As we mark precisely a year since the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) published its report on antisemitism in the Labour Party, it is a good moment to review how the Party has performed on this issue since then.
Campaign Against Antisemitism first contacted the EHRC in 2017 about Labour’s antisemitism problem, and by the summer of 2018 we had formally referred Labour to the EHRC, becoming the complainant in its unprecedented full statutory investigation.
One year ago today, following that investigation, the EHRC found the Labour Party to be institutionally racist against Jewish people, and the Jewish community was finally vindicated.
Sir Keir Starmer described this historic finding as a “day of shame” for Labour, having previously promised to seek out antisemitism in his Party and “tear out this poison by its roots.” There is evidence of attempts to fulfil this pledge. For instance, within minutes of our submission of a complaint against former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and other sitting Labour MPs in relation to antisemitism, Sir Keir suspended Mr Corbyn, pending an investigation (although his suspension from the Labour Party was disgracefully short-lived and he remained eligible to attend the Party’s annual conference this year). In addition, there have been proclamations by Labour’s General-Secretary to Constituency Labour Parties to avoid discussing antisemitism; the antisemitism-denial group Labour Against the Witchhunt and the disgraced former Labour MP Chris Williamson’s so-called “Resist” faction have both been proscribed, with all of their members threatened with automatic expulsion from the Party; and Ken Loach and Leah Levane have both been expelled.
Significantly, Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) resolved to introduce a semi-independent disciplinary process, a decision since endorsed by the Party’s annual conference, in compliance with the mandate by the EHRC to do so. Meanwhile, at the local level, Labour-controlled local authorities have a good record of adopting the International Definition of Antisemitism, which the Party so forcefully but unsuccessfully resisted adopting when Mr Corbyn was leader..
However, even these advances are qualified. Mr Corbyn was rapidly readmitted to the Labour Party by the same disciplinary process that the EHRC had just deemed unfit for purpose, and he remains in the absurd position of being a full member of the Labour Party but outside the Parliamentary Labour Party and therefore sits as an independent MP.
Welcome though the expulsion of Leah Levane may be, the antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation, Jewish Voice for Labour, of which she is co-Chair, has not been proscribed and remains active. Indeed it hosted yet another controversial fringe event at Labour’s annual conference this year. For that matter the pro-Corbyn Momentum faction, whose co-Chair denied that a Jewish MP was hounded out of the Party, has also not been proscribed, while Young Labour’s controversies have been ignored and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which a past investigation by Campaign Against Antisemitism found to be riddled with bigotry, has been positively welcomed by the Party.
Although majorities of the NEC and attendees at Labour’s conference supported the introduction of a semi-independent disciplinary process, significant minorities of each body did not, even though this risked putting the Party in legal jeopardy. Similarly, Constituency Labour Parties around the country have also often ignored or protested the General-Secretary’s prohibition on discussing antisemitism.
In addition, there are still significant shortcomings in how Labour has dealt with antisemitism in its ranks. Notably, the Parliamentary Labour Party and Shadow Cabinet include politicians who either actively supported an antisemitic leader — and Sir Keir himself is on record as having given his “100% backing” to Mr Corbyn — and those who did nothing as their principled and courageous colleagues quit the Party or, in the case of several Jewish MPs, were hounded out of it.
Our complaints against fifteen sitting MPs remain outstanding, and the Party is even yet to formally acknowledge them — notwithstanding reports that the complaint against Deputy Leader Angela Rayner has been dismissed without a word — which does not reflect a leadership wholly willing to address past failures. Indeed Sir Keir has repeatedly refused to engage with us, despite our being the complainant in the EHRC’s investigation into antisemitism in his Party.
Meanwhile, numerous MPs and officeholders have not been sanctioned for sharing platforms with members suspended or expelled over antisemitism, despite Sir Keir’s leadership election pledge to do so. Disciplinary actions in other high-profile cases have been reversed, and, when first published in purported compliance with the Action Plan agreed with the EHRC, Labour’s proposed complaints handbook was a joke.
More broadly, the goodwill and trust between Labour and the Jewish community that did build up in the months since Sir Keir won the leadership of the Party was wasted during the conflict between Hamas and Israel, when Labour MPs and councillors, though not alone, were too often involved in stoking communal division, ignoring displays of antisemitism at rallies and on some occasions even joining in with them.
All of this has been noted by the Jewish community. Our latest Antisemitism Barometer, published at the start of the year (with polling conducted after Mr Corbyn’s suspension and well before the conflict between Hamas and Israel), showed that British Jews feel that the Labour Party is more than twice as tolerant of antisemitism than any other political party. Remarkably, compared to the previous year’s figures (polled while Mr Corbyn was still leader of the Party), Labour performed worse, with 88 percent of respondents considering that the Party was too tolerant of antisemitism under Sir Keir compared with 86 percent the year before under Mr Corbyn, perhaps due to disappointment caused by the apparent evaporation of Sir Keir’s bold promises. At times, this sentiment has spilled into the open.
It was therefore astonishing to hear Sir Keir declare at Labour’s conference last month that he had “closed the door” on antisemites in the Party and on Labour’s “shameful chapter.” Just as remarkable was what he did not say: his keynote speech did not mention antisemitism at all, with the partial exception of his delight in welcoming Dame Louise Ellman back to the Party. In case the extent of the task still ahead was in doubt, Sir Keir’s reference to the Jewish veteran former MP was met with some hissing from the crowd.
Yet even if the leadership succeeds in redirecting the Party and, more doubtfully, confronting problems in the Parliamentary Labour Party, in the background is Labour’s vast membership, over two thirds of which still believes that the problem of antisemitism in the Party has been “exaggerated” or that there is not a serious problem — findings similar to those in a poll conducted shortly after the 2019 General Election.
We continue to encourage the Labour Party in its positive steps and fulfilment of the Action Plan agreed with the EHRC, but we will also continue to pressure the Party on its failures and inconsistencies, and ultimately expect to see our complaints investigated and upheld so that the Jewish community gets more than just the promise of justice.
Only now has the Party resolved to introduce an independent disciplinary process, but the real challenge — to which our complaints speak — will be applying the new rules to those in the Labour Party who supported or enabled the unlawful victimisation of Jewish people.
Joe Glasman, Head of Political and Government Investigations at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “One year has passed since the publication of the EHRC’s report confirming Labour’s institutional racism against Jewish people. But while Sir Keir Starmer pledged to tear out antisemitism by its roots, so far there has been only a light trimming.
“Only now, a year on, has the Party resolved to introduce an independent disciplinary process. The leadership has yet to fulfill its promise of zero tolerance, and the real challenge will be applying the new rules to those in the Labour Party who supported or enabled the unlawful victimisation of Jewish people. In particular, Labour must investigate our complaints against its MPs if the Jewish community is finally to have justice.”
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.
“A tremendous degree of antisemitism exists here,” wrote Albert Einstein about American academia in rare letter being put up for auction
A rare letter being put up for auction reveals Albert Einstein’s concerns over antisemitism in American academia.
The 1936 missive, sent to Einstein’s friend Bruno Eisner, the Austrian Jewish pianist, when Eisner was staying in New York and considering a position in academia in the United States, is being put up for auction by the Jerusalem-based Kedem Auction House.
Einstein wrote in the handwritten letter: “A tremendous degree of antisemitism exists here, especially in academia (though also in industry and banking).”
The Nobel laureate elaborated: “Mind you, it never takes the form of brutal speech or action, but simmers all the more intensely under the surface. It is, so to speak, an omnipresent enemy, one that is impossible to see, and whose presence you only perceive.”
Einstein observed that “the assignment of positions is completely disorganized, so you find out about vacancies at any given location only through personal connections,” and revealed that his assistant was driven from the country by antisemitism and took a position in Russia instead.
Eisner went on to a career as a concert pianist and professor of music with positions at universities and music academies across the United States until his death in 1978.
The letter will reportedly be auctioned this week with a suggested price of NIS 40,000 (£9,600). Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.
Image credit: Kedem Auction House
President of Colombia condemns police cadets who dressed up as Nazis in ceremony to honour Germany
The President of Colombia has condemned police cadets who dressed up as Nazis in a ceremony meant to honour Germany.
President Iván Duque said on Friday that “any apology for Nazism is unacceptable,” after images emerged last week showing the Simón Bolívar police academy in Tuluá displaying Nazi flags and other items and cadets were seen wearing swastika armbands. One cadet also appeared to have put on a Hitler moustache.
“I condemn any demonstration that uses or refers to symbols associated with those responsible for the Jewish Holocaust,” Mr Duque wrote on Twitter. He said that all those responsible would be held to account, with the head of the academy already dismissed.
The event was reportedly organised as part of an “international week” aimed at “strengthening the knowledge of our police students”.
The ambassadors of Israel and Germany urged Colombia to do more to educate people about the Holocaust.
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.
White supremacist sticker discovered on Jewish grave in Tasmania
A white supremacist sticker was affixed to a Jewish grave in Tasmania, Australia.
The sticker, with the words “White Force – Old School Aussie Hate”, was stuck over a Star of David on a grave at Launceston’s Carr Villa Cemetery.
The vandalism was reportedly discovered by a Jewish mother and daughter who visit the cemetery every week.
Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.
Image credit: Anti-Defamation Commission
Jo Bird and Pamela Fitzpatrick are expelled from the Labour Party as pro-Corbyn former MP Laura Pidcock seeks to challenge the purge
Controversial Labour figures Jo Bird and Pamela Fitzpatrick have been expelled from the Labour Party.
Cllr Bird, who re-joined the Labour Party in 2015 when Jeremy Corbyn was running for the Party’s leadership, has a long history of controversy relating to Jews, including renaming ‘due process’ in the Labour Party as “Jew process”, for which she was suspended; supporting the expelled Labour activist and friend of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Marc Wadsworth, who was thrown out of the Party after a confrontation with Jewish then-MP Ruth Smeeth; and worrying about the “privileging of racism against Jews, over and above — as more worthy of resources than other forms of racism.”
Elected to Wirral Council in August 2018, Cllr Bird is a member of Jewish Voice for Labour, the antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation, and she has described Labour’s institutional antisemitism as based on mere “accusations, witch-huntery and allegations without evidence”.
Cllr Bird appears to have been expelled for her association with the proscribed antisemitism-denial group, Labour Against the Witchhunt. Cllr Bird said on Facebook: “I’m delighted to say that the Labour Party have expelled me today. They say its [sic] for speaking at a meeting (more than three years ago) and signing a petition (early 2020) – organised by Labour Against the Witchthunt, which they banned only four months ago. I’m not free from the Labour Party’s hostile environment, where Jewish people like me are 31 times more likely to be investigated for talking about the racism we face.” She concluded by stating that “this racist Labour party is so different to the Party I joined in 2015. The Labour Party is dying as a vehicle for social justice.”
Pamela Fitzpatrick, a former Labour Parliamentary candidate against whom Campaign Against Antisemitism has had an outstanding complaint, has also been expelled. She says her expulsion was due to her having spoken to the proscribed Socialist Appeal group in 2020.
Former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell came to her defence, tweeting: “The expulsion of Pam Fitzpatrick is the culmination of a campaign of harassment that should never be accepted in any organisation, let alone the Labour Party. Join me in calling for an independent investigation into this case & reinstatement of this fine socialist.”
Another former Labour Parliamentary candidate, Corrie Drew, has quit the Party after declining to defend herself following her apparent suspension from Labour in September. Ms Drew is also a former Chair of the Bournemouth Constituency Labour Party.
The pro-Corbyn former MP Laura Pidcock, who sits on Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC), has meanwhile submitted a motion at the NEC challenging the practice of expelling Party members based on apparent involvement with groups that were proscribed after the time of alleged involvement. The motion, seconded by Nadia Jama, also calls for clarity on the threshold of involvement in the proscribed groups that qualifies one for expulsion from the Party.
Both Mis Pidcock and Ms Jama voted against the proscription of Labour Against the Witchhunt by the NEC earlier this year.
The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.
Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2019 showed that antisemitism on the far-left of British politics has surpassed that of the far-right.
Campaign Against Antisemitism advocates for zero tolerance of antisemitism in public life. To that end we monitor all political parties and strive to ensure that any cases of concern are properly addressed.
Home Secretary vindicated in banning Hamas in full, following campaign by CAA and others, after it emerges that yesterday’s terrorist who murdered grandson of prominent British rabbi was member of Hamas’ supposed “political wing”
The Home Secretary has been vindicated in her decision to ban the antisemitic genocidal terrorist group Hamas in full, after it emerged that the terrorist who murdered the grandson of a prominent British rabbi yesterday was a member of the group’s supposed “political wing”.
The Home Secretary’s announcement on Friday that she would proscribe Hamas in full followed calls by Campaign Against Antisemitism and allies for the Government to ban the terrorist group in its entirety.
Until now, the UK has only proscribed the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades — the so-called “military wing” of the terrorist group, leaving the supposed “political wing” free to operate and its supporters at liberty to proselytise, even though there is no material distinction between the supposed “wings” of Hamas, which share the same personnel and where political leaders launch military operations.
Yesterday’s terror attack, carried out by a member of Hamas’ supposed “political wing”, is a monstrous case in point.
Because of this loophole, Hamas flags can be flown, its ideology can be promoted, funds can be raised, material can be disseminated, and its representatives can operate in the UK.
In her speech in Washington D.C. on Friday, Priti Patel observed that “the current listing of Hamas creates an artificial distinction between various parts of that organisation – it is right that that listing is updated to reflect this.”
Ms Patel also said that “one of the saddest things: I’ve been a member of Parliament for ten years and antisemitism has dominated my time in Parliament, my time in politics, as an active politician, certainly in the United Kingdom. So, it’s well-versed and well-known, the acts of antisemitism that have taken place in the United Kingdom. And also some of those in political quarters as well that have been proponents of that.
“That is simply unacceptable and even this year alone, in central London and other parts of the country, in the United Kingdom, we have seen the most abhorrent and appalling acts of antisemitism, levelled against the Jewish community and that is simply not acceptable.
“And we will always stand up, we will always speak out, we will always say that we will not tolerate antisemitism which is racism and I think it’s absolutely right that politicians such as myself and others, continue in that fight to stop antisemitism and call it out.”
The fatality in yesterday’s terror attack was Eliyahu David Kay, a 26-year-old immigrant from South Africa and grandson of a prominent British rabbi. The terrorist, Fadi Abu Shkhaidem, also wounded four others before being killed by security forces.
Today, we mourn Eliyahu David Kay.
No jail for two vandals who admitted scrawling antisemitic graffiti outside synagogue in Hamilton, Canada
Two vandals who admitted scrawling antisemitic graffiti outside a synagogue in Hamilton, Canada, have avoided jail.
Liam Greaves and Blake Trautman were both nineteen when they daubed the graffiti on Beth Jacob Synagogue in 2019. They and two friends had drunk alcohol on the night of Friday 4th October at Mr Trautman’s family home. While walking to a pool club, the group stopped in the parking lot of the synagogue on Aberdeen Avenue for about a minute and a half as Mr Greaves wrote the word “Jews” on the wall and draw a red chalk line through it. Mr Trautman drew a swastika.
On nearby Kent Street, another in the group reportedly wrote “sign heil [sic]” and Mr Greaves wrote a message attacking the black community.
The synagogue increased its security measures in the wake of the incident.
Mr Greaves and Mr Trautman turned themselves in a week after the incident and a day after one of their group identified all of those involved that night. In court, they claimed that the vandalism was a “joke” intended to shock people and entertain their friends, and expressed remorse.
They were initially set to be given house arrest, but following joint submissions by the Crown and defence counsel, it was decided that the time would be served with conditional sentences including more than 100 hours of community service with a religious organisation and assessment counselling with relation to inclusion of the Jewish and black communities.
Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.
Image credit: Google
New survey shows antisemitic beliefs persist in Germany, especially among AfD supporters
A new survey has revealed that antisemitic beliefs persist across the German population and especially among voters of the right-wing Alternative für Deutschland Party (AfD).
The survey, conducted by polling firm Forsa on behalf of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, showed that almost a third (30%) of Germans agreed that Jews exploit German guilty over the Holocaust to “derive an advantage”. The figure rose to 59% of supporters of the AfD.
More than one in five (21%) respondents agreed with the suggestion that Israeli policies mirrored those of Nazi Germany, a direct reference to the International Definition of Antisemitism. This rose to 32% among AfD supporters.
Almost a quarter (24%) believe that Jews exercise disproportionate influence over German politics, while half of AfD supporters agreed.
Despite these findings, 92% of respondents agreed with the statement, “I have nothing against Jews.” However, only 57% of those surveyed agreed with the statement, “I have nothing against Zionists.”
Recently, updated figures were published by Germany’s federal government showing that, so far in 2021, there have been an average of six antisemitic incidents every 24 hours.
Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.
Holocaust memorial in Oviedo, Spain, defaced by vandals
A Holocaust memorial in Oviedo, Spain, has been defaced by vandals who reportedly punctured and scraped the stone and steel structure with a sharp object.
The vandalism in the northern Spanish city was discovered earlier this week.
Oviedo inaugurated the memorial in 2017 to replace another structure that had been situated in a well-known park in the city but had been targeted by far-right groups.
In 2017, the Spanish city inaugurated the Holocaust memorial to honor the victims of the Holocaust. The monolith replaced another erected at Parque de Invierno, one of the town’s most well-known parks, which had been the target of similar attacks by radical right-wing groups.
The Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain said of the vandalism: “We urge the Spanish authorities to condemn such acts, to restore the damaged elements immediately, and to implement educational measures to teach tolerance, mutual understanding, and the right to be considered different.”
The President of the Jewish Community in Asturias, where Oviedo is located, called the vandalism an antisemitic attack.
Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.
Image credit: Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain
At least a dozen mezuzahs reportedly stolen from Jewish students at Indiana University in the past two months
At least a dozen mezuzahs have reportedly been stolen from Jewish students at Indiana University since the High Holidays in September.
Residences in at least three different parts of the campus have also been targeted in recent months, and at least one student has been the subject of verbal harassment.
IU Hillel Director Rabbi Sue Laikin Silberberg said: “It became obvious very quickly that it wasn’t just vandalism, that it was much more than that, that it was targeted and directed specifically at the Jewish students. It’s like somebody just taking what’s so much a part of who you are and ripping it out. It is so important that we say we will not stand up for this.”
IU Hillel recently formed the Indiana University Antisemitism Task Force in response to the spate of thefts and desecration. The imitative is being supported by the Indiana University Dean of Students, Bias Response Team, and Office of Residential Programs and Services.
The Hillel also launched the ‘Mezuzah Project’, a campaign to give away free ritual prayer scrolls to Jewish students and free red solidarity mezuzah to non-Jewish students.
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.
The Government has listened: Home Secretary to proscribe Hamas in full following campaign by CAA and allies
The Home Secretary is today announcing that the antisemitic genocidal terrorist group, Hamas, is to be proscribed in full by the British Government, subject to the consent of Parliament which is not in doubt.
For several months, Campaign Against Antisemitism has been meeting with the Home Secretary and other ministers, calling on the Government to proscribe Hamas, whose ideology and activities are Islamist, nationalist, antisemitic, misogynistic and homophobic. Many also consider the organisation’s militant teachings to be a corruption of Islam.
We also drew up a detailed dossier, which we provided to the Home Secretary and all MPs, making the case for proscription in order to close the loophole in British law that has allowed Hamas to operate in the UK and which was particularly visible during the recent record-breaking surge in antisemitism in Britain during the conflict between Hamas and Israel.
During the campaign, we have worked alongside numerous allies within and outside the Jewish community.
In a major speech today, the Home Secretary will say: “Hamas is fundamentally and rabidly antisemitic. Antisemitism is an enduring evil which I will never tolerate. Jewish people routinely feel unsafe – at school, in the streets, when they worship, in their homes, and online. This step will strengthen the case against anyone who waves a Hamas flag in the United Kingdom, an act that is bound to make Jewish people feel unsafe.”
She is also expected to say: “Hamas has significant terrorist capability, including access to extensive and sophisticated weaponry, as well as terrorist training facilities, and it has long been involved in significant terrorist violence. But the current listing of Hamas creates an artificial distinction between various parts of the organisation — it is right that the listing is updated to reflect this. This is an important step, especially for the Jewish community. If we tolerate extremism, it will erode the rock of security.”
