on a foreign policy matter.

According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the State of Israel” is an example of antisemitism.

The Jewish community will not be surprised at all that UN officials hold these sorts of views. The media outlets that publish work by Mr Seddon should, however, think twice in future about doing so.

, ,

CAA says CPS “ignoring Jewish victims” after it closes most police investigations into Labour antisemitism

Campaign Against Antisemitism has said that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is “ignoring Jewish victims” after it closed most police investigations into Labour antisemitism.

The Metropolitan Police has reportedly dropped fifteen of the 23 criminal investigations in relation to Labour antisemitism without charges. It is understood that the decisions in most of the cases were taken after the police asked the CPS for advice.

Seven cases are still under investigation, but there has only been one successful conviction in two years. In June, an expelled Labour activist, Mohson Rasool, 61, was convicted of sending a grossly offensive message online and given nine weeks’ community service.

The matter arose after the radio channel LBC and Campaign Against Antisemitism referred a secret dossier, which was compiled by the Labour Party and subsequently leaked, to the Metropolitan Police. Earlier this year, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police came under pressure for taking so long to decide on how to proceed even on the few cases that the CPS determined might be actionable.

The CPS has now reportedly ruled that the cases still held by the police did not meet the threshold for prosecution.

Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “While the rest of British society has been appalled by the rampant antisemitism in the Labour Party, the CPS is living on another planet. We referred cases from Labour to the police more than two years ago. At the time, the cases were said by top police officials and criminal barristers to be clear cut, but the CPS has only charged one of them and has now told the police to close cases on ten more activists.

“This is just the latest failure of the CPS to prosecute antisemitic hate crime. The CPS must stop ignoring Jewish victims and take antisemitic crime seriously. After years of vile antisemitic abuse from within the Labour Party, the CPS seems determined to do nothing at all about it.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2019 showed that almost half of British Jews believe that the CPS is doing too little to fight antisemitism.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews almost four times more likely to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.

,

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism across Canada

Prime Minister of Canada named the Hon. Irwin Cotler as Canada’s Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism on 25th November.

Mr Cotler is a retired politician, academic and esteemed human rights advocate.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau maintains that the country and its government is committed to reinforcing and strengthening Canada’s efforts to develop Holocaust education, remembrance and research, and to tackle antisemitic hatred in order to promote and protect the human rights of its citizens.

Mr Cotler will lead the Government of Canada’s use of the International Definition of Antisemitism, and he is hoping to work collaboratively with other member countries and domestic and international partners to strengthen Holocaust awareness locally and globally.

As Special Envoy, Mr Cotler is set to support the advocacy and outreach efforts of the public, civil society and academia to encourage the adoption and application of the Definition across the country.

Prime Minister Trudeau, in the recent announcement, stressed that “antisemitism has no place in Canada – or anywhere else.”

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.

,

Hungarian Government official under fire after claiming “Europe is George Soros’ gas chamber”

A Hungarian Government official has caused outrage after comparing a prominent Jewish political activist and philanthropist and Holocaust survivor to Hitler in an article published over the weekend.

Hungarian ministerial commissioner Szilard Demeter made the comments about George Soros, a financier and controversial activist, in an opinion article published on 28th November in the pro-Government outlet Origo. The article addressed a conflict over the European Union’s next budget, which member states Hungary and Poland are blocking. Mr Demeter referred to the two countries as “the new Jews.”

“Europe is George Soros’ gas chamber,” Mr Demeter wrote. “Poison gas flows from the capsule of a multicultural open society.” Mr Soros founded the Open Society Foundations, a grant-making network that has courted controversy over its political activities.

Mr Demeter, who is a ministerial commissioner and head of the state-owned Petofi Literary Museum in Budapest, was appointed by Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, to oversee culture in the country.

Mr Demeter compared Mr Soros to Hitler, calling him “the liberal Führer” and said that Mr Soros’s “liber-aryan army deifies him more than did Hitler’s own.”

The article drew outrage from Hungary’s Jewish community, with one group calling it “tasteless” and “unforgivable” and describing the article as “a textbook case of the relativisation of the Holocaust” and “therefore incompatible with the Government’s claim of zero tolerance for antisemitism.”

Prime Minister Orban is facing calls to fire Mr Demeter.

Mr Soros, the Hungarian-born Holocaust survivor, is a frequent target of Mr Orban’s Government for his political and philanthropic activities that favour liberal causes.

Mr Demeter responded to the backlash in a statement on Sunday, promising to withdraw the article. Acknowledging the criticism it had drawn, he said “the Nazi parallel could unintentionally hurt the memory of the victims.”

There is plenty of scope to criticise or support Mr Soros’ activities without resorting to appalling antisemitic tropes and innuendo or for diminishing the Holocaust, in order to do so.

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

,

Politician with history of controversial comments nominated to Austrian Senate

A politician with a history of controversial comments has reportedly been nominated to join the Austrian Senate.

Johannes Hübner served as the Foreign Affairs Spokesman for the Austrian Freedom Party (AFP) until 2017 when he launched a campaign for a seat in the Austrian Parliament. The campaign was subsequently discontinued following released recordings of him at a far-right event making controversial comments.

During the event in question, Mr Hübner referred to the drafter of the Austrian constitution as a ‘Kohn’, a common phrase used by the Nazis throughout the 1930s to discredit and undermine constitutional scholars of Jewish descent. He also claimed that former Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern, who received a major award from the Jewish community, has associations with freemasonry, which is a popular antisemitic motif.

Mr Hübner further asserted that the Austrian newspapers always mention the AFP in the context of National Socialism on the basis of claims by a “so-called Holocaust survivor.”

Several calls have been made for the Freedom Party to rescind the decision to appoint Mr Hübner in such a respectable position.

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.

, ,

Proposed Knesset Law would create memorial day for the victims of the Spanish Inquisition

A new law being proposed by Israel’s Parliament would create an official Day to Commemorate the Victims of the Inquisition.

During the Spanish Inquisition in the Early Modern period, forced Jewish converts to Christianity were brutally persecuted.

The bill, proposed by Member of Knesset Michal Cotler-Wunsh, would create a memorial day to be held annually on 1st November, the date that the Spanish Inquisition was formally established in 1478. It has been suggested that the day would be marked with educational activities that teach on the shared history of Jews with Sephardic ancestry, as well as the mass expulsion of the Jewish population from Spain and Portugal. The Minister of Diaspora Affairs will also host an official state ceremony to mark the occasion and commemorate the victims of the Catholic persecution.

The President of the Hispanic-Jewish Foundation has maintained that Spain and Latin America are gaining further understanding of their roots and influence on Jewish traditions. He stated that it is therefore important that the Inquisition is remembered as “pure religious fanaticism and intolerance” with significant, lasting effects for those whose ancestors were subjected to the oppression.

Co-sigantories to the bill include numerous Knesset members from a variety of Israel’s major political parties, including members of the governing coalition.

Ms Cutler Wunsh stated that the bill will “create a day of memory and reminder in the Knesset for us to recognise this tragic event in our collective history and learn from it, in order to ensure ‘never again’ in a world of ‘again and again’.”

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.

, ,

Conservative MPs and peers warned against use of controversial “cultural Marxism” phrase

The All-Party Parliamentary Group Against Antisemitism (APPG) has warned a group of Conservative MPs and peers against the use of the controversial phrase “cultural Marxism”, noting that the term could “inadvertently” act as a “dog-whistle for the far-right”, where the phrase is increasingly popular.

28 MPs and peers used in the phrase in a letter to The Telegraph regarding what they perceived to be the adverse politicisation of numerous cultural institutions, criticising a political slant that they described as “coloured by cultural Marxist dogma, colloquially known as the ‘woke agenda’.”

Andrew Percy, a Tory MP and co-Chair of the APPG, said that some of his colleagues were surprised at the popularity of the phrase on the far-right and undertook not to use it again.

The signatories included Sally-Ann Hart MP and Lee Anderson MP, both of whom were put under investigation by the Conservative Party over alleged antisemitism late last year. Campaign Against Antisemitism has previously criticised the Party for taking so long over the investigations, which we can only assume are still ongoing until the results are disclosed.

When the story of the letter broke, a spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Terms such as ‘cultural Marxism’ and ‘elitist bourgeois liberals’ can function as antisemitic dogwhistles, even if they are not always intended as such, while the dangers of promoting conspiracies about powerful minorities controlling society are obvious. The authors of this letter should endeavour to find less toxic language to promote their politics.

“We also note that two of the signatories – Sally-Ann Hart and Lee Anderson – are, to our knowledge, under apparently interminable investigations by the Conservative Party in relation to alleged antisemitism. Until the results of those investigations are made known, we can only assume that they are still in progress, which is unacceptable after so long. The Party must immediately explain what conclusions have been reached.”

