It is the end of September and Brighton are once again hosting a Labour Party conference. I have been to a conference once before, two years ago and had endured a pretty uncomfortable experience.
The conference in 2017 was the moment that I realised the problem of antisemitism in the party was spreading to the mainstream and that it would continue to do so for as long as Corbyn’s faithful could maintain their vice grip of the party mechanisms.
The conference in 2019 provides the evidence that confirms the Labour Party is lost.
The Labour Party conference 2019
Day one of the conference is finished and it is difficult to know which aspect of the suffocating atmosphere to focus on. There are plenty of journalists here – all reporting on what they see – but it is far too easy to become overly obsessed with individual incidents.
There was a poster that gained a lot of attention in the morning. A blatantly antisemitic Latuff cartoon was standing proudly outside the conference venue. This is a simple and easily exposed incident. The cartoon has Bibi in a plane called ‘the lobby’ firing missiles of ‘defamation’ at a Jeremy Corbyn who is only trying to stand up for Palestinian rights. The entire antisemitism crisis becomes nothing more than a vicious smear campaign directed from Jerusalem.
Then there were the flyers from the group ‘Labour Against Zionist Islamophobic Racism’ (Lazir) which depicted their ‘laser’ destroying a Jewish Labour Movement membership card. The flyer went on to ask for help to ‘rid the party’ of the JLM. Hardly a difficult message to decipher.
A disease that has spread
These incidents, as bad as they are, can all too easily be dismissed as the work of individual troublemakers. Small minority groups that have nothing to do with the party at all. A Labour spokesperson can stand up, distance the party from the antisemitic messaging, and everyone can carry on as if nothing too threatening is taking place.
This simply disguises the truth.
The reality
A who’s who of Labour antisemitism descended on Brighton. They didn’t come because they are not welcome but rather precisely because they are. It is Jewish members who are the ones staying away.
How is it possible that 15 months after the publication of the report into Palestine Live, Elleanne Green can walk proudly into Labour fringe events? Think about it. Any of the active campaigners against antisemitism would be unwelcome at the JVL event, I would never have been allowed inside, but they are happy to hug those like Elleanne Green. Green is a friend.
Miko Peled and Tom Suarez can both speak at an event which we know in advance will be well attended. Suarez in particular, with his distortion of events in the run up to the holocaust pushes a particularly vile false narrative. Being worse than Miko Peled is no easy task. That event is on Tuesday.
There were two major anti-Israel events taking place on Sunday evening. The first an event by Jewish Voice for Labour, the second by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. The PSC is another movement riddled with hard-core antisemitism, yet shadow cabinet members are willing to take part in their events. Hardly surprising considering a large percentage of Labour members were once again walking around Brighton with PSC lanyards around their necks.
The JVL and PSC events were spaced just a few hundred meters apart. One finished as the other started. Joseph Cohen from the Israel Advocacy Movement set up camp between the two. Myself along with Simon Cobbs from Sussex Friends of Israel joined him.
Joseph and the table
Joseph did what he does best. He set up a table, with a sign asking for people to change his mind:
What happened in the two hours we were stopped, alongside a sign suggesting the Labour Party has a problem with anti-Jewish racism, can tell you everything you need to know about the level of anti-Jewish racism in the party.
What if we were not Jews?
This is the first question. What if Joseph was not a visibly Orthodox Jew, but rather a black man, sitting at a table complaining about anti-black racism. Or a Muslim man from Bangladesh? What about a woman complaining about misogyny?
How would you view the situation if he / she was met with hostility? As people walked past and cursed or derided the person at the table wouldn’t they clearly be classed as insensitive, vile or racist? What on earth has happened to the Labour Party that a person who even seeks a discussion about anti-Jewish racism is met with such hostility?
Open hostility at the conference
And there was plenty of hostility. Not from one or two, but from hundreds of people. There were some who engaged, but it was almost exclusively from a position of open derision. Treating Joseph as a game they could easily play and win. These Labour activists simply know that the accusations of antisemitism are a con . People from the party of ‘anti-racism’, people who understand nothing about Jews, Jewishness or Zionism are confronting an orthodox Jewish man just to beat him in an argument and show him up for the ‘fraud’ that he is.
Joseph tweeted his thanks to a few that came up to give him support. I counted about ten. This is the true state of the Labour Party. That Jewish people are left being abused by the hundreds – having this abuse ignored, questioned or belittled by the majority – whilst just a handful remain ethically sound enough to openly reject the racists.
The conversations took place.
Is anti-Zionism antisemitism?
