Labour: Haringey Councillors Readmission “reminiscent of the worst days of the Corbyn leadership” (Updated)

 

Statement from Labour Against Antisemitism

“The lifting of the suspensions of two Labour councillors, Noah Tucker and Peston Tabois (and the subsequent re-suspension of Tucker two days later) following serious allegations of antisemitism, and after just six months, is a matter of genuine concern reminiscent of the worst days of the Corbyn leadership.

 
The seriousness of the evidence against the two councillors, both serving on Haringey Council, should have resulted in their immediate expulsions when they came to light in August and September last year. Instead it appears they were given the equivalent of a disciplinary slap on the wrist and six months later were readmitted to full party membership. Two days later it was reported that Councillor Tucker had been suspended for a second time, although Councillor Tabois has so far not been re-suspended and even remains a Labour candidate for the London Assembly.

 
This incident is not a hangover from the previous Labour leadership regime, and current leader Keir Starmer has questions to answer, such as why were the councillors given such lenient punishments, who within the party decided that Councillor Tucker would be re-suspended and not Councillor Tabois, and why, nearly a year into his leadership and post-EHRC report, are incidents like this still occurring?

 
While antisemitism in the Labour Party was never going to be resolved overnight, progress is not being made as quickly as it could and too many opportunities are being missed to confront the problem head-on. Keir Starmer must be bolder and more decisive if he wants to win back the trust of the Jewish community and the wider electorate – and ensure that zero tolerance of antisemitism means exactly that.”

Update: Since this statement was issued (which I only read today having missed it on release Noah Tucker has been suspended again:

See: www.hamhigh.co.uk/news

Hartlepool By-election: Enter the Northern Independence Party

 

Another fringe party candidate is preparing to enter the fray of the Hartlepool By-election in the form of the Northern Independence Party. That is if they manage to get themselves registered with the electoral commission in time otherwise they will be backing former Labour Party member Thelma Walker as an "Independent".

It seems that Thelma Walker is a former Corbynite MP who: 

On 18 November 2020, almost a year after losing her seat, she resigned her membership of the Labour Party on the evening after Keir Starmer declined to return the whip to Jeremy Corbyn. She later explained that she left because she felt Starmer was being spiteful towards Corbyn, even prior to his suspension, and because she had concerns about the party's positions on the Covert Human Intelligence Sources Bill and on schools being open during the COVID-19 pandemic."

The NIP selected her as candidate by 69.7% of their members. How many whippets that included is not known at the time of writing.

It seems the Northern Independence Party is just another type of left-wing socialist party as their two-bit website announces:

The Northern Independence Party is a democratic socialist party, who are committed to uplifting the voices of our members. We were founded in 2020 to combat the injustice of the north/south divide. We stand opposed to all forms of ideology based on hatred and bigotry.

Their policy on members use of social media is very much centred around opposition to "transphobia" and women's sex based rights don't get a look in. In fact women don't exist in their statement at all. They oppose racism, fascism LGBTQphobia (that's a new formulation), gender mislabeling and "ableism"  but women don't appear to exist in this "gender" friendly environment.? 

NIP's main aim is to:

To campaign for a referendum on the independence of the North, to be decided by the people of the North.

Reestablishing the old Kingdom of Northumbria it would seem.

Image: By Source (WP:NFCC#4), Fair use

However there may well be trouble with the Yorkshire Party who are seeking autonomy for their county and may not take interference from a Northern Imperialist incursion well.

Meanwhile in other news the right-wing For Britain Party led by Anne-Marie Waters (and backed by Morrissey) has decided not to join the "by-election circus" and is concentrating on running three candidates for thee local authority where it already has an elected presence.

One wonders how these far-left, Corbyn supporters ever hoped to do anything when they can't even agree to join together following their losing control of the Labour Party. Clueless. Labour will be a better place without them.

