EXCLUSIVE - The letter that Corbyn intended to send to Jonathan Arkush at the Board of Deputies

The only way to stop the ‘anti-Semitism’ attacks is to stand up to them and not to throw your friends to the wolves

In the Jewish News last Monday Jonathan Arkush of the Board of Deputies of British Jews called for the removal of the whip from Chris Williamson MP.  Williamson’s crime was saying that it was a pleasure to share a stage with Jackie Walker and for calling for the reinstatement of Ken Livingstone.  Tonight we learn that Christine Shawcroft has been forced to quit as Chair of the Disputes Committee for supporting a suspended member, Alan Bull.

Jeremy Corbyn is in full retreat throwing his political friends to the wolves.  Instead of standing up against this McCarthyist witch-hunt by Israel’s supporters he is like a ship without sails at the mercy of a storm.  We have to be clear.  Appeasement doesn’t work it only encourages them. 

Christine Shawcroft is the latest victim of the anti-semitism purge

We now have demands that those who criticised the far-Right ‘Jewish’ demonstration outside Parliament should also be disciplined.  This is a demonstration that included the anti-Catholic DUP and Norman Tebbit.  The little darlings have apparently been subject to abuse.  This is a complete lie.  I was there and I was called a ‘traitor’ repeatedly.  I saw people shouted down and Zionists openly parading their racist contempt for the Palestinians.  Ben Southern-Thomas, a young JVL member “came away crying” after anti-Semitic abuse from Zionist demonstrators who told him he was “not a real Jew” and was just “pretending to be a Jew.”

Last night I had a dream that I had been given the task of drafting a letter from Jeremy in response to Jonathan Arkush of the Board of Deputies letter.

There are some forms of anti-semitism which are perfectly acceptable to Tory Arkush

Dear Jonathan,

Thank you for your letter of 26^th March. You wrote about an ‘institutional failure to properly address Jewish concerns’ giving the Chakrabarti Report as ‘the most glaring example.’  I could not agree more.

I have long wanted to implement Chakrabarti’s proposals regarding natural justice and due process. Unfortunately we have only just removed the last remaining obstacle to their implementation, namely Iain McNicol. Try as I might McNicol insisted on retaining the principle of Israeli military courts, namely that you were guilty unless proven otherwise.  Indeed Labour’s National Constitutional Committee has I understand much the same conviction rate as Israel’s military courts – 99.74%.

Even now we are still experiencing problems with Sam Matthews who is refusing to depart.

You speak of my failure to ‘tackle anti-Semitism’ and that I issue ‘empty statements’ whilst doing ‘nothing to address or understand it.’.  Let me assure you that I take all racism extremely seriously. That is a consequence of what you call my ‘far left worldview’.

That was why I refused to welcome the election of Donald Trump who, in the words of the Washington Post, had presided over a campaign in which anti-Semitism was not merely an undertone but the melody.  As Dana Milbank observed ‘Donald Trump and his surrogates have been playing footsie with American neo-Nazis for months.’  The final ad of Trump’s campaign featured three Jewish bankers – George Soros, Janet Yellen and Lloyd Blankfein alleging that they were part of a ‘global power structure’.

That is why I was so surprised to hear that you had extended such an effusive welcome to Trump. The Jewish Chronicle reported that ‘British Jews have responded angrily’ to your statement. I would be interested to know why you welcomed to power alt-Right politicians, such as Steve Bannon and Sebastian Gorka, who are steeped in anti-Semitism.  Ha’aretz noted that Gorka, despite his links to a Hungarian neo-Nazi group was welcomed by the Jerusalem Post conference last year like a superstar.

What I don’t understand, and perhaps you would help me, is that we all agree that it is anti-Semitic to blame Jews for what Israel does, yet you say that criticism of Zionism, the ideology of Israel, is anti-Semitic.  Both can’t be true.  If you say that criticising Zionism and Israel is anti-Semitic you must also be saying that Jews and Israel/Zionism are synonymous.  Which is it?  You can’t have your matzot and eat them!  You write:

When Jews complain about an obviously anti-Semitic mural in Tower Hamlets, Corbyn of course supports the artist. Hizbollah commits terrorist atrocities against Jews, but Corbyn calls them his friends and attends pro-Hizbollah rallies in London. Exactly the same goes for Hamas. Raed Salah says Jews kill Christian children to drink their blood. Corbyn opposes his extradition and invites him for tea at the House of Commons. These are not the only cases.