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.

, ,

Students at University of Sydney pass antisemitic resolution claiming Labour’s suspension of Jeremy Corbyn was bid to “intimidate and silence”

The main student body of the University of Sydney has criticised the Labour Party in the UK for suspending Jeremy Corbyn, alleging that the measures were designed to “intimidate and silence” the political Left and criticism of Israel.

The Students Representative Council (SRC) of the University of Sydney passed a motion on 10th November condemning Labour for its suspension of Mr Corbyn. The resolution stated that through the suspension Labour was promoting a “cynical lie intended to intimidate and silence the Left” and its “criticism of Israel.”

The motion said that accusations against Corbyn represented “an attack upon the anti-racist and anti-imperialist Left.” It also claimed that there was “no evidence that he [Mr Corbyn] has ever done or said anything indicating prejudice against Jewish people.”

Opponents of the resolution described it as “drivel” and as “antisemitic gaslighting at its worst.”

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.

, ,

Outrage at Polish Embassy bid to “glorify” Nazi collaborator

Poland’s Embassy in the UK has been accused of “glorifying” a Polish nationalist politician believed to have collaborated with the Nazis.

A Polish anti-racist organisation has criticised the Embassy over its involvement in the restoration of the grave of Władysław Studnicki, who died in London in 1953.

Mr Studnicki espoused antisemitic views saying that Jews were “parasites on the healthy branch of the Polish tree.” He also proposed the forced removal of 100,000 Polish Jews every year to bring about the “de-Judaization” of Poland.

The row erupted after it was reported that a member of the Embassy’s political staff was involved in restoring Mr Studnicki’s grave in London and was actively promoting the project online. The Embassy official, Agata Supińska, said on Twitter that Studnicki  was “one of the greatest Polish thinkers of the 20th century,” who had not “been accorded respect and was forgotten for many years.”

In a statement, the Polish Embassy said that Ms Supińska “got involved in this project in a purely personal capacity” but that it was “supportive of her efforts to restore Studnicki’s grave,” adding that the efforts to restore the grave was a civic initiative.

 The Embassy statement went on to note that it supported “all grassroots civic initiatives aimed at preserving the memory of Poles and their achievements in Great Britain.”

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.

,

Right-wing Dutch politician resigns following antisemitism scandal in party

The board of the youth branch of the Dutch right-wing Forum for Democracy expelled several of its members on 21st November, following several antisemitic posts and messages shared through groups in social networking platforms.

Across the messaging app WhatsApp and Instagram, young members had reportedly expressed sympathetic attitudes towards Nazi and fascist ideologies. A 23-year-old student, appointed as the coordinator of the Zuid-Holland branch of the Party, stated that: “Jews have international pedo networks and help women en masse into pornography”, and argued socialism would be the desirable solution. Within one group, multiple antisemitic songs, used originally as Nazi propaganda to incite hatred against Jews, were shared and praised.

Thierry Baudet, the leader of the group, has resigned as a result and claimed that assuming responsibility for the antisemitic content was not an immediate reason for stepping down from his position, despite calls for his removal prior to the internal disciplinary review.

Mr Baudet said, in a video published on his social media pages, that he was announcing his resignation and feared a “trial by the media” would ensue, with claims that Party members were willing to “throw people under the bus”. He has, however, urged all Party members responsible for the antisemitic materials and their enablers to leave the Party immediately.

The Party’s youth division is currently under investigation to establish how the messages were distributed and to identify all perpetrators.

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.

, ,

As Labour whip asks Jeremy Corbyn to apologise, CAA is resolute: “An apology is no substitute for justice”

Labour’s Opposition Chief Whip, Nick Brown, has written to Jeremy Corbyn, the former Leader, urging him to apologise in return for a restoration of the whip.

Mr Corbyn was recently suspended for downplaying the extent of antisemitism in the Party but was then rapidly readmitted to the Party in a shambolic process that represented a con of the Jewish community. Under pressure, Sir Keir Starmer declined to restore the whip to Mr Corbyn, however, maintaining the suspension for three months and implying that the suspension would roll over repeatedly.

Now, Mr Brown has written to Mr Corbyn, urging him to “unequivocally, unambiguously and without reservation” apologise for his inflammatory comments and commit to cooperating with the Labour Party in its implementation of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) recommendations.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “An apology is no substitute for justice. If Labour wishes to be taken seriously, it must investigate both of our major complaints against Jeremy Corbyn under an independent disciplinary process, as well as our complaints against other sitting MPs, and take decisive action. If our complaint against Mr Corbyn is upheld, he must be expelled. The Jewish community and the British public deserve justice from Labour, not more excuses. Labour’s offer to Mr Corbyn to apologise in return for a restoration of the whip is decidedly a step in the wrong direction.”

Previous research by Campaign Against Antisemitism has shown that Mr Brown, who also served as Opposition Chief Whip under Mr Corbyn, has had little to say on Labour’s antisemitism crisis over the past several years.

Campaign Against Antisemitism recently 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 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.

In the first release of its Antisemitism in Political Parties research, Campaign Against Antisemitism showed that Labour Party candidates for Parliament in the 2019 general election accounted for 82 percent of all incidents of antisemitic discourse by parliamentary candidates.

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

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

, ,

With pro-Corbyn members leaving Labour en masse, other parties must stand guard against importation of Labour antisemitism

According to recent reports, the Labour Party has lost tens of thousands of members since Sir Keir Starmer became leader, with the exodus apparently accelerating since the suspension of Jeremy Corbyn.

This is the first time since Mr Corbyn’s election as Leader that the Party’s membership has fallen below half a million, which was itself a staggering achievement for a British political party in the current era.

There was a great deal of concern over entryism during Mr Corbyn’s two leadership primary campaigns and, more generally, over the possibility that many of these new members were tolerant of or held far-left antisemitic views. These concerns appeared to be borne out over the course of Mr Corbyn’s tenure as Leader, and Campaign Against Antisemitism’s 2019 Antisemitism Barometer showed, based on analysis of polling conducted by YouGov, that people holding four or more antisemitic views were particularly attracted to Mr Corbyn.

Since Mr Corbyn’s resignation as Leader and the increasingly heated confrontation between different factions in the Labour Party, it has become evident that some of these pro-Corbyn members – some of whom were returning to Labour after decades outside of the Party and others who had joined the Party for the first time – were becoming disillusioned. Campaign Against Antisemitism has long been concerned about where some of these Labour members might go next.

Joe Glasman, Head of Political and Government Investigations at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “We continue to urge other parties – especially, for obvious reasons, on the political Left – to be vigilant that anyone espousing antisemitic tropes not be made welcome in their parties. Antisemitism has no place in any political party, and the EHRC has rightly addressed the conclusions of its report into Labour to all political parties. It would be a tragedy for Britain if anti-Jewish racism were not only to persist in Labour but to reappear on such a scale in any other Party.”

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

In the first release of its Antisemitism in Political Parties research, Campaign Against Antisemitism showed that Labour Party candidates for Parliament in the 2019 general election accounted for 82 percent of all incidents of antisemitic discourse by parliamentary candidates.

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

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

, ,

Plaid Cymru divided: One former leader appears to endorse claim that Labour antisemitism accusations are “smear”, while another former leader says Party “cannot tolerate” antisemitism

Plaid Cymru has seen two former leaders at odds over antisemitism, with one appearing to endorse conspiratorial denials of antisemitism in the Labour Party and another calling for no tolerance of anti-Jewish racism.

Leanne Wood, who served as leader of the Welsh Nationalist Party until 2018, appeared to endorse tweets by a controversial American journalist that read: “I’ve never seen a more flagrant, repellent and cynical exploitation of antisemitism in my life than its disgusting use to smear [Jeremy] Corbyn because of a lack of alternatives for how to defeat him. Nothing has trivialized this cause more than what British Blairites have done.”

A further tweet in the thread said: “Jeremy Corbyn is a better human being by a multiple of about 1,000 than all of the Oxbridge cretins in politics and media who have united to cynically smear him with accusations they know in their rotted souls are false.”

This is not the first time that Ms Wood has waded into the Labour antisemitism scandal, coming to the apparent defence of Rebecca Long-Bailey, who was sacked from Labour’s Shadow Cabinet earlier this year after she promoted an article containing an antisemitic conspiracy theory.

Plaid Cymru, after a recent antisemitism scandal, has announced that it is holding a review into antisemitism in its Party, to which Campaign Against Antisemitism shall be making submissions. The review will be led by the Party’s Westminster leader, Liz Saville Roberts MP.