The far-left's "Ghost Constituency Labour Party" farce

Image: Harvey Comics CC

One of the several interconnected groups that make up the worst of the old Corbynista orientated group strangely called "Labour In Exile" (LIE) has chosen to share it's latest wheeze with the Weekly Worker, newspaper of the Communist Party of Great Britain (a small faction not to be confused with the rump Communist Party of Britain lumped around the Morning Star):

The rebellion against Keir Starmer inside Labour is gaining strength. Members across the country are forming ‘ghost’ local parties to resist what’s widely seen as a purge on the left by the leadership.

Since Starmer became leader last year over 70 party officers and hundreds of ordinary members have been suspended or expelled for expressions of support for former leader Jeremy Corbyn. Terry Deans, who was punitively suspended by the party last year, said: “I believe Starmer was hoping that by suspending or expelling people he would drive many others on the left to leave the party. But most have decided to stay and fight - many by setting up ‘ghost’ Labour parties.”

I'm not sure that there is any evidence of any "rebellion gaining strength" though small factional groups and hard-line supporters of Corbyn and his project do continue to make a nuisance of themselves. Also I'm not exactly how setting up some kind of shadow organisation with no actual place in the official party is exactly "staying and fighting" either.

Still I suppose it gives the comrades something to do when the real party meets and gets on with real business whist the assorted trots and odd-bods consume a beer or or two in some dark corner.

Norman Thomas (who he anyone?) continues:

........ the new group, the Labour In Exile Network (LIEN), which includes people both inside and outside the party working to change and democratise Labour. LIEN is holding its first public ‘Fightback Meeting’ at 6pm on Saturday March 27. Deans said: “The meeting will bring together people from across the country who have set up ghost or shadow local Labour parties. These parties will allow them to keep on fighting for the policies and ideas championed by Jeremy Corbyn, but outside of interference by Starmer’s officials.”

People will share their experience of setting up parties and discuss the possibility of national cooperation. Deans said: “This is the real prize - setting up a national, linked-up, shadow Labour Party, but this will be real Labour - the real grassroots party, working on a truly democratic basis.”

Besides the fact this is probably legally challengeable by the real Labour Party (if they are bothered by these troublesome gnats) it's really just wishful thinking on their part. Large numbers of the former Corbynite far-left have already left the party and returned either to the political obscurity and inactivity they previously engaged in or if still active have ended up elsewhere.

Christ Williamson's dark cult Resist has already aligned itself with the Socialist Party in the Trade Union & Socialist Coalition and is currently running three candidates in the local elections. Others are in the Green Party where the Corbynistas in sandals may probably help the Tories gain Hartlepool from Labour in the current by-election where a poll puts them at 7% whilst the two main parties are almost neck to neck.

While the comrades contemplate how many dialectics can go through the eye of a needle it will be their actions that will undermine the necessity of achieving a Labour Government with Labour policies to actually help people. This requires compromise in order to attract those voters who abandoned the party for the Tories and others seeking an alternative. The far-left are and will always remain the Tories best friends!

Suzi Quatro: The Devil In Me (New Album)

It's been a couple of years since Suzi Q released her last album No Control which I grabbed a copy of on vinyl when it was released and wasn't disappointed then so it was a "no brainier" to buy her new one albeit as a CD on this occasion.

There are a total of twelve tracks on the album including the singles The Devil In Me and I Sold My Soul Today of which I've chosen the latter fr this review as I posted the first on my Facebook page a while back when this release was announced.

Official Website: www.suziquatro.com

Reinstate the Suspended Teacher, Petition from Batley School Students

 

The attempt by Islamic extremists to suppress not just education but free speech has taken another  dangerous turn following the homophobic pickets we saw in Birmingham. The decision of a teacher to show a Charlie Hebdoe cartoon to a class discussing religion and blasphemy should not be controversial. 

I haven't seen the actual cartoon but whether it's "Islamophobic" or not, it  would be a legitimate area of discussion.

However Rednecks from within the local Muslim community including no doubt many dangerous extremists have been aggressively and according to school students children themselves some of these zealous types came armed with knives. Only criminals and terrorists walk around with knives. 