This is the one catch-all defence of the antisemite. It is simple – they ask you why you have defined being an anti-nationalist or universalist as anti -Jewish racism, extremely comfortable with how they have legitimised their antisemitism to themselves. I know this argument well, it is often used by those who come to argue with me on my blog.
How can Mecca have a ‘Muslim only’ policy without anyone saying a word? Why is Lebanon, a nation that has been busy abusing Palestinians for three generations, never attacked for doing so. Why are there no lanyards supporting Kurdish independence or calling for the end to the occupation of Cyprus? Where are the 100,000 on the street to oppose the devastation in Syria or Yemen?
Whichever way you look at the Israeli conflict, it is a minor spat. So if Israel is the only thing on your agenda. If Zionism is they only movement of national liberation that you attack, if you are treating Israel as you treat no other nation, then you clearly have a problem. ‘Palestinian solidarity’? – If you cannot see the hypocritical absurdity of decrying Zionism from a position of anti-nationalism whilst waving a Palestinian flag and forcefully pushing the idea of independent Palestinian statehood, then you are comfortable in a place beyond all logical reason.
I know a Jew
Of all the responses you can hear, this is the most dangerous of all. It is the great enabler. The absolute myth that the Jewish community is split.
The Jewish community is not split. There is a small minority of Jewish people who have – for the most part – simply weaponised their identity. Those amongst the members of JVL who are actually Jewish know that they are a tiny minority. They are perfectly entitled to their own opinion, but they are not entitled to deliberately hide behind, use and abuse – a gross distortion of the truth.
This ‘I know a Jew’ virus, has unleashed racism. Deep down human beings are pack animals. The love of the ‘us’ but the dislike of ‘the other’ is an inherent human quality. As a species, human reason has done much to put this to one side. But where human beings have the opportunity to legitimately enjoy this part of our psyche we embrace it with total abandonment. Just look to the football terraces – see what we say about those from the ‘other side’.
‘I know a Jew’ – the myth of the split community – has allowed for this one racism to flourish. The illusion of the ‘Zionist’ identity as completely separate from the ‘Jew’ has created a special place which legitimises antisemitism. The Labour Party have officially promoted and propagated this myth to its members. ‘Many Jews oppose Zionism’ is said by them all. ‘Many Jews oppose Zionism’ is the single statement that took the party of anti-racism and dragged it straight into the sewer.
Exceptionalism
Anti-Zionism has become the acceptable racism. Even as a nationality, Israelis can be cursed like nobody today would dare to curse another nationality such as German or French because they know such abuse would be seen as racist. Just as being a Jew doesn’t fit comfortably into the box of either religion or race, so too Zionism has been turned into an exceptional national struggle. Zionism was changed from a movement of national liberation into just an ‘ideology’. Once this occurs you can do what you like with it. You can even claim it is ‘racist’, internally legitimising your attack on all that follow it.
The followed and the follower
Ignorance was everywhere. These people who wear the lanyards and hate the ‘zionists’, gave ridiculous answers to every question that was raised. Yet even amongst the ignorance we faced, there were subtle differences that separated these people into types.
Some had nothing beyond empty ‘keyword answers’. Know-nothings who have comfortably given themselves over to supporting Palestinians the way they would a football team. The Zionists who support the other team are therefore legitimately open for a torrent of vile and incoherent abuse. These type of discussions are depressingly similar. Where every decision that goes against you is down to nothing more than an ‘off day’ or a blind and biased referee.
They’ve simply joined a cult and learnt as much as necessary to comfortably wear the teams colours.
Then there were those who have more vigorously rationalised their anti-Jewish racism. When confronted with a ‘left field’ question, they could formulate an answer. You could taste the flavour of conspiracy in every response they gave. When questioned about the EHRC, and whether a total condemnation from the commission would shift them, the EHRC simply joined a list of groups conspiring against them. It was all about the rich and powerful manipulating the events of the world.
The end for Labour
The sheer weight of the hostility was like nothing I have ever experienced. Not even at a pro-Hezbollah rally and far beyond the conference of 2017. There is no way back from this. You cannot just remove Corbyn and move on. Too many members of the Labour Party have fully embraced and internally legitimised the logic behind a foul racism. There are far too many in the party who have bought into the split community myth and swallowed the virus whole. They have broken down the walls.
They have even dangerously associated ‘national survival’ and the ‘creation of a new society’ with the need to rid the party and country of ‘Zionist power’. It gets no more insidious than this.
These people can NEVER, not EVER be given the power to turn these thoughts into policies. It will take a generation to undo this damage. So much hate. And this was just day one.
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David Collier accuses the conference of ANTISEMITISM.
