Antizionism should not be outlawed in the Labour Party
JVL Introduction
This interview by Mark Seddon of Palestine Deep Dive with Stephen Marks and Jenny Manson, JVL’s Co chair, goes far beyond the internal goings on in the Labour Party, its bullying tactics and its targeting of Jewish members who challenge the Zionist agenda and the conflation of criticism of Israel with antisemitism. As in the David Miller employment case our lawyers are arguing that Stephen has suffered discrimination in relation to his protected philosophical belief.
Mark Seddon compares the injustices caused to Labour members falsely accused of antisemitism to the Horizon case, something we at JVL have discussed. Together with Stephen and Jenny he looks beyond UK politics and make the connection between Labour’s wilful failure to understand real antisemitism and their shocking failure to have called for an immediate ceasefire of the assault on Palestinians in Gaza, collective punishment for the conduct of Hamas.
JM
This article was originally published by Palestine Deep Dive on Tue 6 Feb 2024. Read the original here.
EXPELLED! Is Anti-Zionism Now ILLEGAL in the Labour Party? | Stephen Marks & Jenny Manson
I have just watched this in California as it is yet again pouring down. I found it incredibly moving. Both Stephen and Jenny were brilliant. The final point that you Jenny made about how this is basically about a set of family arguments about different Jews and how it is being played out in public with devastating and cruel, even brutal, consequences. It brought tears to my eyes. So sorry for you Stephen and how brave you are Jenny. as Jews say Kol Ha Kavod. All strength to you both.
I am currently under attack by the Ontario New Democratic Party for saying that “I am disappointed they caved to the Zionist Lobby.
The Labour Party might be a much more attractive electoral proposition if any signs of an adherence to Zionism, however slight, were to become an automatic basis for expulsion.
I am one of many JVL members who has been expelled from the Labour Party for supporting Palestine and criticising Zionism. I am not anti-semitic but I am anti-genocide. I am appalled at what the Labour party has become!
Discrimination – ethnic, skin colour, poorly educated, the poor – has a ‘useful’ purpose behind it usually, to be able to exploit those discriminated against in some way or to leave them out of any power-sharing.
I joined the LP as it was the only Left-wing party that had any potential power. My constituency members were generally pro-Corbyn, and while accepting there were differences of opinions, I was astonished at the seething hatred of a small minority for Corbyn, and those of us wanting genuine socialist outcomes. Such hatred has no place in a democratic opposition party even though there is bound to be a range of views.
It is in the interests of the British establishment to keep the Labour Party as proof that Britain is a Democracy. However, when Corbyn won his election democratically, this was not on the agenda of the Establishment. How to get the political system back on its usual conservative, and narrow agenda? It was only after Corbyn’s success, that expulsions became regular news.
There had to be a good reason for expulsion but one that could not be deemed politically partisan. The named ‘crime’ was antisemitism – clever because of how difficult it is to prove or disprove. What is obvious, is that almost all, if not all the expelled members are left of centre in their views. Co-incidence?
Someone need to ask Starmer: Don’t you think it is beyond time to qualify your statement that you are a “Zionist without qualification”?
In response to Henry Evans-Tenbrinke comment, if you don’t know about Independent Jewish Voices Canada, they would probably prove supportive:
https://www.ijvcanada.org/about-ijv/
As a gentile with a wide range of Jewish friends, I’ve found it helpful to distinguish in conversation between Political Zionism (as practiced by the Israeli government), and Religious and Cultural Zionism. Unfortunately this is clouded by the fact that Chief Rabbi Mervis is undoubtedly a Political Zionist.
Peeps ….. anti zionist, non zionist, zionist, no problem with any, if its not tainted with antisemitism, and far far too much of it is! It’s the visceral hatred of isreal that is a problem. Israel is a country, we may hate or dislike or agree with the government, but all this apartheid , settler colonial bs is is just that…… bs. Otherwise let’s look at Bangladesh, Pakistan, whole of south America, USA, Canada, Australia, NZ, half of the post war drawn boundaries in the continent of Africa…… are they all apartheid colonial-settler States? Did the indigenous people of Brazil speak Portuguese? I thought not … is it a colonial-settler apartheid state? How about Chile, did the Incas speak Spanish? Numerous countries have formed and reformed throughout all ages, isreal is no different it just happens to be a democracy surrounded by hostile theocratic dictatorships..
I am so pleased you let us see this video. Most informative. I hope it will be successful in Court as it is so necessary to clarify the freedom of speech for all of us.