In Loving Memory Of Our Jewish Anti-Zionist Comrade & Sister, Naomi Junnor, Who Was Cruelly Taken From Us – An Appreciation

Naomi was a working class fighter, a socialist who dedicated her life to supporting the Palestinians and opposing Zionism

Naomi Junnor speech at Scottish PSC demonstration

Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign pay tribute to their deceased comrade here and there are dozens of people who are also paying their own tribute.

I first met Naomi in January 2024 when I toured Scotland at the invitation of Scottish PSC. I stayed with Naomi in Glasgow on both the outward and return leg of my tour.

Naomi welcomed me into her home and made me feel part of her family as we talked, relaxed and ate.

I remember staying in her attic, which could only be reached by climbing up a ladder. I felt at the time as if I was taking my life in my hands climbing it. But apart from that the warmth of the welcome which I received more than outweighed the risk I was taking!

Naomi was a larger than life person despite her diminutive size with a booming voice. As the tributes to her from her many friends and admirers make clear she had a heart of gold.

She was in Jewish Network for Palestine and was our Scottish representative. We kept in touch and every month she would contact me for a donation for the Younis family in Gaza who depended on the money she raised. I hope that efforts can be made to ensure that they are not left to suffer as a result of Naomi’s passing.

Farida and Naomi Go to Edinburgh

Naomi was also an active  trade unionist and was a delegate from her branch to the last UNISON conference. Quite disgracefully she was removed from the National Conference in Brighton because she wore a red triangle in her hat.

Some Zionists complained that the red triangle meant she was a supporter of the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, and of course UNISON’s officialdom took the word of the genocide supporters in the union at their word. They also began disciplinary proceedings against Naomi.

She signed off that ‘They are beyond unprofessional’ which just about sums up UNISON’s full-timers who a few years ago also suspended me for 3 years for having criticised a scab official, Steve Terry.

My last conversation with Naomi was on Thursday 3 September, just two days before she passed away. She told me she had had a vivid dream about me decorating her home. I was sure that she had mistaken me for someone else as decorating is the last thing I would attempt!

Naomi's last message to me on 3rd September - she'd had a vivid dream about me - imagining I was going to decorate her home!

Naomi was widely respected and admired within the Palestine solidarity movement and below I post a number of tributes by those she worked with.

We have lost a fierce, determined, sometimes angry friend. Humanity has lost a bright burning light,  a sharp intellect, hopeful, keeping despair beyond reach, by action. Passionate about the futures possible, for peace, for our planet, for palestine and its people.

We wont see her fiery filskit eyes, not her mischievous grin, or hear her earthy laugh again , but the memory of her will live on.  Naomi would share her resilience in the face of the abominable crimes committed.

My memories of many marches, sharing simple pleasures, appreciating a shwarma, the restorative boost of a walk with her dog, enjoying the clouds, the wind or the sea.

Howard Zinn  describes the kind of hope i saw in Naomi in the face of the horrors of this barbaric genocide.

"To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage and kindness.  What we choose to emphasise in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places, and there are so many, where people have behaved magnificently this gives us the energy to act and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction. And, if we do act, in however small a way, we dont have to wait for some utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and, to live now, as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is in itself, a marvellous victory. "

Naomi gave so much of herself, she was magnificent and the world is a much much poorer place without her.

Thank you

Ann Davis

 

Tony

just seen your message in the chat. I still cant take it in, as I was speaking to her last Saturday.

By way of background I believe I have known Naomi for about 30 years after local government reorganisation and started working for Glasgow City Council, and became active in UNISON.  

She was a regular correspondent when I had the privilege of being her MP from 2015 to 2024, regularly on Palestine, and attended fundraisers when I could. 

My former Constituency Office staff remember her fondly, and were very sad at her passing.

When thinking of her, the following words ring out. Formidable, Campaigner, Activist, Kindness.

I look forward to reading your blog.  

best wishes

Chris Stephens

I met Naomi  at Jordanhill College in 1985 when we were both students on the Youth and Community(Adult Education) course.  Naomi was very much her own person then and that never changed. She was fearless and informed. Naomi was someone who wanted a fairer world and worked selflessly to raise awareness

of the genocide and apartheid being carried out in Gaza and to establish practical support    for anyone caught up in this.