Until now, the UK has only proscribed the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades — the so-called ‘military wing’ of the terrorist group, leaving the supposed ‘political wing’ free to operate and its supporters at liberty to proselytise. Britain previously relied on the European Union’s proscription of the entirety of Hamas as a de facto ban in the UK, but following the UK’s exit from the European Union, this reliance was no longer tenable.
There is no material distinction between the supposed ‘wings’ of Hamas, which share the same personnel and where political leaders launch military operations. However, because of this loophole, Hamas flags can be flown, its ideology can be promoted, funds can be raised, material can be disseminated, and its representatives can operate in the UK.
Over the years—and particularly in recent months—our Demonstrations and Events Monitoring Unit found evidence of support for Hamas on British streets, and this is undoubtedly tied to the recent surge in domestic antisemitism. Thanks to this proscription, it will now be illegal to display Hamas flags and symbols or finance or publicly support the terror group.
The proscription of the Islamist terrorist group Hizballah in its entirety in 2019 is a fine precedent for this ban of Hamas. Just as the proscription of Hizballah in full, following a long campaign by CAA and others, sent a powerful message to the Jewish community — and Islamists — that antisemitism and terrorism will not be tolerated in the UK, so does the proscription of Hamas, particularly at a time of a record-breaking surge in antisemitism in Britain.
The first ever poll on the subject, conducted by Campaign Against Antisemitism last year, showed that an overwhelming 91% of British Jews want the Government to proscribe Hamas in its entirety.
Gideon Falter, Chief Executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “We thank the Home Secretary for listening and taking this action to outlaw support for Hamas, which seeks the genocide of all Jews worldwide. Proscription of Hamas in full shows British Jews that the Government stands firm against those who seek to harm us, and it also brings the UK into line with our allies.
“During the recent surge in anti-Jewish racism on British streets we saw numerous examples of people wearing the Hamas emblem and even the Hamas-style headband traditionally worn by its suicide bombers. The Home Secretary’s announcement tells Islamists in this country and abroad in no uncertain terms that antisemitic terror and its supporters have no place in decent society and now they can be prosecuted if they peddle their hatred in Britain. Today is a good day in the fight against antisemitism.”
Earlier this year, he daubed crosses in blood on Jewish houses, and this week he banged on doors in the middle of the night, petrifying children
Earlier this year, crosses were daubed in blood in Jewish houses on Portland Avenue in Stamford Hill in what was described as a “grotesque escalation”.
Now, the same person – apparently identified by DNA from the blood – woke families on the same street in the middle of the night by banging on their doors and windows, petrifying children
The suspect is known to the local community.
The latest incident took place overnight on 17th November and was reported by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.
If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: CAD397 18/11/2021.
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 more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.
Hope Not Hate rescinds award to artist after he appeared to downplay Labour antisemitism and was pictured with disgraced former MP Chris Williamson
The advocacy group Hope Not Hate has rescinded an award to an artist after he appeared to downplay antisemitism in the Labour Party and was pictured with the disgraced former MP Chris Williamson.
Singer Joe Solo was one of three nominees selected by a public vote to win a Hope Hero award for his anti-poverty project. The award was a joint project of Hope Not Hate and the trade union Community.
However, it since emerged that in September 2018 and February 2019 Mr Solo posted messages of solidarity with Mr Williamson on social media.
He also tweeted: “I don’t join in with the Corbyn/antisemitism row because I believe it is being used a political tool to enable much darker forces. So I believe Mr Corbyn is antisemitic? No, of course not. And nor do they…” The tweet ended with a link.
In a joint statement, Hope Not Hate and Community said: “Since the announcement of the award it has been brought to our attention that in 2018 and 2019 Joe Solo published several social media posts that we deem unacceptable.
“Hope Not Hate have long been clear that antisemitism in the Labour Party has been a major problem and vocal in our condemnation of Chris Williamson. One of the major mistakes made by the Labour Party was making excuses instead of acting when faced with antisemitism. We will not make that same mistake.
“As such we have decided to withdraw the award from Joe Solo and we have reached out to him to offer training on the issue of antisemitism and explain why we found the tweet unacceptable.”
The statement also praised Mr Solo’s work, and ended with an apology: “We also apologise unreservedly to our friends and comrades who have been hurt by this situation. We will continue to do more to be allies in the fight against antisemitism.”
After highlighting problem of racial abuse in cricket, Azeem Rafiq apologises for antisemitic comments made when he was nineteen
Azeem Rafiq, the cricketer who recently highlighted the problem of racial abuse in cricket, has apologised after antisemitic comments that he made when he was nineteen were revealed today.
The thirty-year-old former Yorkshire cricketer has been praised for exposing racism in the sport, including during his tearful testimony at a hearing of the House of Commons’ Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, where he said that racism destroyed his career.
The Times, however, revealed today that Mr Rafiq sent antisemitic messages in 2011, when he was nineteen. According to the newspaper, Mr Rafiq and his interlocutor, former Leicestershire cricketer Ateeq Javid, were apparently discussing another professional cricketer whom they appeared to accuse of being reluctant to spend money on a meal out because “he is a Jew”. Mr Rafiq joked that he will “probs go after my 2nds again ha…Only Jews do tht sort of shit [sic].”
In a statement to The Times, Mr Rafiq said: “I was sent an image of this exchange from early 2011 today. I have gone back to check my account and it is me. I have absolutely no excuses. I am ashamed of this exchange and have now deleted it so as not to cause further offence. I was nineteen at the time and I hope and believe I am a different person today. I am incredibly angry at myself and I apologise to the Jewish community and everyone who is rightly offended by this.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism continues to act against instances of anti-Jewish racism in all sports.
Sir Keir Starmer insists that “anti-Zionist antisemitism is the antithesis of Labour tradition”
Sir Keir Starmer has used a keynote speech to attack anti-Zionist antisemitism within the Labour Party.
Speaking at a Labour Friends of Israel lunch, the Party leader said: “Anti-Zionist antisemitism is the antithesis of the Labour tradition: It denies the Jewish people alone a right to self-determination; It equates Zionism with racism, focuses obsessively on the world’s sole Jewish state, and holds it to standards to which no other country is subjected; And it seeks to paint the actions of Israel as akin to the crimes of those who sought to annihilate European Jewry in the Shoah.
“Anyone who has visited a Holocaust memorial, a concentration camp or spoken with a Holocaust survivor will be struck by the cruelty of that charge.”
Sir Keir’s statement is in accordance with the International Definition of Antisemitism, which lists “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” as an example of antisemitism.
On his Party’s institutional antisemitism, Sir Keir said: “I also want to pay tribute to all those – from the Jewish community and the party – who stood up and spoke out against antisemitism within Labour’s ranks. On the day I became leader of the Labour Party eighteen months ago, my first act was to acknowledge and apologise for the pain and hurt we have caused to the Jewish community in recent years. On behalf of my party, I want to start today by firmly repeating that message once again. And apologising, once again: Antisemitism is a stain on our party.
“I said I would tear this poison out by its roots. And, together, we are beginning to do so. I always said and you have always said that actions speak louder than words and this year, we have made real progress: We have introduced a new independent complaint process; We have proscribed groups which deny or excuse antisemitism. And I am delighted to say that we have welcomed Louise Ellman back to the Labour Party.
“Our work is by no means yet complete, but I give this pledge to you today: We will not give up this fight against this kind of racism, bigotry, and hatred until it is finally won.”
Sir Keir went on to observe that “racism against Jews is held to a different standard from other kinds of racism,”
He further declared that “I am confident that this shameful chapter in our Party’s history is coming to a close.”
In this 30-minute address, Sir Keir also stated his opposition to the BDS movement—the campaign to boycott the Jewish state—the tactics of which an overwhelming majority of British Jews find intimidating.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “We welcome Sir Keir Starmer’s forthright rebuttal of anti-Zionist antisemitism and his commitment to fighting antisemitism in his Party. However, we are not as optimistic as Sir Keir that this ‘shameful chapter’ is ‘coming to a close’ as rapidly as Sir Keir would like the Jewish community and the wider public to believe. Until outstanding complaints against Labour MPs are investigated under the new semi-independent disciplinary process, British Jews will not have justice.”
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.
Suspended Oxford Dean at centre of bitter dispute criticised for comparing his plight to the Holocaust
An Oxford Dean involved in a bitter dispute at Christ Church College has been criticised for comparing his plight to the Holocaust.
The Very Rev. Prof. Martyn Percy is currently suspended after an allegation of sexual harassment was made against him, which he denies. The claim reportedly comes in the midst of his three-year battle with college academics over his modernisation plans.
In a 2,800-word blog post titled “The Red Triangle” and illustrated with a photograph of the concentration camp striped pyjamas uniform, a Star of David and a “P” symbol, used to denote political prisoners, Prof. Percy compared his case also to that of the anti-Nazi activist and pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He wrote: “My experience of the last three years has given me a tiny taste of what it may have been like to be forced to wear the red triangle that the Nazis made political prisoners wear on the streets, and later in the camps.”
He went on to write: “Over the course of these three years, I have been subjected to public impugning of my reputation, and personal attacks resulting in severe trauma and life-changing injury. I am expected to live and act as though I am a convicted sex-offender, and subjected to draconian restrictions that would have raised eyebrows had I been a paedophile on bail. Few of my colleagues raised a voice in protest. Those that have were quickly taken aside, bullied, victimised and threatened. A good friend summed up the apparent hopelessness of my position. She said, ‘they won’t let you be Dean, much as Bonhoeffer was not allowed to be a Lutheran Pastor or the theologian he was called to be’.”
He also insisted, however: “I am not comparing myself to a victim of Auschwitz here – please don’t get me wrong. I am, rather, the victim of sustained, vicious, localised non-violent hatred, with elements in the community turning on me and those who support me.”
Prof. Percy was condemned by the undergraduate Christ Church Junior Common Room and the Graduate Common Room, which described his post as “abhorrent” and claimed that he was trivialising “the suffering of victims of Nazi persecution, including the Jewish community, the Polish community, people with disabilities, people of colour, and the LGBTQ+ community, groups to which the Dean refers in his essay.” The statement insisted that it was referring only to the blog post and was not taking a position on the wider issues surrounding Prof. Percy.
Prof. Percy has removed the blog post.
Last year, he stepped down from his post while the sexual harassment claims that he stroked the hair of a woman in the cathedral vestry were investigated by the Church of England in a Church Disciplinary Measure (CDM) inquiry.
Three years ago, he was suspended following claims of “behaviour of an immoral, scandalous or disgraceful nature” in a dispute relating to his salary. He refused to resign and a retired High Court judge rejected 27 charges against him after an internal tribunal, but Christ Church refused to reimburse his legal fees.
Last year, e-mails from Prof. Percy’s colleagues disparaging him were uncovered by the media.
A spokesman for the Diocese of Oxford said of the Red Triangle article: “The article posted on Martyn Percy’s personal website is a misappropriation of the Holocaust and is unacceptable. Whatever his complaints about an investigation of a sexual harassment complaint made against him, the Dean should not compare it to genocide. We fully acknowledge the complexity and pain of the present situation for the Dean and the complainant also. Despite his claims otherwise, significant support continues to be provided for all of those involved. Meanwhile, the ongoing legal processes must be allowed to take their course, and Dean Percy remains suspended from cathedral and college duties. We are glad to see the link to the article has now been removed from his website.”
Antisemitic flyers threatening harm found at New Jersey church
Antisemitic flyers were found at a church in Westfield, New Jersey.
The flyers at the Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church reportedly threatened harm.
Ethan Prosnit, the senior rabbi at Temple Emanu-El of Westfield, said: “The Westfield Clergy Association met and discussed the flyers and I thank my clergy partners who brought the antisemitic literature to the authorities.
“I am proud to be in a community where my faith partners take antisemitism seriously and where we work together to make our town a place that honours diversity.”
Swastikas have been found in public spaces in Westfield in the past.
Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.
Image credit: Google
BBC presenter alleged to have repeatedly compared Israel to Nazis and called for “Death to you Zionist scum”
A BBC presenter has been accused of repeatedly comparing Israel to Nazis and calling for “Death to you Zionist scum.”
According to media watchdog HonestReporting, Nasima Begum, an occasional presenter for BBC Radio Manchester, reportedly tweeted “whats sad is that the Jewish population faced genocide themselves in Hitlers Germany but theyve implemented the same on Palestine for years [sic]” in 2011. The following year, she tweeted: “exiling a people from their own land justifies anything. It’s the holocaust all over again except this time it’s innocent Palestinians and ironically the perpetrators are you Zionist scum.”
According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” is an example of antisemitism.
In another 2012 tweet, she called for “Death to you Zionist scum.”
While these tweets date from some years ago, her habit of inflammatory utterances on social media has persisted. Earlier this year, for example, Ms Begum allegedly claimed that Zionists have a “hold on mainstream media.” Ms Begum also claimed this year that for similar reasons she attended a rally against the BBC – her own employer – and praised the controversial rapper Lowkey.
She has also reportedly posted other shocking remarks, such as questioning the very idea that any Israelis can be “innocent” and saying: “I swear Israel is just the most vile ever thing to exist.”
Ms Begum recently tweeted a long apology, writing that “I am deeply apologetic for any harm or offence that I have caused with my ignorant language,” referencing the “tweets from over a decade ago” but not her more recent remarks.
She further claimed that the old tweets “do not reflect my views and are not a reflection of whom I am as a person – now nor at the time that they were written. However, I take full responsibility for the utterly reprehensible and unacceptable language that I used at a time when I was driven by what I felt and considered to be the lack of fair reporting in the wider media.”
The statement went on, eventually concluding with the “hope that my apology is accepted and that my character shines through however I understand and appreciate that it may take time to heal the wounds of those that I have hurt and I do not expect anyone to forgive me. But I do want all those affected to know that this apology is sincere.”
Mr Begum’s record – coming, moreover, from someone who tweets from the handle “viva viva falesteena” – raise serious questions about the BBC’s vetting and impartiality.
Earlier this year, Tala Halawa was fired by the BBC over numerous antisemitic comments she had made on social media.
Campaign Against Antisemitism monitors traditional media and regularly holds outlets to account. If members of the public are concerned about reportage in the media, they should contact us at [email protected].
Jewish ladies chased on Clapton Common by thirteen-year-old gang reportedly threatening to kill them
Jewish ladies were chased on Clapton Common by a gang of thirteen-year-olds shouting about suicide and reportedly implying “threats to kill”.
The gang is believed to be associated with the nearby Webb Estate and is accused of harassing Jewish residents for years.
The incident took place at around 19:00 on 16th November on Clapton Common in Stamford Hill and was reported by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.
If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: CAD56 17/11/2021.
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 more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.
Anti-vaccination protesters in New York wear yellow stars and brandish swastika signs outside Jewish Assemblyman’s office
Anti-vaccination protesters in New York were spotted wearing the yellow stars that were forced upon Jews during the Holocaust and brandishing swastika signs during a demonstration that was held outside a Jewish Assemblyman’s office on Sunday.
The demonstration was organised by Rob Astorino, a Republican candidate for governor, in order to protest the bill sponsored by Democrat Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, whose office in the Bronx the rally was held outside, which called for children to be immunised against COVID-19 in order to attend school.
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz condemned the invocation of the Holocaust as “repugnant and offensive” on Twitter, before adding: “People are perfectly free to express their opinion on vaccines or any issue, but to openly display Nazi symbols outside the office of a Jewish legislator is despicable.”
Assemblyman Dinowitz also stated that he was “disgusted and offended by the antisemitic imagery that was brought to my office by apparent supporters of Rob Astorino’s failing gubernatorial campaign…People are free to express their opinions on vaccine policy and on any issue, but I draw the line at swastikas.”
He went on to say that standing next to swastikas and yellow Stars of David outside of a Jewish legislator’s office “shows a lack of integrity at best and an embrace of right-wing extremism at worst.” Assemblyman Dinowitz also called on Mr Astorino to “condemn in the strongest terms” the Holocaust-related symbols that were present at his demonstration. “I refuse to be cowed by antisemites or anti-science extremists,” the assemblyman said.
Mr Astorino took to Twitter to speak out against one of the signs bearing a swastika, claiming that he did not see the sign at the time and that, according to him, the woman holding the sign had a different one when he met her before the event. He added: “Regardless of who the woman was or why she was there, if I saw the sign I would have stopped and had it removed. Absolutely inappropriate.”
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio also denounced the symbols as “an insult to our Jewish community, especially our Holocaust survivors who have endured real pain” and stated that “This is what antisemitism looks like”, before adding: “We stand with @JeffreyDinowitz & our Jewish community.”
The inflammatory and misleading comparison has been used among other international anti-vaccination and anti-lockdown circles.
Earlier this year, Joseph Szwarc, a Holocaust survivor, spoke out against wearing the yellow star in protests, saying: “You can’t imagine how much that upset me. This comparison is hateful. We must all rise up against this ignominy.” With tears in his eyes, Mr Szwarc added: “I wore the star, I know what that is, I still have it in my flesh. It is everyone’s duty to not allow this outrageous, antisemitic, racist wave to pass over us.”
The comparison has been made across the world, including in the United Kingdom, Canada, Ukraine and elsewhere.
Anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination networks have become known as hotbeds of antisemitic conspiracy theories and tropes.
Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.
Man yells “f**k Jews” before exposing himself and chasing Jewish man in North London
It has been reported that a Jewish man was verbally abused before the offender exposed himself and began chasing the victim.
The suspect reportedly yelled “f**k Jews” before exposing himself to the Jewish man and chasing him “some distance, all the time the offender was holding his exposed private parts.”
The incident took place in Clapton Common and was reported yesterday by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.
If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: 4628541/21
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 more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.
Three arrested after shocking “death to Jews” march in Poland
Three men have been arrested so far in connection with the shocking “death to Jews” march in Poland last week.
The rally took place last Thursday – Poland’s Independence Day – in Kalisz, in the centre of the country. Participants marched to the market square chanting “death to enemies of the fatherland.”
Demonstrators also burned a copy of the General Charter of Jewish Liberties, also known as the Statute of Kalisz or the Kalisz Privilege, a medieval document that granted the Jewish community rights and protection in Polish lands.
Upon the burning, Wojciech Olszanski, a far-right activist who organised the march and is also known as Aleksander Jablonowski, said: “We are abolishing Jewish rights in this land!” and “Death to the enemies of Poland!” The crowd responded with chants of “Death! Death! Death!”
Mr Olszanski also declared: “LGBT, pederasts and Zionists are the enemies of Poland.”
Although Government and local officials condemned the far-right rally, in which hundreds participated, and a counter-protest called “Kalisz — free from fascism” was held on Sunday, concerns were raised as to why it took several days for arrests to be made.
Mr Olszanski was arrested, as was Piotr Rybak, who burned an effigy of a Jew. In 2019, he reportedly went to Auschwitz on the anniversary of the death camp’s liberation and said: “It’s time to fight against Jewry and free Poland from them!”
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “This abhorrent neo-Nazi rally is a repulsive testament to the persistence of far-right antisemitism. The promotion of such grotesque views at this march, held on Poland’s Independence Day, does a disservice to Polish patriotism. How this march was approved in the first place, despite the record of its participants, raises serious questions, but we welcome the condemnations of the rally by Polish authorities and the arrests of its ringleaders. They must now suffer the full legal consequences of their actions.”
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.
Investigation launched after courthouse in Ottawa, Canada defaced with swastika graffiti
An investigation has been launched by Ottawa police’s hate crime unit after a courthouse has been defaced with swastika graffiti.
The sign outside the courthouse was also defaced with the letters ‘SS’, the abbreviation of Schutzstaffel, which was the leading paramilitary organisation under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party.
Graffiti was also reportedly found daubed on Ottawa City Hall. Police have said that they were called to the area of Laurier Avenue West and Elgin Street yesterday at around 8:20.
B’nai Brith Canada called the incident “disturbing” and called for a Holocaust Remembrance across Canada “to combat Jew-hate in educational systems.”
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.
$10,000 dollar reward offered for information in connection with antisemitic group attack on 25-year-old in Brooklyn
A group of people allegedly attacked a man in Brooklyn in what police have described as an antisemitic incident.
