Thread by @supergutman

Rough timeline of how conspiracy theories about Salisbury attacks laced with antisemitism have entered the zeitgeist, with the help of virtually the entire pro-Corbyn commentariat - who are currently telling you to concentrate your energies on a photoshopped hat. Thread. 1/

In reaction to criticism levelled at Corbyn after PMQ's: Craig Murray, a committed conspiracist, writes a piece laying blame for Salisbury away from the doors of the Kremlin.
It's reblogged by several pro-Corbyn sites - inc The Canary, Evolve, who also a quote a 9/11 Truther. /2

The appetite for defending Corbyn is so feverish that Murray's piece goes viral. Even being linked to in The Guardian where he is described serenely as a "former ambassador."

But his piece, now followed up by more, is consistently encouraging readers to look at Israel... 3/

Not so bad on its own maybe but as conspiracy theories are so often informed by our own prejudices and biases, it's hard to see Murray's framing of Israel as purely analytical... 4/

And so it goes. The "fevered" parliamentary atmosphere leads some MP's to sign an EDM as a rebuke to Corbyn's approach to the Kremlin. But for Murray, now with the ears of an entire political movement, the MP's motivation for signing the EDM is linked to... go on, guess? 5/

In a normal world you might expect such overt dog-whistle antisemitism and its progenitor to be shunned by a political movement who wear their anti-racist credentials on their sleeves. But you'd be well off the mark:

Instead this happened: 6/

Director of Novara Media, perhaps aware that criticism may come in this direction, began banging on about Israeli execution of scientists whilst simultaneously promoting Murray as a victim of the "sinister" establishment. 7/

Max Shanly then re-ups a conspiracy theory about a Jewish MP being a "CIA asset", Chris Williamson MP endorses Murray, Sqwawkbox gets its' "huge" on, and Labour forums & Twitter become awash with people laying the blame for Salisbury on Israel and their "agents" in Britain - LFI

Classic antisemitism, as in Nazism, warned that Israel would be a "central organisation" for Jews to enact dark plots and conspiracies on the rest of the world.
The antisemitic dog-whistling around Salisbury is simply a modern incantation of this ancient slander. 9/

Thus it excites real bigots and antisemites who flood social media with their filth.This pro-Putin meme incorporating antisemitic Rothschild conspiracy is currently being circulated on several Labour forums. It isn't being removed because the admins see nothing wrong with it. /10

Then Murray employs a version of the 'Just Asking Questions' routine (obviously ignoring LFI bit)

Described as 'Violent Innocence' the conspiracist proffers the question knowing full well they are giving it as the answer.

Just Asking Questions: also known as JAQing off. /11

And who else deseprately wants an army of people on social media implicating Israel and its "agents" in the Salisbury attack?
I'll take a punt at Putin himself and his phalanx of Krem-bots who are now indistinguishable from the Corbyn supporters defending Craig Murray. /12

And the entire pro-Corbyn commentariat collude in normalising and sanitising conspiratorial antisemitism.

Perhaps the darkest irony lies in how they are now screaming about "absurd conspiracy theorists" which "must be called out" because of a... photoshopped hat.

Fuck me

/ENDS

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