There is clear anger and upset in the British Jewish community at the reinstatement of Jeremy Corbyn after his non-apology by the Labour Party. It has to be remembered that until Corbyn's rise to prominence as the leader of the opposition antisemitism was a fringe view held by extremists left, right and religious. Under Corbyn this became mainstream and despite his protestations to the contrary he allowed it to fester as this suited the aims of the far/hard left that came to control the Labour Party.
The history of the fight over antisemitism inside (and outside) the Labour Party has been well documented over the years culminating in the damning publication of the ECHR Report. Corbyn's reinstatement pushed and planned by his political allies entrenched in the Labour bureaucracy shows why an independent complaints and disciplinary procedure inside the party needs to be introduced ensure an unbiased due process.
Speaking on Times radio last night Marie van der Zyl was visibly shaken by the Labour Party's decision but spoke clearly and firmly about the sense of betrayal that we feel in the Jewish community. Whatever happens next and it's all far from over the fight against Corbyn and his racism (because that's what antisemitism is) inside Labour will continue.
The reaction of Jewish supporters of the Labour Party were made more than clear:
Labour Against Antisemitism statement:
“The lifting of Jeremy Corbyn’s suspension from the Labour Party, following his non-apology, serves only to further highlight the issues raised in the EHRC report.
The Labour Party disciplinary process again appears to be subject to political interference, with seemingly no accountability or transparency. Even with a moderate majority on the party’s ruling body, the NEC, and a legal obligation to address the antisemitism crisis within the party, the Jewish community continues to be ignored.
This cannot continue: it is not enough to call past behaviour shameful, and then not take any action to ensure such behaviour doesn’t happen again. We urge the establishment of a fully independent complaints process that will review both this specific case, and all others from 2015 onwards, so that justice for the Jewish community can be done.”
The Jewish Labour Movement wrote to it's members last night:
It is extraordinary that just weeks after the EHRC found that the Labour Party had discriminated against Jewish members through political manipulation of the disciplinary process, it appears that the Party expedited this case for hearing by a factionally aligned political committee.After his failure of leadership to tackle antisemitism, so clearly set out in the EHRC’s report, any reasonable and fair-minded observer would see Jeremy Corbyn’s statement today as insincere and wholly inadequate.
He has offered no apology for his total failure of leadership to tackle antisemitism in the Labour Party, or contrition for his role in allowing political manipulation of the disciplinary process by his own office in his name. His statement on the day of the report's publication made no mention of this and was grossly offensive as it downplayed the reality of antisemitism in the Labour Party. Today's decision will only embolden those who agreed with him.
Once again we find ourselves having to remind the Labour Party that Jeremy Corbyn is not the victim of Labour antisemitism - Jewish members are.
Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Lisa Nandy will be speaking at the JLM On-line conference at the end of November. I will be amongst many attendees wanting to hear from them about how antisemitism in Labour is to be combated.
JLM Website: www.jewishlabour.uk
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