Their statement is reproduced below:

The RS Teacher was trying to educate students about racism and blasphemy. He warned the students before showing the images and he had the intent to educate them. He does not deserve such large repercussions. He is not racist and did not support the Islamiphobic cartoons in any manner.

This has got out of hand and due to this, students have missed out on lessons because of "peaceful" protestors . Them blocking off entrances did not allow teachers to work or enter the school. Think of those who would be affected due to this lesson spiraled out of hand? Teachers, The School, The Community, Children, the RS Teacher's family and his own financial stability since he will no longer be able to land a job due to the fact that his reputation has been tarnished.

The issue is already nationwide. The RS Teacher has already apologised and has been suspended. Against all odds, students wish to make a statement and reinstate him back as a teacher in Batley Grammar School due to his pure intentions.

Join with us and make a statement before this turns into a repeat of what happened to the teacher in France when he showed the same pictures. I leave with one quote for you to think about. "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" - George Santayana. We aim to prevent the repetition of what has happened before. Join Us.

Please sign here: www.change.org/p/batley-grammar-school-keep-at-batley-grammar-school

Anarchists admit to starting riot

 

The scene of a Police Station being deliberately attacked and the news that several policemen were injured when a large group of some 500 plus demonstrators broke away and started causuing other damage setting vans alight shocked the nation.

The right to peaceful protest is an essential part of a democratic society. These can take the form of marches, pickets, vigils or stationary events to draw attention to issues of concern of those who take part but there is no right commit violence and attack property or the police who are there just to keep order. Most demonstrations are peaceful but there are those who seek to exploit the situation.

The Bristol branch of the Solidarity Federation have produced a mealy mouthed statement full of half truths , lies and distortions which is summed up in their final sentence:

Some things for Bristolians to remember tonight:

There was a vigil for a victim of police violence in London last week. It was peaceful. The police attacked it anyway.

Tonight we saw police with batons attacking a peaceful crowd. The only reason this turned into a riot is because people fought back.

If you're worried about violent protesters but not police violence then you're doing the cop's work for them.

If you blame protesters for the violence that the police inflict on the public, then you're blaming the victims.

It's not a fair fight when one side uses stones and fireworks and the other uses batons and tear gas. "demonstrators clashed with police" is media speak for "armed people attacked an unarmed crowd".

If you only support a cause on the condition that activists are well-behaved then you don't really support that cause.

Politics is about power, not popularity. Winning public support is meaningless when our enemies don't even listen to the public.

They can ignore a protest. They can't ignore this.

We chose to be combatants, not victims. Fuck the police.

In co-operation with other such  groups these people set out to cause a violent confrontation. There words were clear and serve as a warning that these anarchists, autonomists and nihilists are not interested in a peaceful road to change. They have chosen the most authoritarian method possible in a democratic society, that of violence.

These people have their supporters in the traditional left. Kerry-Anne Mendoza called the Labour Mayor of Bristol a "scab" for condemning the violence. A group called the "Young Socialists" also condemned the riot and were fingered as "scabs".

Well I've news for these people having seen first had their actions in on the Pensions march a few years back when we saw these so-called "anarchists" tool up.put masks on and attack banks and shops as we marched to defend our hard won rights. The violence not only put ordinary trade union members in my branch off attending marches but also frightened some of the women who were with us.

These macho-masked extremists are the real scabs.

Like the Pensions march they hijacked a march to defend the right to protest. On both occasions the anarchists and their allies have undermined the struggles of ordinary working people. 

Eden Alene - Set Me Free - Israel 🇮🇱 - Official Eurovision Music Video

Photo: By IDF Spokesperson's Unit, CC BY-SA

Continuing with coverage of the forthcoming Eurovision Song Contest comes the Israeli entry from Eden Elene who is of Ethiopian-Jewish heritage. She was last years choice with an equally good song. I quite like this one and it should be a front runner along with Cyprus. 

