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| Naz Shah row: peers accuse Labour of failing to root out antisemitism | Naz Shah row: peers accuse Labour of failing to root out antisemitism |
| (4 months later) | |
| Labour has been accused by two Jewish peers of failing to get to grips with antisemitism within the party after the suspension of Bradford MP Naz Shah for offensive remarks on Facebook. | Labour has been accused by two Jewish peers of failing to get to grips with antisemitism within the party after the suspension of Bradford MP Naz Shah for offensive remarks on Facebook. |
| Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, caved to pressure and took action against Shah on Wednesday over a series of posts from 2014 in which she appeared to endorse a suggestion that Israelis be deported to the US. Shah has apologised several times. | Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, caved to pressure and took action against Shah on Wednesday over a series of posts from 2014 in which she appeared to endorse a suggestion that Israelis be deported to the US. Shah has apologised several times. |
| But Michael Levy, the former fundraiser for Tony Blair, and Julia Neuberger, a cross-bench rabbi, said the comments highlighted a wider problem with antisemitism within some elements of the left. | But Michael Levy, the former fundraiser for Tony Blair, and Julia Neuberger, a cross-bench rabbi, said the comments highlighted a wider problem with antisemitism within some elements of the left. |
| Lord Levy said antisemitism was an issue across political divides but appeared more prominent in his own party. | Lord Levy said antisemitism was an issue across political divides but appeared more prominent in his own party. |
| He told BBC Newsnight that the case of Shah left him “scratching his head with despair as to how people like this can enter our parliament with such a lack of knowledge, discretion and sensitivity”. | He told BBC Newsnight that the case of Shah left him “scratching his head with despair as to how people like this can enter our parliament with such a lack of knowledge, discretion and sensitivity”. |
| Lady Neuberger claimed the issue in Labour was “attached to Jeremy Corbyn becoming leader”, and “an issue within the hard left”. | Lady Neuberger claimed the issue in Labour was “attached to Jeremy Corbyn becoming leader”, and “an issue within the hard left”. |
| John Woodcock, MP and former chair of the Labour Friends of Israel, said: “The handling of this has been a mess. But the most important thing is that the Labour leadership properly acknowledges now the scale of the antisemitism problem that is growing in the party. | John Woodcock, MP and former chair of the Labour Friends of Israel, said: “The handling of this has been a mess. But the most important thing is that the Labour leadership properly acknowledges now the scale of the antisemitism problem that is growing in the party. |
| “This is abhorrent to our values as a party. It ought to transcend views on the leadership and wider party direction, but unless and until it is gripped by everyone from Jeremy downwards it is going to fester and undermine everything we do.” | “This is abhorrent to our values as a party. It ought to transcend views on the leadership and wider party direction, but unless and until it is gripped by everyone from Jeremy downwards it is going to fester and undermine everything we do.” |
| David Baddiel, a Jewish comedian and author, made similar accusations on the Today programme, saying there was a particular problem with antisemitism on the left. | David Baddiel, a Jewish comedian and author, made similar accusations on the Today programme, saying there was a particular problem with antisemitism on the left. |
| He said: “The left portrays itself as a champion of the oppressed. But there is such a big hangover from them that the Jews are not that, that they are rich and powerful and controlling and therefore that they do not fit into the category of the oppressed, particularly in their version of Israel, which is the oppressor. And therefore, the left does not extend to Jews the same protections as to other minorities.” | He said: “The left portrays itself as a champion of the oppressed. But there is such a big hangover from them that the Jews are not that, that they are rich and powerful and controlling and therefore that they do not fit into the category of the oppressed, particularly in their version of Israel, which is the oppressor. And therefore, the left does not extend to Jews the same protections as to other minorities.” |
| He said Shah’s post was not as toxic as many things on Twitter and was “primarily meant to be a fairly standard bit of anti-Israelness … that tipped over into antisemitism”. | He said Shah’s post was not as toxic as many things on Twitter and was “primarily meant to be a fairly standard bit of anti-Israelness … that tipped over into antisemitism”. |
