Moshé Machover Gains International Support
- Celebrity international backing for academic expelled, then readmitted to Labour Party
- Demand for full apology and inquiry
- Statement delivered to Corbyn and Party Secretary McNicol
In an extraordinary development, an international array of talent has rallied to the support of a retired professor expelled from the British Labour Party. They join the growing ranks of Party members and trade unionists demanding an apology to Professor Moshé Machover for alleging that an article of his was antisemitic; and for an inquiry into the processes that resulted in his expulsion. As a result of UK protests Professor Machover’s expulsion has already been rescinded.
Professor Machover is an eminent mathematical logician, a noted Israeli dissident and advocate for the rights of Palestinians, based in London since 1968.
Lead signatories include 3 Fields Medallists (aka “the Nobel for Maths”). . .
Sir Michael Atiyah OM FRS (1966) Former President, Royal Society and Master of Trinity College, Cambridge
David Mumford (1974) Professor Emeritus, Mathematics, Brown University
Stephen Smale (Fields Medallist, 1966) Professor Emeritus, Mathematics, University of California
Other notable mathematicians, philosophers and scientists include Ahmed Abbes, Noam Chomsky, Chandler Davis, Freeman Dyson, Ivar Ekeland, David Epstein FRS, Emmanuel Farjoun, Catherine Goldstein, Mary Gray, Michael Harris, David Klein, Neal Koblitz, Malcolm Levitt FRS, Colette Moeglin, Richard Miller, Joseph Oesterlé, Hilary Rose, Steven Rose, Tim Shallice FRS and more!
. . Among dozens of International Human Rights Leaders, Labour Party Activists & Israeli Academics are:
Tariq Ali (writer), Sir Geoffrey Bindman QC (University College London), Stephen Cragg QC (Barrister, London), John Dugard (former U.N. Special Rapporteur), Brian Eno (musician), Richard Falk (Professor Emeritus, International Law, Princeton), Ronnie Kasrils (ex-Minister, South Africa), Ken Loach (film-maker), Michael Mansfield QC (President of the Haldane Society), Ilan Pappé (Professor of History, Exeter), Shlomo Sand (Professor Emeritus, History, Tel Aviv University), Raji Sourani (Director, Palestinian Centre for Human Rights) and many more!
This unprecedented support and demand for redress indicates serious misjudgement by the Labour Party’s much criticised disciplinary apparatus. On behalf of the petition’s organizers, Professor Jonathan Rosenhead said, “Moshé Machover is a splendid and courageous anti-racist campaigner over decades. The crass attempt to brand him an antisemite, part of an unprincipled campaign to suppress criticism of Israel, has clearly backfired in a big way. The Labour Party needs a root-and-branch reform of how its Disputes Panel and Compliance Unit have been operating.”
16 November 2017
Notes
- The text of the statement and the full list of signatories can be viewed here.
- The statement has been delivered to Labour Party General Secretary Iain McNicol, and copied to Jeremy Corbyn’s office and to the Chair of the Party’s National Executive Committee Andy Kerr.
- To request an interview or statement from select lead signatories, please email petitions@gmail.com
- For the background to Professor Machover’s expulsion and its later cancellation see here and here
- This petition has been organised by Science for the People (US) and Jewish Voice for Labour (UK).
Released to media 16 November 2017
All the very best! A great inspiration. In Peace. Martin Burke in Hitchin
This dreadful process of trying to eliminate supporters of Corbyn and/or Palestinian Human Rights must be ended.
We must also demand a full inquiry into the serious revelations in the televised Al-Jazeera documentary.
Moshé has asked to know who made the complaint against him – will he be told?
Well done all concerned….this is not before time.
The Compliance unit has for far too long been willing to act like the Stasi, encouraging informers to dig up ‘dirt’ mainly it would seem on people from the left and supporters of Palestinian rights. It is time for these complaints to be disregarded unless the informers are willing to be identified.
Anonymous could be anyone and everyone. Due process demands list of allegations along with name/s of allegators (sic)
People who are doing this are bringing the Party into disrepute and acting like 5th columnists. Their objective, under foreign influence, is IMO to make sure Labour never gets into power