The 25-year-old victim was walking in the vicinity of Empire Boulevard and Albany Avenue in the heavily-Jewish neighbourhood of Crown Heights at around 20:00 on 11th November. The victim reported to police that he had been punched in the face by an assailant who had made antisemitic remarks.
The suspect has been described as a male with dark complexion, around nineteen years old, 5”10 and approximately 140lbs.
A group of five people wearing hoodies and face coverings were also apparently seen walking on the pavement nearby. It is not clear whether the group was involved in the attack.
The NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force is investigating the incident as aggravated harassment.
The ADL has offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information that leads to an arrest.
Anyone with information should call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS.
There has been a surge of attacks on Jews in Brooklyn that have involved antisemitic epithets, including the hurling of a projectile at a man from a moving car, the beating of a man outside a nightclub, and a pregnant woman having a drink thrown in her face – all in just the past few weeks.
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.
Austrian Football Association and Austrian Football League adopt International Definition of Antisemitism
The Austrian Football Association and the Austrian Football League have adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism.
The document effecting the adoption was signed by the main footballing bodies during a ceremony last Thursday at the Judenplatz in Vienna.
The ceremony was attended by the Vice Chancellor of Austria and other Government officials, as well as the leader of the Jewish community of Vienna.
The signing took place ahead of a World Cup qualifying match between Austria and Israel in Klagenfurth last Friday.
Last year, the Premier League in England adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism.
Britain was the first country in the world to adopt the International Definition, something for which Campaign Against Antisemitism and Lord Pickles worked hard over many meetings with officials at Downing Street. Since then, numerous local council, universities and sport associations in the UK have adopted the Definition, as have several national governments and myriad municipalities and associations around the world.
Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.
“Dirty Jew, we are going to suffocate you with gas”: Eleven-year-old Jewish boy violently attacked just south of Paris
An eleven-year-old Jewish boy was allegedly attacked in France by two fourteen-year-olds in what is believed to be an antisemitic attack.
The incident took place in Essonnes, just south of Paris, in September, but has only now been revealed by Le Parisien.
According to a court account, the victim was walking home from school with his classmates when he was approached by the two suspects, who asked him if he was Jewish. When he said yes, they reportedly began to beat and choke him while verbally abusing him.
One of the assailants allegedly said: “Dirty Jew, we are going to suffocate you with gas as they did before to the Jews,” before putting his hand on the victim’s mouth. They told the victim to “surrender” before slamming him to the ground and performing Nazi salutes.
The abuse reportedly continued every day for a week until the victim told his parents. It is understood that the suspects will be charged with crimes related to antisemitic violence.
It is believed that one of the suspects claimed during questioning that he did not know what a Nazi salute was, while the other suspect did admit to understanding the gesture. One of their lawyers suggested that the pair had been influenced by a violent video game.
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.
Woman shouts “F***ing Jew, dirty Jew!” at Jewish driver before throwing stone
A woman shouted “f***ing Jew, dirty Jew!” at a Jewish driver before throwing a stone at the car.
The incident took place at 13:40 on 15th November on Filey Avenue in Stamford Hill, and was reported by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.
Police are interested to speak to a female driver of a black Nissan Juke, with registration DV17 HPE.
If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: CAD4632 15/11/21.
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 more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.
Six antisemitic incidents every 24 hours, according to German Government’s figures for 2021 so far
New figures published by Germany’s federal government show that so far in 2021 there have been an average of six antisemitic incidents every 24 hours.
As of early November, 1,850 antisemitic crimes have been reported, 335 of which involved physical violence, leaving seventeen people injured.
The data, which comes from case statistics collected by the Federal Criminal Police Office on politically-motivated crime, was provided in response to a data request by Petra Pau, the leader of The Left Party and Vice President of the Bundestag.
However, it is widely believed that the real number of incidents far exceeds the number of reported crimes.
According to Welt, only 930 suspects have been identified and only five have been arrested, with two other arrest warrants issued.
Ms Pau said: “The culture of impunity motivates offenders to commit crimes and demotivates victims to report them. Antisemitic crimes must finally be consistently prosecuted.”
The total reported antisemitic crime figures for 2019 and 2020 were 2,032 and 2,351, respectively.
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.
Man pleads guilty to wearing t-shirts in support of banned antisemitic terrorist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad
A man has pleaded guilty to wearing t-shirts in support of two banned antisemitic genocidal terrorist groups.
Feras Al Jayoosi, 34 and of Swindon, pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today to four counts of wearing an article supporting a proscribed organisation.
One t-shirt reportedly worn by Mr Al Jayoosi supported the Izz al-Din al Qassem Brigades, which is the so-called “military wing” of the Hamas terrorist group. Hamas’ so-called “political wing” is not currently proscribed in the UK, although Campaign Against Antisemitism and others are urging the Home Secretary to proscribe Hamas in full, given that the supposed distinction between the “wings” is bogus and creates a dangerous loophole in Britain.
The other t-shirt supported the banned Islamic Jihad group.
Mr Al Jayoosi was accused of wearing the shirts at Barbury Castle in Wiltshire on 30th May and then in the heavily-Jewish north London neighbourhood of Golders Green on 8th June and 9th June this year.
Mr Al Jayoosi was released on conditional bail. Sentencing is expected on 17th December.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “This was yet another brazen display of support for the Hamas terrorist organisation, which seeks the genocide of all Jews worldwide. We welcome this verdict but the police have one hand tied behind their backs in dealing with this threat due to a legal loophole that the Government has yet to close. It is high time that the Government heeded our warnings by proscribing the entirety of Hamas instead of one notionally-distinct part of it.”
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 more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.
Four Scottish Labour MSPs pictured with antisemite Jeremy Corbyn over past week
Four Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) have reportedly been pictured with the antisemitic former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn.
According to journalist Stephen Daisley, in one photograph, Mercedes Villalba, Carol Mochan and Katy Clark were pictured smiling with Mr Corbyn and Alex Rowley is pictured with Mr Corbyn’s arm around his shoulder in another.
All four are Labour MSPs.
Ms Villalba, Scottish Labour’s environment spokesperson, described Mr Corbyn as “Still the kindest man in politics,” while Mr Rowley wrote that he was “Delighted to meet with my good friend.”
Mr Corbyn was suspended from the Labour Party before disgracefully being readmitted, but he remains suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party, leaving him – and the Labour Party – in the absurd position of being a member of the Labour Party but an independent MP.
Campaign Against Antisemitism has lodged a complaint against Mr Corbyn, holding him responsible for conduct that is prejudicial or grossly detrimental to the Labour Party, as the Leader during the period of the EHRC’s shameful findings. Given the serious detriment that this conduct has caused, we are seeking Mr Corbyn’s immediate resuspension and, if the complaint is upheld, we will be requesting his expulsion. On the day of the publication of the EHRC’s report, we also submitted a major complaint against Mr Corbyn and other sitting MPs. 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.
Former Starbucks CEO invokes Holocaust in discussion over unionisation
The former CEO and chairman of Starbucks bizarrely invoked the Holocaust in a discussion over unionisation.
Howard Schultz, who is himself Jewish and who has previously toyed with a Presidential run as a third-party candidate, was meeting with employees of the coffee chain in Buffalo, New York, last week, to discuss their plans to unionise.
According to witnesses and a transcript, Mr Schultz “noted that only a small portion of prisoners in German concentration camps received blankets but often shared them with fellow prisoners.” He then remarked, “What we have tried to do at Starbucks is share our blanket.”
It is possible that Mr Schultz was trying to suggest that unionisation was unnecessary because Starbucks, the employer, was generous to its staff. If so, it was a bizarre and utterly inappropriate analogy.
Starbucks franchise locations in Buffalo were due to vote this week on whether to become the first corporate-owned Starbucks stores to unionise. Stores had shut for the day so that employees could attend Mr Schultz’s talk, which was designed to discourage unionisation. Attendance at the talk was voluntary.
Mr Schultz headed Starbucks for 37 years until he stepped down in 2018, but remains the company’s largest shareholder.
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 councillor in Redbridge reportedly has whip withdrawn after “offensive, misogynistic, antisemitic” conduct
It has been reported that a Labour councillor in Redbridge has had the whip removed after he was accused of being “offensive, misogynistic [and] antisemitic.”
Cllr Khaled Noor’s conduct “has fallen below the high standard we expect of our members,” according to a spokesperson for Redbridge Labour.
The primary incident in question was a meeting of the Labour Group in January 2021, which was chaired by Cllr Judith Garfield, who is jewish. Cllr Garfield complained that, in a lengthy intervention that delayed proceedings at the meeting, Cllr Noor spoke to her in an intimidatory tone and falsely accused her of “only supporting action against antisemitism and not other forms of bigotry.”
Cllr Noor claims that he is a victim of “Islamophobia and instances threatening behaviour, intimidation and bullying,” adding: “The allegation that I used an antisemitic trope is denied.”
A spokesperson for Redbridge Labour spokesperson reportedly said: “The whip has been withdrawn from Cllr Noor following a number of separate incidents where his behaviour has fallen below the high standard we expect of our members. The group only considers removal of the whip in exceptional circumstances where conduct breaches set standards; the fact that poor conduct has been repeated is a matter of regret but made action unavoidable.”
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.
On Kristallnacht anniversary, Austria dedicates new memorial to murdered Jews
Austria dedicated a new memorial to murdered Jews this week, on the 83rd anniversary of Kristallnacht.
The Shoah Wall of Names Memorial is Austria’s first public Holocaust memorial and is seen as a gesture that the European country is finally taking public responsibility for its past – something Austria has been notorious for avoiding for decades.
The memorial, located in Ostarrichi Park in the centre of Vienna, pays tribute to the 64,440 Austrian Jewish children, women and men who lost their lives during the Holocaust.
“With this wall, we pull their names and their history out of oblivion. We give them back their identity, their individuality and with that part of their humanity. And they once again have a place in their homeland,” said Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg. He added: “It is all the more our task to actively protect Jewish life in Austria and Europe, and to speak out against any form of antisemitism without any ifs or buts.”
The Chancellor was joined at the unveiling by the Speaker of the Austrian Parliament and other senior Government figures, as well as European Union officials and members of the Jewish community. The President of Austria was due to attend but is in quarantine over COVID exposure.
The memorial is made up of 180 “Kashmir Gold” granite slabs, each one metre wide and two metres high. They were produced in India, polished in Italy and then engraved over seven months in Austria.
Earlier this year, a Jewish group reported that it has received its highest number of recorded antisemitic incidents in Austria for the last twenty years.
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.
New survey finds that over half of Britons do not know that six million Jews were murdered in Holocaust but a majority believe it could happen again
A new survey has found that just over half of Britons do not know that six million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust.
The survey, commissioned by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, found that under a quarter of the 2,000 UK adults who were asked thought that two million Jews or fewer perished in the Nazi genocide. 89% of respondents had heard of the Holocaust, with about three-quarters knowing that it involved the genocide of the Jews.
Over two thirds of respondents – 67% – wrongly believed that the British Government allowed Jewish immigration to the UK, whereas in fact Jews were not permitted to immigrate to Britain at the outbreak of war, nor to pre-state Israel, which the British were governing at the time.
76% did not know what the Kindertransport was. The Kindertransport was an initiative in 1938-39 to rescue nearly 10,000 Jewish children from Europe.
Just over half of respondents believed that fewer people care about the Holocaust nowadays than in the past, and a majority also believed that something like the Holocaust could happen again today.
Around 90% of respondents believe it is important to continue to teach about the Holocaust.
Last year, a survey by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany found that almost a third (32%) of 18-39-year-olds in Britain were unable to name a single concentration camp or ghetto established during WWII.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “These figures are deeply concerning, underestimating the scale of the Holocaust and overestimating the generosity of British immigration policy. This is frighteningly fertile ground for the cultivation of Holocaust denial. Clearly, there is a great deal more to do in the field of Holocaust education. That a majority of respondents believed that another Holocaust could happen today underscores the urgency of the fight against antisemitism, both through raising awareness and, crucially, zero-tolerance enforcement of the law.”
Murderer of French Holocaust survivor Mireille Knoll jailed for life, while his accomplice and mother also sent to prison
Yacine Mihoub, 32, has been convicted of stabbing 85-year-old Mireille Knoll eleven times and has been sentenced to life in prison.
Ms Knoll, a Holocaust survivor, was murdered during a botched robbery in March 2018 that also saw her body set alight in an effort by the perpetrators to burn her apartment.
Alex Carrimbacus, 25, who was Mr Mihoub’s accomplice, was jailed for fifteen years for robbery motivated by antisemitism.
Ms Knoll had fled Paris in 1942 at nine years old with her mother, escaping to Portugal. They narrowly avoided the Vélodrome d’Hiver, or “Vél d’Hiv”, the largest roundup of French Jews during the Holocaust where over 13,000 men, women, and children were arrested with the majority being deported to Auschwitz. Less than 100 people returned.
Her murder was deemed an antisemitic incident with President Emanuel Macron stating that her killer “assassinated an innocent and vulnerable woman because she was Jewish.”
The court said that the attack was fuelled by a “context of antisemitism” and “prejudices” about the purported wealth of Jewish people which had led Mr Mihoub to believe that his victim had “hidden treasures” at her home.
Mr Carrimbacus claimed that he had heard Mr Mihoub shout “Allahu Akhbar,” the Islamic cry for “God is great”, at the scene, with both men blaming the other for the murder.
Ms Knoll lived next door to Mr Mihoub’s mother and had acted as a surrogate grandmother to her killer when he was a child.
Mr Mihoub’s mother, Zoulikha Khellaf, was also on trial after she was charged with cleaning the knife used to murder Ms Knoll. Ms Khellaf was found guilty of destroying objects and cleaning the murder weapon and was sentenced to three years in prison, including one year under electronic surveillance.
Tens of thousands of people were joined by Government officials in a recent silent march in memory of Ms Knoll.
The killing of Ms Knoll took place only one year after the murder of Sarah Halimi, which also occurred in Paris. Ms Halimi was a 65-year-old Jewish woman who was murdered by her 27-year-old Muslim neighbour, Kobili Traoré, after he tortured her before pushing her out of a window to her death. The Jewish community in France was carefully watching the trial of Ms Knoll’s murder after France’s Court of Cassation ruled earlier this year that Ms Halimi’s killer could not be held to stand trial due to being high on cannabis whilst committing the murder.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “After the disgraceful miscarriage of justice in the Sarah Halimi case, a life sentence for the murderer of Mirelle Knoll and prison terms for his accomplice and mother come as a relief, as does the court’s recognition of the role of antisemitism in the killing. The antisemitic murder of a Holocaust survivor is a monstrous illustration of the scale of Jew-hatred in France. It is no credit to the French judicial system that, given the Halimi precedent, this verdict and sentence were even in question. We hope that Ms Knoll’s family can now begin to mourn her. May her memory be for a blessing.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.
Image credit: Facebook
Coalition of Jewish community charities, including CAA, demands that University of Oxford does not honour Mosley family name amid donation scandal
A joint open letter from a coalition of Jewish charities, including Campaign Against Antisemitism, has demanded that the University of Oxford and St Peter’s College, Oxford, do not “honour or use the Mosley family name” amid a donation scandal engulfing the institution.
The University was reportedly given a £6 million donation from a charitable trust established by Max Mosley, the Formula One tycoon. His fortune originated as an inheritance from his father, Sir Oswald Mosley, who was leader of the antisemitic British Union of Fascists and who wedded his wife in Joseph Goebbels’ house in the presence of Adolf Hitler. Mr Mosley is believed to have supported his father’s cause — and the Union Movement, which succeeded the British Union of Fascists — during the late 1950s and 1960s.
The £6 million donation to the University was to endow the Alexander Mosley Professor of Biophysics Fund. In addition, St Peter’s College was due to receive a £5 million donation to build a new block of student accommodation named Alexander Mosley House. Mr Mosley, who died earlier this year, set up the trust ten years ago in the name of his son, Alexander, who was an alumnus of St Peter’s College and died of a drug overdose.
Writing together, the charities told the University and College: “We find it extraordinary that, at a time when the university and its colleges are reviewing their legacies and making more efforts to be inclusive of minorities, your institutions could readily accept contributions from a notorious fascist family that has caused immense pain to the Jewish community within living memory and whose fortune derives from a man who strove to see the antisemitic policies of Adolf Hitler implemented in this country,” the letter said.
“We are at a loss to understand how you imagine a present or future Jewish student will react to being taught by a professor, or having to live in accommodation, that celebrates a family whose patriarch led violent marches through Jewish neighbourhoods, and who was married at Joseph Goebbels’s house in Berlin in the presence of Adolf Hitler.”
Signed by ten national and local charities, the letter concluded by urging Oxford’s vice-chancellor, Prof. Louise Richardson, and the master of St Peter’s College, Prof. Judith Buchanan, “in the strongest possible terms” to “apply a portion of the funds to education about antisemitism, delivered by a credible organisation; dedicate some of the funds to supporting Jewish life at the University, and at St Peter’s in particular; and confirm that no project, including the endowed chair and the student accommodation, will honour or use the Mosley family name.”
The letter is signed by AJEX, The Jewish Military Association; Campaign Against Antisemitism; the Community Security Trust; Generation 2 Generation, which helps the children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors to tell their family stories; the Holocaust Educational Trust; the Jewish Leadership Council; Oxford Chabad Society; Oxford Jewish Society; the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, Europe; and the Union of Jewish Students.
It has also emerged that Imperial College London received almost £2.5 million and University College London received half a million pounds from the trust, even as both universities have been reviewing the names and legacies of their buildings in sensitivity toward other minorities.
Campaign Against Antisemitism monitors the adoption of the International Definition of Antisemitism by universities. The University of Oxford has adopted the Definition.
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].
Third man arrested over antisemitic chanting by West Ham fans on flight to match
A third man has reportedly been arrested after a video surfaced last week of West Ham fans chanting an antisemitic song at a Hasidic passenger on a flight to a match.
Two men have already been arrested in connection with the incident, during which West Ham supporters, on a Ryanair flight to Belgium where their club was playing KRC Genk, were filmed chanting “I’ve got a foreskin haven’t you, f***ing Jew” at a Hasidic fellow passenger.
A 31-year-old man from Dartford was arrested on 8th November after he voluntarily attended a police station
Essex Police Chief Superintendent Tom Simons, who is leading the investigation, said: “Essex Police will not tolerate racism or discrimination of any kind. Having been made aware of the incident this morning, officers worked quickly to secure an arrest at the earliest possible opportunity.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism has written to Ryanair asking what was done to protect the Jewish victim of the antisemitic chanting by the West Ham fans and how the airline will help the club identify and ban these supporters for life.
West Ham and the Premier League have adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “This is not the first time a minority of West Ham supporters have engaged in grotesque antisemitic abuse. We commend both the police for these arrests and the club for swiftly imposing bans on those from the video whom it identifies. Football clubs have long said the right things about kicking racism out of the football, and it is reassuring that West Ham is taking this opportunity to translate those promises into action. We are in contact with Ryanair to understand from the airline what action its crew took on board to protect its passenger from racist abuse.”
CAA calls for arrests as LSE students shout antisemitic chant, call for violence online, and try to intimidate Israeli ambassador as she leaves campus
Campaign Against Antisemitism is calling for arrests over scenes last night at the London School of Economics (LSE).
A mob of students was filmed shouting an antisemitic chant in a protest against a talk by the Israeli ambassador at their university, before trying to intimidate her as she left campus.
A rally of some 500 students were caught on film chanting “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, a refrain that only makes sense as a call for the destruction of the world’s only Jewish state – and its replacement with a State of Palestine – and is thus an attempt to deny Jews, uniquely, the right to self-determination, which is a breach of the International Definition of Antisemitism. The LSE has adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism.
In deeply disturbing online posts, an Instagram account titled “@lseclasswar”, which is believed to be associated with the protesters, posted calls for violence, writing: “Whoever smashes the Ambassador [sic] car window (Lincoln’s Inn Field), gets pints. Let’s f***in frighten her.” They also posted: “18:25, we’re storming in. let’s make her shake. F*** the old bill.”
It is a criminal offence to incite violence or to aid, abet, counsel or procure the commission of criminal damage.