| Laura Janner-Klausner, a senior rabbi with Reform Judaism, said she had welcomed Shah to her house for interfaith Seder for passover last week and added that though the comments were foul, the model of suspension, apology and redemption was a good one. | Laura Janner-Klausner, a senior rabbi with Reform Judaism, said she had welcomed Shah to her house for interfaith Seder for passover last week and added that though the comments were foul, the model of suspension, apology and redemption was a good one. |
| Lucy Powell, the shadow education secretary, defended the party’s handling of the case and highlighted Shah’s contrition. “The first thing to say is anybody in the Labour party, from Jeremy downwards, absolutely condemns and rejects antisemitism wherever it appears,” she told the Today programme. “I know people want us to act immediately but sometimes it does take some time to establish the facts.” | Lucy Powell, the shadow education secretary, defended the party’s handling of the case and highlighted Shah’s contrition. “The first thing to say is anybody in the Labour party, from Jeremy downwards, absolutely condemns and rejects antisemitism wherever it appears,” she told the Today programme. “I know people want us to act immediately but sometimes it does take some time to establish the facts.” |
| She also highlighted “the full, unequivocal public and parliamentary apology by Naz, where she made clear that antisemitism is racism full stop – there is no hierarchy of racism, antisemitism should be weeded out wherever it exists”. | She also highlighted “the full, unequivocal public and parliamentary apology by Naz, where she made clear that antisemitism is racism full stop – there is no hierarchy of racism, antisemitism should be weeded out wherever it exists”. |
| Labour has repeatedly stressed it is dealing with any incidents of antisemitism that are reported, and there have been a string of suspensions of activists and councillors in recent months. | Labour has repeatedly stressed it is dealing with any incidents of antisemitism that are reported, and there have been a string of suspensions of activists and councillors in recent months. |
| Before Shah was suspended on Wednesday, David Cameron used prime minister’s questions to say it was extraordinary that she continued to hold the Labour whip and accused Corbyn of failing to get to grips with antisemitism in his party. | Before Shah was suspended on Wednesday, David Cameron used prime minister’s questions to say it was extraordinary that she continued to hold the Labour whip and accused Corbyn of failing to get to grips with antisemitism in his party. |
| Corbyn’s aides defended Shah, initially saying the comments were antisemitic but the MP had “shocked herself” and did not mean what she said. | Corbyn’s aides defended Shah, initially saying the comments were antisemitic but the MP had “shocked herself” and did not mean what she said. |
| But later in the day, Labour announced that the Bradford West MP had been suspended while claims against her were investigated by the compliance committee of Labour’s national executive committee. | But later in the day, Labour announced that the Bradford West MP had been suspended while claims against her were investigated by the compliance committee of Labour’s national executive committee. |
| The allegations centre around a 2014 Facebook post, in which Shah shared a graphic of Israel’s outline superimposed on a map of the US under the headline “Solution for Israel-Palestine Conflict – Relocate Israel into United States”, with the comment: “Problem solved.” | The allegations centre around a 2014 Facebook post, in which Shah shared a graphic of Israel’s outline superimposed on a map of the US under the headline “Solution for Israel-Palestine Conflict – Relocate Israel into United States”, with the comment: “Problem solved.” |
| A Labour spokesman said: “Jeremy Corbyn and Naz Shah have mutually agreed that she is administratively suspended from the Labour party by the general secretary. Pending investigation, she is unable to take part in any party activity and the whip is removed.” | A Labour spokesman said: “Jeremy Corbyn and Naz Shah have mutually agreed that she is administratively suspended from the Labour party by the general secretary. Pending investigation, she is unable to take part in any party activity and the whip is removed.” |
| Labour backbenchers were exasperated at the less than sure-footed handling of the crisis by the leadership; but there was considerable sympathy for the popular MP, who came from a tough family background to defeat George Galloway at last year’s general election in a sometimes bitter campaign. “In my book, she’s a heroine,” said one party source. | Labour backbenchers were exasperated at the less than sure-footed handling of the crisis by the leadership; but there was considerable sympathy for the popular MP, who came from a tough family background to defeat George Galloway at last year’s general election in a sometimes bitter campaign. “In my book, she’s a heroine,” said one party source. |
| Shah had earlier used a point of order in the Commons to make the latest in a series of apologies over the posts – telling MPs she profoundly regretted her behaviour. | Shah had earlier used a point of order in the Commons to make the latest in a series of apologies over the posts – telling MPs she profoundly regretted her behaviour. |