UK Jewish Voice for Labour: Corbyn as PM would be 'good for Jews'
The group urged activists to "give no quarter" when confronted with claims of antisemitism within the party.
By DONNA RACHEL EDMUNDSSupporters of Britain's opposition Labour Party attend a demonstration organised by the British Board of Jewish Deputies for those who oppose anti-Semitism, in Parliament Square in London, Britain, March 26, 2018(photo credit: HENRY NICHOLLS/REUTERS)
British campaign group Jewish Voice for Labour has released a guide for Labour Party activists on how to tackle allegations of antisemitism within the party, in which it denies allegations of antisemitism by both party members and their leader Jeremy Corbyn.The guide urges Labour activists to "give them no quarter" if confronted by the media or vocal critics of Labour's record on antisemitism in the run up to the British general election, to be held on December 12."We want to talk about Labour policies, not get diverted by an irrational panic about antisemitism," the guide states.Research by the Campaign Against Antisemitism has found that one in three British Jews have considered leaving the country due to antisemitism in recent years, while a poll for the Jewish Chronicle last year found that more than 85 percent of Jews think Corbyn is antisemitic. A similar number believe there are significant levels of antisemitism at all levels of the Labour Party.Yet in their pamphlet, Jewish Voice for Labour is dismissive of these fears. "There are no policies or measures proposed in Labour’s policy commitments that show hatred of or discriminate against Jewish people," it says, adding: "To talk of implementing any and all of our policies as an existential threat to Jews is irresponsible scare-mongering."And it urges Jews to support the party, saying: "Any Jew who leaves the UK after the election of a Labour government will be making the mistake of a lifetime – losing the chance of helping create a genuinely egalitarian, anti-racist society in which all people are valued equally for who they are, not their origins, their religion, their ethnicity or social class. Labour’s policies speak for all of us."What is there for Jews not to wish for in this future?"A spokesperson from the Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Jewish Voice for Labour is an antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organization. Its claim that concerns over Labour’s institutional antisemitism are an ‘irrational panic’, is absurd and offensive."When British Jews demonstrated against antisemitism in Parliament Square, JVL organised a counter-demonstration. That is the sort of thing that JVL does.“Each day new evidence emerges of antisemitism at every level within the Party, yet JVL claims that ‘the Party has done nothing wrong’ and tells canvassers ‘don’t be apologetic’. They should ‘go on the offensive’ and deceive voters by saying that the fatal deficiencies in Labour’s disciplinary processes have ‘now been remedied’."
They added: “JVL evidently feels compelled to produce these lies because ordinary people are concerned about racism in the Labour Party – as they should be. Labour under Jeremy Corbyn is being investigated by the Equality and Human Rights Commission following a complaint by Campaign Against Antisemitism because the evidence of its institutional antisemitism is overwhelming.”
