THREAD: Glynis Millward, who goes on Crispin Flintoff's alt-left show to give "top advice" on how to respond to being suspended by the Labour Party, repeats a common theme among antisemitism denialists by challenging me to report her to the police. /1
And when I say repeats, I really do mean that. Gaslighting Glynis says the same thing again and again to people who raise concerns about antisemitism in the Labour Party, insinuating that their experiences can't be genuine if they haven't reported them as hate crimes. /2
That's a ridiculous response to complaints about anti-Jewish racism because antisemitism is not illegal in and of itself. Nor are other forms of racism. Some expressions of antisemitic sentiment, such as incitement to racial hatred, are unlawful, but most are not. /3
Statements and actions don't have to be illegal in order to be wrong. They don't need to be crimes to breach the Labour Party's rules. Racism, including antisemitism, is harmful to its victims and to society. It is immoral and contrary to our values as democratic socialists. /4
That ought to be common sense, especially for anyone who aspires to progressive politics. But not, it seems, to Gaslighting Glynis and the many others who come out with this sort of discriminatory rubbish about antisemitism. Fortunately, comrade Millward is no longer a member. /5
Labour councillor and former leader of Blaenau Gwent Council, Hedley McCarthy, believes that Keir Starmer is a "puppet" of the Board of Deputies who raises concerns about #antisemitism as a "sponsored question from his financiers", to please the "people with the money strings".
Cllr Hedley McCarthy shares antisemitic posts by Jackie Walker (she was lying - most of the people listed did in fact condemn the far-right actions mentioned). He recommends antisemitism denialist organisation Labour Against the Witchhunt's submission to the Forde Enquiry.
Cllr Hedley McCarthy is concerned that @UKLabour has become the "Netanyahu Labour Party of the UK" and that the party's representatives are "kissing his butt" (Bibi's).
Maginn's article should be renamed "10 strawmen". It cites oversimplified claims about antisemitism in the Labour Party and refutes them. But he chose them BECAUSE they were inaccurate. Eg, Chris Williamson wasn't suspended over Nick Robinson's tweet. The tweet came after. >>
>> A better summary of the problems with Chris Williamson's conduct is provided by Daniel Sugarman's article below and that was written before Williamson's numerous antisemitic statements since he left the Labour Party. >> thejc.com/comment/analys…
>> As the EHRC report revealed, Labour's disputes panel found that Chris Williamson had "engaged in conduct online and offline that ... was grossly detrimental to the Party" and "may reasonably be seen to involve antisemitic sentiments, stereotypes and actions". >>
Poor little innocent Chris Crookes has been branded an antisemite just because he wrote articles for neo-Nazi journals and websites claiming that the Nazis treated Jews well at Auschwitz. Here he is telling his oh-so-moving story on Labour Against the Witchhunt's Facebook page.
Sartre: "Never believe that antisemites are unaware of the absurdity of their replies. They know that their remarks are frivolous, open to challenge. But they are amusing themselves, for it is their adversary who is obliged to use words responsibly, since he believes in words."
Show me evidence of Labour Against the Witchhunt being apologists for antisemitism, says Ben Sellers of Red Labour. I reply with evidence of LAW leaders doing exactly that and even opposing Holocaust deniers being reported to Labour HQ. Sellers blocks me and deletes the evidence.
For clarification, the thread in question was on Facebook not Twitter, hence Ben Sellers being able to delete my comments, which he couldn't do here.
After Labour NEC proscribed four groups, Sellers wrote about Marxists' contribution to the party. Andrew Warburton pointed out the action was being taken to expel apologists for antisemitism not Marxists, in particular Labour Against the Witchhunt. Sellers demanded evidence. >>
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
Phil Wallis has just been telling people on Facebook that you can't be antisemitic if you are pro-Palestinian "because Palestinians are Semites". Turns out he is a Holocaust denier too. It looks like he's no longer a Labour member, but it's appalling that he ever managed to join.
In the same thread, started by a young Labour activist concerned that antisemitism is undermining pro-Palestinian actions, Mohammed P Aslam, supposedly a campaigner for social justice, suggests such criticism is intended to stop people calling out "murderous criminals".
And Mohammad Aleinein, who wishes "peace, love & prosperity to all", claims that "Zionists exaggerate the global antisemitism in order to encourage the Zionists who are in Palestine not to leave". But there's no need for exaggeration in describing the vile racism on his timeline.