Naomi was my friend. I will miss her. A brave individual whose moral compass should be an inspiration to us all.

James Allan

 

A Message from Caroline Wardle

Facebook page

Always so supportive of SACC and a great speaker for Palestine! Sincere condolences to all her family and friends

Julia Davidson

Ursula Mindermann

As a member of the board of trustees of the scottish network of Photographers for Palestine I am very sad about the loss of the member of the NPP. Naomi and me were working together about years and I will miss her strong voice, her power and herself in the board of trustees. Dear Naomi- may you rest in peace

The scottish Palestine solidarity wrote:

We have truly lost a strong voice & one of the heartbeats of the movement against the Genocide. Naomi Junnor was not only a passionate voice but a woman with love & compassion for all & who gave of herself at every moment. Her laughter, humour, passion for justice & true kindness will be dearly missed.

My condolences to your family.

Rest in Power & Peace always my friend.

Knowing Naomi I can only but smile knowing she’ll continue giving the Zio’s hell, so their peace will never continue. Love you Naomi. “

Omaya Najami

You will be truly missed 

Mowafaq Khaleel

All respect ursella and naomi

Levette Callander

So very sad to hear of the passing of Naomi Junnor. Naomi’s passion for justice for the Palestinians was inspirational. We’ve lost a friend indeed. 

Collings Simon Nikola 

by author

Great lady she angel up there with hashem.god bless you sister

 

Younis Al Jakhbeer

Naomi . A woman with a beautiful, big heart—the Scottish woman who stood by, helped, and championed the Palestinian cause for decades. A woman who dedicated her life to upholding justice and did everything necessary to support the cause of Palestine and its women and children. Rest in peace, beautiful soul. 

Amira Sayyad

Very sad news and a shock. I was chatting to her on Monday. Rest in Peace Naomi. 

Levette Callander

Heartbroken. We sat with her last Monday at the screening of Living Proof.”

She was a force of nature with a heart of gold.

Palestine has lost a champion.

Helen Skulina  ·

We will all miss you Dear Naomi .

Rest in Peace

·  Reply

Dvorah Kost  ·

Oh Younis, i’m so sorry for the passing of your dear friend Naomi. You’ve spoken of her many times to me. May her memory be a blessing. Sending you love and a big hug and tears.

Lizzie Éldridge

We love you Naomi Junnor

And we will miss you with all of our hearts  

Derdriu Ni Cathmhaoil

Gutted hearing this news. We will definitely miss Naomi. She was an amazing woman. Was proud to call her my friend. Rest in power x 

Ophira Gamliel

Oh, no... devastated to hear this... 

Billy Knox

R.I.P. Naomi I was only speaking to her on Thursday 

Niki Bryce

You will be sadly missed Naomi. Loved your sense of humour. X

 

I met Naomi through Avigail’s Palestine Book Club. We exchanged phone numbers when I heard her Glaswegian accent, and we visited each other a couple of times. 

We met countless times at demos, and exchanged countless messages on WhatsApp.  She came to my birthday lunch last Easter at the restaurant at Mugdock garden centre and got on well with my family. She had such lovely plans to change her house to accommodate asylum seekers and refugees and those needing refuge. I spoke to Naomi on the phone a few days before she died. I can only imagine what her family is feeling. 

All we can do is continue her work, in her memory, and know that she did not suffer because it looks like she died quickly. But her family and her friends are the ones suffering, as well as the Palestinian families she was supporting. They will be devastated. 

Love and blessings to all who are suffering because of her loss.

Margaret Forbes

Left Sectarianism Splits the Vote in UNISON and Allows Starmer Candidate Christine McAnea To Win

 The Decision of the Socialist Party to Stand a Candidate, Knowing They Had no Chance of Winning was Sheer Madness

Useless right-winger Christine McAnea is narrowly elected thanks to the self-destructive sectarianism of the left

UNISON has been controlled by the right-wing ever since it was founded.  First Rodney Bickerstaffe and then the insipid Blairite clone Dave Prentis were General Secretary.  Under Prentis UNISON became a byword for political corruption when he was found to have cheated, enlisting paid union officials in London as part of his campaign.

