Labour's "Jewish problem" in Brighton

 

It seems that despite the lock-down and the focus on the US Presidential elections that hard left continues to ply it's tired old mores this time down in Brighton home to many of the worst that Labour has to offer. The meeting includes expelled and former members speaking in defence of Corbyn their martyr apparently crucified in the name of "socialism".

Brighton is a hotbed of far left and in particular ant-Zionist activity. The fixation on the issue by so many of the local party has caused huge frictions, splits, suspensions and expulsions. The Labour MP for Brighton Kemptown is Lloyd Russell-Moyle who as the local paper The Argus reports: 

(The Campaign Against Antisemitism)....complaints against Mr Russell-Moyle include, but are not limited to, allegations he intervened on behalf of a party members facing disciplinary action for anti-Semitic comments –namely Brighton activists Melanie Melvin and Rebecca Massey.

Labour Party member Melanie Melvin was suspended for actions including a tweet which read: “Breaking: Sarin gas was filmed by the BBC at Pinewood on the orders of Mrs May and the Israeli lobby.”

It was alleged that Mr Russell-Moyle wrote to Labour Party general secretary Iain McNicol to say her tweet seemed “unhinged at best” but had, he believed, been made as a parody of online conspiracy theorists.

In July, The Sunday Times reported that Lloyd Russell-Moyle wrote letter in support of Rebecca Massey, an activist who said Israel had Labour and the Tories “under control”, to party headquarters.

These charming individuals are not alone. Brighton and Hove News reported back in July this year:

A Brighton Labour councillor has quit the party after becoming the third member to be investigated for alleged anti-semitism.

Councillor Kate Knight announced that she had quit today (Monday 20 July) after being reported for a slew of recently unearthed posts on Facebook. Brighton and Hove News understands that she had been facing suspension......

Council leader Nancy Platts today said that it brought shame on the whole Labour Party to see these posts. She said: “On behalf of the Labour group, I am truly sorry to the Jewish community for the hurt these posts have caused.

Then there was Amanda Bishop who wanted to march on a Synagogue to defend someone suspended for err..antisemitism.

A Labour member in Brighton suggested that the local party “march to" a local Synagogue to protest against the suspension of a fellow Labour party member over alleged antisemitism, with an MP calling on the police to investigate her for "incitement".

Amanda Bishop was writing in the Brighton and Hove Labour party forum Facebook group in response to news that local council candidate Alex Braithwaite had been suspended from the party.

Miss Braithwaite was suspended two weeks ago over her posts to social media.

One such post claimed that Israel was “giving African migrants 90 days to leave the country so they don’t effect [sic] Israeli bloodline. They must leave or they will be jailed or murdered.”

How anyone can claim there is "no evidence" of antisemitism or "it's only a small number of people" need look no further than the Brighton CLPs for evidence to the contrary.

Tonights' meeting sees Tony Greenstein, Jewish but no friend of his own people on any level given his lifetime obsession with anti-Zionism who was expelled from the Labour Party for his appalling behaviour. Also present is Nichole Brennan:

Brighton & Hove city councillor Nichole Brennan resigned from her council cabinet posts after photos of her holding up a sign calling Israel a “racist, apartheid state” were given to The Argus.

The pictures were taken two years ago at a Hove Town Hall rally against the city council’s adoption of the International Holocaust Recognition Association’s definition of anti-Semitism.

The association defines claims the state of Israel is racist.

Jewish Labour Movement vice-chairman Stephane Sarvery said Cllr Brennan’s sign was “disturbing”.

“What these photos seems to suggest is that for Cllr Brennan the adoption of the IHRA definition by Brightoncouncil was somehow linked to Israel,” he said.

“The fact she associated both is disturbing to say the least.

“It raises the question as to why Cllr Brennan thought it was appropriate to link the fight against anti-Semitism in the UK with the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

If antisemitism is going to be rooted out of the Labour Party Brighton would seem a good place to start.