Commenting on the review, Lord Wigley, who led Plaid Cymru in the 1980s and 1990s, said: “I cannot comment in detail, but it’s absolutely clear that Plaid Cymru cannot tolerate antisemitism or any other form or racism. Liz Saville Roberts is a first-class MP and I have no doubt she will come to the right conclusions.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “It is evident from our research, media reports, and contact from ordinary Plaid Cymru members and members of the public that there are divisions within the Party as to how to address antisemitism. On one side are culprits, enablers and defenders, and on the other are those fighting to eradicate it. We hope the Party’s review into antisemitism, to which we shall be making submissions, will aid the right side of that internal conflict.”

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.

, ,

Lord Desai’s principled resignation from Labour over Sir Keir’s handling of antisemitism shows Party is not making progress under its new leader

Lord Desai has resigned from the Labour Party over its antisemitism crisis, and in particular over Jeremy Corbyn’s rapid and controversial readmission following the former Leader’s suspension.

In a letter to The Times Lord Desai, an economist who was made a peer in 1991, wrote: “Sir, You are right to be worried about the likelihood of success of the policies of the leader of the Labour Party to fight antisemitism. I agree with you that this makes the persistence of antisemitism more likely than not. I have submitted my resignation from the Labour Party after 49 years of membership.”

Mr Corbyn was suspended for downplaying antisemitism in the wake of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) damning report into anti-Jewish racism in the Labour Party last month, but was readmitted less than three weeks later, using a fast-track disciplinary process that the EHRC had declared unfit for purpose. Sir Keir Starmer has, however, not restored the whip to Mr Corbyn, from which he will be suspended for three months.

Lord Desai also said of this series of events: “It was a very peculiar decision to allow him back without any apology. He has been refused the party whip in the House of Commons for a few months, but that is a very lame response to a very big crisis,” adding: “I have been very uncomfortable and slightly ashamed that the party has been injected with this sort of racism. Jewish MPs were abused openly, and female members were trolled. It is out and out racism.”

Lord Desai’s resignation is the first over antisemitism under Sir Keir’s leadership, and is reminiscent of the MPs and peers who resigned from the Party over antisemitism when Mr Corbyn was Leader.

Gideon Falter, Chief Executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “Lord Desai’s principled resignation from the Labour Party over antisemitism is the first such departure since Sir Keir Starmer became leader. It is a courageous decision reminiscent of those MPs and peers who quit the Party under Jeremy Corbyn in disgust. Lord Desai’s decision comes after Labour conned the Jewish community by suspending Mr Corbyn and then readmitting him under a specially-fast tracked hearing using a disciplinary process that the EHRC had ruled was unfit for purpose. Lord Desai saw what the entire Jewish community saw: a déjà vu return to the revolving door approach to antisemitism instead of the just and fair due process that Sir Keir promised and the EHRC demanded.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism recently 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 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.

In the first release of its Antisemitism in Political Parties research, Campaign Against Antisemitism showed that Labour Party candidates for Parliament in the 2019 general election accounted for 82 percent of all incidents of antisemitic discourse by parliamentary candidates.

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

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

, ,

Success for CAA as backbench MPs will today debate a resolution calling for Government to bring forward Online Harms Bill, echoing our petition signed by thousands

In response to our petition calling for the Government to bring forward its Online Harms Bill, we have received confirmation that there will be a debate in Parliament today on “regulation and prevention of online harms”.

The subject of the debate was determined not by the Government, however, but by the Backbench Business Committee.

Specifically, the debate is on a motion that proposes “that the House recognises the need to take urgent action to reduce and prevent online harms and urges the Government to bring forward the Online Harms Bill as soon as possible”.

Campaign Against Antisemitism launched a petition in August, in the aftermath of the Wiley episode, calling for new legislation urgently to introduce a requirement for technology companies to remove racist incitement within set timeframes, a duty of care for social networks with personal liability for executives, and tighter requirements to provide evidence to police under warrant.

The petition can be signed here: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/333146/

, ,

New evidence emerges showing that incompetence, factionalism and politicisation remain the hallmarks of Labour’s disciplinary process under Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership

More and more evidence is emerging that Labour’s disciplinary process remains a politicised shambles almost a month after the Equality and Human Rights Commission slammed it in a damning report and demanded that the Party introduce an independent system.

Item: Campaign Against Antisemitism submitted a complaint against Kate Linnegar, Labour’s Parliamentary candidate for North Swindon in the 2019 General Election, but was told by the Party that “this person is not a member of the Labour Party.” Given that Ms Linnegar still features prominently on the North Swindon Constituency Labour Party’s website, there appears to be some confusion as to whether she is a member or not.

Naturally, this raises questions about the coherence of the Party’s processes. But a couple of years ago, Labour Against Antisemitism alleged that Labour might be letting some subjects of antisemitism complaints off the hook by claiming that the Party could not find evidence that they were members of the Party and therefore could not take the complaints forward. The conclusion appears to be that either the Party’s membership system is still a shambles or its operation remains politicised.

Item: Gurinder Singh Josan, a member of Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC), was reported to have been on the panel that readmitted Jeremy Corbyn following his recent suspension, and that the panel’s decision was unanimous. However, Mr Josan has now cast doubt on the smoothness of the process and the matter of unanimity, complaining of the dissemination of “false information”. He has also stated that he has “written to the General Secretary informing him I shall forthwith not be volunteering to be part of any further disputes panels until concerns I have raised are fully addressed.” Further, he has called for the Party to “expedite an independent complaints process”. Evidently, the factionalism that dominated the complaints procedures during Mr Corbyn’s tenure as leader of the Party has not remotely disappeared.

Indeed, a snap poll by YouGov has showed that, while half of Britons agreed that Sir Keir Starmer was right not to restore the whip to Mr Corbyn (with only a fifth disagreeing), Labour voters were split 38% in favour to 32% opposed. The Labour Party is as divided as ever on whether and how to address antisemitism.

Item: Although Sir Keir’s election seemed to herald an end to the factionalism and politicisation that has prevailed in Labour for the past several years in relation to antisemitism, there are now reports that Mr Corbyn’s non-apology, his expedited NEC hearing and readmission to the Labour Party were part of a deal cooked up between Sir Keir’s office and far-left union allies of Mr Corbyn. It has even been suggested that Sir Keir was prepared to restore the whip to Mr Corbyn and only balked under pressure from some of his MPs.

At best, Mr Corbyn’s suspension and rapid readmission is a shambles that demonstrates that incompetence, factionalism and politicisation remain the hallmarks of Labour’s disciplinary process, even a month after the EHRC called for an independent process, over half a year since Sir Keir became leader, and almost a year since he promised to introduce an independent process. At worst, with this series of inconclusive developments, Sir Keir has tried to con the Jewish community.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has submitted two major complaints against Mr Corbyn and further complaints against other sitting Labour MPs, which must be investigated by the Party under an independent disciplinary process.

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.

In the first release of its Antisemitism in Political Parties research, Campaign Against Antisemitism showed that Labour Party candidates for Parliament in the 2019 general election accounted for 82 percent of all incidents of antisemitic discourse by parliamentary candidates.

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

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

, ,

“Sir Keir is offering the Jewish community crumbs” by withholding the whip from Jeremy Corbyn after former leader was readmitted by sham process

Campaign Against Antisemitism has reacted to Sir Keir Starmer’s statement that he is withholding the whip from Jeremy Corbyn, who was yesterday readmitted to the Labour Party by the same processes that the Equality and Human Rights Commission had declared unfit for purpose.

Gideon Falter, Chief Executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “We have been conned. We did not go to the lengths of asking the EHRC to investigate the Labour Party only to return to the days of opaque, arbitrary decisions by panels that are unfit for purpose.

“Withholding the whip from Jeremy Corbyn is offering the Jewish community crumbs. The EHRC ruled that Labour’s disciplinary processes were unfit but Sir Keir allowed Mr Corbyn to be tried under them. Not only that, but Mr Corbyn should never have been suspended merely for his response to the EHRC’s damning report, but for the responsibility he bears for the Labour Party being found guilty of committing unlawful acts of antisemitism by the EHRC.

“Sir Keir needs to get a grip of his Party and ensure that Mr Corbyn is held to account for what he did to Britain’s Jews. Who is in charge of the Labour Party? Today, we have submitted a second complaint against Mr Corbyn, calling for him to be held to account not by a sham panel but by an independent disciplinary process, as required by the EHRC. Sir Keir must suspend him pending that process, and, if our complaint is upheld, Mr Corbyn must be expelled.”

Earlier today, Campaign Against Antisemitism lodged a further complaint against Mr Corbyn, alleging that he bears personal responsibility for the Party’s institutional antisemitism and must be held to account. We previously submitted a complaint against Mr Corbyn and other sitting MPs which the Labour Party has yet to acknowledge, let alone investigate, and now we have submitted a further complaint against Mr Corbyn.

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.