A genuine working class activist who would have turned UNISON into the fighting union it should be

Christine McAnea, a former assistant general secretary, was narrowly backed by the National Executive polling 63,900 votes, 47.7 per cent of the vote. Paul Holmes, a genuine working class candidate who promised to do the job on a workers’ wage, received the nomination of both the South East and North West regions. Paul received 45,220 votes.

This useless lump of lard is the Regional official who investigated me - the only time I ever saw him before that was when Prentis sent him to our union meeting to argue in favour of calling off strike action

Roger McKenzie, the soft left candidate who was supported by Jeremy Corbyn, came third with 14,450 votes and Hugo Pierre of the Socialist Party was last with 10,382 votes.

It is clear that a single left candidate could have won. A combined left campaign could have made the difference. If Hugo Pierre had pulled out pressure could have been put on McKenzie to do the same. It was sheer sectarian madness, a classic case of building the party at the expense of the class, which led to Pierre to stubbornly refusing to quit despite having no chance whatsoever.

For 10 years, throughout the years of austerity of Cameron, May and Johnson, Prentis did all he could to damp down action against the Tories/Lib Dems savage cuts in local government. Workers in Southampton Council having been betrayed simply switched to Unite.

I was suspended for 3 years from UNISON for publicly criticising Steve Terry, a London regional official who scabbed on Stan Keable who was sacked when on a demonstration he argued, quite correctly, that the Zionists collaborated with the Nazis during the war. A clear case of free speech but Terry, being a right-wing  Progress councillor on Walthamstow Council, refused to give Stan any support and even acted to prevent me representing him at an appeal hearing at Fulham and Hammersmith Council.

Despite failing to give Stan any support he easily won his Employment Tribunal case, the appeal for which is currently being heard before the Employment Appeal Tribunal.

Dave Prentis - in a competition with Keir Starmer, its difficult to know who is the more charismatic - his only talent was for running the union like a mafia boss

UNISON is a rich union with at least £100 million in reserve. It is in an excellent position to mount a fightback against the cuts in local government yet its only achievements have been to feather the nest of its unelected, unaccountable officials. When disciplinary action was first taken against me who did I deal with but a Beth Bickerstaffe, the Executive Secretary. 

It was I thought a strange coincidence that she shared the same unusual surname with the first General Secretary, Rodney Bickerstaffe.  But having inquired of her, without success, whether she was any relation, I later learnt that she was his daughter-in-law! 

I am sure that her interview was one of those equal opportunities interviews, except that she seems to have been more equal than the rest!

Either way the General Secretary election was a golden opportunity to sweep the right-wing out of the union and transform UNISON into a fighting union. Careerism and left sectarianism have ensured that the right-wing narrowly retains their hold.

There will be fresh elections in 5 years time.  I just hope that the Socialist Party has learnt its lesson and doesn’t split the vote again for narrow sectarian party building purposes. The purpose of left groups it to increase the fighting capacity of the working class not to let the right-wing of the trade union movement retain their grip.

Tony Greenstein

See

Holmes streets ahead to win endorsement of another Unison region – this time union’s biggest – in general secretary contest

Christina McAnea elected as Unison's first female leader

VICTORY - Employment Tribunal finds Stan Keable was Unfairly Dismissed Despite Being Abandoned by UNISON

UNISON HAS QUESTIONS TO ANSWER – why did unelected officials refuse to defend the right of workers to freedom of speech?

Cast your mind back to March 26^th 2018. The Board of Deputies of British Jews held a demonstration against ‘anti-Semitism’ in Parliament Square. Its target was Jeremy Corbyn. We were in the middle of the local election campaign and Luciana Berger, who was a Labour MP before decamping to the Independent Group, had just discovered a 7 year old ‘anti-Semitic’ to beat Jeremy Corbyn over the head with.