The mob was prevented from reaching the ambassador by police officers, however her security team had to move quickly to keep her safe. Jewish students left safely from the main entrance under the protection of CST.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “These were extremely disturbing scenes which reflect the tenor that discourse has descended to at LSE. Those responsible for the criminality that we witnessed must be arrested. If they are students, LSE must bring disciplinary action against them in accordance with the International Definition of Antisemitism, which it has adopted. LSE already has a poor reputation when it comes to protecting Jewish students, so when a mob shouts antisemitic chants and online there are calls for violence, it has a duty to act and cooperate with the police.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism monitors the adoption of the International Definition of Antisemitism by universities.
If any students are concerned about antisemitism on campus or need assistance, they can call us on 0330 822 0321, or e-mail [email protected].
Yorkshire head coach suspended over “antisemitic” tweet
Andrew Gale, the Yorkshire head coach, has reportedly been suspended pending his investigation over a tweet that has been deemed antisemitic.
In November 2010, after an exchange of messages on Twitter with Paul Dews, the current Head of Communications at Middlesbrough Football Club, Mr Gale tweeted: “Thought you might pipe up! Button it yid!” in a now-deleted tweet uncovered by Jewish News.
Mr Gale said of the incident: “This post is part of a conversational thread between Paul Dews and myself. Paul worked for Leeds United Football Club at the time and I am an avid Huddersfield Town fan. The reference is to a chant that was prevalent at the time in relation to Leeds fans. Within a few minutes of the post, Paul called me and explained the meaning of the word and that it was offensive to Jews. I was completely unaware of this meaning and removed the post immediately”
“I would never have used the word had I been aware of its offensive meaning and I have never used it since.”
The England and Wales Cricket Board said: “We strongly condemn any form of discrimination and have procedures in place to address conduct which is alleged to be of this nature. We will investigate as part of our disciplinary process.”
“Move away from CCTV so I can break your bones and open you up”: Jewish couple attending maternity appointment at North London hospital verbally and physically assaulted
It has been reported that a Jewish couple attending a maternity appointment at the Whittington Hospital in Upper Holloway, North London were verbally and physically assaulted.
A man allegedly swore at them before yelling: “Move away from CCTV so I can break your bones and open you up.” The man reportedly then threw a full two-litre bottle at the pregnant woman.
The incident was reported earlier today by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.
If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: CAD2741 09/11/21.
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 more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.
Leeds United Football Club include statement condemning antisemitism into matchday programme
Leeds United Football Club included a statement in which it condemned antisemitism into its matchday programme on Sunday.
The statement made a point to speak out against fans who they say have “tarnished some fixtures by using antisemitic chanting, noises and gestures.”
On the issue of the usage of the word ‘yid’ in football, Leeds United added that it also opposed the “justification of opposition fans using specific terms as a form of identity”, and that the club “must make it clear that there is no place for such behaviour at Leeds United Football Club, regardless of its use by supporters of other clubs or its inclusion in the Oxford English Dictionary, whereby definition the Y-word is described as ‘derogatory and offensive’.”
It continued: “Discriminatory actions or language have no place anywhere in football or society and everyone associated with Leeds United is proud to be part of an inclusive and diverse club. Our players, staff, fans and visitors come from such a wide range of backgrounds and cultures, including the Jewish community, and we want to ensure that everyone feels safe and valued at all times.
“We would like to urge all of our supporters to think about the words they use and show their support in the right way, at Elland Road and any other ground around the country.”
Last week, two men were arrested after a video surfaced of West Ham fans chanting an antisemitic song at a Hasidic passenger on a flight to a match. West Ham has since confirmed that it has banned two of those involved in the chanting.
The Premier League, including Leeds United, have adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “We commend Leeds United for taking a firm stand against antisemitism, particularly given the various high-profile instances of abhorrent anti-Jewish racism by some football supporters of other clubs. Antisemitism in sport in intolerable, and other football clubs should follow Leeds’ admirable example.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism continues to act against instances of anti-Jewish racism in all sports.
Teenager arrested after reportedly waving machete in front of Jewish school in Lyon, France
A teenager has been arrested after reportedly waving a machete in front of a Jewish school in Lyon, France.
The act was said to have taken place outside of the College/Lycee Juive de Lyon in Lyon’s suburb of Villeurbanne on Thursday. It was also reported that the teenager threw marbles at the school’s students and called them “dirty Jews”.
Rabbi Menachem Margolin, Chairman of the European Jewish Association, said that the event demonstrated the fact that “the need for education against antisemitism must begin early,” adding that “For this boy, it was too late.”
Currently in France, the trial over the 2018 murder of a Holocaust survivor is underway in Paris’ Court of Assizes.
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.
Insulate Britain doubles down on inflammatory Holocaust analogy before deleting tweet without apology
The controversial fringe environmentalist group, Insulate Britain, has doubled down on an inflammatory comparison of perceived climate apathy and the Holocaust.
The group has become notorious over recent weeks for its obstruction of major highways in acts of civil disobedience designed to pressure the Government to insulate all homes in Britain by 2030.
Insulate Britain latched onto the Archbishop of Canterbury’s comment in an interview last week implying a comparison of current climate talks with the run-up to the Holocaust. Shortly after making his remark, Archbishop Justin Welby issued an unserved apology.
However, Insulate Britain claimed that the Archbishop should not have apologised, tweeting: “We stand with @JustinWelby original statement [sic].”
In the face of outrage, the group then doubled down and made the equation more explicit, tweeting: “Those who know and are silent now will be known as bystanders, just as those amongst the general population in Germany who were passive and indifferent to the rise of Nazi Germany and the escalating persecution that culminated in the Holocaust.”
After even greater outrage, the provocative group deleted the second tweet but has not issued an apology.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Comparisons to Nazi Germany risk trivialising the suffering and murder of the six million men, women and children who died at the hands of that regime. Archbishop Welby did the right thing by issuing an unreserved apology. It is startling that Insulate Britain should double down on the comparison and baselessly reference the Holocaust, which was a deliberate and systematic genocide, entirely different from the perceived climate apathy which the fringe group is protesting. Insulate Britain will find that making such comparisons will not strengthen its cause.”
Cambridge University bans speaker for doing Hitler impersonation during debate
The University of Cambridge has banned a speaker after he impersonated Adolf Hitler during a debate.
Art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon, 60, performed the act as a part of his argument against the motion entitled “this house believes there is no such thing as good taste”.
In his impersonation, which the University Union’s President called the “longest Hitler impression” that the chamber had ever heard, Mr Graham-Dixon said: “This modern, horrible art that was promoted by the Jews.. and the modern art, it was cubist – inspired by the art of the ne***s. This tribal art, urgh, how horrible is that? We must expunge this from our Deutschland. We are the pure, Aryan people. Our genetics is pure, our hearts must be pure, our tastes must be pure.”
Mr Graham-Dixon later apologised for the impression and claimed that he was trying to “underline the utterly evil nature of Hitler.”
He added: “I apologise sincerely to anyone who found my debating tactics and use of Hitler’s own language distressing; on reflection I can see that some of the words I used, even in quotation, are inherently offensive.”
However, Mr Graham-Dixon has now been banned from speaking at the University after Union President Keir Bradwell said that they “will create a blacklist of speakers never to be invited back” that would also be shared with other unions, adding that “Andrew will be on that list.”
Mr Bradwell issued an apology of his own after he failed to speak out against the impersonation at the time, stating: “I would like to offer my unreserved apology for the comments made by a speaker in our debate on Thursday night. Neither I nor the society condones the thoughtless and grotesque language used by the individual in question, and I am sorry for my failure to intervene at the time.
“The speaker in question employed a crass and deeply insensitive impression of Hitler to make the point in opposition that there is such a thing as bad taste […] It was inexcusable, and I regret not intervening.”
The University adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism last year.
Labour councillor who defended Jeremy Corbyn and Jackie Walker to lead Labour’s top disciplinary committee
A Labour councillor who reportedly defended antisemites Jeremy Corbyn and Jackie Walker has been elected to chair the National Constitutional Committee, the Labour Party’s highest disciplinary body.
Emine Ibrahim, a Haringey councillor and member of the board of London Labour Momentum, reportedly posted on Facebook in 2016: “Does anyone on here or in the party think Jeremy [Corbyn] is an antisemite? If they don’t then associating him with antisemitism is a slur on his character and his policies.”
Also in 2016, when asked how she could defend Ms Walker, who had said that “many Jews were the chief financiers of the sugar and slave trade,” Ms Ibrahim is reported to have said: “Because I have met her and spoken to her and so I believe her when she says she is not an antisemite.”
Ms Ibrahim told the JC: “With regard to Jackie Walker, I commented after she had been cleared by the party process of the time. As I had no role in party disciplinary processes at the time and as an ordinary party member, I took at face value that the decision was made based on a thorough investigation and party process.”
She added: “With regard to Jeremy Corbyn, again for the same reasons I have not commented on individual cases. Antisemitism and all forms of discrimination need to be rooted out in all its forms.”
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.
Former UKIP candidate Jeff Wyatt makes Holocaust comparisons and wears yellow star at Piers Corbyn’s anti-vaccination rally
Former UKIP candidate Jeff Wyatt spoke at an anti-vaccination rally held by Piers Corbyn on Saturday, where Mr Wyatt made comparisons to the Holocaust whilst wearing the yellow star that was forced upon Jews during the Holocaust.
Mr Wyatt is the former Deputy Leader of the For Britain Movement who stood as a UKIP candidate in Milton Keynes. The For Britain Movement has been described as a “far-right UKIP splinter group” and has been accused of antisemitism and racism.
At Saturday’s rally, Mr Wyatt stood atop a podium whilst wearing a yellow star on his right arm and said: “The Nazi Germans perpetrated this against the people of Germany. They perpetrated the control and the fascism that we are experiencing now.”
He continued: “It’s nothing short of a re-run of the Nazi playbook.”
Mr Wyatt reportedly claimed in August that wearing the yellow star was the “ultimate tribute” to Holocaust victims. Mr Wyatt wore a similar yellow star armband with the words “Not Vaccinated” written below, as well as the German translation of “Nicht Geimpft”. “It’s the ultimate tribute – because where we are heading is where the Jews went,” Mr Wyatt reportedly said.
He added: “Bear in mind in the 1930s, the Nazis didn’t just suddenly become the tyrants they were – they slowly had their evil way over the public of Germany. And the Jews, for years and years, said ‘just do what they say’ – and eventually they gassed them.”
On a video uploaded to the official YouTube account for UKIP Cambridge & SE Cambs, Mr Wyatt can be seen talking to the camera at an anti-lockdown rally from last year whilst holding a sign that reads “No Gestapo Policing”.
This is not the first time that the yellow star or comparisons to the Nazis have been used by anti-vaccination demonstrators.
In April, protesters at an anti-vaccination rally held in London were pictured wearing the yellow star. Comedian David Baddiel took to Twitter to share a photo of a woman wearing the yellow star, accompanying it with the caption: “Take. That. Off.”
Footage taken on 13th July showed Piers Corbyn comparing vaccinations to Nazi policy outside the Houses of Parliament, despite being arrested after a similar incident in February. The video shows Mr Corbyn and another man standing in front of a sign which reads “No Nazi forced jab” and yelling “arrest Matt Hancock” through a megaphone.
The inflammatory and misleading comparison has also been used among international anti-vaccination and anti-lockdown circles.
Earlier this year, Joseph Szwarc, a Holocaust survivor, spoke out against wearing the yellow star in protests, saying: “You can’t imagine how much that upset me. This comparison is hateful. We must all rise up against this ignominy.” With tears in his eyes, Mr Szwarc added: “I wore the star, I know what that is, I still have it in my flesh. It is everyone’s duty to not allow this outrageous, antisemitic, racist wave to pass over us.”
The comparison has been made across the world, including in the United States, Canada, Ukraine and elsewhere.
Anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination networks have become known as hotbeds of antisemitic conspiracy theories and tropes.
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.
JVL’s Graham Bash reportedly expelled from Labour Party
Graham Bash, the Political Officer of Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL) and the partner of the antisemite Jackie Walker, has reportedly been expelled from the Labour Party.
JVL is an antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation.
Mr Bash was accused in August in a Notice of Possible Auto-exclusion that he was facing automatic expulsion over alleged affiliation with Labour Against the Witchhunt, an antisemitism-denial group that has been proscribed by the Labour Party.
Mr Bash, an ally of Jeremy Corbyn and former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, has reportedly been investigated in the past over comments about “Jewish exceptionalism”.
Mr McDonnell tweeted in Mr Bash’s defence, writing: “I’ve known & campaigned alongside Graham Bash for over 40 years. He is one of the finest socialists I have met. I do not believe it can be just to expel someone from the Labour Party based upon actions or associations with an organisation before it has been proscribed. This week in Parliament alongside the whole of the PLP [Parliamentary Labour Party] I voted against the injustice of retrospective action like this being attempted by [Prime Minister Boris] Johnson & the Tories. If we condemn the Tories for this behaviour, it cannot be right for Labour to act in this way.”
JVL’s co-Founder, Leah Levane, was recently expelled from the Labour Party, while the group’s Media Officer, Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi, was suspended and readmitted.
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.
Neo-Nazi group British Movement and far-right group Patriotic Alternative hold joint demonstration in West Yorkshire
The neo-Nazi group British Movement and the far-right group Patriotic Alternative held a joint demonstration on Saturday in Castleford, West Yorkshire.
British Movement described the demonstration as an example of “pan-Nationalist co-operation”.
The groups also marched to the constituency office of Labour Party MP Yvette Cooper, the representative for the Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford area. The groups also posted flyers through her letterbox which called for the ban of kosher and halal meat.
This stunt follows last month’s incident when the same flyers were posted through Jewish homes in Borehamwood.
Simon Fell, the Conservative Party MP for Barrow and Furness, said last week: “Groups like Patriotic Alternative promote division and fear. They have no place in our community.”
Earlier this year, a resident of East Belfast reported that he had a British Movement leaflet put through his door. The report of the leaflet came in the same week as stickers from the British National Socialist Movement – the successor to the British Movement – were found on street furniture in Manchester.
Founded during the 1960s and having supposedly dissolved in the early 1980s, the British National Socialist Movement exhibited antisemitism and advocated for violence towards ethnic minorities. The group now appears, however, to have reactivated, with a website currently featuring several antisemitic tropes and images, including references to “globalists” and “cultural Marxists,” praise for Hitler, and images of people performing the Nazi salute.
Patriotic Alternative is known for its efforts to recruit youth to its white nationalist ideology. Previously, the far-right group published an online “alternative” home school curriculum condemned as “poison” and “hateful” and attempted to recruit children as young as twelve through livestreaming events on YouTube, according to The Times.
It is led by the former head of the youth wing of the BNP, Mark Collett, who is reported to have dabbled in Holocaust denial, collaborated with the infamous American antisemite David Duke, and espoused antisemitic and racist views.
Earlier this year, the far-right group was found to be using the social media platform Telegram to create neo-Nazi channels dedicated to sharing vile messages, antisemitic conspiracy theories and images glorifying Hitler. A report into Patriotic Alternative published last summer found that several members of the group engaged in Holocaust denial.
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.
Scrutiny grows on Sour Lemons after Royal Court Theatre issues apology and changes character’s name amid complaints of antisemitism
The Royal Court Theatre has issued an apology and changed the name of a character after receiving complaints of antisemitism.
The theatre received backlash after the new play Rare Earth Mettle, from writer Al Smith, which is coming to the Royal Court this week, used the name ‘Hershel Fink’ for the character of a Silicon Valley billionaire.
In response, the theatre wrote on Twitter that it was “grateful to members of the Jewish community who got in touch with the Royal Court to communicate the name of one of the characters in Rare Earth Mettle is antisemitic.” It went on to state that “the character is not Jewish and there is no reference to being Jewish in the play,” but that the theatre acknowledged that this was an “example of unconscious bias,” stating that they will “reflect deeply on how this has happened in the coming days” and that it was deeply sorry.
The theatre later released a separate statement on its website, in which it said: “The Royal Court Theatre apologises unreservedly for this situation. It was a mistake, it shouldn’t have happened, and we are sorry it did. We stand in solidarity with our Jewish staff, artists, audiences and friends and are grateful to those who got in touch to communicate that the character named Hershel Fink was perpetuating an antisemitic stereotype. In response, the writer has decided to change the name to Henry Finn – this will be effective from the first performances next week, and we shall reprint all communications and the play text with this change.”
The statement continued: “Now we are looking towards the dialogue that will help us reflect on the process that enabled the name to remain and what is missing in our systems that would have mitigated this unnecessary harm. Our anti-racism work is current and ongoing, and this experience proves once again how necessary and wide that work must be. We will work hard now in the hope of building trust and confidence within our Jewish community.”
Notably, the theatre is partnered with an organisation called Sour Lemons, which describes its mission as “dismantling systemic racism in the arts and culture sector.” The partnership, which encompasses the Royal Court and Young Vic theatres, is described as “a strategic two-year partnership to identify and dismantle systemic racism within the organisations.” It is remarkable that Sour Lemons did not speak out against the use of the stereotype.
The founder and Chief Executive of Sour Lemons, Sade Banks, has in the past tweeted her support for the boycott of Israel. An overwhelming majority of British Jews find the tactics of those seeking to boycott businesses that sell Israeli products to be intimidating.
Austin, Texas acts to curb hate after synagogue arson attack is latest in series of incidents
An arson attack on a synagogue in Austin, Texas has prompted a resolution by the City Council to condemn antisemitism and seek ways to combat hate.
The attack on Austin’s Congregation Beth Israel on the night of 31st October was the latest in a series of incidents in the Texas city. In its response to the incidents, the Austin City Council passed a resolution condemning “all hateful speech and violent action that…promotes racism or discrimination, or harms the Jewish community.”
Speaking at the council session, Council Member Alison Alter said recent events were “simply further evidence of the challenges” the city faced. “The reality is that the hate is here, and we need to up our game, to lead our community, and to devote focus and attention so hate does not take root in our community.”
The resolution directs the Austin City Manager to work with local groups, including the ADL, “to review and then identify and implement improvements to the City’s response to hate.”
These improvements should include training for city staff to educate “participants in how hate manifests; how to effectively respond to incidents of hate; and how social media is used to propagate hate.”
Damage to the synagogue was so severe that its rabbi, Steve Folberg, and President, Lori Adelman, said in a message to congregants that it would take “weeks rather than days” to get their “sanctuary fit for occupancy” leading them to seek temporary accommodation for services.
A few days after the incident, some 500 people, including clergy and political leaders, gathered at the oldest synagogue in Texas – the B’nai Abraham – to condemn antisemitism. Rabbi Folberg and Ms Adelman said the rally and “expressions of solidarity” had been a source of strength for all those “facing the practical and emotional demands of beginning to heal our community from this attack.”
In a media release, the Austin Fire Department issued stills from a security video of the arson suspect and his vehicle. The release said that the suspect had driven into the synagogue car park in a black SUV and approached the building carrying a five-gallon gasoline can. He then returned to his vehicle. The FBI is also now investigating the incident.
A series of antisemitic incidents in Austin have included the vandalising of a local high school with Nazi symbols, a banner hung from an overpass reading “Vax the Jews,” and the display of antisemitic posters on a local street.
Two of the incidents were allegedly committed by a local hate group calling itself the “Goyim Defence League”, a group whose membership reportedly contains several neo-Nazis and is understood to be led by Jon Minadeo II. The group is responsible for stunts such as visiting a Chabad centre to claim that “these Jewish terrorists” were behind 9/11, and hanging a banner on a Los Angeles overpass reading “Honk if you know the Jews want a race war.” Earlier this year, Mr Minadeo II created t-shirts carrying antisemitic slogans such as the Holocaust was “a hoax”.
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.
Yorkshire head coach investigated over “antisemitic” tweet
Andrew Gale, the Yorkshire head coach, is being investigated over a tweet that has been deemed antisemitic.
In November 2010, after an exchange of messages on Twitter with Paul Dews, the current Head of Communications at Middlesbrough Football Club, Mr Gale tweeted: “Thought you might pipe up! Button it yid!” in a now-deleted tweet uncovered by Jewish News.
Mr Gale said of the incident: “This post is part of a conversational thread between Paul Dews and myself. Paul worked for Leeds United Football Club at the time and I am an avid Huddersfield Town fan. The reference is to a chant that was prevalent at the time in relation to Leeds fans. Within a few minutes of the post, Paul called me and explained the meaning of the word and that it was offensive to Jews. I was completely unaware of this meaning and removed the post immediately”
“I would never have used the word had I been aware of its offensive meaning and I have never used it since.”
