Ex-Brent mayor seeks ‘training’ after hate post
Staff of the Russian Embassy in Israel were not able to celebrate Victory Day on May 9 with Red Army veterans in person this year – but they did the next best thing. Over 200 gift packages were sent out including tea, beef stew and Armenian cognac to veterans across Israel so that they could toast the day in the safety of their own homes. It is estimated that there are 4,500 Second World War Red Army veterans in Israel
VINTERFAITH is still possible in the Zoom era. “I am finding it remarkable to see the extent to which the Chief Rabbi’s diary is very full for Ramadan!” Rabbi Mirvis joked in an interview on Sky last week. “Muslim friends provide for us, through the iftar, the opportunity to engage with them, to eat and drink with them, and to concentrate on all that unites us.
VMarking Victory Day in Jerusalem in 2018
and small celebrations still took place despite coronavirus restrictions. In Ashkelon, the city used a crane as an ersatz stage and provided
CANNES might have been cancelled, but Seret, the British arm of the Israeli Film and Television Festival, has not. The UK festival, which runs from May 21 to May 30, is going completely “virtual” and will be “one of the first film festivals to be screened entirely online.” Seret cofounders said that while it had been a “tough decision”, the wide array of Israeli films,
Vsingers for veterans at a retirement community in the city. Coronavirus needn’t get in the way of celebrating victory over Nazism it seems!
Scene in Golden Voices
documentaries and dramas that they had decided to share with UK audiences “will be available on home screens, rather than in cinema.”
V THE FORMER mayor of Brent who was exposed by the JC for posting an antisemitic video on the WhatsApp group of a local Covid-19 support group has said he is “seeking to undertake training” for sharing material that was “racist and unacceptable”.
Labour councillor Aslam Choudry said he was “deeply sorry” for any offence he had caused — but he continued to insist he had posted the video by “mistake”.
He sparked fury after posting the clip of a discussion that took place on the Real Face television channel on a local Covid-19 support group, Mutual Aid.
Mr Choudry, the vice chair of Brent Council’s audit and standards advisory committee, was suspended by Labour after the party received complaints about his action.
Speaking to his local Brent & Kilburn Times newspaper, Mr Choudry said the incident was “an accident” but he was “seeking to undertake training on antisemitism” after the JC revealed what he had done.
He added: “As you may have seen reported in the media, I recently shared an antisemitic video in a WhatsApp group.
“This video promotes appalling antisemitic tropes falsely claiming that Jewish people control America. This is not only untrue, it is racist and unacceptable.
“I am so deeply sorry for sharing this link. I shared the link by accident and when colleagues pointed out that it was an extremely offensive video, I deleted it and apologised.
“I am so sorry for the hurt and offence I have caused and I will be seeking to undertake training on antisemitism.”
The video he circulated showed a male presenter speak of “an easy way to know if you are controlled” before adding: “Is there something or someone you are not allowed to criticise? It’s as simple as that.”
The presenter then suggests that “if you lived in Nazi Germany you couldn’t criticise the Nazi Party,” before saying the same situation exists in China today, and also in the Soviet Union under Communism or in North Korea or Cuba.
Then the presenter says: “If you live in America who can’t you criticise?” Another presenter then answers: “The Jewish lobby.” The main presenter responds saying: “Yes.”
He then adds: “That tells you who controls the country. We are breaking the taboo. You are not allowed to discuss the power of the Israeli lobby in America. It’s proof right there, that’s who is controlling free speech in this country.”
After it was posted, one member of the WhatsApp group wrote: “There is no place for a person like that in this group. I no longer want to be associated with this group if he remains in it. Can he please be removed.”
Cllr Choudry left the group claiming he posted the video by mistake.
In 2016 a post appeared on Cllr Choudry’s Facebook page that carried the caption “Zionists are even worse than animals”. He again claimed to have posted it by mistake.
The Labour Party confirmed they had suspended Cllr Choudry.
A spokesperson said: “The Labour Party takes all complaints of antisemitism extremely seriously and they are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures and any appropriate action is taken. We cannot comment on individual complaints.”
“Mistake”: Choudry