“The cartoon has Bibi in a plane called ‘the lobby’ firing missiles of ‘defamation’ at a Jeremy Corbyn who is only trying to stand up for Palestinian rights. ”
Nothing, absolutely nothing in that is against Jews.
Yet again David Collier seeks to deceive.
The cartoon concerns Israel.
Israel is NOT the Jews. Collier knows this. It is a Jewish/Muslim/Christian state.
It’s always funny when people who clearly do not understand what antisemitism is lecture Jews on what is not antisemitism.
A clear underlying theme behind anitsemitism over the ages has been conspiracy theories about Jews – nefarious, evil plans, using power to destroy the world. And yes, it is very clear that there are people out there who treat Israel as the Jew.
Blog, there are indeed “people out there who treat Israel as the Jew”.
David and many others work at having Israel become synonymous with the Jew. It’s the usual deception.
Isn’t antisemitism animosity towards Jews because they are Jews? Surely the accused is more able to judge what is behind any criticism or perceived animosity, though those seeking to pervert the truth will say that only a Jew is capable of ruling on the reason.
An odd train of thought.
Why the attempted lecture on antisemitism over the ages? Relevant?
Farmer you really are too stupid to be believed.
This is the Leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, posting a Tweet about the banner that Farmer can’t see a problem with.
Jeremy CorbynVerified account @jeremycorbyn
“I’m disgusted that this banner was displayed near our #Lab19 conference centre.
We asked the police to remove it and I’m glad they did.
This kind of antisemitic poison has no place whatsoever in our society.”
Oh dear Farmer, the banner you are defending is described as ‘disgusting’ and ‘anti-Semitic poison’ by Jeremy Corbyn.
So, Jeremy is not in favour of antisemitism within the Labour Party.
I’ll leave David and yourself to argue over that one.
p.s. do you have a link to the poster … or not?
Farmer, you are deliberately attempting to avoid the fact that the banner you were defending was CONDEMNED by Jeremy Corbyn as ‘DISCUSTING’ and ‘anti-Semitic POISON’
What a ridiculous clown you are Farmer.
You have dug yourself into a deep hole and you do not have the sense to stop digging.
Fly, fly, little Farmer back to your third-rate Troll Farm.
I’m stating that I see nothing antisemitic in the banner. Do YOU, Gerald?
Farmer you were ‘defending’ the banner BEFORE you had seen it.
Look at the timeline of your own posts, before you attempt to deny that.
Gerald, I defended it as NOT ANTISEMITIC based on David’s description which correctly stated that there was no Jewish reference, only Israel( which is NOT the Jews).
Ask Nurse to explain.
Farmer it is always very amusing to watch you twist and turn in your attempts to retrieve both of your feet from your mouth where you have jammed them.
Feel free to carry on doing so.
You might believe it was not anti-Semitic, but you have failed miserably to explain why Jeremy Corbyn thought it was and asked for it to be removed.
Do you think that Jeremy Corbyn, like you, relies on David’s descriptions of things he hasn’t seen?
YOU can’t even say what was antisemitic about the banner, but then you have no mind of your own, just a blogger’s parrot.
Farmer STILL failing miserably to answer why Jeremy Corbyn thought the banner was anti-Semitic poison and asked for it to be taken down.
Your inability to answer speaks volumes about you Farmer.
Obviously I don’t know the reason for his statement.
Seems YOU do not even know the reason for YOUR assessment.
Spooky.
Seen the banner.
Nothing antisemitic about that.
What antisemitism does Gerald see in that?
The banner was by Latuff, former winner of Irans ‘Holocaust Cartoon Competition’ which denies the Holocaust and openly derides victims and survivors. He is a yearly entrant. The banner urged people to reject Labours feined public acceptance of the IHRA and implies all antisemitism is a smear by a foreign power. – yet it was used to goad , belittle and inflame anger against British Jews in Brighton on British streets and at Conference.
Those who put it up knew very well about Latuffs history of antisemitic cartoons mocking the Holocaust …as do Britains Jews. That was why the resumed protest against accepting the IHRA is itself an intentionally bullying act of malicious antisemetism.
It’s purposeful and targetted- meant to fly just above of the heads of average Britts who don’t quite get it but completely menace and threaten the Jewish community who understands the message completely.
The question is why does Jeremy Corbyn see the banner as ‘anti-Semitic Poison’ and ask for it to be removed, but the Third-rate Troll Farmer defends the banner?
The answer is simple. Corbyn is a wimp
Farmer doesn’t lead the Labour Party and won’t have the Zionist Orcs attack him were ge not to conddmn it.