The problem with all your letter, in which you say that I have ‘sided with anti-Semites rather than Jews’ is that you give a host of examples – none of which are true.

For example you say that Hizbollah commits terrorist atrocities against Jews. Hizbollah has got nothing to do with British Jews. Hizbollah didn’t even exist until Israel attacked Lebanon in 1982.  Its real crime is defending Lebanon against Israeli invasions and forcing Israel out. 

You demonise Hamas but it was Israel that created Hamas as a counter-weight to secular Palestinian nationalism. See The Washington Post Wall Street Journal and The Intercept. 

You mention that I took tea with Raed Salah, who you allege ‘says Jews kill Christian children to drink their blood.’  This too is untrue.  Raed in fact said ‘“Whoever wants a more thorough explanation, let him ask what used to happen to some children in Europe, whose blood was mixed in with the dough of the holy bread.” There was no reference here to Jews. Raed insists he was referring to the practices of the Inquisition not Jews! That was why he was acquitted by the Jerusalem Magistrates Court and it was only on appeal that he was convicted by the higher colonial District Court. Raed Salah was locked up by Theresa May on the basis of a poem that was changed by the Jerusalem Post so as to make him appear anti-Semitic. Mr Justice Ockleton of the Upper Tribunal freed him.  You are even more confused when you say I opposed his extradition.  There was no extradition! 

You say that ‘Again and again, Jeremy Corbyn has sided with anti-Semites rather than Jews. At best, this derives from the far left's obsessive hatred of Zionism, Zionists and Israel.’  Why when you deny that this is about Israel do you deliberately conflate anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism? 

This poster showing George Soros, saying "Let's not allow Soros to have the last laugh!" was part of Netanyahu's friend Viktor Orban''s campaign. Someone has written "dirty Jew" on his forehead

You say that ‘Rightly or wrongly, Jeremy Corbyn is now the figurehead for an anti-Semitic political culture’.  This is mere hyperbole. I have always opposed racism. My reasons for supporting the Palestinians and opposing Zionism are the same as my reasons for opposing Apartheid in South Africa.  As you will of course know, Israel and South Africa were the best of friends. That is why people like Archbishop Desmond Tutu say that Israeli apartheid is worse than that in South Africa.

Let me assure you that it is because I am opposed to anti-Semitism that I was appalled when Netanyahu paid a friendly visit to Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban last July just after he had initiated an anti-Semitic campaign against George Soros, the American Jewish philanthropist and a childhood survivor of the Hungarian Holocaust. Netanyahu supported Orban because he too hated Soros on account of his financing Israeli human rights organisations. According to the Jerusalem Post Netanyahu is now blaming Soros for helping the 40,000 Black African refugees he is trying to deport.  Maybe that too is anti-Semitic?

Orban is currently engaged in trying to rehabilitate the pro-Nazi leader of war-time Hungary Admiral Horthy who presided over the deportation of nearly ½ million Jews to Auschwitz yet Israel has nothing to say on this. 

Yair's cartoon showing Soros as the financial manipulator, complete with Lizard and a stereotypical anti-semitic cartoon of a Jew

The neo-Nazi Daily Stormer welcomes Yair Netanyahu's antisemitic cartoon

What I find strange is that Israel has such friendly relations with all the anti-Semitic regimes in Eastern Europe – from the Czech Republic to Poland. Indeed it is hard to think of a single neo-Nazi or far-Right movement in Europe that isn’t pro-Israel! Netanyahu’s own son Yair produced a genuinely anti-Semitic cartoon attacking George Soros, complete with a Lizard and a stereotypical image of a Jewish financier. Young Yair even received praise from David Duke, ex-KKK Grand wizard and Andrew Anglin, the neo-Nazi editor of the Daily Stormer.

What I find particularly difficult to understand and perhaps you could help me, is that when the fascists tried to march through the Jewish East End of London in the 1930’s, the Board of Deputies told Jews to ignore them, stay indoors and leave it to the Police.  The same happened with the National Front in the 1970’s.  Why is it that the Board is prepared to stage demonstrations over non-existent anti-Semitism but runs away from the real thing?

Just one last favour Jonathan. You rightly ask me to remove anyone who is anti-Semitic from the Labour Party. Can I ask that you return the favour?  Jonathan Hoffman is a delegate to the Board.  He has been filmed demonstrating alongside Paul Besser, former Intelligence Officer of Britain First as well as with the EDL.  I am sure you will agree with me that the best place to start fighting anti-Semitism is at home.

Kind Regards

 

Jeremy