This "5x more likely" sounds horrific ... until you look at how it was reached:
"""
According to Labour statistics, by March 2021 there had been 1,450 "actioned complaints" against Labour party members in relation to allegations of antisemitism - equivalent to 0.29 percent of Labour’s membership, which averaged 500,000 between 2015 and 2020, when Corbyn was leader.
By contrast, says JVL, there were at least 35 actioned complaints against Jewish members. This is equivalent to 1.4 percent of Jewish members, who the group estimate to have numbered around 2,500 during the same period.
"""
Having 35 "actioned complaints" against Jewish members does not sound like a purge from the Labour Party, and portraying it as such is pretty misleading. I'm also wondering if there's some careful wording here, since they're comparing a total number of actioned complaints against Jewish members, vs number of actioned complaints specifically relating to allegations of antisemitism. Interesting that one of the two authors of the article is a Conservative (ie, the party Labour is in opposition to)
>Having 35 "actioned complaints" against Jewish members does not sound like a purge from the Labour Party
35 isnt a purge. > 1000 IS a purge. The fact that being an Jewish made it 5x more likely you would be purged simply underscored the fact that it was exclusively a project to purge anti-racists who were critical of Israel.
This point was underscored again when the party hired an ex Israeli intelligence agent.
> I have wondered how real the accusations of anti-semitism in the Labour party were. Is it a deliberate conflation of anti-Israel with anti-semitism by political opponents (who I assumed were Conservatives, rather than Labour)?
This is precisely what seems to have happened. Unelected officials on the right of the Labour party appear to have been at the forefront however.
I don't doubt that there are some people in the Labour party that might harbour anti-semitic views. Those people should be removed. However, the only word I can think of to describe the reaction at the time is "Hysteria".
The thing I find most disturbing about this is the willingness of those in power at the Labour party to target at least 35 Jewish members with claims of anti-semitism[0]:
> An 82-year-old Jewish woman, who is being investigated by Labour for alleged antisemitism for the third time in less than three years, is threatening legal action against the party, claiming it has unlawfully discriminated against her based on her
belief in anti-Zionism.
[1]
> The Labour Party has expelled one of its most prominent Jewish members – by telling a right-wing newspaper first, and allowing a journalist to leak it.
[2]
Because Labour is looking like such an election winning machine right now:
'Louise Ellman quits Labour party with fierce attack on Corbyn
...the Jewish MP attacked the Labour leader’s record on antisemitism, saying: “Under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, antisemitism has become mainstream in the Labour party. Jewish members have been bullied, abused and driven out. Antisemites have felt comfortable and vile conspiracy theories have been propagated. A party that permits anti-Jewish racism to flourish cannot be called anti-racist.”
She added: “The overwhelming majority of the Jewish community is fearful of what a Corbyn government might mean for Britain’s Jews. I share those concerns. But this issue is not simply about the Jewish community. This is about the nature of our society. Jeremy Corbyn’s seeming tolerance of antisemitism would embolden racists, poison our public debate and damage the social cohesion of our country.'
That link is not happy reading. I guess it is not surprising that the centrists hate the left back. However saying someone is “truly repulsive” or “literally makes me sick” is not necessarily racist, just because they are from an ethnic minority (note: I don't know the full context).
I have wondered how real the accusations of anti-semitism in the Labour party were. Is it a deliberate conflation of anti-Israel with anti-semitism by political opponents (who I assumed were Conservatives, rather than Labour)?
If we had PR it would probably be better for the Labour party to split into 2 parties. I don't see that happening under FPTP though.
[________] anyone who just finished reading the article and checked the references will think you are trolling if you re-accuse the Labour party for anti-semitism...
EDIT: removed "Did you even read the article?" per the site guidelines
>but, to be factual, anti-semitism in the UK Labour Party has been a thing since the 20th century
Anti semitism is a thing in society at large. It's bigger than it is in society in the Conservative Party. It's smaller than it is in society at large in the Labour party, but not entirely non-existent.
The reason it became such an "issue" with Corbyn was about Israel attempting to shield itself from Corbyn's criticism (e.g. land expansion, abuse of palestinians, highly racist policies) and because others found it useful to jump on Israel's bandwagon. It's not because it was common. It wasn't.
Tom Watson (deputy leader, never a corbyn fan) was one of those people.
Isaac Herzog, then leader of the Israeli Labour party, is famous for declaring that "race mixing is a tragedy" and refusing to apologize for it. This is who the concerned "anti racists" allied themselves with - an Israeli obsessed with racial purity: https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/isaac-herzogs-remarks-...
The hypocrisy and pearl clutching on this issue was absolutely staggering - especially by the guardian. The fact that something like this can be used to take down an honest politician in this way gives us a terrifying glimpse into the future.
How did you reach that conclusion? This was about racism in the thirteenth century. I would love to read more about these links.
What is your purpose into bringing the Labour party into this discussion? Seems like you are trying to paint the Labour party as anti-semitic. Is it because of foreign-policy positions with respect to Israel?
The Labour party have been embroiled in anti semitism controversy for the last few years.
It largely stems from their leader's former links to Hamas and Palestinian movements, and then the party's cack-handed response to the controversy.
Eg. Being very slow to discipline known antisemites within the party, watering down the Working Definition of Antisemitism, senior figures being members of Facebook groups containing antisemtic content, etc.
Why? It's pretty evident at this point that the whole Labour anti-Semitism thing was a cheap way to generate clicks and tank Corbyn-led Labour. Criticism of Israel's genuinely awful human rights record is not anti-Semitic.
The article says Labour doesn't have an anti-semitism problem and therefore it doesn't?
And yes, I checked the references, and they are not wholly convincing. A statement that only 0.06% of the Labour membership have been investigated for anti-semitism (which firstly still seems kind of high to me, and secondly obviously not being investigated for anti-semitism does not mean one is not anti-semitic) and an independent inquiry by the person who was subsequently made Labour's shadow attorney general?
I'm not saying Labour is overrun by anti-semitism but let's try not to just believe the last thing we read, ok?
There are entire Wikipedia articles on the history of Labour's issues with anti-Semitism- I know, because my link to one was posted before your reply was. The issue is much more nuanced than what you or the person you're replying to are implying.
All correct. It’s a real shame because there was a more subtly disconcerting thing where if you look at the Jewish groups Corbyn did spend time with, and compare them to the few Jewish leaders who supported the antisemitism claims … you start to see a picture of what you have to think to be accepted into the halls of government as a Jewish person. It’s disconcerting.
Are you implying that all those Jews worried about anti-semitism in the Labour Party lack basic sense? I'm not sure they're likely to find that a comforting response.
This wasnt antiracists purging antisemites.
It was racists purging antiracists.
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