What was antisemitic about it? …. anyone? …. thought not.
“were ge not to conddmn it. (sic)”
There you go again Farmer.
You make up your own language as well as your own version of the truth and reality.
Lol. Sausage fingers again.
David and yourself make up antisemitism … which is worse.
Farmer what is worse are your constant attempts to mask the fact that you are an illiterate retard.
“Irrational” IslamoFAUXbia
– 9/11 and now necessity to X-Ray all luggage/cargo and scan/interview all passengers
– 1993 truck bombing of the World Trade Center
– 1968 assassination of US Senator Robert F. Kennedy
– 1972 Hijacking of the Summer Olympics and murder of athletes
– 1988 bombing of Pan Am 103 which crashed on Lockerbie
– 2005 July 7th London transport massacre
– beheading of Lee Rigby, journalist Daniel Pearl, James Foley and other victims of ISIS
– Boston Marathon bombing
– London and Westminster bridge car ramming attacks
– Bastille Day truck ramming attack in Nice France
– massacre at Charlie Hebdo magazine offices in Paris
– massacre at Bataclan music venue
– massacre at Manchester music venue
– massacre at Pulse nightclub in Orlando
– massacre at Christmas party in San Bernardino
– stabbing to death of filmmaker Theo Van Gogh
– Fascist Irans death threats against writer Salman Rushdie
– 500,000 dead in Syria (Arabs killing Arabs)
– 1,000,000 dead in 8 year Iraq/Fascist Iran war (Muslims killing Muslims)
– Mumbai India massacre
– Nairobi Kenya mall massacre
– Sadaam Husseins poison gassing of the Kurds of Halabja Iraq
– ISIS beheading videos
– Hamass executing gays by pushing them off rooftops in Gaza
– Fascist Iran executing gays by hanging them from construction cranes
– Coptic Christians being murdered in Egypt
– murder of tourists in Luxor
– Manhattan bike path car ramming attack
– failed sneaker and later underwear suicide bombing of an inflight plane
– failed SUV bombing of Times Square
– public threats on placards of 9/11 scale attacks on the UK and Europe
– Brussels airport bombing
– bombing of USS Cole
– Fort Hood Texas massacre
– foiled attack on Garland Texas conference
– death threats on creators of South Park cartoon series
– Brooklyn Bridge shooting
– Empire State Building Observation Deck shooting
– Fascist Irans calls for Death to America
– Taliban shooting girls who want an education
– Muslim families stoning their daughters to death over “family honour”
– DC Beltway sniper
– Boko Haram kidnapping and raping girls in Nigeria
– ISIS murdering Egyptian soldiers in the Sinai
– ISIS burning Jordanian pilot to death
– Taliban destroying two 1,500 year old Buddahs in Bamiyan Afghanistan
– ISIS destroying antiquities in Palmyra
– Hezbola and Hamass using children as Human Shields
– Christmas market shooting in Strasbourg France
– Armenian Genocide by the Turks
– 1/15/19 Shabab terrorist attack in Nairobi Kenya
– 2019 Easter Sunday massacre in Sri Lanka
It’s “The Lobby”.
You don’t even realise you’re doing it, do you.
Doing what? Don’t be vague, accuse on evidence, or go home.
The evidence is in your comment.
Then pinpoint it. You’ll be the first accuser to do so.
It would have been completely obvious to you had you read the IHRA definition of antisemitism. To fair, I doubt Corbyn would know what exactly was antisemitic about that cartoon either, and only called it disgusting because the police took it down.
Did you notice the term “The Lobby” on the side of that plane? “The Lobby” is not Israel, but rather refers to the supposed international “Jewish conspiracy” that supposedly controls the media and all politicians except for a brave few like Corbyn who speak out against it. Thus any Jews who object to antisemitism are accused of being part of that conspiracy and acting to silence “critics” of Israel.
It’s not quite “blacks really do have a lower IQ” level of open racism, but it’s just as stupid and non-factual. And it is ultimately the reason why so many UK Labour members take it on themselves to attack individual Jews for what (they think) Israel is doing. It’s behind the switch in language from “Jews” to “Zionists” — their assumption that Zionists are behind the global Jewish conspiracy only reveals their underlying bigotry and conspiracy theorising.
You seriously believe that the IHRA defines antisemitism?
Would have thought the reference to Israel within it shows how contrived and invalid it is.
p.s. It was Corbyn who asked for it to be removed.
Fine — you’re not an antisemite if you get to define it so that you’re not an antisemite. The reference to Israel refers to double standards which are irrational, illogical, unethical, and unjustified and based on a vast conspiracy theory. But okay, not antisemitic according to your private definition.
