cause he is Jewish

[Carycach4]

Apologies cant see a thread about this.
Staff at Bristol Brunel academy blocked a visit by Damien Egan, their local MP because he is Jewish. Clear case of antisemitism. AIBU to thinking that headteacher and those driving this decision should be sacked and reported to the Teacher Regulation Agency?
(Apologies thread title isnt correct, but i can't edit it)

Shed have to be pretty old then! My mother was born in 1919 and we used Yiddish words at home but not in general conversation. I'm 77 and the only people I know now who speak Yiddish between themselves live in New York.

So the aim of protesting an individual MP to intimidate anyone who may express views that differ from yours. Which appear not to be fact-based. And you're cool with this in a democracy?

(And no, the question of whether Gaza is "genocide" still hasn't been decided. Including by the "experts". That is a fact, I'm afraid. There have been numerous horrific and brutal acts of warfare that also don't technically constitute "genocide". Hiroshima/Nagasaki for example. That's because the term involves very specific intentions).

But that is irrelevant, given there is no evidence whatsoever that this particular MP "supports genocide" at all and that he should be prevented from speaking on the subject of his job at a school.

Do you also advocate protesting all Muslims speaking in public life?

I'd say that what goes on in the UK in UK schools is very much "in our lane" thanks. Perhaps you should stay in yours.

I also think the "appeal to authority" approach (in this case 'but I'm MORE and purer Jewish than anyone who disagrees with this protest') that you seem to have resorted to using here is pretty interesting in terms of propagandist tactics.

For the life of me I cannot understand why people objected to him doing this talk with kids when no one seems to have any direct quotes on his attitudes towards Israel and its actions in Gaza?
If we dont know his personal opinions- which you readily admit- the only reason for objecting to his being there is that he's Jewish.
Why isnt that a problem?

I also think the "appeal to authority" approach (in this case 'but I'm MORE and purer Jewish than anyone who disagrees with this protest') that you seem to have resorted to using here is pretty interesting in terms of propagandist tactics.

This.

Yes if that Muslim was a member of Friends of Iran or Saudi Arabia or any other country committing heinous acts.

Far better it for me to say the UN human rights commission knows more than Mumsneters but here's a link if you'd like to share with them your exceedingly superior knowledge and evidence:

https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/09/israel-has-committed-genocide-gaza-strip-un-commission-finds

Please address all responses to them I am but a lowly political adviser and couldn't possibly comprehend the evidence you have.

Let me guess, you're a political advisor for JVP? Or at least wish you were.

Anyway, I posted some quotes from LFI earlier. They're not exactly pro-Netanyahu, so presumably your problem is that you don't want Israel to exist at all. Because genocide and ethnic cleansing is ok as long as it's Jews affected, right? No right to self-determination needed because you don't personally think it's important.

Political advisor to whom?

Our government's position is that it is not genocide.

Wonder if the ICJ doesn't find Israel guilty if quite a few people will be along to put their hands up and say 'sorry, I was wrong'.

In any case, Egan is a member of a group that supports a 2SS, does not support BN, and we still have no direct quotes on his opinions on this.

The talk was stopped because he was Jewish. Again, how is that not a problem?

I feel like it needs repeating - If he wasn't Jewish no one would have bothered to make up "facts" about his opinions on Gaza. So it's antisemitic.

Absolutely.

Absolutely not. Getting reinvolved with Jewish Labour would be hell on earth. Anyway JVL doesn't have any money to pay anyone have you seen their terrible design/merchandise?

Nope to a lowly MP who is neither a friend of Israel or Jewish.

You can repeat he was cancelled because he was Jewish and I can repeat it was because his LFI membership until the cows come home really doesn't change anything.

Do you think that its ok put children at risk?

I asked you first.

But I don’t believe children are "at risk" every time some bully makes a threat about what they will do if they don’t get their own way. If that were the case, every bully coukd get their own way about everything.

Maybe look at the LFI website and see what they actually stand for before you continue to make false assumptions about them. LFI want a two state solution. If you don't, you are not the good and moral person you presumably think you are.

What about being a member of LFI means he shouldn't be talking to kids about his career as an MP?

That would be the UN International Independent Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory including East Jerusalem and Israel, a mighty panel of three independent human rights lawyers appointed by the HRC, all of whom have some interesting views on the "Jewish Lobby" controlling the money and the virtual non-existence of antisemitism. They released their findings that in their opinion it's a genocide. That's their opinion. The Commission does not speak on behalf of the UN.

All of which still has nothing to do with Damien Egan, LVI or his talk at the school being cancelled because of manufactured outrage and made up reasons. So any time you'd like to come back with any evidence to back up your opinions...

Who are you a political advisor to and for?

@Humdingerydoo imagine the post of political advisor for JVP. 🤣🤣 "Can you chant 'I'm Jewish! Israel bad!' over and over? You're hired!"

But there are other MPs who are involved with this organisation and only one had an issue speaking at a school? And that one and only person happened to be Jewish? Jewish people are allowed to disagree with each other or with anyone else. There are 3 MPs named as co chairs for this organisation and only one has been cancelled like this.

Nope to a lowly MP who is neither a friend of Israel or Jewish.

It's Jeremy Corbyn isn't it?

He wasn’t cancelled due to his beliefs. The HT is responding to the potential protests and will try to work out how to do the event without making the MP or students unsafe.

Not at all. I’m shocked the teachers and parents created this situation . They decided to protest. They decided to make a fuss about it and get the media involved and get the union (honestly?!) involved in this nonsense. It’s shocking that people in charge of our children would cause this.

This situation (alongside all the rest) puts every single Jewish child at (more) risk and as the paraphrased saying goes… after the Jews they came for the rest of us and there was no one left to fight for me.

🤣

His visit wasn't stopped because he is Jewish, and this entire thread is disingenuous in framing it in that way.

He isn't just 'part of' Labour Friends of Israel'; he is the Vice Chair of the organisation, and it paid £2.5k for him to go on a trip to the United States last year.

LFI is funded by the Israeli state (which is in turn funded by the US), in order to influence the way that British politicans (incl David Lammy and many others) vote, and the kind of speeches they make and questions they ask in parliament. He has never recognised what's happening to the people of Gaza as genocidal, or spoken up about the actions of Israeli settlers on illegally occupied land in the West Bank.

There are people in Israel (such as B'Tselem) who have been critical of the Israeli government's actions, but it's very rare that anyone from LFI represents those Israelis' views. There are also plenty of Jewish people around the world who have been campaigning for many years for justice for Palestinians, and it's anti-semitic of you to say that Jews can't or don't speak up about injustice and human rights abuses.

I've met Damien Egan (when he was Mayor of Lewisham). He was pretty obnoxious, arrogant and careerist back then (and only converted to Judaism in 2018 when he met his current partner btw), so please don't pretend that the teachers in Bristol only objected to his visit because they were 'racist'.

We were all thinking it 😂

But no, if she worked for someone that prominent she'd probably have heard of JVP before.

LFI have spoken up about illegal settler violence many times. I even posted a quote from their website about it earlier.

If he was a Catholic MP no one would have thought to check any possible links he may have to Israel. That's what makes it anti-Semitic.