Labour anti-Semitism Row: The Plot to Stifle Israeli Criticism

Executive Summary:

The Labour Party has been plagued with anti-Semitic smears for a significant period now.  The latest round of slandering was reignited by Labour MP Margaret Hodge, in which she labelled Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn a racist and an anti-Semite. The accusation followed Labour’s decision to agree to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism, but not adopt some of its guidelines, as they are an infringement of freedom of speech. Thus, the constant accusations directed at the Labour Party and its leader, who has historically stood in solidarity with Palestine, appear part of a wider strategy aimed at stifling any condemnation levelled at Israel.

Analysis:

The Labour Party is currently under pressure to adopt the full guidelines accompanying a definition of antisemitism from the IHRA. Labour has already accepted the full definition, which stipulates, “Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”

However, the guidelines that define anti-Semtism are what Labour consider problematic. Labour have opted not to endorse four of the examples: accusing Jewish people of being more loyal to Israel than the country they live in, suggesting Israel’s existence is racist, holding Israel to a higher standard than other countries, and comparing Israeli polices to those of the Nazis.

Labour assert that the above examples bring with them complexities in interpretation and pose a barrier to basic human rights, such as the freedom of expression. Hence, Labour address these separately under other guidelines, along with other tricky issues, which would help when applying the IHRA definition, for example within party disciplinary tribunals, and in the process still protect free speech.

Indeed, the IHRA definition has been criticised for being unclear and lacking comprehensiveness in the past and so Labour sought to amend that.

However, the move has been widely condemned. More than 60 British Rabbis wrote a collective letter that pinpointed Labour’s decision to omit certain guidelines from the definition, as the party acting in an ‘insulting and arrogant way’. They then asserted that the Labour party has chosen to ignore the Jewish community (Elgot, 2018).

Additionally, Britain’s leading Jewish newspapers on Wednesday 25^th of July all published the same headline, with the statement ‘United we stand’, in reference to their opposition to Corbyn (Craig, 2018), as the papers got in on the vilifying act by proclaiming that Corbyn poses a threat to Jewish life.

Hence, observers suggest the smears that are part of a wider strategy to conflate any criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism, with the end goal of preventing the former (Vilkomerson & Kuper, 2018).

In fact, the guidelines that Labour have opted not to adopt from the definition of anti-Semitism, are a pertinent example of the wider strategy. Firstly, they suggest that “claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour” could itself be racist. Secondly, they claim that “applying double standards by requiring of Israel a behaviour not expected of any other democratic nation” is potentially anti-Semitic (Vilkomerson & Kuper, 2018).

Israel recently passed a Nation State bill which defines Israel as an exclusively Jewish State, stating that “the historic homeland of the Jewish people and they have an exclusive right to national self-determination in it” (Rossi, 2018). The bill also sates Hebrew is the official language of the state, which essentially eradicates the involvement of the Arabic language from Jewish society.

Such a move essentially consolidates the notion that Arabs have always been considered inferior citizens in Israel, as it has now has been incorporated in law. Several Jewish Israeli’s have labelled the move an example of ethnic nationalism, and analysts have cited the move as an unapologetic move towards the establishment of an apartheid state (Rossi, 2018).

Yet, under the internationally accepted definition of anti-Semitism, aiming criticism at Israel for such hostile and discriminatory acts would be considered illegitimate.

Therefore, perversely labelling critics of Israel’s explicit racism essentially undermines the Palestinian struggle for freedom and justice, limits and silences those who oppose the stringent occupation they are on the receiving end of, as several prominent Jewish academics and organisations have accentuated (Vilkomerson, 2018).

Exceedingly, Corbyn recently made known his intentions that should his Labour Party be in government, they would swiftly ‘recognise Palestine as a state’ and work towards a ‘genuine two-state solution’ (Baynes, 2018). Unsurprisingly, what followed was the usual besmirching of the Labour leader. This is nothing new for the vocal critic of Israel, as it has been revealed there has been a ploy to smear Corbyn from the outset of his leadership because of his stance on Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians (MacAskill & Cobain, 2017).

Nonetheless, Corbyn is not the sole victim of this roguish scheme. Former Labour leader Ed Miliband was also on the receiving end of relentless denunciation. Specifically when he denounced Israel’s actions in the 2014 Gaza war, in which more than 2000 Gazans were killed, and suggested that then Prime Minister David Cameron’s ‘silence on the killing of hundreds of innocent Palestinian civilians’ was ‘inexplicable’. He also backed a motion in favour of the recognition of a Palestinian state.  These standpoints led to him being characterized as lacking empathy and holding anti-Israel sentiments (Philpot, 2017).

Indeed, the trend continues. Corbyn’s most senior aide Seamus Milne, the leader’s director of strategy and communications has recently come under fire for his past comments regarding Israel, when he was a columnist. Numerous Labour MP’s, affiliated with the Jewish lobby groups working with the Labour Party urged Milne to withdraw his statements from 2009 because they were deemed to be anti-Semitic. One of the statements that has come under significant scrutiny is where he stipulated ‘There’s a perfectly reasonable argument to be had about the nature of Israel’s racism and whether it should be compared to apartheid, for example’ (Fisher, 2018).  He joins the list of those who are deemed anti-Semitic if they do not heap praise on Israel, in a clear example of the conflation of Israeli criticism and anti-Semitic sentiments in order to forestall freedom of speech concerning Israel.

Notwithstanding, this strategy extends to more than just the Labour Party and politicians. For example, by virtue of anti-Semitic accusations, supporters of Israel are chastising Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS), the movement that holds Israel to account for its violation of international and human right law, and calling for the movement to be banned.

Likewise, campus activism at universities is being shut down under the same premise. Israeli advocacy groups have called on the government to ban certain annual events that raise awareness of Palestinians rights, such as ‘Israeli Apartheid Week’, under the assertion that it qualifies as anti-Semitism. Indeed, this was discernible when the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) cancelled an event planned as part of it because it “contravenes” a controversial definition of anti-Semitism.

Conclusion:

Anti-Semitism accusations have encircled the Labour Party since the outset of Corbyn’s leadership, and it is no coincidence that he has historically championed for the right and freedom of Palestinians. Labour want to uphold free speech, including criticism of Israel’s discriminatory policies where possible , but the intensifying smears of anti-Semitism, which appear an attempt to redefine anti-Semitism to include any negative discourse directed at Israel make that an impossible task. Whilst Israel maintain the punishing occupation of the Palestinians, enshrine the inequality and inferiority in law and deny them UN-stipulated rights, Israeli supporters move to silence and limit any criticism, under the semantic umbrella of anti-Semitism.

 

 

 

 

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