…….. and I am an antisemite if yourself or a Jewish collective defines it? I see.
Recognising that Israel is a racist endeavour is one of the ludicrous Israel references. How can that be antisemitic?
Since when has Israel been held to a higher standard? It’s a constantly appeased state. Sanctions were applied to Russia for its occupation and annexation of Crimea. Israel occupies and annexes yet is immune from any sanctions by other powers.
It’s “The Lobby”, Mike. Any more questions? Feel free to ask.
The Lobby is Israel driven … nothing to do with ‘Jews’.
https://www.aljazeera.com/investigations/thelobby/
Ok, take it up with the police and Jeremy Corbyn.
A result of the witchhunt no doubt.
Gone home, Yakaru?
Sorry for not answering within the time limit.
Sorry you were exposed to Muck, Yakaru. The vomiting will pass shortly.
“Deep down human beings are pack animals. The love of the ‘us’ but the dislike of ‘the other’ is an inherent human quality.”
That is so true. In addition the proselytizing religion, christianity and islam, legitimizes institutionalize this character flaw. Look at the foundational teaching of christianity. There are only “two seeds”. You either “of (their) god” or “of satan”. When jesus returns, he will “separate the sheep to heaven and the goats to hell”.
As long as the new testament and the koran teach the error that it is ordain by (their) god that non-believers are condemned, we will always have this division. Sometimes the division is glossed over and minimized by those who carry these books, but let us not forget that crusades and holy wars are not only in the history of these two group, but in the present and probably in our future as well.
Seems you’ve skipped the ‘religion’ of Zionism, the reality of which is “The love of the ‘us’ but the dislike of ‘the other’”.
That is a mischaracterization.
Bibi’s gov.classes the ‘other’ as not being a part of Israel and denied statehood.
I agree with your blog entirely and admire you greatly for having the guts to attend this hate rally and to keep your cool, calm and analytical approach. Well done and thank you on behalf of all normal people.
“hate rally”?
Here is true “hate” from “cool, calm” Collier ….
David Collier
mishtal
Apr 5
Lying, antisemitic, anti-west, terrorist loving, NATO hating, Jew-baiting, IRA supporting, community splitting, economy wrecking – Corbyn
A useful idiot for despotic regimes, terrorists and all our other enemies
Supporting Corbyn is not just stupid
It’s dangerous.
————
An armed Collier would be dangerous.
Actually that is pretty funny
And on behalf of some not so normal
The sign in front of this Göbbel-wanna-be should read “Rebuilding Britain – For the many (but) Not the Jew”
Very droll, made…
Guess who seeks to expand, occupies, annexes, abuses and seeks a move to racial purity?
Paul Joseph Goebbels? Nope, he’s dead.
It’s Israel.
> Q. Guess who seeks to expand, occupies, annexes, abuses and seeks a move to racial purity?
A. Al Qada, ISIS, Muslim Brotherhood, Taliban, Boko Haram, Tower Hamlets, Wahabbi, Salifis, Al Nusra, Al Shabab, HamAss, Hezbola, Laboor Party, IslamoFascist Iran.
Please. That’s just propaganda. If you don’t know that, then I feel sorry for you.
David and Joseph need to be sat down and exposed to a simple substitutivity game. It would be the death of their nonsense.
I assume David means this Simon Cobbs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKXp_7XeQMQ
Here is a link to a 30 second Youtube of a Newsreel documenting a Meet and Greet, sit down meeting between Socialist Shltler and his pal, ally, like minded fascist, the Grand POS Moooooofti of Jerusalem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W7vJjCWJI0
My comments don’t seem to be showing up. Is somkething wrong with wordpress, my browser or me?
Possibly antisemitism, Yakaru.
David claims it’s everywhere.
No he doesn’t.
Perhaps not on the moon.. But when he encounters writers’ block I wouldn’t bet against it.
Counter Chant this….
From the River to the Sea,
Pal-e-STINE Will Never Be!
National Socialism reborn in Der Laboor Party.
I’m amazed at the almost delirious obsession that the Labour Party seems to have with Israel.
With all the other countries in the world (most), this obsession must have some subliminal driving force
Possibly, just possibly, could it not be the Jewish connection.
This obsession with the Jews is hundreds of years old; and the present Labour Party would have plenty of precedents to follow
“could it not be the Jewish connection?”
Nope, it’s Israel’s constantly being appeased for actiobs thaf others have been sanctioned fof.
Jewish-Israelis are but a minority group within world Jewry remember and are sullyinb the name Jewish.