The England and Wales Cricket Board said: “We strongly condemn any form of discrimination and have procedures in place to address conduct which is alleged to be of this nature. We will investigate as part of our disciplinary process.”
Anger after Arizona anti-vaxxer delivers antisemitic diatribe at school meeting and officials do not react
A row has erupted in Arizona following an antisemitic tirade at a school board meeting in a Phoenix suburb.
A speech during the public comment period of a meeting of Chandler District School Board addressed vaccines – a topic at the centre of heated public debate in the United States. The speaker, a woman who identified herself as Melanie Rettler, spoke for over a minute, referring to “the cabal, the swamp,” and “the elite.” After asserting that vaccines “aren’t safe” and “aren’t effective”, she claimed that people were “paying” for them through “the increase” in gas and food prices, with the money “being given to these pharmaceutical companies,” adding that Jews “owned all the pharmaceutical companies.” Concluding her diatribe, she then added: “…and if you want to bring race into this, it’s the Jews.”
The row, however, is as much about the failure of the officials to immediately challenge the woman as to the antisemitic outburst itself.
Board President Barbara Mozdzen merely said that comments needed “to be related to what the school board could do something about.”
However, The board’s interim Superintendent, Franklin Narducci, contacted representatives of the Jewish community after hearing of the speech and was praised by local Jewish leaders for “leading by example” in “speaking out against the hatred.”
In a statement Mr Narducci said that “Chandler Unified School District denounces hate speech at all levels” and reaffirmed its commitment “to use its influence…to teach students the value of an inclusive community.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.
Image credit: Nicole Raz/Jewish News of Greater Phoenix
West Ham confirms it has so far banned two supporters for life over antisemitic chanting on flight to match
West Ham has confirmed that it has so far banned two supporters for life over antisemitic chanting on a flight to a Europa League match.
Two men have also been arrested after a video surfaced last week of West Ham fans chanting “I’ve got a foreskin haven’t you, f***ing Jew” at a Hasidic fellow on a Ryanair flight to Belgium where their club was playing KRC Genk.
Essex Police have arrested two men so far in connection with the incident. It is not currently clear whether the two banned supporters are also the two suspects.
West Ham’s Manager, David Moyes, said on Friday: “I don’t see our football club being like that. We are a diverse football club. There’s no room for discrimination anywhere.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism has written to Ryanair asking what was done to protect the Jewish victim of the antisemitic chanting by the West Ham fans and how the airline will help the club identify and ban these supporters for life.
West Ham and the Premier League have adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism.
University of Oxford mired in controversy over donation from Mosley family
The University of Oxford has become mired in controversy over a donation from the Mosley family.
The University was reportedly given a £6 million donation from a charitable trust established by Max Mosley, the Formula One tycoon. His fortune originated as an inheritance from his father, Sir Oswald Mosley, who was leader of the antisemitic British Union of Fascists and who wedded his wife in Joseph Goebbels’ house in the presence of Adolf Hitler. Mr Mosley is believed to have supported his father’s cause – and the Union Movement, which succeeded the British Union of Fascists – during the late 1950s and 1960s.
The £6 million donation to the University was to endow the Alexander Mosley Professor of Biophysics Fund.
In addition, St Peter’s College was due to receive a £5 million donation to build a new block of student accommodation named Alexander Mosley House. Mr Mosley, who died earlier this year, set up the trust ten years ago in the name of his son, Alexander, who was an alumnus of St Peter’s College and died of a drug overdose.
Prof. Lawrence Goldman, Emeritus Fellow in History, wrote to St Peter’s College urging it to refuse the donation, saying that it came from the “most infamous fascist dynasty in the English-speaking world.” Since the controversy, the College has reportedly decided to consult over the name of the proposed accommodation building.
It is understood that Lady Margaret Hall has also accepted a donation of around £260,000 from the trust.
The donations are particularly notable because the University and its colleges have become increasingly sensitive to the concerns of other minorities over the University’s past.
Oxford University and both colleges insist that the donations were reviewed and cleared by an independent committee in a “robust” manner, taking “legal, ethical and reputational issues into consideration.”
It has since emerged that Imperial College London received almost £2.5 million and University College London received half a million pounds from the trust, even as both universities have been reviewing the names and legacies of their buildings in sensitivity toward other minorities.
A spokesperson for the University of Oxford said: “We can confirm that donations to the department of physics from the Alexander Mosley Charitable Trust, including endowment of a chair in biophysics named after Alexander Mosley, a graduate of the university, were all considered and approved by the university’s committee to review donations and research funding.”
St Peter’s College said that the trust’s “generous” donation will make a “transformative” difference to students, adding: “Alexander Mosley was a student at the college and is warmly remembered by tutors and fellow students. He died in tragic circumstances and the [trust] was set up to remember him.”
A spokesperson for Lady Margaret Hall said that the donation “enabled a cohort of students from very diverse and low-income backgrounds to attend Oxford and participate in Lady Margaret Hall’s pioneering foundation year,” adding that there was no attempt to “rehabilitate” the Mosley family name and that the trust “did not ask for and were not given any public acknowledgement of the donation”.
A spokesman for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “The Mosley family has an infamous record in relation to antisemitism. Oxford University should think hard about accepting a donation from the family’s trust, ensuring that a portion of the money funds education about antisemitism or supports Jewish life at the university.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism monitors the adoption of the International Definition of Antisemitism by universities. The University of Oxford has adopted the Definition.
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].
CAA calls on Met Police to disclose what action has been taken against Vitesse supporters who appeared to perform Nazi salutes against Tottenham Hotspur fans
Campaign Against Antisemitism has called on the Metropolitan Police to disclose what action has been taken against SBV Vitesse supporters who appeared to perform Nazi salutes against Tottenham Hotspur fans.
The gestures were spotted at the 4th November match between the Dutch club and the North London team, which has long been associated with the Jewish community. The match was at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Groups of Vitesse fans have a history of inflammatory behaviour, for example earlier this year the club distanced itself from fans who sang “Hamas, Hamas, Jews to the gas!” The chants were sung in solidarity with a team playing Ajax, a fellow Dutch club also associated with the Jewish community.
It is understood that commentators on the Tottenham match noted the gestures and that police ejected groups of fans from the stadium, although pictures and reports of the incident paint an unclear picture of whether the gestures were Nazi salutes or not.
Campaign Against Antisemitism has therefore called on the Metropolitan Police to disclose what action it took and what its investigation has turned up.
Image credit: Twitter
Two men arrested after West Ham fans were filmed chanting “I’ve got a foreskin haven’t you, f***ing Jew” at a Hasidic passenger on a flight
Two men have been arrested after a video surfaced earlier this week of West Ham fans chanting an antisemitic song at a Hasidic passenger on a flight to a match.
The West Ham supporters were on a Ryanair flight to Belgium where their club was playing KRC Genk. On the flight out, fans were filmed chanting “I’ve got a foreskin haven’t you, f***ing Jew” at a Hasidic fellow passenger.
Two men have now been arrested in connection with the incident. Essex Police released a statement on 5th November in which they confirmed that a 55-year-old man was arrested at Stansted Airport just before 16:00 on Friday. The man was arrested as he stepped off the plane from Belgium and was taken in to an Essex Police Station for questioning.
Essex Police Chief Superintendent Tom Simons, who is leading the investigation, later said: “Essex Police will not tolerate racism or discrimination of any kind. Having been made aware of the incident this morning, officers worked quickly to secure an arrest at the earliest possible opportunity.”
It has since emerged that a second arrest has been made. Essex Police announced that a 26-year-old man was arrested yesterday at approximately 16:30 as he stepped off a flight from the Netherlands. The 26-year-old was also taken in for questioning and has been released on police bail until 1st December. The police confirmed that the man was arrested on suspicion of Section 4A Public Order (racially or religiously aggravated).
Regarding the incident on the flight, a West Ham spokesperson has said in a statement: “West Ham United is appalled by the contents of the video circulating on social media and condemn the behaviour of the individuals involved. The club is liaising with the airline and relevant authorities to identify the individuals. We continue to be unequivocal in our stance – we have a zero-tolerance approach to any form of discrimination. Any individuals identified will be issued with an indefinite ban from the club. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of the football club and we do not welcome any individuals who do not share those values.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism has written to Ryanair asking what was done to protect the Jewish victim of the antisemitic chanting by the West Ham fans and how the airline will help the club identify and ban these supporters for life.
West Ham and the Premier League have adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism.
Kanye West says that Jewish people “kill each other in business” during interview
In a newly released interview that took place on the podcast Drink Champs, musician Kanye West has said that Jewish people “kill each other in business”.
Towards the end of the interview, Mr West spoke on the issue of black mobility within society and said: “I’m a community builder…but the people that have in the past been in a position of power are gonna try to separate Jay [Z] and [Damon Dash], separate my mom and my dad, separate me and Virgil [Abloh]. You see a pattern? That makes it impossible for Black Wall Street…I thought of our community growing, when we not forced to make the choice of whether or not we can afford to have a child, when we’re not forced to say, ‘I’ma have to kill this [n-word] cos he said this or this’.
“You know, you never hear about Jewish on Jewish crime. You know, they kill each other in business in a different kind of way, but not actually physically taking a life.”
According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, Making mendacious, dehumanising, demonising, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective — such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions is an example of antisemitism.
Chelsea fan sent to prison for eight weeks over antisemitic tweets aimed at Tottenham supporters
A man who pleaded guilty to sending a series of antisemitic, hateful and racist tweets has been sentenced to eight weeks in prison at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today.
After an investigation by the Metropolitan Police, Nathan Blagg, 21, of Retford in Nottinghamshire, was charged in September with seven counts of sending by public communication network an offensive/indecent/obscene/menacing message/matter which violates the Malicious Communications Act. The charges refer to seven tweets sent between 29th September 2020 and 5th February 2021.
Mr Blagg pleaded guilty to all charges. The court heard that Mr Blagg was initially reported by a West Brom fan before his posts were investigated by Chelsea Football Club’s security team and finally passed on to the police. The posts included images as well as tweets and retweets of offensive messages.
Prosecutor David Roberts said that there was a “racially aggravated” element because of the “antisemitic nature” of many of the tweets.
Maeve Thornton, defending, reportedly said that Mr Blagg had been suffering at the time from “low moods” due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ms Thornton said: “He has got drawn into this in terms of a lack of awareness and understanding of the impact this was going to have. With hindsight, he now understands how wrong this is. He is indeed very remorseful and very apologetic and has taken steps to address his offending by removing himself from Twitter. There is not going to be a repeat of this behaviour moving forward.”
However, today Westminster Magistrates’ Court sentenced Mr Blagg to eight weeks in prison.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “We welcome this sentence, which sends a message to fans that there is no place for antisemitism in football. We commend Chelsea FC and the police for investigating and seeing the case through. Kicking racism out of football will only succeed when all interested parties cooperate, as they have done in this case.”
In April, Chelsea Football Club announced that it had banned an abusive online troll from its matches for ten years after he hounded a Jewish journalist who came forward and received support from Campaign Against Antisemitism.
Chelsea and the Premier League have adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism.
CAA calls on Ryanair to help West Ham identify and ban fans who were filmed chanting “I’ve got a foreskin haven’t you, f***ing Jew” at a Hasidic passenger on a flight to a match
Campaign Against Antisemitism has called on Ryanair to help West Ham FC identify and ban fans who were filmed chanting an antisemitic song at a Hasidic passenger on a flight to a match.
The West Ham supporters were on a flight to Belgium where their club was playing KRC Genk. On the flight out, fans were filmed chanting “I’ve got a foreskin haven’t you, f***ing Jew” at a Hasidic fellow passenger.
This is not the first time that West Ham fans have been documented singing this antisemitic chant, or indeed engaging in other antisemitic abuse. Almost every year there is an incident related to antisemitism involving individual supporters or groups of fans of West Ham.
In 2016, two fans were convicted under the Crime and Disorder Act of racially aggravated harassment alarm and distress for singing antisemitic football songs on a train in 2015. British Transport Police issued an appeal for witnesses, which Campaign Against Antisemitism and others circulated widely.
In 2017, a Jewish man and his non-Jewish female companion were subjected to horrific antisemitic abuse by fans of West Ham on the London Underground.
In 2019, the club banned one supporter for life after video footage emerged apparently showing fans singing antisemitic chants in a game early in the 2018-19 football season.
Also that year, West Ham pledged to ban for life any fans that it identifies from a video in which football thugs can be heard chanting on public transport: “We’ll be running around Tottenham with our willies hanging out, singing ‘I’ve got a foreskin, haven’t you, f***ing Jew’.” Tottenham Hotspur has traditionally enjoyed the support of a large number of Jewish football fans.
Earlier this year, West Ham’s message on Facebook wishing the Jewish community a happy new year was inundated with negative – and in some cases explicitly antisemitic – responses, which the club has yet to take down.
Regarding this latest incident on the flight, a West Ham spokesperson has said in a statement: “West Ham United is appalled by the contents of the video circulating on social media and condemn the behaviour of the individuals involved. The club is liaising with the airline and relevant authorities to identify the individuals. We continue to be unequivocal in our stance – we have a zero-tolerance approach to any form of discrimination. Any individuals identified will be issued with an indefinite ban from the club. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of the football club and we do not welcome any individuals who do not share those values.”
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “This is not the first time a minority of West Ham supporters have engaged in grotesque antisemitic abuse. Ryanair must explain what its crew did to protect the Jewish victim and disclose whether it has alerted the police. The airline must also assist West Ham to identify the supporters so that the club can fulfil its pledge to ban these fans for life. Football clubs have long said the right things about kicking racism out of the football, and here is an opportunity to translate those promises into action.”
West Ham and the Premier League have adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism.
New arrest made after swastikas spray-painted near North London synagogue
The Metropolitan Police Service released a statement yesterday in which they said that a man in his early 40s has been arrested in relation to a series of swastikas spray-painted near a North London synagogue and the surrounding area on Saturday.
Police have said that at this time that they are not looking for any other individuals in connection with the vandalism.
A 16-year-old boy was initially detained soon after 20:00 on Saturday by officers responding to reports received only 20 minutes earlier of a male seen spraying swastikas on walls near Belsize Square Synagogue. A police statement said that they have subsequently found numerous swastikas sprayed on walls in the surrounding area and that they are investigating whether the same suspect is responsible.
However, it was announced earlier this week that the teenager had been released without charge and was ruled out of the investigation.
It was also reported to Campaign Against Antisemitism that sightings of similar swastikas have occurred on Fairfax Road and Daleham Gardens.
Richard Burgon to address controversial Halifax Friends of Palestine group
The Labour MP Richard Burgon is reportedly set to address the Halifax Friends of Palestine group, despite its controversial record.
Mr Burgon, a former Shadow Justice Secretary and close ally of Jeremy Corbyn, is due to speak at the group’s gala dinner later this month.
It has been reported that the Yorkshire-based group participated in a rally in September celebrating a terrorist who killed six civilians in Israel, and another rally in August in which the chant “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” was heard. The chant only makes sense as a call for the destruction of the world’s only Jewish state – and its replacement with a State of Palestine – and is thus an attempt to deny Jews, uniquely, the right to self-determination, which is a breach of the International Definition of Antisemitism.
Mr Burgon is one of a number of Labour MPs against whom Campaign Against Antisemitism has submitted complaints, which we expect the Labour Party to investigate once it has introduced the anticipated semi-independent disciplinary process.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Richard Burgon is a magnet for controversy. A key ally of Jeremy Corbyn, he previously claimed that ‘Zionism is the enemy of peace’ and then lied about doing so. If he is interested in making amends, withdrawing from this event would be a start. In the meantime, we expect the Labour Party to investigate our complaint against him and other MPs, so that the Jewish community can finally have justice.”
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.
New York State passes ban on swastikas and other neo-Nazi imagery on public property
New York State has passed a ban on the selling or displaying of hate symbols, including swastikas and other neo-Nazi imagery, on public property.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed the legislation after being introduced last year when Confederate flags were displayed from a Long Island fire truck and fire department window.
Examples of hate symbols within the bill include symbols of white supremacy, neo-Nazi ideology or the Battle Flag of the Confederacy. The ban does not extend to symbols that serve an “educational or historical purpose,” for example those found in a museum or book.
“Public property” is reportedly defined as a school district, a fire district, volunteer fire company or police department and taxpayer-funded equipment.
State Sen. Anna M. Kaplan said: “Public property belongs to all of us, and this measure is critical to ensure that our public property isn’t being used to promote hatred. You would think it was common sense that taxpayer-owned property couldn’t be used as a platform for hate, but shockingly there was no law on the books saying so — until now.”
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.
Protesters against COVID-19 measures wear concentration camp uniforms in northern Italy
Footage released over the weekend shows protesters against COVID-19 measures wearing concentration camp uniforms and marching through Novara, a city in northern Italy.
The protesters can be seen wearing the blue and white uniforms that prisoners in concentration camps were forced to wear. They marched in a line whilst holding a long, knotted piece of string intended to resemble the barbed wire that surrounded concentration camps.
It was also reported that some of the demonstrators from Saturday’s event carried signs that read “We are like prisoners of Auschwitz” and “Stop dictatorship”.
Noemi Di Segni, President of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, said that “In the face of ravings like this one cannot invoke the freedom of expression guaranteed by the Constitution. We have witnessed an abuse and an offense to memory.”
The inflammatory and misleading comparison has been used among anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination networks, which have become known as hotbeds of antisemitic conspiracy theories and tropes.
In August, antisemitic protest signs have prompted hate speech and incitement of violence investigations in France. Earlier this year, organisers of an anti-vaccine demonstration in the city of Avignon were described as “brainless” for using the Nazi yellow star in their protest. Joseph Szwarc, a Holocaust survivor, spoke out against this use of the yellow star, saying: “You can’t imagine how much that upset me. This comparison is hateful. We must all rise up against this ignominy.” With tears in his eyes, Mr Szwarc added: “I wore the star, I know what that is, I still have it in my flesh. It is everyone’s duty to not allow this outrageous, antisemitic, racist wave to pass over us.”
The comparison has been made across the world, including in the United States, Canada, Ukraine, and elsewhere.
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.
Man to appear in court on public nuisance charge after Nazi flag flown over Brisbane synagogue on Jewish Sabbath
A man has been ordered to appear in court after a Nazi flag flown was over a synagogue on the Jewish Sabbath in Brisbane, Australia.
The flag was flown on Saturday from the UniLodge student accommodation building on Margaret Street which towers over the synagogue. Police were called to the scene and the flag has since been seized.
A 45-year-old man has been ordered to appear in court on a public nuisance charge.
Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said on Twitter that Saturday’s incident was “sickening” and “pure evil”, adding that it was “time for this vile flag to be banned in Queensland.”
Currently, Victoria is the only Australian state that has called for a ban on Nazi symbols.
Lord Mayor Schrinner also said that “Under the current inadequate laws”, the incident was “likely to be classified as nothing more than a low-level ‘public nuisance’,” which he deemed “not good enough.”
A survey conducted earlier this year found that 60 percent of Jews in Queensland, Australia have experienced 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.
Former Corbyn-supporter who switched parties suspended by Conservatives after revelation of his “Is Zionism racism?” Facebook poll
A former supporter of Jeremy Corbyn who sought to run as a Conservative candidate in local council elections has reportedly been suspended by the Conservative Party after it emerged that he administrated a Facebook group that asked members: “Is Zionism Racism?”
According to a report, Khalid Sharif, who was confirmed as the Redbridge Conservative candidate for the Clayhall ward in next year’s local elections, has been suspended by the Party.
The poll was featured on Mr Sharif’s IG–Soc: Connecting Muslims in Redbridge Insha’Allah Facebook group. Comments by other members underneath the July poll reportedly included the claim that “just asking the question will be considered antisemitic. The Zionists have great powers hence they’ve made sure no one can say anything against them.”
Mr Sharif, a former member of the pro-Corbyn group, Momentum, apparently joined the Conservatives last year after Mr Corbyn’s election defeat, having described the former Labour leader as a “breath of fresh air” and lamenting that “that era has gone.”