In the first release of its Antisemitism in Political Parties research, Campaign Against Antisemitism showed that Labour Party candidates for Parliament in the 2019 general election accounted for 82 percent of all incidents of antisemitic discourse by parliamentary candidates.

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

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

, ,

CAA files new complaint seeking expulsion of Jeremy Corbyn over his responsibility for Labour being found guilty by EHRC of unlawful acts of antisemitism

Today, Campaign Against Antisemitism has filed a further complaint against the former Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, over his personal responsibility for the Party being found guilty of unlawful acts of antisemitism, for which he must be held to account.

Mr Corbyn was suspended over remarks he made in reaction to the damning report issued by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), but less than three weeks later he was yesterday readmitted to the Party by the same processes that the EHRC had declared unfit for purpose. Alarmingly, the decision was made by a panel of Labour’s National Executive Committee, its ruling body, on which allies of Sir Keir Starmer have a majority.

We previously submitted a complaint against Mr Corbyn and other sitting MPs which the Labour Party has yet to acknowledge, let alone investigate, and today’s complaint against Mr Corbyn is additional to that earlier complaint.

In the letter, which had extensive input from expert legal counsel, Chief Executive Gideon Falter and Head of Political and Government Investigations Joe Glasman wrote: “Given the seriousness of the conduct complained of, Campaign Against Antisemitism requests that Mr Corbyn be suspended pending the outcome of an investigation of the complaint under the independent disciplinary and complaints machinery that the EHRC requires must be established. That process is likely to require independent determination of when conduct is ‘prejudicial, or…grossly detrimental to the Party.’ Campaign Against Antisemitism requests that in the event the complaint is upheld, the appropriate sanction should be expulsion from the Labour Party.”

Gideon Falter, Chief Executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “We have been conned. We did not go to the lengths of asking the EHRC to investigate the Labour Party only to return to the days of opaque, arbitrary decisions by panels that are unfit for purpose.

“Withholding the whip from Jeremy Corbyn is offering the Jewish community crumbs. The EHRC ruled that Labour’s disciplinary processes were unfit but Sir Keir allowed Mr Corbyn to be tried under them. Not only that, but Mr Corbyn should never have been suspended merely for his response to the EHRC’s damning report, but for the responsibility he bears for the Labour Party being found guilty of committing unlawful acts of antisemitism by the EHRC.

“Sir Keir needs to get a grip of his Party and ensure that Mr Corbyn is held to account for what he did to Britain’s Jews. Who is in charge of the Labour Party? Today, we have submitted a second complaint against Mr Corbyn, calling for him to be held to account not by a sham panel but by an independent disciplinary process, as required by the EHRC. Sir Keir must suspend him pending that process, and, if our complaint is upheld, Mr Corbyn must be expelled.”

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.

In the first release of its Antisemitism in Political Parties research, Campaign Against Antisemitism showed that Labour Party candidates for Parliament in the 2019 general election accounted for 82 percent of all incidents of antisemitic discourse by parliamentary candidates.

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

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

, ,

Corbyn’s readmission by the Labour Party shows the Jewish community has been conned, and he must be resuspended immediately pending a real investigation into our complaint

In a shambolic development, Jeremy Corbyn has been readmitted to the Labour Party following a decision by a panel of Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC).

Labour’s former leader was recently suspended from the Party after making inflammatory remarks about the report into Labour antisemitism by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and the submission of a complaint against him, cataloguing his long history of antisemitism, by Campaign Against Antisemitism.

Earlier today, Mr Corbyn issued a statement trying to clarify his recent remarks about the EHRC, doubtless in anticipation of this hearing by the NEC panel.

That panel, a majority of which, reportedly, were pro-Corbyn activists, has now lifted Mr Corbyn’s suspension and readmitted him to the Party. The panel was selected by the NEC, on which allies of Sir Keir Starmer have a majority.

Gideon Falter, Chief Executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “The shambolic suspension and readmission of Jeremy Corbyn appears to have been nothing more than a media stunt to blunt the blow of the EHRC’s report last month, which forensically analysed the hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument we submitted as complainant. That report condemned Mr Corbyn and his allies for presiding over the institutionalisation of antisemitism in the Labour Party.

“By readmitting Mr Corbyn, the Labour Party has once again excused antisemitism and proved itself unwilling to address it. Mr Corbyn’s suspension should have remained in place until all of our complaints against him were investigated, but no investigation has been undertaken. Once again, we see the impact of Labour’s failure to implement an independent disciplinary process as demanded by the EHRC and Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership pledges that have now gone unfulfilled for almost a year.

“The Jewish community has been conned. Mr Corbyn must be resuspended immediately pending investigation of our complaint against him under the new independent process mandated by the EHRC. Britain is watching.”

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.

In the first release of its Antisemitism in Political Parties research, Campaign Against Antisemitism showed that Labour Party candidates for Parliament in the 2019 general election accounted for 82 percent of all incidents of antisemitic discourse by parliamentary candidates.

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

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

, ,

Jeremy Corbyn’s statement today changes nothing and he must remain suspended until CAA’s full complaint against him has been investigated

Jeremy Corbyn, Labour’s former leader who was recently suspended from the Party, has issued a statement “clarifying” his inflammatory remarks about the report into Labour antisemitism by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). However, he has not addressed his own long history of antisemitism, which was recorded in a complaint made by Campaign Against Antisemitism shortly before he was suspended.

Mr Corbyn was suspended two weeks ago after Campaign Against Antisemitism submitted a detailed disciplinary complaint against him and other sitting MPs, and just hours after the publication of the EHRC’s report after he appeared to downplay the extent of antisemitism in the Party. At the time, he said: “One antisemite is one too many, but the scale of the problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents inside and outside the party, as well as by much of the media. That combination hurt Jewish people and must never be repeated.” This was not the first time that Mr Corbyn (or his allies) had tried to undermine confidence in the EHRC’s report.

Now, Mr Corbyn has issued a new statement, in which he said: “We must never tolerate antisemitism or belittle concerns about it. And that was not my intention in anything I said this week. I regret the pain this issue has caused the Jewish community and would wish to do nothing that would exacerbate or prolong it. To be clear, concerns about antisemitism are neither ‘exaggerated’ nor ‘overstated’. The point I wished to make was that the vast majority of Labour Party members were and remain committed anti-racists deeply opposed to antisemitism. I fully support Keir Starmer’s decision to accept all the EHRC recommendations in full and, in accordance with my own lifelong convictions, will do what I can to help the Party move on, united against antisemitism which has been responsible for so many of history’s greatest crimes against humanity.”

He went on to thank “the many thousands of Labour party members, trade unionists, and supporters in Britain and around the world, who have offered their solidarity.” Campaign Against Antisemitism has been monitoring the solidarity that Mr Corbyn has received, and there are reports now of optimism on Labour’s far-left that Mr Corbyn will be reinstated.

However, in his statement, Mr Corbyn only referred to his remarks about the EHRC, which represented only one of some eighteen incidents of antisemitic discourse in which Mr Corbyn has been involved. The Labour Party must undertake a full investigation of all of these incidents before Mr Corbyn’s suspension can possibly be lifted.

Gideon Falter, Chief Executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Mr Corbyn’s statement today seeks to recast his comments gaslighting the Jewish community when the EHRC’s report into Labour antisemitism was released. This is a desperate attempt to have his suspension lifted and reveals that he still believes that suspensions are something that happen on the whim of the Leader as it did during his tenure, and not as a result of any due process. If the Labour Party wants to build on the positive step of suspending Mr Corbyn, it must investigate the entirety of our complaint against him under the independent disciplinary process that the EHRC has mandated, and do so within six months. Reinstating Mr Corbyn now would only show that Labour is not serious about tackling antisemitism, or is incapable of 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.

In the first release of its Antisemitism in Political Parties research, Campaign Against Antisemitism showed that Labour Party candidates for Parliament in the 2019 general election accounted for 82 percent of all incidents of antisemitic discourse by parliamentary candidates.

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

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

, ,

Corbyn suspension spurs confrontation between local Constituency Labour Parties and central Labour Party

The suspension of Jeremy Corbyn following the publication of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s report into Labour antisemitism and the submission of a complaint against Mr Corbyn and other MPs by Campaign Against Antisemitism appears to have spurred a confrontation within the Party between several Constituency Labour Parties (CLPs) and the Labour Party headquarters.

Among the CLPs to express support for or solidarity with Mr Corbyn are Battersea, Bristol North West, Bristol West, Blyth Valley, Camarthen East and Dinefwr, Cardiff North, Carlisle, Hastings and Rye, Islington North (Mr Corbyn’s CLP), Leeds East, Liverpool Walton, Newton Abbott, Pendle, Putney, and South Thanet.

Various other local branches of the Party have also passed motions of solidarity or expressed support for the suspended former leader.

