Ken Livingstone and antisemitism

[Flashbangandgone]

Aibu to not understand why KL's comments that Hitler was a Zionist in the early 30s mean KL is racist? Surely he was referring to the Haavara Agreement that encouraged Jews to move to Palestine to create their own community leaving Europe 'ethnically cleansed'.

I can't see how referring to this fact of history makes someone racist and antisemitic?!?

It seems as though the Labour Party, understandably hyper-sensitive about any whiff of antisemitism, and not knowing the history of the early Nazi state, and interpreted KLs comments as pro-Hitler, which i just don't see. It all appears to be a knee jerk hysterical reaction to me and unfair on KL... Or have I missed something?

Maybe KL was wrong to brand Hitler a Zionist, but this just makes him wrong, not racist.

Mishmish

Umm, no Protestants as a group were not targeted for genocide in ww2

And mischlings did not convert. What do you mean? They could have been committed atheists, what mattered was their Jewish blood.

What was that snide comment 'who was running the show'? Who exactly did you Romani friend's grandparent's (clearly a reliable source) say was the running the show?

Actually only a holocaust denier could say 'well Protestants as a group were singled out for extermination just like the Jews'. Disgraceful. And wrong

Any form of racism or whatever they want to call what KL said, is horrible and should not be tolerated.
However, there are politicians who have made some racist remarks towards other ethnic minorities and the most they are punished with is a 'caution'.
Not fair IMO.

The thing with KL is he has had more 'chances' than most.

This debacle is just the last straw.

He even admits now himself he can't remember what point he was trying to make when bringing Hitler into it all.

However, there are politicians who have made some racist remarks towards other ethnic minorities and the most they are punished with is a 'caution'.

One of the most ludicrous arguments I've heard in Labour circles in the past few days runs as follows: "there are racists in UKIP and UKIP don't thrown them out".

Yes. Because UKIP are a racist party. Labour should be better than that. If the best we can manage is "no more racist than UKIP" then we should give up.