Now then, Rachael Swindon's comments. This thread isn't easy to write and I'm sure will incur plenty of anger. For the record: I do not consider Rachael an antisemite or a racist. She's a perfectly normal person who's done a huge amount for the left.
This thread isn't about judging her as a person. It's about judging her actions - which were stupid beyond belief. And, unwittingly I'm quite sure, her comments were VERY antisemitic. Here they are below. 
She has since deleted the tweet; I don't know if she's apologised for it. She was, of course, tweeting in response to the Board of Deputies' 10 pledges: some of which I queried myself in this thread here:
She starts off with either a deeply flawed or false premise. The Board of Deputies represents British Jews - some of us, at least. It is NOT 'Conservative backing'. Vigorously opposing Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party does not somehow make it 'Conservative-backing'.
The reason it vigorously opposed Corbyn's Labour Party was the antisemitism it and many British Jews perceived. Antisemitism which Rachael's just added to - even though I've no doubt whatsoever that she didn't mean to.
For myself, I wrote a thread some weeks ago complaining about the failure of the BoD and others to call out Tory antisemitism. A thread which I stand by. But I still wouldn't call an organisation which has been around since 1760 (!) 'Conservative backing'.
The BoD has never been viewed in such terms at any point until Corbyn's time as leader. And I'm awfully sorry, but history did not somehow start in 2015.
The reason I'm spending so long focusing on this deeply flawed premise is:
1. I've seen it repeated by many others in recent days
2. It informs the entirety of what Rachael went on to write.
1. I've seen it repeated by many others in recent days
2. It informs the entirety of what Rachael went on to write.
Which included:
- Demanding it condemn all Israeli atrocities in the West Bank
- Demanding it condemn the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians
- Demanding it highlight the corruption of the Netanyahu government
- Demanding it lobby the UK government to limit arms sales to Israel
- Demanding it condemn all Israeli atrocities in the West Bank
- Demanding it condemn the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians
- Demanding it highlight the corruption of the Netanyahu government
- Demanding it lobby the UK government to limit arms sales to Israel
- Demanding it lobby to prevent Israeli interference in UK politics
- Demanding it recognise Corbyn's awards as an anti-racist campaigner
- Demanding it dissociate itself from the Conservative Party
- Demanding it recognise Corbyn's awards as an anti-racist campaigner
- Demanding it dissociate itself from the Conservative Party
For one thing, it is not associated with the Conservative Party to begin with. It's just (wrongly) perceived as such by the left.
For another, it's not going to 'recognise' someone it perceives as having consorted with anti-Semites on many occasions.
For another, it's not going to 'recognise' someone it perceives as having consorted with anti-Semites on many occasions.
But it's her comments pertaining to Israel which are a problem. A big one. Imagine if someone demanded the Muslim Council of Britain condemned the Saudi and Iranian governments, and others besides. It'd be offensive.
Not because they're not appalling governments - they are, as is the Israeli one. But because it'd involve demanding Muslims condemn other Muslims. That's not far removed from the disgusting way in which Muslims find themselves blamed for Islamist terrorism.
The bit which I know many people just don't get is this. Yes, the BoD is automatically protective of Israel: because it's the world's only Jewish state, and all of us Jews know our history as to why that safe haven is abundantly necessary.
But that doesn't mean that the BoD, any other Jewish organisation or any Jew anywhere can somehow be conflated with Israel! Demanding the BoD condemn Israel for this or that is a logical fallacy; almost a non-sequitur.
Now, do I wish it would speak up more about the Israeli government? Sure. But I don't have the right to demand it does. Nor am I about to hold it somehow or in some way culpable for the actions of a foreign government. That is offensive. That is racist.
This is an incredibly sensitive topic. Great care must be taken by everyone. Pretty obviously, Rachael intended her tweet as satire. That's a big part of why I don't judge her as a person for it. But it was an incredibly stupid thing to write. Idiotic.
She has heaven only knows how many people out there just waiting to screenshot anything she says and call her out on it. She just gave them what they wanted, big style. And the reason she did that is because on this issue, she is just not informed. At all.