The motions and expressions of support came only a few days after the Party’s General-Secretary, David Evans, warned CLPs not to discuss disciplinary cases. A few months ago he also warned them to avoid discussion of sensitive issues relating to antisemitism.

Apparently as a result of these motions and other inflammatory tweets, the Chair and co-Secretary of Bristol West and other members of that CLP have been suspended from Labour.

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.

In the first release of its Antisemitism in Political Parties research, Campaign Against Antisemitism showed that Labour Party candidates for Parliament in the 2019 general election accounted for 82 percent of all incidents of antisemitic discourse by parliamentary candidates.

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

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

, ,

“Jew process” Councillor Jo Bird under investigation by Labour for third time after reportedly suggesting antisemitism is being privileged over other forms of racism

The controversial councillor, Jo Bird, is understood to be under investigation by the Labour Party for the third time in recent years after reportedly suggesting that antisemitism is being privileged over other forms of racism.

Last week, Cllr Bird reportedly told a meeting of the far-left faction ‘Don’t Leave, Organise’: “As a Jew, I worry about racism against Jewish people. I also worry about privileging the racism faced by Jewish communities in this country as more worthy of resources than other forms of discrimination such as against black people, Palestinians, Muslims and refugees. Abuses of power are measured in detentions, deportations and deaths. Privileging one group over another group is divisive. It’s bad for the many, as well as bad for the Jews.”

Cllr Bird represents the Bromborough Ward on Wirral Council and 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”. She recently failed in her bid for election to Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee.

Cllr Bird rejoined the Labour Party in 2015, when Jeremy Corbyn was running for the Party’s leadership, and last year she had previously been tipped to become a candidate to replace Dame Louise Ellman, a Jewish MP who quit Labour prior to the election due to 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.

, ,

Concern as former Labour MP Ruth George selected as council candidate even as CAA complaint against her is pending

Concerns have been raised following the announcement that former Labour MP Ruth George has been selected as a candidate for the Party in upcoming local council elections, despite a complaint against her having recently been submitted by Campaign Against Antisemitism.

The complaint was submitted on the day that the report into Labour antisemitism by the Equality and Human Rights Commission was published, and details of the incidents relating to Ms George can be found here.

Despite the complaint being outstanding and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s pledge to tear out antisemitism “by its roots” from the Party, Ms George has served as a County Councillor for Whaley Bridge and Blackbrook for the last nine months (she lost her seat in Parliament in the 2019 General Election) and has now been selected for as a candidate for the County Council election in May.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “The continued service of Ruth George as a Labour councillor and now her selection as a candidate for the coming elections, while our complaint against her relating to antisemitism remains outstanding, is difficult to square with Sir Keir Starmer’s pledge to tear out antisemitism ‘by its roots’. That complaint, along with the other complaints we have submitted against sitting and former MPs and other officeholders, must be investigated by an independent disciplinary process and concluded within six months.”

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.

In the first release of its Antisemitism in Political Parties research, Campaign Against Antisemitism showed that Labour Party candidates for Parliament in the 2019 general election accounted for 82 percent of all incidents of antisemitic discourse by parliamentary candidates.

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

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

,

Finnish government steps back from circumcision ban following advocacy by coalition of Finnish and British campaigners

The Finnish government’s decision to scrap a measure that would have banned brit milah (religious circumcision) has been welcomed by Finnish and British campaigners.

A bill aimed at banning female genital mutilation originally contained language relating to non-medical circumcision, which could have led to a ban on religious circumcision for boys. Following representations from the Central Council of Finnish Jewish Communities and intervention by the Anglo-Jewish advocacy groups, as well as diplomats and politicians, lawmakers in Finland changed the language in the draft legislation.

The bill, which was passed on Friday, was drafted after some 50,000 Finns signed a petition calling for a specific law against female genital mutilation.

The issue of circumcision of boys will be re-examined and “clarified” in future, it is understood, but for now a ban “has been averted”, according to one campaigner.

There have been various attempts to ban religious circumcision of boys across Europe. Anti-immigration parties often join forces with more liberal groups who view the custom as, among other things, “a violation of children’s rights.” Jews and Muslims campaign against this push.

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.

,

Ontario Government insists it has adopted the entire International Definition of Antisemitism, including all of the integral examples

Ontario’s Government has insisted that it has adopted the entire International Definition of Antisemitism, including all of the integral examples.

There have been claims recently that the Canadian province did not adopt all of the examples in the Definition, which are integral to its meaning and utility, but the Government has rejected these claims.

For example, a Conservative MPP reportedly stated that the Definition adopted by the Order in Council would be more limited than its opponents feared, which caused subsequent concern in the Jewish community.

However, A spokesperson for the Government House Leader has confirmed that Ontario endorses the Definition in its entirety, including the “illustrative examples”.

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.

, ,

CAA to make submissions to Plaid Cymru after it announces review into antisemitism in its own ranks following publication of damning EHRC report into Labour

The Welsh nationalist party, Plaid Cymru, has announced that it is holding a review into antisemitism in its Party.

The announcement follows the publication of the damning report into antisemitism in the Labour Party by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant in the EHRC’s investigation, having made the formal referral that prompted the launch of the unprecedented full statutory investigation. 

Plaid Cymru’s internal review will reportedly be led by Liz Saville Roberts MP, the leader of the Party’s small contingent at Westminster, and it aims to ensure that there is “zero tolerance” of antisemitism in the Party.

However, the announcement comes shortly after the Party showed that it has no intention of actually tackling antisemitism after deciding not to take action against repeat offender and prospective Welsh Assembly candidate Sahar Al-Faifi.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has details of other concerns relating to antisemitism in Plaid Cymru, and intends to submit representations to the review.

Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price reportedly told BBC Wales: “I think this is a watershed moment, and I think no part of society is immune from it. The Welsh Labour Party is not immune from it, Plaid Cymru is not immune from it…It’s absolutely certain that we are seeing a rising tide of antisemitism, it’s endemic.” He added: “I can’t involve myself for the very good reasons set out in the EHRC report in individual disciplinary cases, but it is my responsibility to ensure our culture, our structures, our processes, do actually fulfil a zero-tolerance approach to antisemitism and any other form of religious prejudice.” He also disclosed that Plaid Cymru election candidates are to undergo training on combating antisemitism.

Joe Glasman, Head of Political and Government Investigations at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “We welcome Plaid Cymru’s announcement of a review into antisemitism in its ranks, in the wake of the EHRC’s damning report into anti-Jewish racism in the Labour Party, instigated after we referred Labour to the EHRC. Plaid Cymru has welcomed our offer of representations, including incidents involving Party members, and we shall make these submissions shortly.

“Plaid Cymru is making the right decision to try to get ahead of this problem, but it will have to show that it is serious. Its recent decision not to take action against repeat offender Sahar Al-Faifi certainly shows that it has work to do to win the confidence of anyone who opposes racism.”

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

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

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

, ,

In grotesque attack, Scottish PSC Secretary Mick Napier calls the late former Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks “utter racist swine”

In a grotesque social media post, the Secretary of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Mick Napier, has called the late former Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks “utter racist swine”.

Lord Sacks died over the weekend, prompting mourning in the Jewish community and tributes from around the world.

The researcher David Collier observed that Mr Napier wrote on Facebook: “Utter racist swine, and moral guide for BBC Radio 4 listeners, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks has died. He extended a ‘personal invitation’ to Jews to join him and his racist successor [Chief Rabbi Ephraim] Mirvis on the March of the Flags on Jerusalem Day, ‘dancing with our brave IDF soldiers’ in the settler enclave in [sic]”. Mr Napier repeated the insult on Twitter.

The post was ‘liked’ several times, including by the antisemite and expelled Labour member, Jackie Walker. Comments on the post included “Good riddance!” and “May he rot”.

Mr Napier is an activist who was convicted of aggravated trespass and of failing to follow police orders to leave a Jewish-owned cosmetics store in Glasgow following a prosecution supported by Jewish Human Rights Watch.

Last week, a founding member of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and expelled Labour member, Tony Greenstein, lost his case against Campaign Against Antisemitism for calling him a “notorious antisemite”.

,

Canada’s new Conservative Party leader promises to act against antisemitism

Canada’s new Conservative Party Leader has promised to act against antisemitism.

Erin O’Toole told an online audience that the Conservative Party has “total unanimity” on its strong support for issues directly affecting the Jewish community.

The announcement follows controversy earlier this summer in which one of the Party’s MPs retweeted a video about George Soros, a financier, philanthropist and controversial political activist who is often the subject of antisemitic conspiracy theories.

Mr O’Toole subsequently stated that the Conservatives, under his leadership, would continue to be strong advocates against rising rates of prejudice in the country and reported that he has been in contact with Jewish community leaders to express solidarity in the fight against antisemitism.

