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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To not know what's going on re Labour and Anti Semetism?

31 replies

shesgrownhorns · 26/07/2019 21:06

I'm pathetically ignorant, and I feel too stupid now to ask anyone I know, so could anyone please tell me - what have Labour done/said that's anisemitic?

This is a honestly a genuine chasm in my education.

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ginghambox · 26/07/2019 21:13

Nothing, never happened, nothing to see here.

shesgrownhorns · 26/07/2019 21:16

What's that supposed to mean @ginghambox ?!

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PaulinesPenStash · 26/07/2019 21:19

I am a Labour member and activist and simply don't understand it Confused

I could never admit this to the rest of my branch particularly as I almost became a councillor recently

shesgrownhorns · 26/07/2019 21:22

Thanks @PaulinesPenStash . I am currently reading the BBC News guide to Labour's antisemitism claims and I am still none the wiser.

I don't know anything about Palestine/Israel - is that what it's all about?

I'd appreciate a synopsis from somewhere or someone - preferably in words of one syllable !

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Arnoldthecat · 26/07/2019 21:23

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Passthecherrycoke · 26/07/2019 21:24

There is an excellent panorama episode on iPlayer about this.

Basically anti semitism dressed up as support for Palestine

TheFastandCurious · 26/07/2019 21:27

Did you even hear the testimony from Jewish members in the Panorama programme Arnold? It angers me when people speak up about their experiences of racism and they are dismissed. But it seems so much worse coming from the party I thought wanted to fight against it.

TheFastandCurious · 26/07/2019 21:28

Watch Panorama on catch up if you have it OP. It explains it in full.

Alsohuman · 26/07/2019 21:30

The Panorama programme’s very illuminating, OP.

Passthecherrycoke · 26/07/2019 21:30

I find it so bizarre and upsetting that Jews who allege anti semitism are challenged in a way that no right person would dream of if a black person said they had been a victim of racism. It’s very sad

Passthecherrycoke · 26/07/2019 21:30
  • right thinking person
shesgrownhorns · 26/07/2019 21:31

Thank you @Passthecherrycoke @TheFastandCurious , I will watch the programme.

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Alsohuman · 26/07/2019 21:31

You might want to check out what Margaret Hodge has to say about it too.

Kinsman · 26/07/2019 21:32

I saw the Panorama report and thought the testimony was very suspect indeed and reading the article below has confirmed the hose suspicions for me...

www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/panoramas-hatchet-job-labour-antisemitism-bbc-has-become-pro-tory-media

shesgrownhorns · 26/07/2019 21:32

And @Alsohuman thank you

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Becles · 26/07/2019 21:33

Essentially the issues have been reviewed and picked over in a way far more consistently vile and racist statements by the conservatives (including BoJo) have been dismissed.

Truly not intended to be Whatabouttery, but I'm fascinated by the focus on this but the dismissal and disregard of the other.

Schuyler · 26/07/2019 21:33

What a pleasant thread. Racism clearly is welcomed by some on MN.

shesgrownhorns · 26/07/2019 21:39

In what way does asking a genuine question in order to educate myself constitute racism @Schuler ?

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Rachelover40 · 26/07/2019 21:39

I don't get that, Schuyler.

The op was only asking. I admit to not understanding the charges of antisemitism either, I honestly can't imagine anyone in the Labour party being guilty of that.

However, I could be wrong I suppose. Time will tell.

Passthecherrycoke · 26/07/2019 21:39

@Becles I wonder if that’s just because everyone expects the Tories to have a dark side of racism, xenophobia and misogyny whereas labour are traditionally the party of inclusivity and equality for all.
Because a fair amount of the press are similar in ethos (esp BBC) it’s of particular interest and probably means all sorts of easy articles for those in the media sympathetic to their more traditional labour serving friends who want it highlighted publicly

Passthecherrycoke · 26/07/2019 21:41

“I honestly can't imagine anyone in the Labour party being guilty of that.”

Can I ask why? Seems quite a bold statement!

shesgrownhorns · 26/07/2019 21:44

I'm trying to get clued up in case there's a general election. I want to at least have some idea what's going on!

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Echobelly · 26/07/2019 21:46

I'm Jewish and, to my mind, the Labour antisemitism thing is both true to some extent and also weaponised by the media/RW to put down the idea of a socialist political party.

People like Corbyn believe they are the good guys and antiracist, therefore they cannot be antisemitic. But at the same time they are just that bit taken in by Zionist conspiracy theory and the idea that Jews are a bit too 'powerful', rather a lot more interested in criticising Israel (and believe me, it deserves criticism) than anywhere else that abuses human rights and so on.

They are not to be compared to the Nazis or any nonsense like that - there's no existential threat at all to us to my mind. But still there's a strong cohort in Momentum that doesn't really trust Jews, IMO. Not because Momentum inherently antisemitic, but unfortunately the far left does attract that fringe that thinks Bankers (aka Jews) control the world etc.

TBH I think a big part of the problem is that Corbyn just isn't that bright. I know he might give this impression of being intellectual magic grandpa, but really he's quite blinkered and knows what he knows, and doesn't know an awful lot about Jews, so has fallen into antisemitism and associating with antisemites.

It is unfair that the media focuses only on Labour's antisemitism without comparing it to anyone else's, as sadly there's a lot of it about.

Passthecherrycoke · 26/07/2019 21:50

Excellent post @echobelly. I agree that corbyn just isn’t that bright and his desperation to be right on had strayed into anti semitism, or at least, ignoring anti semitism in his party

I just can’t believe we are talking like this in 2019

shesgrownhorns · 26/07/2019 21:51

That's really interesting @Echobelly , thank you ☺️

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