The Board of Deputies at the time of Oswald Moseley urged Jew to do nothing about fascism

Never before in its history had the Board of Deputies held an anti-racist demonstration. Not during the 1930’s in the battle against  Oswald Moseley’s British Union of Fascists. Not during the 1970’s in the fight against the National Front or in succeeding decades against the BNP and EDL. But when Israel was on the agenda they moved into action.

Steve Terry - right-wing Progress Labour councillor and UNISON's London Regional Organiser faced a conflict of interest and resolved it in his favour

Indeed on October 2^nd 1936 the Board specifically issued warnings in the Jewish Chronicle telling Jews to stay away from the BUF march in what became known as the Battle of Cable Street.

Letter from Steve Terry advising Stan to apologise and 'plead mitigating circumstances'

 ‘Anti-Semitism’ had only, it would seem reared its head under Jeremy Corbyn, the left-wing leader of the Labour Party. The fact that he is also a supporter of the Palestinians is entirely coincidental!

The Zionists' Racist Demonstration that Momentum Ignored

But on March 26^th 2018, the Board and the Zionists girded their loins and organised a demonstration. Indeed not only the Board but those well known anti-racists Ian Paisley of the DUP, Norman Tebbit, Sajid David and even Chuka Ummuna attended.  It was the strangest ‘anti-racist demonstration ever seen as it seemed to be composed mainly of racists.

The late David Cesarani was a Zionist historian confirming Nazi support for the German Zionists, who represented about 3% of the Jewish community

There was also a counter-demonstration to the Zionists organised by Jewish Voice for Labour and supported by Labour Against the Witchhunt.  At the counter demonstration LAW Secretary Stan Keable got into a discussion with a Zionist demonstrator, during the course of which Stan expressed his view that the Zionists had collaborated before the war with the Nazis.

David Grossman, BBC2 journalist - the ethics of a demented skunk  - note how allegations of collaboration have become 'plotting with Hitler' and how the Holocaust isn't antisemitic

The evidence for this point of view is extensive. However a BBC2 Newsnight ‘journalist’ David Grossman secretly filmed the exchange, posting it on social media.  Immediately came a demand by a junior government minister and Tory MP Greg Hands, for Hammersmith Council to dismiss Stan for having the temerity to express his opinions.

Instead of Council leader Steve Cowan telling Hands to get on his bike, this New Labour apparatchik immediately had Stan suspended.

You might think that this was a slam dunk for Stan’s union, UNISON. Stan approached their London Regional Organiser, Steve Terry, to help him fight the case. Little did Stan know that Terry was a right-wing councillor in Walthamstow and a supporter of Progress. Instead of supporting Stan he told him to plead guilty and plead mitigation!

I spoke, briefly to Terry on the phone and pointed out that the suspension was a breach of Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights (Freedom of Assembly and Freedom of Speech) however he was too arrogant to take advice.

Unfortunately it's not true

I therefore represented Stan at his disciplinary hearing and on May 21^st he was dismissed. An appeal was made and London UNISON successfully prevented me representing Stan thereon although the Secretary of the local branch represented him.  The appeal nonetheless failed.

It is therefore gratifying to learn that nearly a year later, the Central London Employment Tribunal has upheld the claim of Stan Keable for unfair dismissal, both procedural and substantive. The judgement has not yet been put online but it took 2 hours to read out.

Beth Bickerstaff, a senior UNISON official, dismisses out of hand Stan's complaint at the refusal to provide support for Stan's disciplinary hearing - it is a case of one unelected official covering the back of another

UNISON’s failure to defend the right to free speech of its members is shameful and shocking. There is no excuse for the behaviour of Stephen Terry nor that of his superiors such as Beth Bickerstaffe who upheld the decision of Terry not to give Stan any support.

Why has this happened?  Undoubtedly it is a product of UNISON having adopted the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism which effectively outlaws criticism of Zionism. It is a definition which effectively renders UNISON’s policy of BDS and support for the Palestinians as ‘anti-Semitic’. It means that criticism of Zionism, the ideology and movement behind the establishment of the Apartheid State of Israel is also 'antisemitic' based as it is on the assumption that all Jews are therefore Zionists.