Elected as Party leader in August, Mr O’Toole reportedly told the online audience that he personally finds the recent increase in antisemitism “deeply troubling” and stated that all levels of government must take action. He continued: “If we are not staying ahead of this by calling it out then we’re not doing a service to peace, order and good government.”

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.

,

Global Islamic religious council adopts International Definition of Antisemitism

More than 1,000 Muslim leaders from around the world have agreed to adopt the International Definition of Antisemitism.

According to a report in Al Arabiya, the Global Imams Council also made the Beirut-born, New York Rabbi, Elie Abadie, a permanent member of its inter-faith board. The Global Imams Council comprises 1,300 imams from different denominations.  

The Islamic religious leaders’ organisation adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism by “an overwhelming majority,” according to a statement. The move was intended to strengthen “bridges of peace between Islam and all religions.”

Noting that the Council was joining numerous countries that have adopted the Definition, the organisation’s President, Imam Mohammad Baqir al-Budairi, added: “We live in a time of rising antisemitism and terrorist attacks, which makes our responsibility as faith leaders greater.”

The American State Department’s Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, welcomed the vote. In a statement on Twitter, he thanked the Council for working with him to “banish 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.

, ,

Within minutes of our submission of a complaint against Jeremy Corbyn and fifteen other sitting Labour MPs, Sir Keir Starmer suspends Mr Corbyn pending an investigation

Within minutes of our submission of a complaint against former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and fifteen other sitting Labour MPs in relation to antisemitism, Sir Keir Starmer has suspended Mr Corbyn, pending an investigation.

Our letter to Sir Keir, which followed the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s unprecedented finding that the Labour Party committed unlawful acts of harassment and discrimination against Jewish people, urged him to take action.

The letter read: “That your Party became institutionally racist against Jews, causing more than two in five British Jews to consider leaving the country and necessitating the investigation that has now concluded, is an indelible stain on Labour and on those within your Party who stood by and let antisemitism take hold. The individuals responsible must at last be held to account.”

The letter submitted complaints against Mr Corbyn, Diane Abbott, Apsana Begum, Richard Burgon, Barry Gardiner, Afzal Khan, Rebecca Long-Bailey, Zarah Sultana and others.

The complaint against Mr Corbyn included his statement in reaction to the EHRC’s report, in which he said:“Anyone claiming there is no antisemitism in the Labour Party is wrong. Of course there is, as there is throughout society, and sometimes it is voiced by people who think of themselves as on the left. Jewish members of our party and the wider community were right to expect us to deal with it, and I regret that it took longer to deliver that change than it should. One antisemite is one too many, but the scale of the problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents inside and outside the party, as well as by much of the media. That combination hurt Jewish people and must never be repeated.”

Within minutes of our letter and complaints being publicised, Mr Corbyn was suspended by the Labour Party, pending an investigation.

Joe Glasman, Head of Political and Government Investigations, said: “Shortly after submitting our complaint to Sir Keir regarding Jeremy Corbyn’s statement this morning and his past deeds, we have received confirmation that Mr Corbyn has been suspended from the Labour Party and had the whip withdrawn. This is a hugely significant turning point and an indicator of real change and accountability at last.

“We referred Labour to the EHRC precisely because it was not taking out complaints against Mr Corbyn seriously. Four years since our first complaint, Labour has finally begun to take action. Mr Corbyn is part of the problem, and at last our complaints against him and other sitting Labour MPs who seemed untouchable, are now being acted upon.”

, ,

CAA statement on the EHRC’s report on antisemitism in the Labour Party

Gideon Falter, Chief Executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s report is a groundbreaking document. It is the first ever finding by the EHRC of unlawful acts. It heavily criticises the Labour Party’s former leadership. It makes clear recommendations to ensure that there is zero tolerance of antisemitism in the Party in the future. It provides a robust framework for ensuring that the Party complies.

“The EHRC’s report utterly vindicates Britain’s Jews who were accused of lying and exaggerating, acting as agents of another country and using their religion to ‘smear’ the Labour Party. In an unprecedented finding, it concludes that those who made such accusations broke the law and were responsible for illegal discrimination and harassment.

“The debate is over. Under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, the Labour Party became institutionally antisemitic. It drove almost half of British Jews to consider leaving the country. For five miserable years, every effort to compel Labour to reform failed. We were left with no choice but to refer the Party to the EHRC, which launched an investigation with us as complainant. The EHRC’s findings and recommendations today – that Labour’s leadership and culture created an unlawful environment that discriminated against Jews – closely align with the hundreds of pages of evidence and argument that we submitted to the EHRC over many months.

“Frankly, this report would not be much different had we written it. It is the dispensing of British justice that British Jews have sorely awaited, but has been denied for too long.

“Jeremy Corbyn and those around him who took part in or enabled the gaslighting, harassment and victimisation of Britain’s Jewish minority are shamed for all time. Those who defended and stood by them are shown to have made possible the closest flirtation that mainstream British politics has had with antisemitism in modern history.

“Sir Keir Starmer now has a long list of reforms to make, including establishing an independent disciplinary process so that those who put Britain’s Jews in fear for their future in this country can at last be held to account for their deeds. To that end, we have submitted complaints against Jeremy Corbyn, Diane Abbott and fourteen other sitting MPs and have given Labour six months to conduct transparent investigations and finally deliver justice for the Jewish community.

“We are immensely grateful to everyone who fought alongside us for this day to come. Too many of them have suffered greatly for their principles. They are the best of this country.”

, ,

Background: The EHRC’s full statutory investigation into antisemitism in the Labour Party, in which CAA is the complainant

Campaign Against Antisemitism first approached the EHRC at the time of the Labour Party Conference in Brighton in 2017. The conference was so rife with antisemitism that Brighton and Hove City Council’s then Labour leader, Warren Morgan, told his own Party that he would not permit use of Council premises for the conference again. Mr Morgan later resigned from the Labour Party over its failure to address antisemitism. Following Campaign Against Antisemitism’s contact with the EHRC, the Chief Executive of the EHRC issued a statement demanding that the Labour Party prove “that it is not a racist party”.Campaign Against Antisemitism made a number of disciplinary complaints to the Labour Party between 2016 and 2018 about Jeremy Corbyn, including about his defence of the antisemitic Tower Hamlets mural in 2012, his Holocaust Memorial Day event in 2010, and his Press TV interview in 2012 (Press TV is an Iranian state broadcaster which Ofcom banned from broadcasting in Britain).

The Labour Party repeatedly refused to open an investigation into our complaints against Mr Corbyn, and consequently on 31st July 2018, Campaign Against Antisemitism formally referred the Labour Party to the EHRC over its institutional antisemitism.

Subsequently, the Jewish Labour Movement and Labour Against Antisemitism Ltd made further submissions, which supported our referral. 

At the EHRC’s request, Campaign Against Antisemitism submitted detailed legal arguments in November 2018. We continued to provide additional legal arguments to the EHRC in relation to subsequent developments, resulting in the EHRC’s announcement on 7th March 2019 that it was starting pre-enforcement proceedings against the Labour Party.

Pre-enforcement Proceedings

Prior to the EHRC opening a statutory investigation, it entered into a pre-enforcement period of engagement with the Labour Party, allowing it to propose a plan of action and make representations to the EHRC giving reasons why enforcement should not commence, and offering to take action voluntarily, under the EHRC’s supervision.

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

The Labour Party failed to satisfy the EHRC that it could be trusted to address the antisemitism issue itself.

Investigation (enforcement) process

Campaign Against Antisemitism asked the EHRC to open a statutory investigation under section 20 of the Equality Act 2006 into antisemitic discrimination and victimisation in the Labour Party.

On 28th May 2019 the EHRC announced a full statutory investigation, which enabled it to use its enforcement powers.

A summary of the terms of reference of the investigation can be found here.

Most significantly, the EHRC suspected that the Labour Party “may have itself, and/or through its employees and/or agents, committed unlawful acts in relation to its members and/or applicants for membership and/or associates.” Therefore “the investigation will consider whether the Party carried out such unlawful acts.”

The purpose of the EHRC’s investigation has been to consider whether the Labour Party carried out unlawful acts.

Once the statutory investigation was launched, the EHRC was able to use its powers to compel the Labour Party to reveal details of its handling of antisemitism in recent years, including internal communications such as text messages and e-mails. It is also within the EHRC’s power to seek court injunctions against the Labour Party to prevent further antisemitic discrimination and victimisation, and it can impose an action plan on the Party and enforce compliance with the plan.

The only previous statutory investigation ever conducted by the EHRC was an investigation into unlawful harassment, discrimination and victimisation within the Metropolitan Police Service.

The only other political party to have been subject to action by the EHRC was the British National Party, but that was not a statutory investigation.