A spokesperson for the Conservative Party reportedly confirmed that Mr Sharif has been suspended pending the outcome of an 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.
Fines for tweeters who subjected Miss France runner up to antisemitic abuse after she revealed her father is Israeli
The Paris Criminal Court has fined seven defendants who subjected the runner-up of the Miss France beauty competition to antisemitic abuse on Twitter after she revealed that her father is Israeli.
Four women and three men were sentenced today to fines ranging from 300 to 800 euros for posting antisemitic tweets targeting April Benayoum, Miss Provence and the runner-up of the Miss France contest, late last year.
Two of the defendant will also have to complete a two-day citizenship course.
An eighth defendant was let off after the court concluded that his tweet did not target Ms Benayoum.
Ms Benayoum’s father is Israeli and her mother is Serbo-Croatian.
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.
Jewish families terrorised by group of youths, throwing bricks and breaking doors
Jewish families on Ashtead Road were terrorised by a group of youths, who threw bricks and kicked front doors, breaking the locks.
The incident took place on 1st November and was reported by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.
If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: CAD7817 01/11/2021.
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 more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.
Image credit: Google
Protesters criticised for comparing abortion to the Holocaust outside of Glasgow Royal Infirmary
Protesters in Glasgow have been criticised for comparing abortion to the Holocaust.
It was reported that an American evangelical movement has been picketing Scottish abortion clinics. One placard was spotted outside of the Glasgow Royal Infirmary that read “Abortion Is A Silent Holocaust. It Is Global Genocide”.
Dr Audrey Brown, a leading gynaecologist, said that she was “disgusted by the language used,” and that it was “a completely inappropriate use of the word ‘Holocaust’.”
She added: “I found this placard to be particularly upsetting…It really is a misuse of such powerful language and should not be allowed.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Abortion remains a heated issue, but rarely does anybody strengthen their case by making provocative and unfounded references to the systematic slaughter of six million men, women and children simply because they were Jewish. There are ways to express passionate feelings without needlessly equating it to the darkest period in human history.”
French court clears Jean-Marie Le Pen over “oven batch” remark about Jewish singer
A French court has cleared Jean-Marie Le Pen over his remark about a Jewish singer, in which he made a joke about the Holocaust.
Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of the French far-right party National Front (now National Rally), went on trial earlier this year after being charged with “inciting antisemitic hatred”.
The charge against Mr Le Pen originated from a 2014 video on the Party’s website, in which Mr Le Pen reportedly denounced several celebrities who disagreed with his political views. When asked about the French singer and actor Patrick Bruel, who is Jewish, Mr Le Pen seemingly mocked the Holocaust and Mr Bruel, saying: “I’m not surprised. Listen, next time we’ll do a whole oven batch!”
Mr Le Pen reportedly denied the allegation of Jew-hate, claiming that his comments carried no antisemitic messages “except for my political enemies or imbeciles”.
Both the court and judge disagreed, with the judge stating that Mr Le Pen had targeted Jewish people with his comments. She added, however, that while he cleared “relished” in appeasing his supporters with his comments, they did not amount to “inciting discrimination and violence.”
This was not the first time that Mr Le Pen has faced trial due to antisemitism-related comments. In 2018, France’s Court of Cassation upheld a conviction against Mr Le Pen for Holocaust denial after he said that the Holocaust was “a detail” of World War II. Subsequently, National Front’s leader Marine Le Pen, the daughter of Mr Le Pen, expelled him from the Party.
In June, President Macron condemned antisemitism in an historic ten-minute long video address to the American Jewish Committee. Reiterating how important it was for France to have adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism, he went on to say that the Definition alone “is not enough”, and that France needs to strengthen their actions.
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.
UEFA punish German football club after fans perform Nazi salutes and shout antisemitic abuse during match with Israeli team
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) have punished Union Berlin football club after some of its fans performed Nazi salutes and shouted antisemitic abuse towards opposing supporters during its match with Israeli team Maccabi Haifa.
A youth group promoting German and Israeli interests who attended the match on 30th September said that they were “threatened by Union fans, pelted with beer and insulted, among other things, as ‘s****y Jews’”. Images of fans performing Nazi salutes, which is illegal in Germany, also surfaced on Twitter.
Members of the group also stated that several Union Berlin fans tried to stop the abuse, to whom they were grateful.
Shortly after the news of the antisemitic acts were reported, club president Dirk Zinglers stated: “This behaviour is shameful and we won’t tolerate it. We apologise to those affected. Antisemitism is unfortunately still present in our society, which is why it also shows itself in the stadium. However, we will never tolerate discrimination in our ranks. It is important to remain vigilant and to work tirelessly against it.”
UEFA said that it had punished Union Berlin due to “the racist behavior of its supporters” during the match, ordering the club to shut down sections thirteen and fourteen “where the home supporters are seated” in its game against Dutch team Feyenoord on Thursday. In addition, Union Berlin must also use those sections to display a banner bearing the phrase “#NoToRacism” alongside the UEFA logo.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Recent days have seen multiple high-profile antisemitic incidents in football, both domestic and international. UEFA is right to sanction the club and force it to publicise that the penalty is due to racism. But the club itself must also now act, by identifying the perpetrators and giving them life bans. Like those decent Union Berlin fans who tried to stop the abuse, the club itself, and German clubs more generally, should be particularly sensitive to antisemitism among any of their supporters and step in to stamp it out.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.
Image credit: Farenet
“You guys are the worst! F****** Jew!”: Jewish child racially abused by woman in Stamford Hill
A Jewish child was racially abused by a woman in Stamford Hill.
The victim was walking on Portland when a woman, described as black and wearing a yellow blanket, shouted at him: “I am sorry to say you guys are the worst! F****** Jew!” She reportedly continued to point at him and shout expletives as he ran home, shocked traumatised.
The incident took place at 19:30 on 28th October and was reported by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.
If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: CAD7476 01/11/21.
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 more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.
Suspect arrested after “f**k Jews” is spray painted outside Gateshead yeshiva
A suspect has been arrested after the phrase “f**k Jews” was spray painted outside a yeshiva in Gateshead on Saturday.
The individual was apprehended on the same day by yeshiva security before police arrived. It was reported that two similar incidents occurred in the area within the last month.
A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: “Shortly after 00:30 on Saturday (30th October) Police received a report a male had sprayed antisemitic graffiti near the Swallow Hotel, on Gladstone Terrace, Gateshead. An investigation into the incident has been launched and officers are treating the incident as a hate crime.
“Enquiries remain ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact police via the Tell us Something page, or by calling 101 quoting crime number 120031T/21.”
Musician Alex Clare was reportedly told to choose between his career or religion by record label
The singer-songwriter Alex Clare, who was raised in a secular Jewish home but turned to orthodox Judaism in his early twenties, was told ten years ago that he had to choose between his career or his religion by his record label, he said in a recent interview.
The musician said that while Island Records were “very tolerant” of his decision to pull out of an April tour with Adele due to some of the gigs coinciding with the Sabbath and the Jewish festival of Passover, the label appeared to grow annoyed when he declined to record a BBC radio concert in October in order to observe the Jewish festival of Sukkot. A difficult conversation with label bosses then led to Mr Clare being dropped after just one album.
Mr Clare commented: “They said, ‘It seems like you’re more into your religion than you are into your career,’ and that really wasn’t the case. I really was focused on my career, but personal lifestyle choices, whatever they are, haven’t always necessarily been so tolerated. I’m not unique – historically this has been a running theme, not just for Jewish people but anyone who makes commitments elsewhere.”
He continued: “When I signed, they knew that that was happening but they didn’t quite understand how serious the rules of keeping the Sabbath are. And for some reason every piece of promo that came in was seeming to fall on a Friday night or Saturday morning, and I was turning down opportunity after opportunity.”
“They thought I was nuts,” Mr Clare said of the label when he turned down at least five gigs of the tour with Adele.
A spokesperson for Island Records said that they had “reached out to apologise directly to Alex.” They added: “What was said to him ten years ago was wrong and does not in any way represent our views or policies.”
Mr Clare noted that when he was re-signed by the label, they were “very apologetic.”
“We have a saying in Hebrew called Gam Zu L’Tovah, which means ‘This too is good’,” he said. “We say that when something goes really badly wrong. It’s like the most crazy statement to have enough faith and say, ‘This right now is a really bad situation but ultimately God is good and life is good and this is for a greater good’ – whatever that might be. And in my case it really worked out that way. I got dropped by the label but months later I had a top ten hit all over the world, selling [double] platinum, and obviously got a much bigger record deal second time!”
Polish referee responds to anti-racism event invitation with e-mail ranting about Jewish people
A Polish referee has reportedly responded to an invitation to an online anti-racism debate with an e-mail in which he ranted about Jewish people.
The Never Again Association, a leading anti-racism organisation in Poland, organised an “online debate on antisemitism and intolerance in Polish and European stadiums” through its ‘Let’s Kick Racism out of the Stadiums’ campaign where a variety of organisations and individuals were invited, including the Fare network, another organisation that tackles racism in football, and the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, as well as football clubs Borussia Dortmund and Feyenoord Rotterdam.
However, Lukasz Araszkiewicz – who the Never Again Association describe as a “long-term referee in the Polish leagues, a graduate of FIFA training courses and member of the Wielkopolska Football Association, WZPN (part of the Polish Football Association, PZPN)” – reportedly replied to his invitation with an e-mail in which he ranted against Jewish people.
His response allegedly said: “As a referee with seventeen years of experience refereeing at various levels, I have never witnessed antisemitic behavior; [but] racism – quite the contrary. This is just another utter balderdash spun by Jewish centers and milieus – one knows very well for what purpose. Please do not send me such invitations anymore because I do not agree with it at all. Jews are not a chosen people despite that eternal hubris of theirs… and portraying Poles as antisemites and talking about Polish concentration camps is the biggest Jewish f***ing despicable thing since World War 2.”
His comments were condemned by the anti-racism organisation who claimed that they “repeated the most widespread antisemitic myths about the Jewish community”, adding: “Unfortunately, the words of Mr. Araszkiewicz show that the use of negative stereotypes about Jews is a phenomenon that is still present also in the world of football.”
In a letter to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, the Never Again Association implored him to “take a principled position” on 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.
Vile act of vandalism sees Jewish fraternity’s Torah scroll torn up and covered in detergent in Washington D.C.
In a vile act of vandalism, a Jewish fraternity, Tau Kappa Epsilon in Washington D.C.’s George Washington University, reportedly had hot sauce poured all over its house and its Torah scroll torn up and covered in detergent.
The fraternity posted a statement to Instagram on Sunday in which it said its “entire chapter is outraged and saddened by this blatant act of antisemitism and violence.”
Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at George Washington University, Dr Cissy Petty, called the incident “horrific”, adding that an investigation will be undertaken by the university. “I know this has frightened and hurt many in our community. I am angry and saddened by this disgusting, self-centered act,” she said.
This is not the first instance this year of anti-Jewish hate taking place on American university campuses. In April, the University of North Florida was vandalised with stickers that bore QR codes, which, when scanned, lead to a white supremacy website displaying antisemitic content, and in September, a student reportedly woke up to the sound of laughing on a Saturday – the day of the Jewish Sabbath – to find that his mezuzah had been removed.
Reports emerge that figure behind Labour’s one-sided anti-Israel motion is son of former Hamas health minister
Reports have emerged that a figure behind the Labour Party’s one-sided anti-Israel motion is the son of a former Hamas health minister.
According to the Israel Advocacy Movement, Omar Mofeed, whom Al Jazeera described in an interview with him as one of the drafters of the motion, is in fact the son of Mufid al-Mukhalalati, a senior member of the antisemitic genocidal terrorist group, Hamas. Mr al-Mukhalalati, a former Health Minister for the terrorist organisation, which rules the Gaza Strip, died in 2014 and was eulogised by the group’s leaders.
Mr Mofeed, who has served as the Communications Officer of Ealing Central and Action Constituency Labour Party, has himself praised Hamas’s chief bomb-maker, threatened Israel and described Jews as “cursed”, according to the Israel Advocacy Movement.
Mr Mofeed said in his Al Jazeera interview that, in addition to the Arab Labour group, of which he is Chair, others inputting into the motion included Young Labour, twelve trade unions and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), of which Mr Mofeed is a director. A past investigation by Campaign Against Antisemitism found the PSC to be riddled with bigotry.
The motion, which passed at Labour’s annual conference, was so one-sided against the Jewish state that the Party’s leadership declined to embrace it.
In a further twist, Labour Against Antisemitism reports that the Labour Party says that Mr Mofeed is “no longer a Labour Party member,” although it is unclear whether he was expelled or resigned and whether this was even before or after the motion he claims to have helped to draft.
The Labour Party was found by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to have engaged in unlawful discrimination and harassment of Jews. The report followed the EHRC’s investigation of the Labour Party in which Campaign Against Antisemitism was the complainant, submitting hundreds of pages of evidence and legal argument. Sir Keir Starmer called the publication of the report a “day of shame” for the Labour Party.
Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2019 showed that antisemitism on the far-left of British politics has surpassed that of the far-right.
Campaign Against Antisemitism advocates for zero tolerance of antisemitism in public life. To that end we monitor all political parties and strive to ensure that any cases of concern are properly addressed.
Image credit: Israel Advocacy Movement
Justin Welby apologises for comparing climate threat to Nazi Germany
The Archbishop of Canterbury has apologised for comparing the climate threat to Nazi Germany.
Earlier today, in the context of the COP26 Summit in Glasgow, the Most Reverend Justin Welby was reported to have made reference to WWII. The BBC paraphrased him as saying that leaders will be “cursed” if they do not reach agreement over the next fortnight, and that a failure to act could be more grave than when the leaders of the free world ignored warnings about the Nazis in the 1930s.
However, Archbishop Welby has now apologised for the comparison, tweeting: “I unequivocally apologise for the words I used when trying to emphasise the gravity of the situation facing us at COP26. It’s never right to make comparisons with the atrocities brought by the Nazis, and I’m sorry for the offence caused to Jews by these words.”
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Comparisons to Nazi Germany risk trivialising the suffering and murder of the six million men, women and children who died at the hands of that regime. Making such comparisons rarely strengthens one’s cause. Archbishop Welby should be commended for his rapid and unreserved apology.”
Jewish man returning from synagogue hit in head with glass bottle
A Jewish man returning from synagogue was hit in the head with glass bottle, which reportedly broke, leaving him covered in a yellow liquid.
The attack took place on Rossington Street in Stamford Hill in the evening of 30th October and was reported by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.
If you have any more information, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting reference number: 4628710/21.
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 more than four times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.
Swastikas similar to ones found near North London synagogue on Saturday discovered nearby
Swastikas bearing a similar resemblance to the ones found near a North London synagogue a few days ago have been discovered nearby.
On Saturday, the Metropolitan Police Service appealed for witnesses after officers arrested a teenage on suspicion of religiously aggravated criminal damage after swastikas were spray painted near a synagogue.
The 16-year-old boy was detained soon after 20:00 today by officers responding to reports received only 20 minutes earlier of a male seen spraying swastikas on walls near Belsize Square Synagogue. A police statement said that they have subsequently found numerous swastikas sprayed on walls in the surrounding area and that they are investigating whether the same suspect is responsible.
Appealing for witnesses, the Metropolitan Police Service said that “Anyone who witnessed the offences taking place or who has other information and has not yet spoken to police should call 101, giving the reference 6604/30OCT.”
Now, more swastikas have been discovered not far from Belsize Park Synagogue. It has been reported to us that sightings of similar swastikas have occurred on Fairfax Road and Daleham Gardens.
UK Government ends direct funding of Palestinian Authority teachers, but not because of antisemitism
The UK has ended direct funding of Palestinian Authority teachers, but the Middle East Minister has insisted that this decision is not connected to antisemitic material in the curriculum.
Labour MP Andrew Gwynne submitted a written question to Middle East Minister, Conservative James Cleverly, asking “whether his Department has plans to review the allocation of funding to the Palestinian education system following the publication of the Georg Eckert Institute’s report on Palestinian textbooks in June 2021.”
Mr Gwynne was referring to a report commissioned – and unsuccessfully suppressed – by the European Commission that revealed numerous instances of anti-Jewish racism in Palestinian Authority textbooks, including glorification of violence and terrorism against Jews. The report confirmed the findings of other similar investigations in recent years.
In his response, Mr Cleverly said: “Following Official Development Assistance (ODA) prioritisation exercises undertaken in March 2021, the UK no longer provides direct funding to the Palestinian Authority to support the salaries of education workers and health professionals. This decision was not influenced by the publication of the Georg Eckert Institute’s report on Palestinian textbooks published in June 2021. The UK remains firmly committed to ensuring a quality education for Palestinian children, demonstrated by our longstanding support to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and through the British Council.”
The Government has recently said that the findings of the report were “not acceptable to the Government.” This view is in contrast to the excuses for antisemitism in textbooks made by some backbench MPs across parties.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “We welcome an end to the direct British funding of a foreign education system permeated by antisemitic tropes. It is disappointing, however, that the Government did not take the opportunity to emphasise that combating antisemitism was a motivation behind the cut. That, rather than mere cost-cutting, would have sent the strongest message to purveyors of hate abroad.”
Antisemitism in Palestinian Authority and UNRWA textbooks funded by Britain, the EU and Western nations has been an ongoing problem for many years.
Alleged co-founder of neo-Nazi terrorist group National Action denies membership of proscribed group
The alleged co-founder of the neo-Nazi terrorist group, National Action, has denied being a member of the proscribed group.
Alex Davies, 27, pleaded not guilty to a single charge of membership of a proscribed organisation between 17th December 17 2016 and 27th September 2017.
Mr Davies, of Uplands in Swansea, appeared at the Old Bailey via video link, and the trial is anticipated in April next year.
National Action was proscribed by the British Government following repeated calls by Campaign Against Antisemitism and others. Mr Davies and Ben Raymond are alleged to have founded the group in 2013 as university students.
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.
Secretary of Labour Against the Witchhunt who participated in counter-demonstration against Jews protesting Labour antisemitism wins council job back
The Secretary of Labour Against the Witchhunt who was sacked by Hammersmith and Fulham Council after participating in a counter-demonstration against a Jewish community protest against antisemitism in the Labour Party has won his job back with a considerable payment of damages.
A judge has ruled that Stan Keable, a Public Protection and Safety Officer at the London council, was unfairly dismissed after he got the sack following his participation in a counter-demonstration with Jewish Voice for Labour, an antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation.
Mr Keable was expelled from Labour in 2017 and is Secretary of Labour Against the Witchhunt, an antisemitism-denial group that was proscribed by the Labour Party earlier this year.
Mr Keable was videoed in an exchange with a protester at a Jewish community rally against Labour antisemitism in March 2018. During the exchange, Mr Keable apparently said that “the Zionist movement collaborated with the Nazis,” and the video was uploaded to social media by a journalist and viewed almost 80,000 times.
Mr Keable was identified as an employee of the Labour-led council, whose leader called on officials to act swiftly. Mr Keable was reportedly suspended on the same day for “offensive” comments and dismissed two months later.
However, an employment tribunal judge heard that the Council accepted the contention that Mr Keable’s comments were not antisemitic and that Mr Keable had made the comments in a private capacity, had not published them himself and had not made them in a threatening or abusive manner, but that he was nonetheless dismissed because he had been identified as an employee of the Council and that a “reasonable person” would interpret the comments as meaning that the Zionist movement had “colluded with the Holocaust [sic]”.
The judge, however, determined that there was no evidence that the comments had been interpreted in this way, a ruling upheld last week by the employment appeal tribunal.
The Council was not only ordered to repay £70,000 in damages to Mr Keable but also, in an unusual decision, ordered to reinstate him.
Mr Keable said: “I want to go back to work. If I’d made offensive remarks at work, we’d be talking a different story. I’m quite willing to accept that some people were offended but that’s not a crime or a sin – it’s a necessary part of free speech.”
Hammersmith and Fulham council said: “As a public body we always expect the highest levels of conduct from our employees. We are therefore disappointed with the judgment.”
The Council is reportedly considering its options, as if it refuses to reinstate Mr Keable, it will have to pay further compensation.
Hammersmith and Fulham Council has adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism.
Image credit: Twitter
“(((Zionist hivemin)))” graffiti found daubed on residential building in East London
Graffiti that reads “(((Zionist hivemin)))” has been daubed on a residential building in East London.
