Labour, antisemitism and where Jeremy Corbyn goes from here
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Version 0 of 1. We are Jewish members and supporters of the Labour party and of Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, who wish to put our perspective on the “antisemitism” controversy that has been widely debated in the last few weeks (Labour’s antisemitism crisis as Livingstone suspended, 29 April). We do not accept that antisemitism is “rife” in the Labour party. Of the examples that have been repeated in the media, many have been reported inaccurately, some are trivial, and a very few may be genuine examples of antisemitism. The tiny number of cases of real antisemitism need to be dealt with, but we are proud that the Labour party historically has been in the forefront of the fight against all forms of racism. We, personally, have not experienced any antisemitic prejudice in our dealings with Labour party colleagues. We believe these accusations are part of a wider campaign against the Labour leadership, and they have been timed particularly to do damage to the Labour party and its prospects in elections in the coming week. As Jews, we are appalled that a serious issue is being used in this cynical and manipulative way, diverting attention from much more widespread examples of Islamophobia and xenophobia in the Conservative and other parties. We dissociate ourselves from the misleading attacks on Labour from some members of the Jewish community. We urge others, who may be confused or worried by recent publicity, to be sure that the Labour party, under its present progressive leadership, is a place where Jews are welcomed in a spirit of equality and solidarity.Kate AdamsJulia BardLabina BasitShereen BenjaminRica BirdJenny BloomAlice BondiElizabeth CarolaRon CohenJudith CravitzDave CurtisMiriam E DavidSue DellettIvor DembinaProfessor Stephen DeutschMerave DevereShlomit FergusonMark FindlayHava FlemingDr William FlemingRoisin FrancisKenneth FrydeLynda GilbertClare GlasmanAlex J GoldhillAdam GoodkinStuart GoodmanTony GrahamTony GreensteinMichele HansonRosamine HayeemAbe HayeemJane HenriquesLorraine HershonBecka Seglow HudsonSelma JamesSaul JamuelsRiva JoffeMichael KalmanovitzDavid KayeRichard KuperPam LauranceLeah LevaneRachel LeverSue LukesEli MachoverBeryl MaizelsMiriam MargolyesStephen MarksHelen MarksKaren MerkelCharles Shaar MurrayProfessor Mica NavaDiana NeslenBracha NewmanRabbi Jeffrey NewmanSusan PashkoffRina PicciottoCaroline RaineRoland RanceFrances RifkinDr Brian RobinsonDenise RobsonJeff Daniel RollinDavid RosenbergJonathan RosenheadStephen SandsDr Ian SavilleAmanda SebastyenGlyn SeckerElizabeth SegalLynne SegalRay SirotkinSteve TillerRay SirotkinInbar TamariTirza WaiselSam WeinsteinNaomi Wimborne-IdrissiBenjamin YoungGill YudkinProfessor John Yudkin • The inevitable suspension of Ken Livingstone exposes Jeremy Corbyn’s remarkable political naivety. Livingstone wasn’t just a leading figure on the party’s national executive, he was also responsible for Labour’s review of defence. His attempt to downplay Naz Shah’s social media posts is disgraceful. Corbyn’s initial response that if the party suspend Livingstone, then they should also suspend John Mann MP, indicates that he is more interested in internal score-settling than tackling a fundamental problem with intolerance that unfortunately appears to stretch beyond Livingstone. Labour clearly has a very long road to travel if it is to be elected in 2020. If its party members and MPs are serious about government, then they should start by removing Jeremy Corbyn as quickly as possible.John FlexmanSt Mary Bourne, Hampshire • So Jeremy Corbyn denies there is any crisis. He is living in a time warp, cocooned by his supporters. This man, with his deplorable lack of judgment, should resign as leader of the Labour party and let someone who is competent step into his shoes.June PurvisPortsmouth • It’s magic dust, this antisemitism stuff. The moment the accusation is hurled, all normal standards go out the window and conviction is guaranteed. Investigation? Evidence-gathering? Not needed. Instead, innuendo, generalisation, weasel words and guilt by association morphed via endless repetition and recycling into “proof”. So far there is absolutely no evidence of antisemitism in the Oxford Labour students group. But evidence there is that a handful of Labour members around the country said some nasty things, well before Corbyn was elected – and have been dealt with decisively. Naz Shah made some very stupid statements during the bombing of Gaza – before she had even thought of a political career. She is now an example to every politician in the way she has responded to the current storm. A comprehensive and dignified apology. A promise to learn for the future. And a no-fuss resignation. Who else has behaved with such decency? (Certainly not Ken Livingstone, whose crass and irrelevant intervention wiped out, at a stroke, all memories of his decades-long record of anti-racist campaigning.) Let’s be upfront. We are seeing the abuse of antisemitism in the service of a particularly dirty proxy war being fought out within the Labour party and against it. For the first time, the Labour party has a leader who stands up for the Palestinians, a people who have been hounded and humiliated in an illegal occupation lasting nearly half a century. Antisemitism is a vicious form of racism whose roots in British society go back centuries. Using it in this fashion is a betrayal of everyone who has actually been its victim.Naomi Wayne(Not a Labour party member), London • As an east London Jew and a member of the Labour party for over 40 years, I can say that I have never seen or experienced any antisemitism. Even though I am a strong critic of Israel’s actions against the Palestinians, I found Ken Livingstone’s remarks unhelpful and inflammatory, although I don’t believe he is an antisemite. I applaud Jeremy Corbyn’s actions and will continue to support his leadership. His commitment to changing the tired old political agenda and his fight for equality for all sorts of minority groups is what really matters.Rosina PurnellHornchurch, Essex • In 1962, when I was eight, my parents brought me from America to England and Wales for a short holiday. It was a life-changing experience. Now I’m American by birth and British by choice. It was then that I first heard about the Labour party. A few years later, Harold Wilson and company had the guts not to sign up to the Vietnam war. I thought: what a cool thing to be able to vote for such a party. In the early Blair years it was wonderful, for the first time, to feel like the government – vaguely speaking – shared my views. Then Iraq made me incandescent, and subsequent leaders sad for a want of vision and basic competence. But, as a Jew, it is only now, hearing Ken Livingstone, that I cry.Andrew ShacknoveOxford • Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com |