The launch of a full statutory investigation by the EHRC into the Labour Party was an unprecedented development, resulting from the EHRC’s acknowledgement that the legal arguments made by Campaign Against Antisemitism were sufficiently compelling to merit investigating whether the Labour Party committed unlawful acts.

Content of our legal submissions

Campaign Against Antisemitism submitted hundreds of pages of legal submissions to the EHRC between 2018 and 2020 with the assistance of specialist human rights counsel Adam Wagner of Doughty Street Chambers and Derek Spitz of One Essex Court Chambers.

The hundreds of pages of Campaign Against Antisemitism’s submissions provided substantial details of incidents for investigation, including incidents directly involving Mr Corbyn.

In summary, Campaign Against Antisemitism made legal arguments that:

  • An unacceptable number of antisemitic incidents of unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation had occurred in Labour in recent years, at all levels of the Party.
  • Under Mr Corbyn’s leadership, Labour’s disciplinary mechanisms for dealing with antisemitism were significantly weakened, and the machinery of the Party was used to victimise those who stand up against antisemitism. 
  • A culture of denial and victimisation developed in some sections of Labour in relation to antisemitism. For example, antisemitism allegations have often been described as “smears”.
  • The result of the toxic culture which surrounds the issue of antisemitism in Labour was that people who suffer discrimination were subjected to victimisation when they raised complaints or that they were reluctant to bring complaints in the first place.
  • Antisemitism in Labour should be judged according to the International Definition of Antisemitism, which Labour itself adopted in 2018 (under pressure) after its adoption by the Government and other major political parties.
  • Labour failed to put in place a fair and effective complaints and disciplinary process to deal with antisemitism.
  • There was substantial evidence that the problem of antisemitism in Labour became institutional.
  • Labour appeared incapable of resolving this issue of antisemitism itself.
  • There was sufficient evidence to warrant a section 20 statutory investigation by the EHRC into whether systemic unlawful acts occurred in the handling of complaints of antisemitism in relation to Labour officials, members and other representatives.

Labour’s reaction to the investigation

The announcement of the investigation following the referral by Campaign Against Antisemitism was, to date, the single most significant development in the fight against antisemitism in the Labour Party, a point acknowledged by both supporters and opponents of the investigation.

Campaign Against Antisemitism continued to receive strong backing from the mainstream Jewish community and was vilified by far-left factions within and without the Labour Party.

Some senior figures in the Labour Party, such as then-Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry, then-Deputy Leader Tom Watson and Lord Falconer, welcomed the EHRC’s investigation (while admitting that it was shameful for the Labour Party to find itself subjected to such a probe). During the Labour leadership contest, the candidates, including Sir Keir Starmer, pledged to implement the EHRC’s recommendations.

However, some elements within the Labour Party tried to undermine the EHRC’s standing, and cast doubt on its independence and thus on its eventual findings, including the Labour leadership under Mr Corbyn and his allies within the Party, who saw the investigation as a threat.

During the 2019 General Election, Labour’s Race and Faith Manifesto pledged to “Enhance the powers and functions of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, making it truly independent, to ensure it can support people to effectively challenge any discrimination they may face.” The implication was that the EHRC was not an independent body but rather an arm of the Conservative Government and therefore that its investigation and subsequent report could not be trusted. At the time, Campaign Against Antisemitism called Labour’s pledge to reform the independent body conducting an investigation into the Party “sinister in the extreme”.

Similarly, in his first interview (given to a fringe blog) since stepping down as Leader of the Labour Party, Mr Corbyn said that the EHRC was made “part of the government machine” by the Conservative Party.

Other far-left Labour activists have claimed that the EHRC itself is racist, specifically against BAME people, or at least that it has prioritised addressing antisemitism over other forms of racism, and that this prioritisation is racist.

With the removal of Mr Corbyn as Leader, his allies turned their ire on the Labour Party as well, accusing it of institutional racism against BAME people rather than Jews. As proof, they cited a leaked internal report titled ‘The work of the Labour Party’s Governance and Legal Unit in relation to antisemitism, 2014 – 2019’, which conceded the scale of the antisemitism problem in Labour but purported to show that some staffers – particularly those allegedly antagonistic to Mr Corbyn’s leadership – had deliberately frustrated the Party’s efforts to address the antisemitism crisis and had made racist or misogynistic remarks toward BAME and women MPs. At the time, Campaign Against Antisemitism described the report as a “desperate last-ditch attempt to deflect and discredit allegations of antisemitism” and a “disgrace”.

The report is subject to an investigation by the Labour Party and its leak has reportedly led to libel and data protection complaints, not to mention threatsagainst Jewish complainants mentioned in the report. It was apparently intended that the report would be submitted to the EHRC, but it is understood that the Labour Party under Sir Keir’s leadership declined to do so.

Some far-left figures within Labour have tried to make the claim that the Party is indeed institutionally racist, but against BAME people rather than Jews.

When the first signs of this argument arose, Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “It is offensive to Jews and BAME people to suggest that tackling prejudice against either community is somehow at the cost of discrimination against the other, and it is an appalling sign of the lengths to which this far-left faction will go to try to exonerate itself from its own central role in Labour’s antisemitism scandal.”

Not just Jeremy Corbyn

Although Campaign Against Antisemitism’s referral of Labour to the EHRC was triggered by the Party’s failure to address our complaints regarding Mr Corbyn, those failures were cultural and institutional.

A culture of denial that antisemitism could exist on the ‘anti-racist’ far-left of the Party was institutionally cemented by the whitewash 2016 Chakrabarti Report. The Chakrabarti Report effectively served to protect the reputation of the Party, and therefore, in an affront to natural justice, recommended that Labour’s disciplinary procedures be kept secret. The result was a process that was not independent, transparent, fair, efficient or accountable.

Consequently, Campaign Against Antisemitism has not submitted further complaints to the Labour Party about MPs, councillors, officeholders and other members because the disciplinary process is not fit for purpose, a deficiency exacerbated by the former Shadow Attorney General’s Report. Sir Keir has since promised to introduce an independent disciplinary process but has not yet done so, and has ignored our calls for him to set out a timeline. Once the Labour Party introduces an independent disciplinary process, as Sir Keir has promised, Labour will have a backlog of complaints to address.

,

Bahrain makes ground-breaking move to combat antisemitism

In what is seen as a game-changing move, Bahrain and the United States have signed a memorandum of understanding on combating antisemitism, including anti-Zionist antisemitism.

At the signing on 22nd October, Bahrain became the first nation in the Arab world to acknowledge the International Definition of Antisemitism.

At a ceremony on Thursday, which came less than a week after Israel and Bahrain signed a series of bilateral agreements normalising relations, the document was signed by the US State Department’s antisemitism monitor, Elan Carr, and Shaikh Khalid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, the head of Bahrain’s King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence.

While the signing falls short of a legislative adoption of the Definition, it is, nevertheless, seen as ground-breaking. Under the Definition, claiming that Israel “is a racist endeavour” or that Jews or Israel exaggerated the Holocaust is antisemitic.

Under the terms of the document, both sides vowed to promote and share the best practices for “combating all forms of antisemitism, including anti-Zionism and the delegitimization of the State of Israel.” In a tweet following the signing, Mr Carr said: “Thank you Bahrain!” adding that, together, the US and Bahrain would “create programmes to teach the region’s children the value of peaceful coexistence.”

 “We all know that hatred is the enemy of peace,” Shaikh bin Khalifa said at the event.

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

, ,

Former Mayor of Luton and current candidate for Bedfordshire Police chief is suspended by Labour over alleged antisemitism

The former Mayor of Luton, who is currently Labour’s candidate for Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner, has been suspended by the Party over alleged antisemitism.

Tahir Khan, who served as Mayor of Luton in 2016-17, will no longer be able to represent Labour in the 2021 election for the senior police job, and a new selection process is reportedly underway.

Although the basis of the suspension is unclear, Mr Khan is believed to have posted Rothschild conspiracy theories on social media in the past and to have claimed that the BBC is a “Zionist channel”.

A Labour spokesman reportedly said: “The Labour Party takes all complaints of antisemitism extremely seriously and they are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures, and any appropriate disciplinary action is taken.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “We are pleased that this case is being investigated by Labour, but the Party must make its processes transparent so that the Jewish community and the public can see whether and what action has been taken. The Party’s failed disciplinary processes are why we referred Labour to the EHRC in the first place, and it must now urgently introduce an independent disciplinary process in order to restore confidence in the Party’s procedures.”

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

In the first release of its Antisemitism in Political Parties research, Campaign Against Antisemitism showed that Labour Party candidates for Parliament in the 2019 general election accounted for 82 percent of all incidents of antisemitic discourse by parliamentary candidates.