The multiple brackets, also known as an “echo”, are used by some far-right groups in order to inform others that someone is Jewish. In response, many Jewish social media users have adopted the echo as a means of reclamation.
The word “hivemin” is believed to be an incorrect spelling of “hivemind”, referring to a collective way of thinking.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: “On the afternoon of Wednesday, 27th October police were made aware of antisemitic graffiti on a residential property in Durant Street, E2. Officers have asked the local authority to remove the graffiti. Enquiries are ongoing.”
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.
Image credit: Google
Conservative councillor accused of supporting far-right Patriotic Alternative resigns from Worthing Council
A councillor for the Conservative Party who had been suspended after being accused of supporting the far-right group Patriotic Alternative has now resigned from Worthing Council.
Tim Wills is alleged to have joined a Patriotic Alternative chat room on the social media platform Telegram in June, where he reportedly posted messages of support.
Patriotic Alternative is known for its efforts to recruit youth to its white nationalist ideology. Previously, the far-right group published an online “alternative” home school curriculum condemned as “poison” and “hateful” and attempted to recruit children as young as twelve through livestreaming events on YouTube, according to The Times.
Earlier this year, the far-right group was found to be using Telegram to create neo-Nazi channels dedicated to sharing vile messages, antisemitic conspiracy theories and images glorifying Hitler.
Hope Not Hate describes Patriotic Alliance is “a racist far-right organisation with antisemitism at its very core. They aim to combat the ‘replacement and displacement’ of white Britons by people who ‘have no right to these lands’.” The group reportedly holds that “it is Jewish elites, particularly, who are orchestrating the ‘replacement’ of white Britons.”
The group is led by the former head of the youth wing of the BNP, Mark Collett, who is reported to have dabbled in Holocaust denial, collaborated with the infamous American antisemite David Duke, and espoused antisemitic and racist views.
A report into Patriotic Alternative published last summer found that several members of the group engaged in Holocaust denial.
On 22nd September, Mr Wills is alleged to have written: “My view is Covid is a loss maker for us, we just need to centre on white genocide […] because many of our white race are convinced about vaccines, but not about our replacement, and need to be informed about this?”
In another message, he is alleged to have encouraged members to “Remember the fourteen words”, likely a reference to the neo-Nazi fourteen-word oath: “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children”, a slogan initially devised by David Lane, a member of the white supremacist terrorist group “The Order” which was responsible for the murder of Jewish radio host Alan Berg.
He also reportedly said that because Patriotic Alternative “have no chance of political power any time soon, sadly”, he viewed the Conservatives as “the best of a rotten lot,” as the group would still have a “right-wing minority who are on side”. He also reportedly said that if it were not for his “sensitive job” as a Conservative councillor, then he would take on the vacant regional organiser position in his local branch.
After the allegations arose in October, Mr Wills was suspended from the Conservative Party. He has now reportedly resigned from the Council as well.
In a statement, Worthing Council said: “Cllr Wills is the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Council under its Code of Conduct procedures following remarks he is alleged to have made in an online forum run by an organisation called the Patriotic Alternative. He had already been suspended by the Conservative Party pending an investigation. In accordance with procedures the vacancy on the council will be advertised on this website in due course.”
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.
Police seek witnesses after arresting teenager on suspicion of spraying swastika graffiti near London synagogue
The Metropolitan Police Service has appealed for witnesses after officers arrested a teenage on suspicion of religiously aggravated criminal damage after swastikas were spray painted near a synagogue.
The 16-year-old boy was detained soon after 20:00 today by officers responding to reports received only 20 minutes earlier of a male seen spraying swastikas on walls near Belsize Square Synagogue. A police statement said that they have subsequently found numerous swastikas sprayed on walls in the surrounding area and that they are investigating whether the same suspect is responsible.
Appealing for witnesses, the Metropolitan Police Service said that “Anyone who witnessed the offences taking place or who has other information and has not yet spoken to police should call 101, giving the reference 6604/30OCT.”
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “This is a deeply disturbing crime and we commend the Metropolitan Police Service for its swift and effective response. We will follow this case with interest.”
A year on from the EHRC’s report confirming Labour’s institutional antisemitism, progress remains slow
As we mark precisely a year since the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) published its report on antisemitism in the Labour Party, it is a good moment to review how the Party has performed on this issue since then.
Campaign Against Antisemitism first contacted the EHRC in 2017 about Labour’s antisemitism problem, and by the summer of 2018 we had formally referred Labour to the EHRC, becoming the complainant in its unprecedented full statutory investigation.
One year ago today, following that investigation, the EHRC found the Labour Party to be institutionally racist against Jewish people, and the Jewish community was finally vindicated.
Sir Keir Starmer described this historic finding as a “day of shame” for Labour, having previously promised to seek out antisemitism in his Party and “tear out this poison by its roots.” There is evidence of attempts to fulfil this pledge. For instance, within minutes of our submission of a complaint against former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and other sitting Labour MPs in relation to antisemitism, Sir Keir suspended Mr Corbyn, pending an investigation (although his suspension from the Labour Party was disgracefully short-lived and he remained eligible to attend the Party’s annual conference this year). In addition, there have been proclamations by Labour’s General-Secretary to Constituency Labour Parties to avoid discussing antisemitism; the antisemitism-denial group Labour Against the Witchhunt and the disgraced former Labour MP Chris Williamson’s so-called “Resist” faction have both been proscribed, with all of their members threatened with automatic expulsion from the Party; and Ken Loach and Leah Levane have both been expelled.
Significantly, Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) resolved to introduce a semi-independent disciplinary process, a decision since endorsed by the Party’s annual conference, in compliance with the mandate by the EHRC to do so. Meanwhile, at the local level, Labour-controlled local authorities have a good record of adopting the International Definition of Antisemitism, which the Party so forcefully but unsuccessfully resisted adopting when Mr Corbyn was leader..
However, even these advances are qualified. Mr Corbyn was rapidly readmitted to the Labour Party by the same disciplinary process that the EHRC had just deemed unfit for purpose, and he remains in the absurd position of being a full member of the Labour Party but outside the Parliamentary Labour Party and therefore sits as an independent MP.
Welcome though the expulsion of Leah Levane may be, the antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation, Jewish Voice for Labour, of which she is co-Chair, has not been proscribed and remains active. Indeed it hosted yet another controversial fringe event at Labour’s annual conference this year. For that matter the pro-Corbyn Momentum faction, whose co-Chair denied that a Jewish MP was hounded out of the Party, has also not been proscribed, while Young Labour’s controversies have been ignored and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which a past investigation by Campaign Against Antisemitism found to be riddled with bigotry, has been positively welcomed by the Party.
Although majorities of the NEC and attendees at Labour’s conference supported the introduction of a semi-independent disciplinary process, significant minorities of each body did not, even though this risked putting the Party in legal jeopardy. Similarly, Constituency Labour Parties around the country have also often ignored or protested the General-Secretary’s prohibition on discussing antisemitism.
In addition, there are still significant shortcomings in how Labour has dealt with antisemitism in its ranks. Notably, the Parliamentary Labour Party and Shadow Cabinet include politicians who either actively supported an antisemitic leader — and Sir Keir himself is on record as having given his “100% backing” to Mr Corbyn — and those who did nothing as their principled and courageous colleagues quit the Party or, in the case of several Jewish MPs, were hounded out of it.
Our complaints against fifteen sitting MPs remain outstanding, and the Party is even yet to formally acknowledge them — notwithstanding reports that the complaint against Deputy Leader Angela Rayner has been dismissed without a word — which does not reflect a leadership wholly willing to address past failures. Indeed Sir Keir has repeatedly refused to engage with us, despite our being the complainant in the EHRC’s investigation into antisemitism in his Party.
Meanwhile, numerous MPs and officeholders have not been sanctioned for sharing platforms with members suspended or expelled over antisemitism, despite Sir Keir’s leadership election pledge to do so. Disciplinary actions in other high-profile cases have been reversed, and, when first published in purported compliance with the Action Plan agreed with the EHRC, Labour’s proposed complaints handbook was a joke.
More broadly, the goodwill and trust between Labour and the Jewish community that did build up in the months since Sir Keir won the leadership of the Party was wasted during the conflict between Hamas and Israel, when Labour MPs and councillors, though not alone, were too often involved in stoking communal division, ignoring displays of antisemitism at rallies and on some occasions even joining in with them.
All of this has been noted by the Jewish community. Our latest Antisemitism Barometer, published at the start of the year (with polling conducted after Mr Corbyn’s suspension and well before the conflict between Hamas and Israel), showed that British Jews feel that the Labour Party is more than twice as tolerant of antisemitism than any other political party. Remarkably, compared to the previous year’s figures (polled while Mr Corbyn was still leader of the Party), Labour performed worse, with 88 percent of respondents considering that the Party was too tolerant of antisemitism under Sir Keir compared with 86 percent the year before under Mr Corbyn, perhaps due to disappointment caused by the apparent evaporation of Sir Keir’s bold promises. At times, this sentiment has spilled into the open.
It was therefore astonishing to hear Sir Keir declare at Labour’s conference last month that he had “closed the door” on antisemites in the Party and on Labour’s “shameful chapter.” Just as remarkable was what he did not say: his keynote speech did not mention antisemitism at all, with the partial exception of his delight in welcoming Dame Louise Ellman back to the Party. In case the extent of the task still ahead was in doubt, Sir Keir’s reference to the Jewish veteran former MP was met with some hissing from the crowd.
Yet even if the leadership succeeds in redirecting the Party and, more doubtfully, confronting problems in the Parliamentary Labour Party, in the background is Labour’s vast membership, over two thirds of which still believes that the problem of antisemitism in the Party has been “exaggerated” or that there is not a serious problem — findings similar to those in a poll conducted shortly after the 2019 General Election.
We continue to encourage the Labour Party in its positive steps and fulfilment of the Action Plan agreed with the EHRC, but we will also continue to pressure the Party on its failures and inconsistencies, and ultimately expect to see our complaints investigated and upheld so that the Jewish community gets more than just the promise of justice.
Only now has the Party resolved to introduce an independent disciplinary process, but the real challenge — to which our complaints speak — will be applying the new rules to those in the Labour Party who supported or enabled the unlawful victimisation of Jewish people.
Joe Glasman, Head of Political and Government Investigations at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “One year has passed since the publication of the EHRC’s report confirming Labour’s institutional racism against Jewish people. But while Sir Keir Starmer pledged to tear out antisemitism by its roots, so far there has been only a light trimming.
“Only now, a year on, has the Party resolved to introduce an independent disciplinary process. The leadership has yet to fulfill its promise of zero tolerance, and the real challenge will be applying the new rules to those in the Labour Party who supported or enabled the unlawful victimisation of Jewish people. In particular, Labour must investigate our complaints against its MPs if the Jewish community is finally to have justice.”
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.
French President inaugurates Dreyfus affair museum in Paris
French President Emmanuel Macron has inaugurated the first museum dedicated to the Dreyfus affair.
Maison Zola-Musée Dreyfus is located in the former home of French author Émile Zola and houses the full Dreyfus Collection containing more than 500 items. These include documents, photographs, songs, posters and other memorabilia relating to the Dreyfus affair and designed to give a full picture of events in France in the late 19th century.
The events that became known as the Dreyfus affair took place in the late 19th century, after antisemitism led to the wrongful conviction of army captain Alfred Dreyfus as a traitor and spy. After Captain Dreyfus was wrongfully convicted of passing military secrets to the Germans and sentenced to life imprisonment on the infamous Devil’s Island, Émile Zola – already a leading author – wrote an open letter to French President Félix Faure in defence of the Jewish officer.
The letter was published on the front page of the popular L’Aurore newspaper under the banner headline “J’accuse.” Mr Zola blamed the army for its mistaken conviction of Captain Dreyfus and for attempting to cover it up. Following the public outcry, the incident became known as the Dreyfus affair. Mr Zola himself was found guilty of libel and was sentenced to a year’s imprisonment and a fine. Captain Dreyfus was tried again on the same falsified charges and a military court again found him guilty, but he was pardoned by the new President, Emile Loubet, in 1899.
Captain Dreyfus was eventually exonerated in 1906 and went on to serve honourably in WWI, but the memory of the case cast a long shadow of antisemitism over France’s history.
The restoration and creation of the museum in the former home of Mr Zola in Médan, just west of Paris, took ten years and was co-financed by fashion entrepreneur Pierre Bergé; the French Government’s Foundation for the Memory of the Shoah; and the Government-run Dilcrah, which works to combat discrimination of all kinds, including antisemitism.
Louis Gautier, President of the Maison Zola-Musée Dreyfus Association, told a Paris newspaper that the museum would principally focus on education, hosting school groups. It would focus on “questions of racism and exclusion,” and would explain how the justice system works.
In 2002, at the 100th anniversary of Mr Zola’s death, France’s then-President Jacques Chirac held a national homage at Maison Zola, and declared that the writer’s ideals still needed to be upheld in modern times.
The story of the Dreyfus affair was adapted into a 2019 film called J’accuse (An Officer and a Spy). Directed by Roman Polanski, it won awards for Best Director and Best Screenplay in the French César Awards.
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.
Nazim Ali case to be sent back to the General Pharmaceutical Council to reconsider as Court of Appeal refuses to hear an appeal
The Court of Appeal has refused ‘Al Quds Day’ march leader Nazim Ali’s request for permission to appeal the High Court’s ruling quashing a decision by the General Pharmaceutical Council’s (GPhC) Fitness to Practice Committee.
The High Court ruling came after an appeal by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) against the original ruling by the Committee at the request of Campaign Against Antisemitism.
Mr Ali is the leader of the annual pro-Hizballah ‘Al Quds Day’ march in London who made antisemitic statements during the 2017 march. Since Mr Ali is a pharmacist Campaign Against Antisemitism brought a complaint to his professional regulator, the GPhC.
Last year, the GPhC’s Fitness to Practise Committee found that Mr Ali had brought the pharmaceutical profession into disrepute, following a two-week hearing that culminated on 5th November. Although the Fitness to Practise Committee had found that Mr Ali’s words were offensive, it did not find that the words had been antisemitic, and the panel let him off with only a formal warning.
Following the GPhC’s ruling, Campaign Against Antisemitism made representations to the PSA, which oversees disciplinary decisions made by the GPhC. We asked the PSA to use its statutory power to appeal the GPhC’s decision to the High Court under the National Health Service Reform and Healthcare Professionals Act 2002, on the grounds that the decision made by the GPhC panel was insufficient to protect the public because it was “irrational and perverse”.
In particular, we asked the PSA to review the GPhC’s ruling that Mr Ali’s statements were not antisemitic, including by attempting to distinguish between “antisemitism” and “antisemitic”. We have asked the PSA to consider the International Definition of Antisemitism, which has been adopted by the British Government, and the Guidance to all Judiciary in England and Wales produced by the Judicial College that makes clear that the word “Zionist” or “Zio” as a term of abuse has no place in a civilised society.
Furthermore, we argued that the ruling misapplied the law when asking whether a “reasonable person” would have considered the comments made by Mr Ali as being antisemitic. The GPhC’s Fitness to Practise Committee ruled that Jewish bystanders who saw the demonstration or watched the recording of it posted online could not be considered to be “reasonable persons” in the legal sense because of their “selective view of events”.
The PSA made the referral that we requested, opening the way for the High Court to decide whether to quash the GPhC panel’s decision. Subsequently, the GPhC itself also agreed with Campaign Against Antisemitism and declared that it would not oppose the appeal at the High Court, leaving Mr Ali to do so himself.
In June, the High Court allowed the PSA’s appeal, ruling that the case is to be remitted to the Fitness to Practice Committee to redetermine whether Mr Ali’s comments had been antisemitic.
Mr Ali subsequently sought leave to appeal the High Court’s ruling in the Court of the Appeal, but permission to appeal has been refused, leaving no further avenues before the Fitness to Practice Committee rehears the case.
At the time of the High Court’s ruling, Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “The High Court has agreed with us that the decision on whether Nazim Ali’s remarks at the pro-Hizballah ‘Al Quds Day’ march in 2017 were antisemitic was woefully inept. As we hoped, the High Court has now quashed the original decision of the Fitness to Practise Committee of the General Pharmaceutical Council in relation to Mr Ali’s antisemitism and ordered it to reach a new decision. This is exactly why we referred the matter to the Professional Standards Authority.
“We commend the Professional Standards Authority and the General Pharmaceutical Council itself for recognising the injustice of the earlier decision.
“We hope that the Fitness to Practise Committee will arrive at a new decision that accepts that Mr Ali’s comments were antisemitic and that on that basis the previous sanction was inadequate and wrong. The road to justice in this case has proved long and winding, but we are again heading in the right direction.
“We said that we would not allow this injustice to stand and we are delighted by this new judgement. Campaign Against Antisemitism will always be unrelenting in pursuit of justice.”
We are extremely grateful to Simon Braun, a partner at Perrin Myddelton solicitors, and barrister Thomas Daniel of 2 Bedford Row Chambers, who have acted for and assisted Campaign Against Antisemitism in this matter.
We additionally commend all those who also contacted the GPhC and PSA to protest against the initial unjust decision.
Joey Barton issues apology after describing bad football performance as ‘a Holocaust’
Joey Barton, the former football player and current manager of Bristol Rovers Football Club, has issued an apology after he described bad football performance as “a Holocaust” on Saturday.
Reacting to Bristol Rovers’ loss to Newport County, Mr Barton said: “I said to the lads during the week, you know, the team’s almost like musical chairs, you know. Someone gets in and does well, but then gets suspended. Someone gets in and does well, gets injured. Someone gets in, does well for a game and then has a Holocaust, a nightmare, you know, an absolute disaster.”
Mr Barton has now issued an apology, stating: “Clearly no offence was meant, but some people have rightly pointed out to me the use of the analogy was not correct. So if anybody was offended by that, I would like to apologise for that. I think the FA were right to write to me and remind me of that. You hope to use better analogies in future, but it was certainly with no malice or offence intended to anybody.”
He added: “It’s our duty to be word perfect and not create controversy. I get that everything we say, even this I’m saying now will no doubt be pieced together in such a way that it will be there to grab and capture the attention of people that use social media, the internet. For me, it was a poor analogy to use in the context of the modern-day world we live in, and it won’t happen again.”
This is not the first time a Holocaust reference has been made in the context of describing a poor performance.
In 2019, football pundit and former footballer, Perry Groves, apologised after reportedly describing a player as having “a Holocaust of a game” on a live radio show. One year earlier, Phil Brown, the football player turned manager, apologised for using the same phrase.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Trivial comparisons to the Holocaust, the systematic murder of six million Jewish men, women and children, are never acceptable. Joey Barton is right to apologise, but it remains remarkable that he and others too often feel it appropriate to make such thoughtless comments in the first place. Mr Barton would do well to consider undertaking Holocaust education and using his platform to encourage others to do so to better understand the impact of his words.”
Far-right group Patriotic Alternative flyer Jewish homes in Borehamwood calling to ban kosher meat
It has been reported that the far-right group Patriotic Alternative has posted flyers through Jewish homes in Borehamwood calling for the ban of kosher and halal meat.
Patriotic Alternative is known for its efforts to recruit youth to its white nationalist ideology. Previously, the far-right group published an online “alternative” home school curriculum condemned as “poison” and “hateful” and attempted to recruit children as young as twelve through livestreaming events on YouTube, according to The Times.
It is led by the former head of the youth wing of the BNP, Mark Collett, who is reported to have dabbled in Holocaust denial, collaborated with the infamous American antisemite David Duke, and espoused antisemitic and racist views.
Police have reportedly increased patrols in the area. A Hertfordshire Constabulary spokesperson said: “We are aware a number of residents in Borehamwood have received leaflets through their doors that have caused distress and offence,” said a force spokesperson. While no crimes have been committed, this has been recorded as a hate incident and we would like to reassure you that we take such matters very seriously. As a result, you will be seeing additional police patrols in the area.”
Leader of the Hertsmere Labour group, councillor Jeremy Newmark, said: “[The leaders of the Conservative and Liberal Democrat groups] share my view that there is no room for Patriotic Alternative in Hertsmere. They will not be allowed to get a foodhold round here.”
