Thread by @habibi_uk

*Thread* John McDonnell is President of the Labour Representation Committee (LRC), a far-left group. Earlier today, Andrew Marr noted requests from the Jewish community that he step down on the grounds that the LRC has said “some very, very damaging and worrying things”. 1/12

McDonnell won’t resign. He’s “working within the LRC to challenge those issues”, you see, and thinks he can “turn the LRC round on these particular issues”. 2/12

So, how is he doing? Not very well, it seems, judging by the posts on the LRC Facebook account in recent weeks. This post is pinned to the top. It is a blunt attack on the Chief Rabbi by "Jewish Voice for Labour” (JVL). 3/12

JVL is a discredited group entirely dedicated to denying Labour’s antisemitism crisis. Even Momentum founder John Lansman finds it objectionable. He has called it "part of the problem and not part of the solution to antisemitism in the Labour Party". 4/12

thejc.com/news/uk-news/l…

In fact, since the Chief Rabbi spoke up on 25 November, the LRC has posted no fewer than ten attacks on him. There is no attempt to accept some of his criticisms. Only broadsides. 5/12

What else has the LRC been up to on Facebook in recent weeks? Attacking the BBC for "unbalanced and uncritical" reporting of the "flimsily based charges" of the Jewish Labour Movement. 6/12

Promoting Ken Loach, the inveterate champion of far left antisemites.

Posting abject denials of the antisemitism crisis.

Spreading messages from the hate site "Skwakbox".

Backing the self-styled "Palestine Solidarity Campaign", long another champion for antisemites. 7/12

Attacking Jonathan Freedland, evidently a bad Jew.

Decrying the media for not covering Tory antisemitism, while posting a media link on just that topic. No, really. 8/12

There are good Jews, mind. Neturei Karta, who attend Holocaust denial conferences in Tehran and even backed far right Jobbik Hungarians when they visited London, siding against anti-fascists. For this tiny sect, any enemy of Israel is a friend, even the very worst on earth. 9/12

So, is Mr McDonnell just not very good at "working within"? I don't believe it for a second. Here he is at a LRC meeting backing Jackie Walker, a notorious antisemite. He says he does so against the wishes of people in his own party. 10/12

That was in 2016. He was at it again in 2019, just weeks before Walker was expelled from Labour. 11/12

thejc.com/news/uk-news/j…

There is talk that McDonnell may become Labour's leader if the party is defeated on Thursday. If the party wants to retain its institutionally racist badge of shame, he is surely an excellent candidate for the top job. 12/12

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