Thread by @Steve_Cooke

In his latest piece for The National, columnist Bruce Whitehead "bares all on why he quit" @UKLabour. The former member of Edinburgh West CLP presents a list of woes but somehow manages to avoid mentioning the party's #antisemitism crisis and his own role in exacerbating it. /1

There were clues in @guardianletters last week where Whitehead objected to Labour's decision to proscribe four groups, three of which are known primarily for their antisemitism. He seems to have been especially keen on Labour Against the Witchhunt, which is probably the worst. /2

A search of Bruce Whitehead's social media soon reveals why. He claims that "Zionism stains the Jewish race with the blood of innocent Palestinian children". Whatever your view on events in Israel, it's clearly antisemitic to attribute blame collectively to all Jews. /3

Whitehead claims the Holocaust is used as a shield to protect Israel from criticism (that doesn't seem to have worked then). He believes antisemitism is alleged to deflect such criticism and, startlingly, even argues that Hamas is not antisemitic just because it says it isn't. /4

Bruce Whitehead says that concerns about antisemitism in the Labour Party are fabricated, thereby dismissing the experiences of many Jews, both inside and outside the party, who have encountered anti-Jewish racism from some Labour members - I would say including himself. /5

According to Whitehead, Chris Williamson isn't antisemitic because he doesn't hate Jews. Actually, hostility toward or discrimination against Jewish people also constitute antisemitism. You don't have to hate to act on a prejudice. And Williamson wasn't vindicated by the EHRC. /6

Rather like his approach to Hamas, Bruce Whitehead claims that Mear One's infamous 'Freedom for Humanity' mural wasn't antisemitic because the artist denied it. He tries to throw the charge back by saying those who thought it portrayed Jews must be antisemitic themselves. /7

Whitehead claims the Board of Deputies tells Labour who can be a member, congratulated the Tories on election victory (they send such greetings whoever wins) and "congratulated the Israeli government every time it murdered innocent Palestinians trying to defend their homeland"./8

There are further examples of Bruce Whitehead defending antisemites and making antisemitic comments, but you will probably have got the picture by now. It's disappointing when the Labour Party loses members, but in this case the loss is all his, not ours. /9

@threadreaderapp unroll