Momentum have made a video about #antisemitism on the left. It's good that they've tried and the examples of antisemitic tropes are familiar enough. But there's a few revealing problems with this video... /1
Firstly and most obviously, claiming that Corbyn is a perfect example of how to listen to the Jewish community and oppose antisemitism is - what's the word - IRONIC. I think. /2
Secondly, 'don't be antisemitic to me because I'm a good Jew who boycotts Israeli goods' kind of misses the point. /3
Nor is it helpful to say "white British people" should avoid antisemitic language but Palestinians don't need to. Denying the Holocaust or claiming the Rothschilds run the world is antisemitic whoever says it. /4
If you are trying to educate a left wing audience about the 1905 Aliens Act you really should mention that it had widespread support from trades unions. The TUC campaigned for years for immigration controls on Jews. /5
But the worst thing about this video had nothing to do with antisemitism. It was the claim that "Corbynites" are great at opposing misogynistic and violent language in political debate. Have you been on Twitter? /6
Overall the video is a good start - just about - but if this is the sum of @PeoplesMomentum's understanding of left wing antisemitism, we've got a long way to go. /End.
