We’ve no faith in party to Óght hate, says @LM
THE JEWISH Labour Movement will no longer take part in talks on tackling antisemitism within the party and accused its leadership of deliberately “inflaming tensions” with the community.
In a letter to General Secretary Jennie Formby, JLM Chair Ivor Caplin said its faith in Labour’s leaders to deal with the crisis had “all but disappeared”.
He said the party’s approach would “only antagonise tensions,” adding: “Despite our numerous warnings, we can only conclude that this has been done so with intent.”
A working group of senior National Executive Committee members set up to tackle the issue was due to hold its second meeting on Wednesday.
But Mr Caplin said the JLM would reject any invitation to join it until it adopted in full the internationallyrecognised definition of antisemitism.
He said his organisation’s efforts to offer constructive advice “at all points” had not been reciprocated.
The NEC’s decision not to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of Jew-hate — and adopt a watered-down version instead — has been widely condemned.
In the letter, Mr Caplin wrote: “No code of conduct on antisemitism, developed in isolation, without the involvement of JLM or the wider Jewish community will maintain any confidence.
“This belligerent position on behalf of the party is also at odds with its own decision in December 2016 to adopt the full IHRA definition alongside the working examples.
“The subsequent decision by the party to revisit the IHRA document, and amend its contextual examples, without consultation represents a backward step in the party’s handling of antisemitism.
“The briefing by the party and the leader’s press office to the media, that only one contextualised example remains in discussion is further evidence of the deliberately misleading approach being taken, further inflaming tensions rather than tempering them.”
Mr Caplin said the party must also respond to formal complaints made by the JLM about NEC member Peter Willsman and Labour MP Chris Williamson.
Mr Willsman claimed Jewish “Trump fanatics” were making false claims of antisemitism in the party, in a rant exposed by the JC.
The JLM also called for Mr Williamson, a major Corbyn supporter in Parliament, to be suspended after he defended Labour activists who use language “perceived as antisemitic”.
At a Momentum meeting in Liverpool, Mr Williamson, MP for Derby North, failed to challenge a left-wing party member who used an antisemitic trope to defend Mr Willsman.
Mr Caplin said the party must also drop a disciplinary investigation into MP Ian Austin, launched following his clash with Labour’s Chairman Ian Lavery over the crisis.
In the letter, he also said JLM was “incredibly disappointed” that NEC members were going to be given antisemitism training by an unknown organisation, instead of JLM.
He said it was further evidence of Labour attempts “to deliberately undermine its formal Jewish affiliate and add to further tension”.
We can only conclude this has been done with intent’