Labour and anti-semitism

[LeLaluifleur]

Apologies for DF links but ignoring the lowbrow style 'journalism' for a minute, I am perturbed about these reports.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3531852/Labour-councillor-20-suspended-claims-called-Hitler-greatest-man-history-latest-anti-Semitic-scandal-hit-Corbyn-s-party.html#comments

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3532042/Ignorant-Godless-Hateful-Corbyn-s-contempt-Jews-disgrace-withering-attack-Labour-leader-donor-backed-party-400-000-2015-Election.html

I like Corbyn a little bit but judge his cavalier attitude to anti-semitism harshly.

Has anti-semitism become cool among labour supporters or something? What is being done about the anti-semitism coming from some labour politicians and how to deal with the Islamist flavour of anti-semitism as displayed by Labour councillor Aysegul Gurbuz (and others) for examples who posted statements such as this on twitter :

"Ed Miliband is Jewish. He will never become prime minister of Britain."
"Adolf Hitler was praised as the ‘greatest man in history".

Ok, I'll bite. To me, Zionism is about the establishment of a Jewish homeland, Israel, and supports the existence of Israel.

For me, Anti-Zionism denies that Israel has a right to exist and seeks to undermine Israel politically, economically and militarily (by supporting groups and regimes who would happily wipe Israel off the face of the earth).

It is of course, perfectly possibly to be a Zionist (i.e. to basically support the idea and reality of the state of Israel) and be highly critical of the Israeli government or Israeli policies.

What cingolimama says.

Are you all following events at the NUS conference? Christ almighty. The NUS really is lost.

What's going on at the NUS? Can you post a link?

Has the lovely Malia been crowned of all she surveys?

In essence, delegates speaking against the NUS commemorating Holocaust Day apparently - and getting applause for doing so.

This is a tweet from the NUS conference live stream:

'Just watched #NUSConference applaud someone for saying that NUS shouldn't commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day because it's not inclusive...'

I think we're done now. Did our forefathers fight for this? I'm close to tears ....

Well, hold on to the thought that Motion 404 regarding the problem of anti-Semitism on campus and opposing this has been passed "by a landslide" apparently.

And yes, Malia has secured the NUS presidency.

I've been doing various bits of background reading for this thread, and one thing that became clear to me was that people definitely do not agree on what zionism and anti-zionism means. I'll confess I used to think the latter meant being opposed to Israel expanding its territories and the settler movement, and I've recently seen at least one person defining it similarly.

Thinking about the Guardian comments, etc that I've been looking at, I'm now beginning to wonder if the fact that so many people use this term, but seem so rarely explain what they mean by it, is actually semi-deliberate fudging of the issue.

Kesstrel, exactly. It seems to me that the terms Zionist/anti-Zionist have quite obviously become distorted and used in multiple contexts, which is why I'm keen to hear how self-professed anti-Zionists define themselves.

Here's a cheering (not) article about online antisemitism.

www.haaretz.com/jewish/news/.premium-1.715308

This is really disturbing. I can imagine how hurt, frightened and rejected it must make British Jews feel.

"'Just watched #NUSConference applaud someone for saying that NUS shouldn't commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day because it's not inclusive...'"

i despair

You know what? This thread isn't even a discussion anymore as far as I'm concerned after today's shenanigans at the NUS Conference. How can you argue anymore that antisemitism does not exist anymore in Labour's ranks?

My dad loved the Labour Party he really did. And so did I. He got sick with cancer and so did Labour.

For shame.

I was going to say what's the problem? - then I read some more.

I see they've elected one of those "'Hamas aren't terrorists and Zionists control the British media',- oh but hey everybody, I said Zionists not Jews so, nurh, I'm not anti-semitic at all."

Hopefully, its just youthful exuberance in her case. Sigh.

Can I find a parliamentary way to say Ignorant B!tch?. No, don't think I can. Holocaust Day "not inclusive". Not including whom?

Not sure about "youthful exuberance", she is a 28 yr old student . Sadly i think age is not a factor for bigotry and ignorance here. doe NUS get tax money?

Just watched #NUSConference applaud someone for saying that NUS shouldn't commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day because it's not inclusive

For once words fail me

WRT to the definition of anti-Zionism, I understood Zionism simply to refer as the belief that there should be a Jewish homeland in Israel (and pre-1948, the movement to create a Jewish homeland in Palestine). I am not quite sure what people say when they refer to themselves or others as anti-Zionists. Do they oppose the very existence, past and present, of Israel? Are they advocating their support for a one-state solution? Do they simply oppose the occupation and settlements? Do they oppose certain aspects of Zionism? Are they simply critical of Israeli government policies and actions? Describing yourself as anti-Zionist seems to be a bit of a get-out-of-jail-free clause. I'd rather people were more specific about what exactly they are anti.

As for the NUS - I am really shocked. Surely the idea of Holocaust Memorial Day is to remember what can happen when people only care about their "in group" - I'm probably not wording that very well, but I mean that even if you are not remotely connected to the people who are commemorated on that day it is still important to remember them.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-36094328

Well, as someone just pointed out on Twitter, "This international Zionist conspiracy isn't very good if it can't even fix a simple NUS election."


[[https://mobile.twitter.com/kingofdawah/status/722749282969751552 10h
10 hours ago]]
MoDawah ‏@kingofdawah
ISIS congratulates the National Union of Students on their conference, applies to join as affiliate members from Raqqa, application accepted

Not my work but very funny

I despair. This is all so utterly, utterly depressing. Today's NUS conference and election of Malia as President has left me speechless.

The world seems to have forgotten.