Conspiracy theories and delusion on the far left

 

It never ceases to surprise me that so many people are so easily led into thinking there is some kind of world-wide conspiracy aimed at controlling everything and everyone which ranges from the Tsarist forgery The Protocols of Zion to fools who think the Convid 19 pandemic is a hoax to pump us full of micro-soft nanobots to monitor the existence of each and every one of us.

The far-left is no exception. For starters they think that there is a world wide capitalist conspiracy to which they now add Zionist or Jews. The most explicit rendition of this theory is one Ian Donovan an inveterate sectarian Trotskyist turned neo-fascist in the Socialist Fight (Communist Faction) group when he writes:

Jews are the one people in the imperialist epoch that have comprehensively escaped from systematic oppression and joined the ranks of oppressor peoples in the imperialist world order.’

In correspondence with Louise Reagan of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (over his expulsion from the organisation) Donovan doesn't even see the problem with his condemnation of Jews:

..the SF statement cited is in no sense hostile to Jewish people,

Clearly it is and he even condemns the so-called anti-Zionist ones like Tony Greenstein for establishing organisations that "emphasise their Jewishness" to "kosher the Palestine solidarity movement".

Too much even for the charlatans of the PSC.

The implication of that statement is clear.  It is simply a modern version of the Tsarist Protocols. Far-left and far-right show their true colours.

Talking of far-right conspiracy theories I was (sort of) astonished to find this comment on Chris Williamson's "The Resistance Movement" Facebook page with positive responses from a Keith Mason who is a  Corbynite having checked his timeline:

I recently done a poll on twitter. I asked what is the most serious threat; Climate change, Covid -19, Biochemical warfare or Agenda 21?

Agenda 21 received 68%
Climate change received 32%
I think it's time we discussed Agenda 21 before its too late.

Now that was new to me so I looked it up and according to the left's bible The Guardian :

Green space, clean energy, increased urban density...and global dictatorship. It’s hard to see how all of these things could connect, but — according to a popular right wing conspiracy theory — a UN resolution aimed at sustainable development could pave the way.

Theorists argue that Agenda 21, a 23-year-old non-binding UN resolution that suggests ways for governments and NGOs to promote sustainable development, is the linchpin in a plot to subjugate humanity under an eco-totalitarian regime. One of its most outspoken critics, American Policy Center president Tom DeWeese, has described the resolution as “a new kind of tyranny that, if not stopped, will surely lead us to a new Dark Ages of pain and misery yet unknown to mankind”.

The Guardian points out:

..... it’s hard to see why Agenda 21 is so controversial. While it urges international cooperation, it is hardly the totalitarian, internationalist screed that critics claim. Far from promoting international governance, for example, it calls for greater local government involvement in sustainable agricultural and urban development.

However it's hardly surprising when you consider some of the other unsavoury types this page attracts. According to Janet Addison in her response to a post about Labour and Palestine has this bizarre formulation to offer her fellow comrades:

With the new appointments Starmer is making I think that the Party should change its name. Maybe the Israeli Labour Party seems to fit the bill

The far-left's obsession with all things Jewish Zionist mirrors that of the far-right.

Still there remain some old fashioned Marxist types...

At the other extreme of the far-left is the practice of self delusion. Take the bit of the former Militant Tendency organised around Socialist Appeal and continuing to operate as an "entryist group" in the Labour Party. They announced that "hundreds" attended their Annual Conference (which was on-line and therefore possible for most of their members to log on to) which turned out to be "450" (rounded up I should imagine!) which they believe:

This conference marks a watershed in the building of the forces of Marxism. The overwhelming feeling at the conference was one of urgency. The future of humanity depends on our ability to forge the revolutionary leadership that is desperately required.

We have seen the working class shaken out of all habits and routines. This crisis has turned the world upside down and inside out. It is only the revolutionary ideas of Marxism that offer a way forward for the masses in Britain and internationally. 

Really? Somehow when I look out of the window of the inner city tower block I live in across London (which being flat gives me a good long view) I just imagine this little group of people being ignored in a city of millions by ordinary people who may want a better deal and a fairer society also want a peaceful life that these ideologues rantings will continue to fall on deaf ears.