Earlier this year, the far-right group was found to be using the social media platform Telegram to create neo-Nazi channels dedicated to sharing vile messages, antisemitic conspiracy theories and images glorifying Hitler. A report into Patriotic Alternative published last summer found that several members of the group engaged in Holocaust denial.
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.
Far-right leader Mark Collett interviews Piers Corbyn where they discuss the “Jewish Question”
Mark Collett, the leader of the far-right group Patriotic Alternative, interviewed Piers Corbyn last night where he asked Mr Corbyn about the “Jewish Question”.
Mark Collett is the former head of the BNP’s youth wing who is reported to have dabbled in Holocaust denial, collaborated with the infamous American antisemite David Duke, and espoused antisemitic and racist views. He currently leads Patriotic Alternative, a group known for its efforts to recruit youth to its white nationalist ideology. Previously, the far-right group published an online “alternative” home school curriculum condemned as “poison” and “hateful” and attempted to recruit children as young as twelve through livestreaming events on YouTube, according to The Times.
The interview, which ran for almost one hour and culminated with Mr Collett asking Mr Corbyn, the brother of the antisemitic former Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn, if he wanted “an easy question or a spicy question”. Mr Collett, asking on behalf of one of his listeners who donated money in order to have their question read out, then asked Mr Corbyn: “Is Piers aware of the Jewish question?”
The “Jewish Question” is an antisemitic phrase that arose in nineteenth-century Europe which asserted that Jewish people’s presence in society was a problem that needed to be solved. The “Final Solution of the Jewish Question” was the name given by the Nazis to their programme to exterminate six million Jews during the Holocaust. It has been reported that this term has been reclaimed by neo-Nazis and members of the alt-right, often using “JQ” as a shorthand for the phrase.
Mr Corbyn replied to Mr Collett’s question by saying: “Well I’m not quite sure what that means. I mean…I’m not a Holocaust denier in case it’s leading up to that, because certain things you say, we’re told we’re Holocaust deniers. Well, you know, the Holocaust happened and that was horrific. But that’s all I can say on that.”
Continuing his answer, Mr Corbyn claimed that he didn’t have the time to answer the question at that moment but showed interest in discussing it at a different time. “I mean, there’s lots of ways of defining the Jewish Question but the difficulty is in answering these can lead you up into certain dangers because you’ll say things…so, I’m not trying to get out of that but I’m not convinced we’ve got the time to elaborate on that at this point in time. But if you come and see me under different circumstances we could discuss that if you want more fully if the meaning of the question could be verified a bit more,” Mr Corbyn said.
A video recently emerged of Mr Corbyn claiming that allegations of antisemitism against him and his brother are a “pack of lies”, and in August, Mr Corbyn suggested that “troublemakers” in Jewish areas posted leaflets created and distributed by Mr Corbyn, which compared the COVID-19 vaccines to the Auschwitz death camp, through their own doors in a “plot” to portray him as antisemitic. Mr Corbyn has compared vaccinations to Nazi policy on more than one occasion.
Mr Collett’s interview with Mr Corbyn was co-hosted by Jason Köhne, an accused white nationalist and self-proclaimed “advocate for white wellbeing” who promotes a website claiming that western civilisation is threatening white people.
Earlier this month, Campaign Against Antisemitism wrote to Amazon after it was reported that the online marketplace had cut a book deal with Mr Collett, in which it was reportedly receiving profit off of his book that was found to be promoting Holocaust denial. Amazon has also been found selling Mr Köhne books.
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.
Green Party chaotically adopts five definitions of antisemitism in apparent attempt to dilute International Definition of Antisemitism used by all other parties
The Green Party has adopted five distinct definitions of antisemitism in an apparent attempt to dilute the International Definition of Antisemitism used by all other parties.
In addition to adopting the International Definition of Antisemitism, the Green Party has also chosen to adopt the Jerusalem Declaration, a wrecking document intended to undermine the globally recognised International Definition.
Joshua Alston – the motion’s lead proposer – said: “This motion would put us at the vanguard of the fight against antisemitism, and at the vanguard of the fight against the global far-right while protecting our pro-Palestinian policy.”
However, many have pointed out that the International Definition and the Jerusalem Declaration are not mutually compatible. The contradictory decision has sparked a backlash from many British Jews over the Party’s apparent unwillingness to accept the Definition alone.
For contrasting reasons, the decision was also criticised by the Greens’ Policing and Domestic Safety spokesperson and former Deputy Leader, Shahrar Ali, a vocal opponent of the International Definition and proponent of the Jerusalem Declaration, who labelled the adoption of both a “fudge” and the “worst of all worlds”. Mr Ali speciously described the International Definition last month as “a bad definition of antisemitism [which] could disproportionately affect Palestinians, or their allies, as well as Jews – precisely because it would be counterproductive on its own terms and not help to tackle genuine antisemitism by conflating legitimate political criticism,” and supports the adoption by the Green Party of the Jerusalem Declaration, which he describes as a “good definition”.
Our Antisemitism Barometer survey of British Jews late last year found that the Greens were second only to Labour in how many respondents felt that the Party was too tolerant of antisemitism (43%).
Campaign Against Antisemitism has extensively documented alleged antisemitism among officers of the Green Party of England and Wales, including the Party’s former Equalities and Diversity Coordinator who now holds the International Coordinator portfolio, on which the Green Party has failed to act.
Recently, we revealed how certain policies of the Scottish Greens (the Green Party’s counterpart in Scotland) are cause for concern for the Jewish community, with one particularly controversial position, among others, being the Party’s opposition to the International Definition of Antisemitism. Consequently, Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, is under growing pressure over the SNP’s recent deal with the Scottish Greens.
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.
Trial of two men accused of stabbing Holocaust survivor to death begins in France
The trial over the 2018 murder of a Holocaust survivor began yesterday in Paris’ Court of Assizes.
Mireille Knoll, an 85-year-old Holocaust survivor, fled Paris in 1942 at nine years old with her mother, escaping to Portugal. They narrowly avoided the Vélodrome d’Hiver, or “Vél d’Hiv”, the largest roundup of French Jews during the Holocaust where over 13,000 men, women, and children were arrested with the majority being deported to Auschwitz. Less than 100 people returned.
On 23rd March, 2018, Ms Knoll was killed after being stabbed eleven times in her Paris apartment. Her body was found partially burned after those responsible for her murder then attempted to set her apartment on fire. The murder was deemed an antisemitic incident with President Emanuel Macron stating that her killer “assassinated an innocent and vulnerable woman because she was Jewish.”
The two accused of her murder are 32-year-old Yacine Mihoub and 25-year-old Alex Carrimbacus. It has been reported that Ms Knoll lived in the same building as Mr Mihoub and his family and knew the defendant since he was a child. Mr Mihoub, who reportedly made unannounced visits regularly to Ms Knoll, was said to have arrived with Mr Carrimbacus at Ms Knoll’s apartment where the two accused began drinking her port wine. It was during this visit that Ms Knoll was stabbed eleven times. The pair, who reportedly met in prison, have contrasting accounts of what occurred, though neither deny that they were both present at the scene of the murder.
Mr Carrimbacus told investigators that Mr Mihoub approached him about a “money scheme” and “talked about Jews’ money” and “their wealth”, prompting magistrates to treat the killing as an antisemitic hate crime. Mr Carrimbacus alleges that Mr Mihoub angrily accused Ms Knoll of providing information to the police which resulted in his last prison sentence before slitting her throat and yelling “Allahu Akhbar,” the Islamic cry for “God is great.” However, Mr Mihoub claims that it was Mr Carrimbacus who killed Ms Knoll before robbing the apartment. Both men claim that the other started the fire after the killing. Investigators told media outlets on Tuesday that the men had a propensity “to lie” and “to manipulate”, rendering neither account particularly credible.
In November 2020, an appeal made by the accused to the Paris Court of Appeal to drop the charge of antisemitism was rejected after the court believed that Mr Carrimbacus’s claim that he overheard Mr Mihoub lecturing Ms Knoll about “the financial means of the Jews, their good situation,” with Ms Knoll answering that “not all Jews have a good situation,” to be “plausible”. Court documents described the incident as the culpable homicide of someone “they knew to be vulnerable owing to her physical condition, and which in addition was carried out because of her Jewish faith.”
The court also acknowledged Mr Mihoub’s “ambivalence vis-à-vis Islamist terrorism which notably advocates antisemitism.” Following the murder, a police investigation found that Mr Mihoub regularly visited websites featuring content that promoted Islamism and antisemitism, and was already known to authorities for praising Saïd and Chérif Kouachi, the brothers behind the 2015 Charlie Hebdo shooting.
Mr Mihoub’s mother, Zoulikha Khellaf, is also on trial after she was charged with cleaning the knife used to murder Ms Knoll.
Mr Carrimbacus’ lawyer, Karim Laouafi, argued that the charge of antisemitism should only be brought against Mr Mihoub, stating that “these elements are not present in Alex Carrimbacus. If the crime is antisemitic, that cannot be blamed on him.”
Charles Consigny, Mr Mihoub’s defence, responded by asserting that Mr Carrimbacus’ accusations of antisemitism against Mr Mihoub were lies. “It only exists because Carrimbacus invented a motive, and the prosecutors weren’t brave enough to drop it in the face of public pressure,” Mr Consigny said yesterday.
The Knoll family’s lawyer, Gilles-William Goldnadel, said yesterday that both of the accused should face “severe punishment for this horrible crime.” Speaking to reports as he entered the court, Mr Goldnadel said “We will need a miracle for the truth to come out of their mouths,” adding that Ms Knoll’s murder was a clear case of “antisemitism motivated by financial gain.”
In an interview, Ms Knoll’s son Alain said “I haven’t cried since my mother died, and I hope that when the murderers have been convicted, I will finally be able to cry…I want to know who stabbed my mother’s body eleven times. You must really hate in order to be able to do that, and this hatred can only be antisemitism.”
His brother Daniel added: “These people are not part of the community of humankind. They are monsters, they must be considered as monsters. Can we talk to monsters? I think it’s going to be next to impossible to talk to them.”
The killing of Ms Knoll took place only one year after the murder of Sarah Halimi, also occuring in Paris. Ms Halimi was a 65-year-old Jewish woman who was murdered by her 27-year-old Muslim neighbour, Kobili Traoré, after he tortured her before pushing her out of a window to her death. The Jewish community in France is said to be carefully watching the trial of Ms Knoll’s murder after France’s Court of Cassation ruled earlier this year that Sarah Halimi’s killer could not be held to stand trial due to being high on cannabis whilst committing the murder.
Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.
Image credit: Facebook
National Gallery removes “antisemitic” artwork from online exhibition
The National Gallery has removed a picture that it has deemed antisemitic from its upcoming online exhibition.
Albrecht Dürer’s Christ Among the Doctors tells the story of Jesus as a twelve-year-old debating with Jewish doctors in Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem. While many artists have painted the biblical scene, some feel that Dürer’s painting from 1506 uses antisemitic overtones to depict the Jewish characters.
A National Gallery spokesperson said: “We are aware that the representation of the Doctors may cause offence and both the wall texts and the audio guide in the exhibition will acknowledge and address caricature and antisemitic portrayal in the painting.
“We have removed the image and accompanying text from our online gallery of selected exhibited works as we felt that in this format there was not adequate space for the interpretation required for this work.”
The exhibition is set to launch next month and will focus on the work of Dürer.
New report states Harrow Council ignored staff’s claims of antisemitism
A newly published independent race report has stated that Harrow Council ignored several claims of antisemitism that were flagged up by members of staff.
In addition to antisemitism, several cases of sexism and racism were allegedly witnessed by some members of council staff, though no action had been taken.
One participant in the report said: “A colleague reported several instances of antisemitism and racism and nothing has been done about it for years. It is no good at all to talk about combating racism, then do nothing about it when reported. We are so fed up of this and this is the reason why nothing will change.”
Other staff members reportedly said that they did not feel comfortable reporting incidents of “casual racism” for fear of losing their jobs.
The report recommended that the council issue a “formal apology”. Harrow Council has reportedly been contacted for comment.
Harrow Council adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism in 2017.
Image credit: Google
Target removes books promoting antisemitic tropes and Holocaust denial after media watchdog campaign
One of the United States’ largest retailers has pledged to remove from sale books promoting Holocaust denial and antisemitism.
An exposé by media watchdog CAMERA revealed that Target, the eighth-largest retailer in the United States, had books for sale on Holocaust denial. After CAMERA flagged this to the retailer, the group was contacted by a Target representative to “apologise” for its “error in having these books available on Target.com.”
The representative said that Target had “removed the books” flagged by CAMERA and was “actively working” to ensure that such content was “not for sale” on the Target site in future.
The representative also stated that Target was “committed to diversity, equity and inclusion” and was “sorry for the disappointment and pain” that such material may have caused.
The business had “guidelines in place” for the books that it sells and had been made aware that several books had been “listed in error on Target.com” that “don’t meet” their content guidelines. These titles, said the representative, had been removed “immediately” and Target was working “to ensure all future content meets” its guidelines.
Although CAMERA expressed satisfaction on Twitter at Target’s speedy response, it claimed that some antisemitic material was still available on Target.com, including a French translation of the notorious Protocols of the Elders of Zion and The Turner Diaries, as well at least one Holocaust denial book in German.
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.
“Vax the Jews” banner hung over bridge in Austin, Texas
A banner that read “Vax the Jews” was hung from a bridge in Austin, Texas over the weekend.
Also written on the banner was the domain “goyim.tv”, a website affiliated with the “Goyim Defence League”, a group whose membership reportedly contains several neo-Nazis and is understood to be led by Jon Minadeo II. The group is responsible for stunts such as visiting a Chabad centre to claim that “these Jewish terrorists” were behind 9/11, and hanging a banner on a Los Angeles overpass reading “Honk if you know the Jews want a race war.” Earlier this year, Mr Minadeo II created t-shirts carrying antisemitic slogans such as the Holocaust was “a hoax”.
Austin Mayor Steve Adler, who is himself Jewish, condemned the incident, tweeting. “I am heartbroken to see antisemitic hatred in Austin, a welcoming and respectful place. Hatred of any kind has no place in our city.”
The incident occurred close to the Shalom Austin Jewish Cultural Centre, the self-described “hub of Jewish life in Central Texas”. Shalom Austin called the incident “extremely upsetting and unsettling” and confirmed that the Austin Police Department had been incredibly supportive, adding that it was “carefully monitoring and observing the situation”.
Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.
Image credit: Image credit: StopAntisemitism.org
C&T Auctioneers and Valuers Ltd tells CAA that auctioning Nazi daggers “keeps the memory of what happened alive” and alarmingly gives no indication of stopping
Earlier this month, Campaign Against Antisemitism wrote to the Kent-based C&T Auctioneers and Valuers Ltd to express our dismay over their auctioning of Nazi memorabilia, including an assortment of Third Reich daggers and busts and pictures of Hitler and his senior ministers.
Their two-day militaria online auction also featured plaques and medals, clothing, shoes, goggles, medical pouches, china, posters, toys and books, all from the Nazi era.
The auction house has since responded to our letter, and as well as giving us no indication that it intends to halt their selling of Nazi memorabilia, they have told us that the auctioning of the grotesque items “keeps the memory of what happened alive”.
Despite Campaign Against Antisemitism outlining our belief that such items belong in a museum instead of in the hands of collectors whose motivation for acquiring cannot be known, the auction house insisted that auctioning to private collectors can educate them in “the horrors of history”.
In an absurd justification, the auction house further stated that if the private auctioning of Nazi memorabilia were to cease, so too would society have to ban anything that ever related to the Second World War, including books, films and television programmes, adding that one would “need to never show another movie or anything set during this time period.”
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “C&T Auctioneers and Valuers are putting profit before ethics by participating in the trade of Nazi memorabilia. Respectable auction houses only sell such objects to museums and for academic purposes, whereas at C&T Auctioneers and Valuers anybody could buy them, even neo-Nazis. The ultimate shame is trying to convince Jews that selling Nazi daggers and portraits of murderers helps ‘keeps the memory of what happened alive’, a claim that would be laughable were it not so obviously laced with contempt and condescension. We condemn C&T Auctioneers and Valuers Ltd’s decision to carry on auctioning these items.”
While C&T Auctioneers and Valuers Ltd show no signs of ceasing the sale of Nazi memorabilia, Tennants auctioneers recently assured us that they will not put Nazi items up for auction again in future, after we contacted the auction house in connection with an auction of Third Reich items.
However, auctions of Third Reich items persist, including those recently hosted by Easy Live Auction.
Last month, a BBC Bargain Hunt expert apologised after it was revealed that Nazi memorabilia was due to be sold at his auction house. 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.
Jewish residents in Paris receive “Dirty Jews Out” hate mail
Jewish residents in Paris have received hate mail that said “Dirty Jews Out”.
The incident reportedly took place last week in the French capital’s suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis where two Jewish neighbours in the same apartment block received the same letter.
The National Vigilance Bureau for Countering Antisemitism (BNCVA), an organisation in Paris that assists the victims of antisemitic attacks, released a statement in which they implored local police to “arrest the antisemitic delinquents who want to eject the Jewish citizens of France.”
It continued: “[The Jewish residents of Seine-Saint-Denis are the] victims of fire bombings of synagogues and Jewish schools, of attacks on Jews in stadiums or in the street, in schools and universities, often in cities with a leftist or Communist leadership that ostentatiously supports the boycott of Israel, or even Islamist terrorists.” It added that many Jewish people in the area had left in recent years.
Just days before this incident, Jewish residents of Seine-Saint-Denis were subjected to having newspaper articles covered with antisemitic scrawlings posted through their letterboxes. These included racist tropes of “Jewish power” and the allegation that Jewish people use the memory of the Holocaust to further their own agenda.
Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.
Image credit: BNCVA via The Algemeiner
Essex students inexplicably protest speech on Afghanistan by calling for destruction of Israel, two years after 200 voted against creation of Jewish society on their campus
Students at the University of Essex reportedly protested against a speech on Afghanistan by calling for the destruction of Israel.
Col. Richard Kemp, the former commander of British forces in Afghanistan, spoke to the University’s Conservative Society while protestors outside chanted “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” a chant that only makes sense as a call for the destruction of the world’s only Jewish state – and its replacement with a State of Palestine – and is thus an attempt to deny Jews, uniquely, the right to self-determination, which is a breach of the International Definition of Antisemitism.
The talk was about Britain’s withdrawal from Afghanistan and had nothing to do with Israel.
The student body at the University of Essex has a history of controversy relating to antisemitism. Two years ago, more than 200 students at the University voted against the creation of a Jewish society, which are commonplace on British campuses as a home for Jewish students, facilitating their religious observance and cultural and social life as well as representing them to university authorities.
The vote came amidst a row over antisemitism, with one academic dismissed from the University after asserting on social media that “the Zionists next want to create a society here at our university.” The motion did ultimately pass.
Campaign Against Antisemitism monitors the adoption of the International Definition of Antisemitism by universities. The University of Essex has adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism.
If any students are concerned about antisemitism on campus or need assistance, they can call us on 0330 822 0321, or e-mail [email protected].
Bristol Rovers manager and former footballer Joey Barton describes bad football performance as ‘a Holocaust’
In an interview on Saturday, Joey Barton, the former football player and current manager of Bristol Rovers Football Club, used the word ‘Holocaust’ to describe a bad performance during a football match.
Reacting to Bristol Rovers’ loss to Newport County, Mr Barton said: “I said to the lads during the week, you know, the team’s almost like musical chairs, you know. Someone gets in and does well, but then gets suspended. Someone gets in and does well, gets injured. Someone gets in, does well for a game and then has a Holocaust, a nightmare, you know, an absolute disaster.”
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Mr Barton’s comparison of the Holocaust — the systematic murder of six million Jewish men, women and children — to describe a poor performance on the pitch is at best, a shocking act of ignorance and at worst a disgusting gesture of disrespect to those who were murdered by the Nazis and survivors. Mr Barton should at the very least apologise to Holocaust survivors and undertake a course in Holocaust education.”
This is not the first time a Holocaust reference has been made in the context of describing a poor performance.
In 2019, football pundit and former footballer, Perry Groves, apologised after reportedly describing a player as having “a Holocaust of a game” on a live radio show. One year earlier, Phil Brown, the football player turned manager, apologised for using the same phrase.