Thread by @NudderingNudnik

So @MrsNuddering ‘s phone goes.
It’s the Labour Party asking if she’ll vote for @_OliviaBlake next week.
She explains that is very unlikely even though she’s been a lifelong Lab voter until Corbyn became leader.
Why?
“Because the party is antisemitic”
“It’s not”

Well, she says, Jews think it is and only around 7% of us are likely to vote Labour for that very reason.
This goes on a bit and then she gives me the phone.
“Are you not worried about the fact that less than 10% of Jews feel they can vote Labour?” I ask.

(I’ll admit to sounding less than entirely calm but all the same managing to keep a lid on the worst of my ire).

“I don’t believe that figure to be true” says @_OliviaBlake’s canvasser
“Ok, is it made up do you think?”
“I don’t know, I’m not familiar with where it comes from.”

“And it doesn’t fit with my experience of the party” says the man from Labour.
“Ok- do you mind if I ask your name?” I say.
“Of course, I’m Sean”
“Well Sean, I’m going out on a limb here but am I right in thinking you’re not Jewish?”
“No, I’m not. But the party isn’t antisemitic”

“It doesn’t fit with my experience” Sean, the non-Jewish canvasser for @_oliviaBlake says to the audibly concerned and frustrated Jewish ex-Labour voter.

I change tack a little.
“Sean, regardless of your experience as a non-Jewish member of a party that isn’t antisemitic ....

..in January the EHRC are very likely to decide that it is antisemitic”
“No it won’t”

Pause.

“How do you know this Sean?”

“It doesn’t fit with my experience”.

I change tack once again.
“Sean, how do you feel knowing that your CLP @ShefHallamLab passed a motion supporting...

...Chris Williamson earlier this year?”
“I don’t know about that”

“But Sean, you know enough to tell me that the EHRC will find Labour in the clear and that the 7% figure isn’t valid. You clearly have some insights into antisemitism. Isn’t it odd that you don’t know about Chris?

“I’ll have to look into that” says Sean from @ShefHallamLab

“But I’m upset that you have accused me of being an antisemite” says Sean from @_OliviaBlake ‘s campaign.

“Sean, when did I say that? I said Labour is an institutionally racist party”
“You accused me of being...

...institutionally antisemitic” says Sean.

“But Sean - you’re an individual person. You can’t be institutionally antisemitic.”

“I’m very upset and hurt by your allegation against me” says Sean.

I reassure Sean again that I have no reason to accuse him of being an antisemite..

..as I don’t know him at all and that therefore I did not accuse him of any such thing. He’s still traumatized but I think I manage to bring him back from the brink. I think Sean is ok.

And so there you have it in one conversation. The Labour we have all come to know:

1. Figures that highlight Jewish concern are at best “unreliable, at worst “not true”

2. The EHRC will find Labour blameless. There is no problem.

3. Non Jewish members of Labour have not experienced antisemitism and so they can happily tell Jews that it doesn’t exist (see 2.)

And

4. Jews who say that the Labour Party is antisemitic should not do so as this is very triggering and upsetting for non-Jewish Labour members.

Remember these 4 points and it all makes so much more sense.
Thanks Sean. You’ve clarified things.

Vote @_OliviaBlake
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