Most people I know are frankly just looking forward to a pint with their mates when the lock down ends. Revolution led by this self appointed vanguard? I don't think so.

The "Labour Campaign for Free Speech" fraud

One of the hallmarks of the extremists accumulating in the drainage around the Labour Party is their constant need to establish different organisations run by the same people to give the illusion their movement has a wider base than it really does. One of these organisations is ironically called the Labour Campaign for Free Speech.

Their website seem to concentrate on just one issue that of a certain David Miller a lecturer whose attitude to Jewish students is frankly antisemitic and calls for his dismissal have been opposed by the far left who seem to think anti-racism precludes defending the right s of Jews. Had Miller adopted the same attitude to any other racial or ethnic group these people would have been calling for blood.

One of the articles on the LCFS website is from Asa Winstanley one of the most unsavoury activists the left have produced. His pretence to be a journalist is laughable. His work is simply bigoted propaganda. The agenda of this group is dominated by an anti-Jewish, sorry Zionist set of demands and the call for free debate yet seek to silence anyone that disagrees with them, especially...

One of the organisations promoting this campaign is Labour In Exile (LIE) with whom I recently had a run in and found myself not only censored for merely challenging their agenda but also now blocked from making any further comment or even seeing the  debate that these comrades promote. Yet without irony LIE called on their supporters to join the Labour Campaign for Free Speech and even tried to compare their imprisoned leader to the women protesting at Clapham Common:

The basic right to protest is coming under serious threat. We are already getting an idea of what's coming next: just look at the hard-core policing of the women's protest in Clapham and the arrest and continued detainment of two pro-Palestine protesters at the Elbin plant

The right to peaceful protest is indeed a central right in a democratic society but the so-called "Palestinian protesters" were arrested not for protesting but for allegedly causing and attempting vandalism. 

Hardly "peaceful" and it was trying to point out the misdemeanours of their own supporters that saw LIE shut down debate.

Along with Labour Against the Witch Hunt. Labour Left Alliance, Jewish Voice for Labour and more these groups all cross promote each other and mostly contain the same individuals in different leadership positions. Not that this prevents them from falling out with each other as they do from time to time...

Labour in Exile show that the Labour Campaign for Free Speech is a lie, pure and simple. Free speech is only for them, no one else and especially not for those who dare to think differently especially for those of us who fight antisemitism.

Urgent Action: Bring Tibet to London

Imagine passing through Uyghur Court, walking along Hong Kong Road before walking up Tibet Hill. For people in London, this might soon be a reality.

The Chinese government plans to open a huge new embassy, the largest in Europe, in the London borough of Tower Hamlets. We may not be able to stop the embassy from moving but that doesn't mean we can't take action.

A bold proposal has been put forward by Councillor Rabin Khan. She has proposed a motion to rename nearby streets to reflect the heritage of those living in Tower Hamlets.

The motion will be debated by Tower Hamlets Council this Wednesday 17 March. It needs our urgent support.

Take action today by emailing the Tower Hamlets councillors and demand that they vote yes to the motion. Simply fill in our form and we'll take care of the rest.

Take Action!

Monitoring ex-Labour extremists

 

Earlier this month I reported that the grouping  Labour In Exile (LIE) were to establish an "Anti-Zionist Action" campaign which would:

(1) to gain knowledge of the identity, location, activities and associations, of individual Zionist trolls;

(2) to use the knowledge so-gained for the purpose of (i) taking action against the individuals and (ii) warning other members to take care of those individuals.

This warning was taken taken seriously by a number of people who began to report the matter to the authorities. LIE are now attempting to cover their backs following the publication of an article in the Jewish Chronicle yesterday.

LIE state they have set up no such organisation and it was not discussed at their conference being the work of "one individual". LIE further claim that their steering Committee decided against setting up any such network or working group.

