Anti-Semitism and the British Left

[bluebeau]

Here they go again. Why does the British Left have such an antisemitism problem?

Labour fringe speaker's Holocaust remarks spark new antisemitism row

A senior Labour MP has said he is shocked at some of the anti-Semitic tweets by party members that come before its disciplinary panel. John Cryer said some of what is written "makes your hair stand up", adding: "This stuff is redolent of the 1930s."

After the Chakrabarti whitewash, I'm not listening to anything Corbyn and the left have to say any more. And don't even get me started on Ken Livingstone. I'll never trust Labour or the left ever again, until they stand up and say, "We allowed anti-semitism to arise within Labour. We just went,'deny, deny, deny' and looked the other way. We were wrong". Then, and only then, will I ever give them the time of day once again.

I doubt it is just coincidental that anti-semitism has only reared its ugly head of late, since Corbyn took over as leader of the Labour party. I'm not saying there was none at all before then, but that was when it got bad. Did you see, a few months back, a Liberal Democrat MP with anti-semitic views started shooting his mouth off? LibDem leader at the time, Tim Farron just turned around and fired him, immediately. That's leadership. Corbyn, on the other hand, has let Labour party anti-semites run riot and basically done nothing. He didn't even deal decisively with Livingstone, who should have been banned from Labour ten times over by now.

Corbyn has damaged forever Labour's reputation as a non-racist party. It took decades to build up that reputation, and just one world class muppet to ruin it.

Stateless, but (sputtering) Israel and Australia are sovereign states!! They do not require Britain to direct their policies. Or British politicians thinking they "must solve" their regional issues.

If Farage was to say that he is friends with people who hold anti-Islamic views, would you describe him as "unwise and provocative" but not Islamophobic?

Absolutely! How on earth does being friendly with someone mean you therefore hold exactly the same views as them. I'm friends with atheists, Christians, Muslims and Buddhists. Does that mean I'm somehow all four simultaneously! I think Corbyn's desire to be friendly with the likes of Hamas is totally misplaced, and I would never support him. That doesn't mean i believe he is anti-Semitic.

I don't recognise Labour anymore- they really should rebrand themselves as the Socialist Labour Party.

I think the "National Socialist Labour Party" would be more fitting .

Farage is cavorting with right wing groups in Europe (besides sucking up to trump) it confirms everything I thought about him - racist prick.

If you dislike Zionism .... that most definitely makes you anti-Semitic

What a load of nonsense.... it's a bit like saying that unless you support the SNP, you hate all Scots!

Which groups and how do they qualify as "far right"?

So Farage is a racist when he cavorts with right wing groups, but Corbyn isn't a racist when he cavorts with right wing groups?

They seem to need to someones help though lizzie, since they aren't actually fixing their very long standing problems...fwiw I generally think Britain should keep its nose out most (but not all) of the time and I wouldn't trust our current government to do basically anything.

I agree. It is horrific.

Any "-ism" is jumper on with horror but it's fine for this ghastly undercurrent of anti-semitism to be acceptable?

I used to be a Labour voter but how can I? I am one of the few that cannot stand Corbyn.

I'm ashamed that this anti-semitism isnt dealt with more harshly, even by the media.

Marine Le pen, adf in Germany, others that I can't be arsed to google.

I said it confirms what I have always thought of him.

Wormy can you give me specific examples of what worries you? Aside from ken livingstone there is very little substance on this thread to what are fairly serious allegations.

Really? The Labour Party, when asked, will deny it but countless examples over the last few years. Do we live on different planets?!

Concise

I also support the state of Israel and let's get this right, anti semitism has a long and frankly hideous history. I admire Corbyn but his stance on 'Palestine' is wrong.

Did the Israeli-American guy make the antisemitic remarks?

Walking dead, do you support a Palestinian state?

I know there's been a lot of talk about it and now in some circles people will say with absolute certainty that there is rife anti semitism in Labour, but when I ask for specific examples people often clam up and aren't really sure. You sounded so certain that there is some anti semitism which is not being dealt with so I thought I'd ask what makes you think that as I assume it's not just because that's what someone told you.

Criticising Isreal is not anti semitism.

I, like others on the thread, do not consider the (admittedly bizarre) comments by a Jewish man at a fringe event at conference to be indicative of problems with anti semitism within the Labour Party. He's not a party member, he wasn't speaking on behalf of the party and I don't feel comfortable calling anyone, but especially Jewish people, anti-Semites unless it is really really clear that they are, and to me his comment was not clearly anti Semitic, although it was odd.

BeWild

Personally I support the two state solution, of which Israel has made many offers in the past, giving generous amounts of land to the Palestinians, all if which have been rejected because for many of the Palestinian people, they will NEVER accept the state of Israel.

Come on, it's extremely easy to find anti-semitism in Labour (& links on this thread). Again www.businessinsider.com/mp-ruth-smeeth-ive-never-seen-anti-semitism-in-labour-like-this-2016-9

Add to that Jackie Walker.

Stateless, but I don't think we go about saying we "must solve" other states problems. Did Canadian politicians say they "must solve" Northern Ireland? No they did not. See how crazy that sounds to even suggest they would?

Seriously, are people callinga jewish guy anti-semitic? I have heard it all now.

Walking dead, either you are extrenely naive or misinformed. The reality is that Isreal does not want Palestinians to have a state.

BeWild, unless I have really misunderstood a lot of this thread and the links, yes, people are arguing that a Jewish man made anti Semitic comments at a Labour Party fringe event and therefore this is further evidence of the 'problem' of anti semitism in the party.

Seriously, are people callinga jewish guy anti-semitic? I have heard it all now.

Why? You don't think people can dislike their own race? Never heard of a white person who hates white people or a black person who hates black people? How naive.

From what I know of his Farage's connection with Marine Le Pen it was based essentially on her loathing of the EU and not much else. She is a socialist after all, keen on protectionism, huge spending - high taxation, the big state, etc. Not really Farage's thing at all. But as you know, had France had chosen her for Prez' it would have been au revoir EU.

As for the AFD. I spent Wednesday reading their manifesto and can honestly say I saw nothing far right about it/them. Smaller government, free market, immigration controls, Europe of nation states. "Diversity and tolerance should have limits and immigrants need to adapt and change - not expect host-societies to change to accommodate them". Stuff like that. Not massively unreasonable IMO. If anything they're policies would have, two decades ago, in this country, be seen as pretty much a centrist position it seems to me. I'd say AFD are only far right from the perspective of the far left.

Unless you know of a Racist, white Supremacist, Nazi-esque policy of there's that I missed? Its quite possible I missed it??

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