When Moral Panic rules

 

Earlier in the week I wrote the open letter below to Parliamentary Labour  Party colleagues. One selectively leaked part of it to the Torygraph with the untrue claim that I was against an investigation/ As always the paper's report was based on malicious ignorance by (as always)  anonymous MP.  Five MPs expressed their warm approval, one said he had said similar things himself and one dis-agreed. In the interests of clarity I now publish the full text below.

 

Moral panic is on the march in the Labour Party again.

A constituent of mine has been suspended from the Labour party. I have known him for 40 years, greatly respect him and affirm that there is not a single atom of racialism or anti-Semitism in his body. The accusation is based on a perverse interpretation of the anger he expressed at atrocities in Gaza committed by the Israeli Army in 2014. This is an injustice prompted by the political imperative to act swiftly on accusations-even though they are not substantiated and created by malicious anti-Labour forces. They are trawling through millions of statements made by Labour members and none by members of other parties.

There is a precedent. Those who suffered in the expenses scandal were the guilty plus collateral damage to the wholly innocent. The admirably honourable, greatly loved MP David Taylor was unfairly maligned by the Daily Telegraph and a member of his family doorstepped. He was a fit healthy 63 year old Christian Socialist who was disturbed to the depths of his being by an attack on his integrity. A fortnight after the false accusations were printed, he dropped dead. To avoid a mendacious legacy of sleaze, I wrote a biography of him in tribute to his life’s work, published under the title ‘Clockwinder who wouldn’t say no.’

Another greatly respected MP and comrade Ian Gibson resigned his seat because of an article published in the Telegraph. He claimed that the party’s executive refused to listen to his full explanation that nothing improper had occurred. Again, because of hysterical media political pressure of moral panic to act swiftly against both the guilty and innocent he was expelled from the party. As an honourable man, he resigned his seat and Chloe Smith replaced him. Ian was guilty of nothing except being the victim of a Telegraph smear.

The party permanently wounded itself seeking transitory political advantage. We must not repeat the error by doing our enemies’ work through exaggerating a problem that 80 Jewish members of our party described as ‘tiny and trivial’.

 

 

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Statement on “Labour’s problem with antisemitism”

From the Jewish Socialists’ Group

28 April 2016

 

Antisemitism exists and must be exposed and fought against in the same way as other forms of racism by all who are concerned with combating racism and fascism.

Antisemitism and anti-Zionism are not the same. Zionism is a political ideology which has always been contested within Jewish life since it emerged in 1897, and it is entirely legitimate for non-Jews as well as Jews to express opinions about it, whether positive or negative. Not all Jews are Zionists. Not all Zionists are Jews.

Criticism of Israeli government policy and Israeli state actions against the Palestinians is not antisemitism. Those who conflate criticism of Israeli policy with antisemitism, whether they are supporters or opponents of Israeli policy, are actually helping the antisemites. We reject any attempt, from whichever quarter, to place legitimate criticism of Israeli policy out of bounds.

Accusations of antisemitism are currently being weaponised to attack the Jeremy Corbyn-led Labour party with claims that Labour has a “problem” of antisemitism. This is despite Corbyn’s longstanding record of actively opposing fascism and all forms of racism, and being a firm a supporter of the rights of refugees and of human rights globally.

A very small number of such cases seem to be real instances of antisemitism. Others represent genuine criticism of Israeli policy and support for Palestinian rights, but expressed in clumsy and ambiguous language, which may unknowingly cross a line into antisemitism. Further cases are simply forthright expressions of support for Palestinian rights, which condemn Israeli government policy and aspects of Zionist ideology, and have nothing whatsoever to do with antisemitism.

The accusations do not refer to antisemitic actions but usually to comments, often made on social media, long before Jeremy Corbyn won the Labour leadership. Those making the charges now, did not see fit to bring them up at the time, under previous Labour leaders, but are using them now, just before mayoral and local elections, when they believe they can inflict most damage on the Labour Party led by Jeremy Corbyn.

The attack is coming from four main sources, who share agendas: to undermine Jeremy Corbyn as leader of Labour; to defend Israeli government policy from attack, however unjust, racist and harmful towards the Palestinian people; and to discredit those who make legitimate criticisms of Israeli policy or Zionism as a political ideology. As anti-racist and anti-fascist Jews who are also campaigning for peace with justice between Israelis and Palestinians, we entirely reject these cynical agendas that are being expressed by:

• The Conservative Party

• Conservative-supporting media in Britain and pro-Zionist Israeli media sources

• Right-wing and pro-Zionist elements claiming to speak on behalf of the Jewish community

• Opponents of Jeremy Corbyn within the Labour party.

The Jewish Socialists’ Group recognises that ordinary Jewish people are rightly concerned and fearful about instances of antisemitism. We share their concerns and a have a proud and consistent record of challenging and campaigning against antisemitism. But we will not support those making false accusations for cynical political motives, including the Conservative Party, who are running a racist campaign against Sadiq Khan, and whose leader David Cameron has referred to desperate refugees, as “a swarm” and “a bunch of migrants”. The Conservative Party demonstrated their contempt for Lord Dubs, a Jewish refugee from Nazism, when they voted down en masse an amendment a few days ago to allow 3,000 child refugees into Britain while Labour, led by Jeremy Corbyn, gave total support to Lord Dubs and his amendment.

The Jewish Socialists’ Group sees the current fearmongering about antisemitism in the Labour Party for what it is – a conscious and concerted effort by right-wing political forces to undermine the growing support among Jews and non-Jews alike for the Labour Party leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, and a measure of the desperation of his opponents.

We stand against antisemitism, against racism and fascism and in support of refugees. We stand for free speech and open debate on Israel, Palestine and Zionism.

 

http://www.jewishsocialist.org.uk/news/item/statement-on-labours-problem-with-antisemitism-from-the-jewish-socialists-g

 

 

Comments

[Paul Flynn]

Thanks. Looking forward to thorough and swift review that will put this witch hunt into its proper minor perspective.

Paul Flynn MP  

[David Gibbon]

I whole-heartedly support both the above statements. It is indeed sad that people are being banned for unjust cynical political motives, from both Conservatives and people within Labour. I find it hard to understand how people in the Labour Party can expend more energy attacking other members, instead of the self-serving Conservatives. I hope the Constituent is re-instated with an apology.