Yet this was not mentioned by their Tony Greenstein (who is according to some the de-facto leader of LIE) when he responded to my original blog piece instead he wrote: 

"deliberately misleading. They will be targeting Zionist activists, many of whom are not Jewish."

Not only did he not state the motion was not discussed or passed at either their conference or Steering Committee he actually went on to confirm that there would  be targeting of "Zionists" and their non-Jewish allies/supporters.

Earlier today I challenged LIE on their Facebook Page:

The last part of your sentence fits the first. As a Jewish activist exposing the activities of extremist groups like yours I took them as a threat in the literal sense. Your attempt to weasel your way out of this with this so-called "counter-statement" especially with one of your supporters along with his mates sitting in the clink for "vandalism" after attacking Jewish, not Zionist property does not impress. It is those like you who made anti-Zionism antisemitism. You cannot be trusted.

LIE replied:

It is entirely up to you if you choose to misunderstand or misinterpret our statement.

For those of you not aware Tony Greenstein and others believed to be members of the extremist "Palestine Action" group have been arrested for allegedly attacking a Jewish owned firm in the Midlands. The Jewish Chronicle  reports:

A statement issued to the JC by Staffordshire Police on Monday confirmed: “A 67-year-old man from Brighton has been charged with possessing an article with the intent to destroy property after being arrested by colleagues at West Midlands Police in Walsall in the early hours of Tuesday 9 March 2021.

“Anthony Greenstein of Little Crescent, Rottingdean, has been remanded in custody following an appearance at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court on Wednesday 10 March.”

Further info: david-collier.com/elbit

Does anyone from LIE really expect anyone to believe their intentions are benign? These people are obsessed. Their activities will be monitored by Jewish organisations and activists who refuse to be intimidated by extremists whether they come from the far-left or the far-right!

___________________________________________

If in need of advice or have any information that would help protect members of the Jewish community please contact The Community Service Trust at: cst.org.uk

Thunder - All The Right Noises (New Album)

The latest studio album from Thunder one of Britain's  best known "Hard Rock" bands was released on Friday and certainly was a worthwhile purchase as it contains no less than eleven highly listenable tracks.

Formed i n London back in 1989 the group had initial hits between 1990 and 192 with their first four studio albums of which two reached the top ten. Their second album Laughing On Judgement day went to number two.

Despite a drop in sales and a brief hiatus their last three albums have done well in the UK from 2015 to 2019 as all reached the Top Ten.  I would expect this album to also do well and have posted the leading track below.

Official Website: www.thunderonline.com

Cyprus enters "satanic" number to Eurovision 2021

The road to the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest has opened with protests by religious extremists in Cyprus against their country's entry. The song El Diablo from ElenaTsagrinou a "Lady Gaga" type singer from the mediteranean island is said to encourage "satanism". 

Sky News reported

They gathered outside the state broadcaster with signs reading: "We're protesting peacefully, no to El Diablo", "Repent and return to Christ" and "Christ saves, Diablo kills".

But according to the artist behind the track, entitled El Diablo, the song is not intended to turn people to the dark side, but is about an abusive relationship.

Either way it's a pretty good song and since we can't vote for own entry I'll be ringing in to cast my vote for El Diablo. 

Just in case you haven't heard the UK's entry here's James Newman with Embers which frankly isn't up to scratch but for patriotic reasons I hope doesn't score the humiliating "Nil Points" that everyone likes to joke about.

The Eurovision song contest takes place in Rotterdam, with the semi-finals on 18 &20 May and the main contest on Saturday 22 May 2021.

Tibetan Uprising Day. Here's how to get involved

 

Tomorrow marks the 62nd anniversary of the 1959 Tibetan uprising, remembered every 10th March by Tibetans and their supporters.

We may not be able to march to the Chinese embassy and let them hear our voices in person but we can still let them know that Tibetans, and their supporters, will not be silenced.

At 10am, Free Tibet will broadcast the Tibetan uprising commemoration video via Facebook. The broadcast will feature a number of speakers including former political prisoner Golog Jigme.