Linda Perks, who broke UNISON's election rules, was effectively promoted for what she had done

Prentis went out of his way to support Adam Langleben of the Jewish Labour Movement who like a rat left Labour for the TIGs. He is now marshalling the case against Labour before the EHRC

Dave Prentis after last year’s elections, went out of his way to extend his sympathy to a Jewish Labour Movement Councillor and Officer, Adam Langleben who, as a result of the false anti-Semitism campaign, managed to lose his own seat in Hendon West.  Langleben is a scab who subsequently jumped ship entirely and joined Chuka Ummuna’s Independent Group. Who knows where he will now go given the split in the Funny Tinge!

The only person penalised throughout all of this was me.  On 8^th October, after a farcical and incompetent investigation carried by Regional Officer Tony Jones I was summoned to a disciplinary hearing conducted by 3 Prentis loyalists headed by Mark Fischer.  I was found guilty and sentenced to the heaviest punishment bar expulsion – 3 years suspension with loss of membership rights – for having dared to criticise Terry’s treacherous behaviour. UNISON is run by full-time officials for full-time officials.  Members are not supposed to criticise these unelected, overpaid bureaucrats.

Terry himself though did not make a complaint. It was his superior, Maggi Ferncombe, who had previously been SE Regional Secretary. I have previously crossed swords with her. This meant that at the disciplinary hearing I was faced with the somewhat difficult task of cross examining Ferncombe as to what was Terry’s reactions were to my criticisms. For example did he feel intimidated and afraid as was alleged. In essence I was cross examining on what was hearsay.  A somewhat difficult task.

Mark Fischer, as a Prentis loyalist, refused to listen to any mention of the reasons why I had criticised Terry publicly.  To him they were irrelevant. Nonetheless during the disciplinary hearing it emerged that I hadn’t been given notes of the original investigation and other discrepancies. These were also disregarded.

Because I secretly taped the meeting I was able to show how I had been hampered in my ability to put forward a defence by the way that the complaint had been made.

However the twist is that although I was required to appeal by November 1^st last year, the appeal hearing has still not been heard 7 months later. The original decision has effectively been abandoned. The reason is not hard to work out. How can someone make a complaint on behalf of someone else when that person isn’t willing to complain themselves?  The unfairness is clear even to such a died in the wool bureaucrat as Beth Bickerstaffe (the daughter-in-law of previous UNISON General Secretary Ron Bickerstaffe).

Tony Jones, a South-Eastern regional official who was my investigator - he is also a right-wing Labour councillor!

So the net result is that I am still a member of UNISON with full membership rights! However the original injustice has not been remedied.  Stan was betrayed by UNISON’s full time officials.  They failed to do their job which is to defend the right of a member to hold and express his opinions. 

The charges against Stan from his employer were laughable:

1.     That, in attending a counter demonstration outside the Houses of Parliament on the 26th March 2018, you knowingly increased the possibility of being challenged about your views and subsequently proceeded to express views that were in breach of the Council’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy and the Council’s Code of Conduct.

2.     That you made inappropriate comments which were subsequently circulated on social media which are deemed to be insensitive and likely to be offensive and potentially in breach of the Equality Act 2010 and/or the Council’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy.

Terry could find nothing wrong in these charges which were a direct challenge to an employee’s right to attend a demonstration and a flagrant breach of Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention of Human Rights relating to freedom of assembly and freedom of speech. Any full-time official who doesn’t understand that such a dismissal is almost certainly going to be unfair and outside what is called the band of reasonable responses should either be retrained or dismissed. It is clear that Terry's decision was taken on political grounds. Terry’s right-wing politics should not be allowed to interfere with his work which is representing union members.

See:

Stan’s open letter to H&F Councillors:

Mike Cushman – ‘How talking about Zionism can lose you your job’:

Tony Greenstein – ‘No criticism permitted’:
Labour Against the Witchhunt - Stan Keable has won his employment tribunal

Stan Keable - Suspended for Expressing his Opinion on Zionism

What is UNISON for if it doesn't defend its own members?

Why I face disciplinaryaction for criticising London Regional Organiser Steve Terry who scabbed onStan Keable

Suspended from UNISON for Defending Freedom of Speech and the Right of Free Assembly