By Refusing to Support Chris Williamson and Oppose his Expulsion You are Complicit in the Campaign to Remove Corbyn
Dear Lloyd,
I
am writing to you as co-Chair of the Campaign Group of Labour MPs as well as my
own MP.
One
of your constituents, David Rodgers was informed by Labour’s Disputes Committee
in February that he ‘may have been
involved in a breach of Labour Party rules.’
The
‘evidence’ consisted of a Facebook post stating that the BBC was conforming to a
Zionist agenda whilst hundreds of unarmed demonstrators were being massacred in
Gaza. David also mentioned that the lies of the British press concerning
‘anti-Semitism’ were orchestrated by Tel Aviv’s Ministry of Information.
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| Apparently this is anti-Semitic |
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| As can be seen, the fake anti-Semitism witchhunt is concerned with criticism of Israel not Jews |
To
most people this would be classed as fair comment, even a statement of the
obvious, but in the present atmosphere of intimidation, informing and denunciation
he was effectively being accused of anti-Semitism.
David
made no mention of Jews. His comments related solely to Israel and Zionism. Yet
when any mention is made of Zionism, the ideology that justifies demolishing Palestinian
homes to make way for Jewish settlers, Labour’s disciplinary blood hounds smell
anti-Semitism, a reaction which is itself anti-Semitic. . What is happening in
Labour today is a parody of Arthur Miller’s Crucible
yet people like you are afraid to speak out.
I
know that you have been a vociferous supporter of the Palestinians and that is
appreciated but what you don’t seem to comprehend is that Israel’s behaviour is
not some aberration. Israel was founded by the Zionist movement as a Jewish
supremacist state in just the same way that Northern Ireland was created as a
Protestant supremacist state.
On
25th March David received a letter from the Compliance Unit giving
him a formal warning, without any hearing, because he had posted content which
was ‘prejudicial and grossly detrimental’
and incompatible with the Code of Conduct on Anti-Semitism. In the day of
Joe McCarthy he might have been accused of being UnAmerican.
This
‘finding’ is Kafkaesque. The BBC is clearly following a Zionist agenda. The
recent Panorama programme Is Labour
Anti-Semitic fronted by the Islamaphobe John Ware is proof of that. The
BBC’s pro-Israel bias can no more be doubted than its anti-working class bias. The
reference to Israel’s Ministry of Information is factual.
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| Jon Lansman has betrayed a whole series of socialists in his determination to support Apartheid Israel |
Because
of the adoption of the IHRA
misdefinition of anti-Semitism, criticism of the Israeli state is now equated to
criticism of Jews. The fact that this contradicts one of the IHRA’s
illustrations of anti-Semitism, ‘Holding
Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel’ seems to
have eluded the heirs of Uncle Joe.
The reason that I am writing to you is that your assistant,
Nathan Philips wrote to David stating that ‘this is a party matter, and as an MP's office we do
not get involved in individual cases relating to party disciplinary issues.’
Nathan is wrong. This is not a disciplinary but a
political issue. It is about the weaponisation of anti-Semitism to deflect
criticism of the Israeli state and also undermine and destabilise Corbyn’s leadership.
The Right have chosen their attack carefully.
‘Anti-Semitism’ is a more palatable and plausible than opposition to
nationalisation or austerity. Even Donald Trump has gotten in the act. When telling
Black Congresswomen to ‘go back home’ he
also attacked
them for ‘anti-Semitism’. ‘Anti-Semitism’ is the Right’s signature tune. Those
who’ve never taken the slightest interest in opposing racism, from the Daily
Mail to Tom Watson, have suddenly become concerned about ‘anti-Semitism’?
Given that you are also co-Chair of the Campaign
Group your response is disappointing. What’s happening to David is happening to
hundreds of people in the Labour Party.
In 1992 I was one of about 30 people suspended or
expelled from the Labour Party. Indeed
the whole Brighton and Hove party was suspended not because of ‘anti-Semitism’
but because we opposed the Council’s attempt to implement the poll tax.
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| Under Tony Benn the Campaign Group did more than hold 1 meeting a year |
At
that time the Campaign Group, led by Tony Benn and Jeremy Corbyn, gave us their
support. Corbyn was Secretary of Labour Against the Witchhunt. The NEC Report
into Brighton Labour Party was leaked to us by Dennis Skinner. In short the
Campaign Group used to do some campaigning.
Today it is difficult to know
what if anything the Campaign Group does.
Solidarity
with one’s comrades is the bread and butter of socialism. It was the basis on
which the labour movement was founded. An injury to one is an injury to all.
We
have seen a steady stream of people who have been demonised as a result of the fake
‘anti-Semitism’ campaign: Ken Livingstone, Pete Willsman, Christine Shawcroft,
Marc Wadsworth. Even Jewish opponents of
Zionism such as Jackie Walker, Glynn Secker and myself have not been immunse.
Chris
Williamson is merely the latest victim. Despite the best efforts of Peter Kyle he
will be speaking in Brighton next week. Chris has been suspended at the
instigation of Tom Watson and Margaret Hodge. His real crime is support for
democracy in the Labour Party and opposition to the Witch-hunt. What Chris
actually said,
when was that the Labour Party had ‘backed off far too much’ in the face of the false
allegations of anti-Semitism. He also stated that Labour had done more to
combat ‘the scourge of anti-semitism than any other political party.’ Yet
this has been twisted to fit a right-wing Zionist agenda.
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| Laura Pidcock is co-Chair of the Campaign Group - she has given no support to Chris Williamson |
The Campaign
Group is complicit in this. During this whole period the Campaign
Group of MPs, which you and Laura Pidcock chair has remained completely
silent.
According
to Labour List’s survey
61% of Labour members want Chris Williamson reinstated. So why the hell have
you and the rest of the Campaign Group of MPs said nothing? Do you really think
that Tom Watson, the man who lost
sleep when the High Court removed racist
Labour MP Phil Woolas from Parliament for running a campaign designed to ‘make the white folk angry’ is really
concerned about anti-Semitism?
Has
it never occurred to you that the real target of this fake anti-Semitism
campaign is not Chris Williamson but Jeremy Corbyn? If the Campaign Group of
MPs continues its silence then what purpose does the group serve?
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| How the 18th century Tom Watson's fought racism |
Like
the Salem witchhunt of the 18th century, denial of being a witch or
anti-Semite is taken as proof of one’s guilt. Of course there may be a tiny
handful of anti-Semites in the Labour Party, just as there may be a few
paedophiles. However does anyone
seriously suggest Labour has a paedophile problem?
I
can only imagine what Tony Benn would have said about this timidity. The time
has come when you and others in the Campaign Group should throw off your fear
and speak out.
In
solidarity
Tony
Greenstein
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