There are a few claims in this article that are simply untrue. The Labour Code of Conduct on antisemitism is not stronger than the IHRA definition, and the IHRA definition does not preclude criticisms of Israeli policies as racist. I'll explain why. /1
Firstly, the Labour code requires evidence of "antisemitic intent" in relation to any "contentious views" on Israel. E.g. comparing Israel to Nazi Germany would only be treated as antisemitic if "intent" can be proved. In reality, this would be near impossible to demonstrate. /2
You can just imagine how those conversations would go. "So Mr Livingstone, did you mean to be antisemitic when you claimed Hitler supported Zionism?" "Of course not, I am a lifelong anti-racist!" "OK then, off you go, just try to be a bit less insensitive in future." /3
Then there's the claim that the IHRA definition would stop people saying specific Israeli policies are racist. Complete nonsense. All IHRA says is that treating the *concept* of "a State of Israel" as "a racist endeavor" might in certain contexts be antisemitic. /4
IHRA also says that "criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic." /5
Labour have rewritten the bits of IHRA they don't like in a way that allows them to say all the examples are mentioned in their Code, but actually means they won't be properly applied. They need to explain why and stop trying to pull the wool over our eyes. /6
E.g. IHRA includes "Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations". Labour moved it from the list of "conduct likely to be regarded as antisemitic" & just say it is "wrong" /7
Why? Labour should explain why this old antisemitic 'dual loyalty' trope isn't regarded as antisemitic in their Code. It's not good enough to simply say that it's in a different section now. /8
As for @jonlansman's claim that Jewish leadership organisations "failed to come out against the Blackshirts marching through Cable Street": grow up. The far left abandoned Jews facing rising antisemitism in W Europe since 2000 and has no moral authority to lecture anyone. /9
After three years of disgraceful antisemitism and pathetic attempts to deal with it, the Labour Party needs to accept that they do not understand antisemitism better than the Jewish community does - and adopt the IHRA definition, unedited, with all its examples. /End
