Thread by @Steve_Cooke

Challenging #antisemitism can lead to hysterical counter-accusations that others with racist views are happy to endorse. After encountering Charles Harding, a #Labour member in Liverpool, dismissing concerns about a/s on Facebook, I accepted his challenge to provide examples. /1

I didn't have to go far afield to find examples because, despite Charles's friends backing his view that antisemitism is just "made-up bullshit", "fake news", "propaganda", etc, his own timeline is in fact replete with #antisemitic posts. As indeed I pointed out to him ... /2

Charles Harding's posts present Jews as "criminals and liars ... afraid of being criticised" who "control the media", "poison your food", "create social unrest", "fund both sides in wars" and run a "shadow government". His sources include neo-Nazi and Holocaust denial sites. /3

I hoped to engage Charles in dialogue. And, to be fair, he did respond, but only to call me and another comrade who had commented "ignorant morons" and "mentally unstable". He'd been a union activist for 40 years and had never said or written anything antisemitic in his life. /4

But denial, expletives, name-calling and demands to know if I was being funded by Israel weren't enough for comrade Harding. He said he'd been informed that I'd been accused of paedophilia. Hmm, the only people I've heard claim that are the fascist groups I've opposed locally. /5

I've been involved in organising #antifascist protests to oppose #Islamophobic groups such as For Britain, the EDL and the DFLA when they've held marches and rallies in the area. These hate groups regularly accuse their opponents of supporting child sexual exploitation. /6

So, well done, Charles Harding. At times you don't seem to understand the difference between democratic socialism and national socialism, and here you've picked up yet another tactic of the racist far-right. Assuming that someone challenging a/s works for Israel is racist btw. /7

Comrade Harding has posted several angry rants about our encounter and the complaint which I've submitted to the Labour Party. He has received messages of solidarity from dozens of people who claim to be Labour members and/or anti-Zionist activists. /8

"Israeli troll", "shame on them", "rightwing shit", "vile creep", "shit-stirring mongrel" and "manger maggot"(the mind boggles?), exclaim Harding's friends, with some sharing elaborate conspiracy theories to explain my supposed agenda. /9

Have Harding's supporters not noticed his #antisemitic commentaries? I can accept some might not have spotted those posts, especially if they have hundreds of 'Facebook friends'. But none seem curious to establish the truth of the matter. Or perhaps they share his opinions? /10

They're certainly not helping the Labour Party or the cause of Palestinian national self-determination with such racism and denialism. Jeremy has called upon members to challenge antisemitism and root it out of our party. We should all support that. /End theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

@threadreaderapp unroll

Charles Harding reaches out in search of allies. Or are they Axis powers? "Zio-Jewish EL-ite ... Greater Israel NWO Zio-agenda ... AI Transhumanist plot to enslave us all and throw away the key in the 5G/WiFi." Hmm, do you really think this is "brilliantly well said", Charles?

Oh, and when did I "brag that he can get people banned from Momentum, Labour and Facebook", "having a friend who is high up in Unite" and my "influence in Momentum and Labour"? This is news to me, Charles Harding. It really is. #Antisemitism

Yes, there are fake accounts and state actors may well be involved. But let's not imagine it's unique to any one country. And it doesn't really explain the vile antisemitic views expressed by you, Charles Harding, does it? You're not claiming that Israel made you do it, are you?