Thread by @adamlangleben

Thread/ What is the definition of institutional racism?

'racial discrimination that has become established as normal behaviour within a society or organization.'

I believe that this threshold as set out in the definition has been met in the case of the Labour Party on antisemitism. Does any of the below appear to be 'normal behavior within an organisation'? /2

All across online Labour forums and parts of the Left Labour 'trade press' I.e. Skwawkbox, Novara, Canary and Co, subtle and at times blatant antisemitism, specifically in the form of conspiracy theories thrives and is spread using the tools of social media. /3

This takes the form of a conspiratorial read of issues. An ongoing suspicion of the good faith of Jews inparticular when raising issues on antisemitism. The spreading lies about the Jewish community often without ever having met them (like @AaronBastani - How's the inbox mate?)/4

At first much of this toxic culture existed solely online. It had been amplified by the positioning of many on the left of the party - who have tried to turn antisemitism into something the right of the Labour Party proclaim in bad faith. Made worse by the Labour civil war. /5

It's gone offline now:
From branch meetings to constituency meetings we now routinely have motions that single out the British Jewish community for condemnation. Whereby our concerns of racism become a point for political debate rather than the cancer that it is. /6

Many meetings, especially in recent weeks have focused on censuring their Members of Parliament for deciding that the cancer needs to be removed rather than debated. /7

This has become a culture so intoxicated by conspiratorial Jew baiting that in at least one CLP members met (these days these meetings are no small affairs) and voted to reject @JewishLabour training due to our alleged (false) links "with ISIS and the Israeli Government" /8

Take tonight. I understand that Hampstead & Kilburn CLP will be debating two motions to submit to Labour Party conference. One is about the IHRA definition and how it is a duplicitous tool for supressing Labour members and the other is Universal Credit. /9

Willing to take a bet that they spend considerably more time on the IHRA definition than they will on Universal Credit. /10

Hampstead & Kilburn have form on this too. Kilburn branch had a period where 7 of 9 meetings had hostile motions on Jews, antisemitism or Israel. It is obsessive behavior that tries to bait Jews. /11
hamhigh.co.uk/news/politics/…

Or let's go back and have another look at Enfield North CLP where @joanryanEnfield is MP. The fact that a journalist from the antisemitic, homophobic, Holocaust Denying Press TV managed to exclusively film the attempt to no confidence the MP is not normal. behavior. /12

In a South London CLP a Jewish man who wishes to remain anonymous was physically assaulted in a CLP meeting for saying what he thinks about antisemitism. Is this normal behavior? /13

All across the country CLPs are voting on motions about Jews without ever asking the bodies that represent Jews what they think. Is this normal behavior in an anti-racist organisations? /14

And all across the country whenever an accusation is made and this accusation is backed by evidence from the mainstream Jewish community bodies representing hundreds of thousands of British Jews out of 280k - people try to find the handful of Jews who disagree. /15

Such as the meeting in Bristol on antisemitism. Where Jewish Voice for Labour were going to be sending a speaker. To be held on Yom Kippur. The holiest day of the Jewish calender and the one festival that most Jews in Britain keep, regardless of being observant. /16

Having a meeting about Jews on the one day of the year that almost no Jews who are part of the Jewish comminity in the UK will be attending. That is not normal behavior. /17

This organisation was created on purpose to deceive people in the Labour Party about the Jewish community. The organisation held an event in Golders Green during the election. GG has dozens of Synagogues but it was held in a church because they are so disconnected. /18

As a member of the @JewishLabour NEC I help go around the country voluntarily to deliver training in antisemitism and engaging Jewish voters. Some constituencies reject the training outright. The rest have people turn up to obstruct us on purpose. /19

There are hundreds of examples that myself and others have on how deep this goes. It meets the threshold and that is why I think @ChukaUmunna was right. Maybe he is the wrong messenger for those who need to listen but what he said is from listening to Jewish members. /20

Lastly. Every Jewish member will come to their own conclusion on what to do. I am almost done with the Labour Party. I don't believe @jeremycorbyn understands it (at best) and at worst is himself guilty. But at the moment I won't be forced out but I'm lacking any hope. /21