And that's also true of too many people on the left. Who as I've written before, constantly demonise the term 'Zionism' without bothering to understand what it means to most Jews; and who treat Israel-Palestine as simple when it's not. And never has been.
You know which country should get a huge amount of the blame for the Palestinians' appalling plight, but never does? Jordan. Which instead of helping them after partition, simply annexed the West Bank for itself and went on to treat Palestinian refugees as third class citizens.
You know which country should get another big chunk of the blame for the Palestinians' appalling plight, but never does either? Egypt. Which gave Gaza back to Israel BECAUSE IT DIDN'T WANT IT.
And after partition, with at least 750,000 Palestinians displaced, you know what the Arab League did? It instructed its members to deny them citizenship. Whereupon they all became pawns: to be used whenever it suited Arab regimes, which did nothing for them.
Strange how literally none of the above ever gets mentioned on the left, isn't it? Ditto, for that matter, Israel's willingness to make peace with Jordan and Egypt; no small thing in either case.
If Israel-Palestine was simple, it wouldn't have gone on for 72 years... and counting. I don't think there's a more sensitive, emotive issue in world affairs. The left comments on it and gets angry because it cares; it cares about injustice and human suffering.
But it is duty bound to inform itself PROPERLY. To understand the history of the region, and the position of both sides in the conflict, not just one of them. And when it doesn't do that, people like Rachael put their foot in it, big style.
I know how upset Rachael is about what happened to Corbyn and to Labour. I am too. But good grief: do we go around demanding Hindu organisations in Britain condemn the Modi government? So why is this only done in the case of Jews?
British Jews, including their leaders, are not responsible for the actions of the Israeli government. Period. End of story. And the job of the Board of Deputies is to protect British Jews, not condemn Israel.
I know, quite categorically, that she means well. But her tweet made me want to scream.
Remember what I said about bad politics? About the wrong hill to die on? None of this helps Labour in any way whatsoever. And the harm it does is inexcusable.
Remember what I said about bad politics? About the wrong hill to die on? None of this helps Labour in any way whatsoever. And the harm it does is inexcusable.
The answer? Education. Not just about the conflict itself.., but how the kind of language routinely employed about Israel and now against the BoD itself only inflames matters. Only makes things worse.
The code of conduct pleads for caution. I just wish people would exercise it.
The code of conduct pleads for caution. I just wish people would exercise it.
Two other quick things.
1. The BoD actually encompasses a wide range of individuals. You know how I'd describe its leadership? Small 'c' conservative. Leaderships of religious organisations usually are. But that doesn't make them backers of any political party.
1. The BoD actually encompasses a wide range of individuals. You know how I'd describe its leadership? Small 'c' conservative. Leaderships of religious organisations usually are. But that doesn't make them backers of any political party.
2. If trust is to be repaired, this doesn't mean only reaching out to those Jews who share the left's views on Israel-Palestine. It also means reaching out to those who don't. And in many cases, the reason they don't is they know how complex it all is.
They're not about to condemn a government of a country surrounded by enemies, which has rockets fired into it all the time, and whose closest neighbour elected a terrorist organisation to govern it. That's why the blockade happened. Hamas.
Do I agree with the blockade? Hell no. Do I agree with the Israeli government's constant disproportionate responses? Hell no. Do I think a whole series of Israeli governments have done anything like enough to seek peace? Not that either.
But actually, none of us can understand the fear Israelis live with daily unless we live there ourselves. You know that in Israel, there are baggage checks at all bus stations? Can you imagine it? And of course, bomb and security scares all the time. And I mean all the time.
None of us can truly understand the unbearable injustice the Palestinians live under either. Displaced. Stateless. Denied elections by their own disgusting, monstrous government; bombed by Israel for the behaviour of that disgusting, monstrous government.
But the job of the left, when it comes to any major international conflict, is to do everything it can to seek peace. And that requires empathy and understanding of both (in fact, all) points of view... just as it does in understanding the fear Jews around the world live with.