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

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

, ,

Albania becomes the first Muslim-majority country to adopt the International Definition of Antisemitism

Albania has adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism.

The country’s Parliament adopted the Definition last Thursday ahead of the upcoming Balkans Forum Against Antisemitism conference, which the Parliament is organising in conjunction with Jewish groups.

Albania thereby becomes the first Muslim-majority to adopt the Definition.

Campaign Against Antisemitism applauds this decision at a time of rising antisemitism in Europe.

“It is good news that we, the Albanians and the peoples of the Western Balkans, a region that has suffered more than any other part of the world, the consequences of ethno-centrist and religious-centrist views and attitudes, join this emancipatory action of contemporary civilization: the fight against antisemitism,” said Gramoz Ruci, the Speaker of Albania’s parliament.

“All nations that throughout history have protected Jews from extermination and support them today against stigma have a right to be proud,” he said, adding: “But we Albanians have more reasons to be proud, because Albania is the only country in Europe where all Jews were taken under protection and rescued during World War II. Our homeland, Albania, in difficult times has served as a substitute soil for Jews.”

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. Serbia joins a growing list of national governments and public bodies to use the Definition.

, ,

Outspoken union leader Len McCluskey, who repeatedly downplayed antisemitism in Labour, apologises for saying a Jewish politician should “go into a room and count his gold”

The outspoken Unite union leader, Len McCluskey, who has repeatedly downplayed antisemitism in the Labour Party, has apologised after saying that a Jewish politician should “go into a room and count his gold”.

Mr McCluskey made the comment about Lord Mandelson, a New Labour grandee and former minister, in an interview with the BBC. Told that Lord Mandelson had praised the new Leader of the Labour Party, Mr McCluskey told Newsnight: “I stopped listening to what Peter Mandelson said [sic] many, many years ago. I suggest that Peter just goes into a room and counts his gold, not worry about what’s happening in the Labour Party – leave that to those of us who are interested in ordinary working people.”

Lord Mandelson has made no secret of his Jewish heritage in the past. His grandfather founded the Harrow United Synagogue and his father worked at the JC. Lord Mandelson said in 2010: “It’s not that I am religious. It’s the extended family, which part of me wants to be part of.”

The notion that Jews are rich and self-interested is an age-old antisemitic trope.

Unite defended Mr McCluskey’s remark, reportedly saying in a statement: “Mr Mandelson’s religion was not relevant to the comments made by Mr McCluskey. Indeed, to the best of our knowledge Mr Mandelson is not Jewish. The ordinary meaning of the statement made by Mr McCluskey is one of his belief that in recent years Mr Mandelson has had more interest in increasing his own wealth than in fighting for social justice for working class people. The suggestion of any antisemitic meaning to the commentary would be ludicrous.”

However, late last night, Mr McCluskey tweeted: “Before this gets out of hand, let me say language is important and I apologise to Peter Mandelson and anyone else if mine has caused hurt.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “No wonder that Len McCluskey was among those who always insisted that they never witnessed antisemitism in the Labour Party or continually downplayed it, seeing as they can’t even tell when they use antisemitic tropes themselves.”

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

In the first release of its Antisemitism in Political Parties research, Campaign Against Antisemitism showed that Labour Party candidates for Parliament in the 2019 general election accounted for 82 percent of all incidents of antisemitic discourse by parliamentary candidates.

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

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

,

Canadian human rights executive posts antisemitic meme of ‘Jewish’ octopus with tentacles wrapped around Congress

A Director of a Canadian human rights group has posted a virulently antisemitic meme and antisemitic text on Facebook and Twitter, according to a report.

Aliya Hasan, also known as Aliyawa Jamal Hasan, a Director of Canadian Defenders for Human Rights (CD4HR), uploaded a post to Facebook on 14th October featuring an octopus with a Star of David symbol and a letter “Z” (for Zionist) on its head and its tentacles wrapped around the Capitol building. Each tentacle bore the initials of a Jewish organisation. The caption read: “Dear Americans, Sorry to break it to you, but America is under occupation and Biden and the Democrats won’t change that. Sincerely, The rest of the sane world.”

Commenting on her own post, Ms Hasan wrote: “I’ll be getting blocked by some more diehard dems [Democrats] soon.” She accompanied her post with ‘sad-face’ and ‘crying’ emojis.

She added, “Just letting the trash take itself out,” with a series of ‘laughing’ and ‘crying with laughter’ emojis.

On October 14, 2020 Hasan tweeted: “Dear Americans, Sorry to break it to you, but America is under occupation and #Biden and the #Democrats won’t change that. Sincerely, The rest of the sane world.” She attached the same antisemitic meme of an octopus with its tentacles wrapped around America’s seat of government.

The notions of the Jews as excessively powerful – often illustrated through tentacles imagery – and parasitic are common antisemitic themes.

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.

,

Slovakia’s far-right leader sentenced to four years in prison

The leader of the far-right People’s Party Our Slovakia, has been convicted of using neo-Nazi symbols, which is illegal in the country. He has been sentenced to four years and four months in prison.

Marian Kotleba stood trial after presenting three disadvantaged families with cheques for €1,488 on 14th March 2017. The number is numerically symbolic for neo-Nazis and white supremacists, and the date is the anniversary of the wartime puppet state established in 1939.

The People’s Party Our Slovakia is the fourth most popular party in Slovakia, with 8% support in February’s parliamentary elections. It currently has seventeen seats in the 150-seat Slovak Parliament and two seats in the European Parliament. The Party’s members, including Mr Kotleba, openly advocate the legacy of the historical Nazi presence in Slovakia and commonly greet one another with Nazi salutes.

In 2016 the party celebrated the 129th anniversary of the birth of Jozef Tiso, who served as Slovakia’s President during the War. During his presidency, approximately 60,000 Slovak Jews were transported to Nazi death camps. His involvement led to his sentence for death and hanging in 1947.

Many rights activists and members of the country’s Jewish community have signed petitions for the banning of the Party.

Last year, the country’s Supreme Court dismissed a request made by Slovakia’s Prosecutor-General, to ban the far-right Party. He argued that the Party’s activities violate Slovakia’s constitution and seek to destroy the existing democratic system, however the court ruled there was insufficient evidence to impose a ban.

The far-right leader pleaded not guilty to the 2017 offence and therefore may appeal the verdict, which was handed down by the Specialised Criminal Court in Pezinok. If an appeal is submitted, the case would move to Slovakia’s Supreme Court.

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.

,

Spanish politician holds Jews accountable for Israeli policy

A city councillor in Spain has told an international aid meeting in Mallorca that Jews should be held accountable for supporting Israel.

Sonia Vivas, a member of the far-left Podemos party, which sits in the country’s governing coalition, criticised Israel and, when challenged, replied: “I haven’t spoken to all the Jews, but their government is elected and they’re voting for a government that constantly violates fundamental rights of Palestinians.”

According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the State of Israel” is an example of antisemitism.

Podemos became a member of Spain’s new coalition government after forming an alliance with the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party.

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

,

A “historic moment”: UAE Foreign Minister makes ground-breaking visit to Berlin Holocaust Memorial

The Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates made a ground-breaking visit to the Holocaust memorial in Berlin last week.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan visited Germany’s main Holocaust memorial with his Israeli counterpart, Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, in a visit hosted by German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas that was described by Mr Ashkenazi as a “historic moment”.

The event showcased the rapprochement between the two Middle East nations following the US-brokered establishment of full diplomatic relations between the Gulf state and Israel on 15th September.

Both sides have pointed to a sense of reconciliation and mutual tolerance as a driver of the deal – a message that the UAE Foreign Minister expressed at Berlin’s Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.

Writing in the visitors’ book in Arabic, he called the site a memorial to “victims of advocates of extremism and hatred”. He then referred to “the noble human values of co-existence, tolerance…and respect of all religions and beliefs,” before adding, in English: “Never Again”.

Mr Ashkenazi and his Emirati counterpart were in Berlin to discuss a variety of issues in connection with the promotion of relations between the two countries, according to an Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman.

The UAE dignitary’s visit to the memorial was particularly poignant given the high levels of ignorance about the Holocaust and Holocaust denial in the Middle East.

In his own inscription, Mr Ashkenazi – a former commander of Israel’s armed forces – said that his presence alongside the Emirati and German Foreign Ministers “symbolises a new era…of peace between the peoples.” It was also a reminder of the need “to ensure that this will never recur,” added Mr Ashkenazi in Hebrew.

In statements to the press issued following the meeting between the three, Sheikh al-Nahyan and Mr Ashkenazi both referred to the other as “my friend”” and pledged to continue to work together.

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

We are seeking to recruit a Communications and Research Manager an Education and Outreach Intern to join our London office

Join the fight

Subscribe
Volunteer
Donate

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.