Labour’s treatment of left wing Jews – an update

JVL Introduction

Yet again the Labour Party has responded derisively to evidence from Jewish members that they have been treated unlawfully in ways that actually undermine the Party’s supposed commitment to the elimination of real antisemitism. JVL’s lawyers have written to the party, sending a copy to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), explaining in no uncertain terms “that they (Labour) have ignored, misinterpreted or misunderstood our evidence of unlawful discrimination and harassment.”

Here we publish the latest Crowd Justice update about the cases we have taken up.

We will continue to challenge the Labour Party on their mistreatment of our members. An update on Stephen Marks’ case will follow later this month.

If you have not seen it already, we recommend viewing Stephen’s interview, alongside JVL co-chair Jenny Manson, with Mark Seddon on Palestine Deep Dive.

Another significant development is the victory in David Miller’s employment law case showing anti-Zionism to be a protected belief under the Equalities Act 2010.

NWI

 

This article was originally published by Crowdjustice on Thu 8 Feb 2024. Read the original here.

Response to Labour Party on Jewish cases

Our lawyers have written again to the Labour Party to follow up on our preliminary concerns about various breaches of the Equality Act 2010 which we raised back in August 2023 and for which we only heard back from the Party in December 2023! We have sent a copy of this redacted letter to the EHRC pointing out the lack of transparency within the Labour Party’s processes.

Our lawyers have informed the Party that they have ignored, misinterpreted or misunderstood our evidence of unlawful discrimination and harassment.

We point out that they have failed to:

  • consider the lengthy delays Jewish members have experienced in response to their appeals;
  • take into account that 28 out of the 29 complaints of antisemitic abuse made by Jewish members were not investigated;
  • provide any explanation to mitigate the punitive conduct towards Stephen Marks, Pam Blakelock and the late Michael Howard. Nor have they engaged with concerns raised regarding misquoting Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi or the lack of action taken to Diana Neslen’s complaints of receiving antisemitic abuse and the lack of any response to Diana’s complaint of bullying and harassment by the Party;
  • inform Andrew Feinstein for more than 2 years that they were not pursuing his investigation, for which the delay amounts to punishment akin to disciplinary action;
  • explain how Richard Kuper was disciplined for a statement suggesting that antisemitism in the Party was exaggerated thereby “doubting the findings of the EHRC” when his statement was made 2 years before the EHRC investigation even started.

Our letter also points out that our submitted statistical data regarding increased likelihood of Jewish members being investigated and excluded for antisemitism was on the conservative side rather than being self-selective as the Party states. Our explanation of these statistics reveals that, from all the information available, Jews are being discriminated against (hugely) in all aspects of Labour’s disciplinary action.

We have requested clarification of who any third party complaints relate to and have pointed out that they need to explain their decisions not to investigate our members’ complaints.

Our letter reminds the Party that our overriding aim is to have them change the practices leading to unlawful treatment of Jewish members, since these practices undermine the Party’s proper commitment to the elimination of antisemitism.

We will continue to challenge the Labour Party on their mistreatment of our members. An update on Stephen Marks’ case will follow later this month.

Here is a link to the very significant victory for the protected belief argument in David Miller’s employment law case.

Legal advice is expensive and we know that there are many financial pressures, but please donate if you are able to and please share widely.

Comments (4)

  • Jill Azzouzi says:

    You should really know by now that the problem isnt really antisemitism although it manifests itself in that manner. The problem is islamophobia. And this zionist labour cannot possibly have left wings jews supporting us muslims and undermining their zionism.

    5
    3
  • Lucy Toynbee says:

    I wonder if this case from The Green Party reported by the BBC is relevant?

    ‘The Green Party discriminated against former deputy leader Dr Shahrar Ali during a row over his gender critical beliefs, a court has ruled.’

    A different issue of course, but the same principal?

    0
    0
  • Alfred says:

    It ain’t complicated – Zionism uses Judaism as a human shield.

    P.S.
    More state-affiliated media propaganda from the usual suspects about to drop:

    [9th Feb. 2024]
    ‘Planned BBC smear on UK Palestinians will rely on Israeli spy source’ – Citing Israeli “terror” allegations, the BBC plans to broadcast an attack on prominent British Palestinians in a television program presented by pro-Israel reporter John Ware.
    The Electronic Intifada has learned that the episode of Panorama is likely to be based partly on “confidential evidence” which has almost certainly been provided by Israeli spies…’

    https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/asa-winstanley/planned-bbc-smear-uk-palestinians-will-rely-israeli-spy-source

    3
    2
  • Margaret West says:

    It appears to me that there is more truth in Israeli newspapers than there is
    in the UK media.

    See for example the allegation in the “Times of Israel” on 8th October 2023:
    “For years, Netanyahu propped up Hamas. Now it’s blown up in our faces”
    – his motive being to undermine the Palestinian Authority
    with a brief history of the relationship in “Haaretz” on 20th October 2023.

    (A further account can be seen in “The Washington Post” from 20th November 2023.)

    [All of the above can be found by googling.]

    3
    0

Comments are now closed.