You don't need an account to watch the broadcast on Facebook and the video will remain on Facebook, and will also be available to watch on our YouTube channel, after 10am.

Raise the Tibetan national flag and take a photo, wherever you are. Post it to your social media, tagging @FreeTibetOrg and using #March10 and #TibetanUprisingDay

Keep an eye on our Twitter and Facebook accounts throughout the day to see events from around the world. Sharing our posts will help us to reach an even bigger audience.

Tibet Lobby Week

The week following 10 March is known as Tibet Lobby Week.

During this week we are encouraging supporters in the UK to contact their Member of Parliament to talk to them about Tibet. This is a key opportunity for supporters to stand up for Tibet and send a strong message to the government urging them to take substantive action.

This could be a face to face meeting with your MP at Westminster or in their home constituency. It could also be via a letter or an email.

This year we have two main requests for MPs:

1. To urge the Foreign Office to target Chen Quanguo with sanctions

2. To call for a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing 2022 Winter Games

We are also encouraging MPs to join the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet

Strawbs - Settlement (New Album)

One of the more fondly remembered bands from the seventies was for me The Strawbs. I first came across them when had had a couple of chart hits including I'm Part Of The Union which reached No 2 in 1973 and remains a favourite (especially as a retired trade unionist) to this day. However despite their brief flirtation with what was the "Glam Rock" scene they quickly returned to the Prog Rock roots and this new album is certainly a reminder of those halcyon days.

The current line-u includes Dave Cousins with his distinctive vocals and there are a dozen great tracks to sit and listen to whenever the mood takes you! Currently there are no videos of any performances from this album but there are audios available from which I've chose this tack, Judgement Day albeit a slightly shorter version than the one on the CD.

Go to: strawbsweb.co.uk

Greenstein points his imperious finger..at me!

 

There are times when I don't know whether to laugh, cry or just shrug my shoulder in disbelief at the lack of self-awareness of some people on the so-called "left". The anti-Zionists are the worst and one of the worst of them is the self-anointed guru of all things to do with Israel/Palestine one Tony Greenstein now leader of some tiny groupscule of malcontents who were rightly kicked out of the Labour Party.

This group the Labour In Exile (LIE) which I blogged about yesterday has voted to establish an Anti-Zionist Action (AZA )group to target those individuals fighting antisemitism in the Labour Party who they like to describe as "Zionist" a word misused by the far-left to mean Jews. Of course some of our allies are not Jewish but most normal people outside the myopic world of the far-left would take that as read.

Not so the vainglorious guru of AZA/LIE would have us know. He actually troubled himself to post a comment from his Brighton lair which I thought I'd reprint in it's full hollow glory:

deliberately misleading. They will be targeting Zionist activists, many of whom are not Jewish. You should check your antisemitism Howard

So there will be Jews targeted then Tony! Plus some others! The threatening language of the motion passed was quite clear. Let us remind ourselves of the wording.

The main aims of AZA would be:

(1) to gain knowledge of the identity, location, activities and associations, of individual Zionist trolls;

(2) to use the knowledge so-gained for the purpose of (i) taking action against the individuals and (ii) warning other members to take care of those individuals.

Sounds ominously quite threatening and potentially encouraging to other to commit acts of violence. I certainly believe it needs to be treated as a serious threat and so do others following the uncovering of this groups motion

I understand this matter has been passed to the main Jewish security organisation the Community Service Trust (CST) and also complaints have been made to the appropriate authorities.

As for the laughable accusation of antisemitism (this blog has been at the forfront of fighting the rise of left-wing antisemitism) I would remind readers of the outcome of a recent court case involving Mr Greenstein:

brightonandhovenews reported in November last year that:

One of the first Brighton Labour members to be expelled during Labour’s anti-Semitism crisis has lost his case for libel after being called a “notorious anti-Semite”.

A high court judge has ruled that Tony Greenstein’s defamation case against the Campaign for Anti-Semitism (CAA) should be struck out......

It also said he had lied in a letter to the Guardian when he said the International Definition of Anti-Semitism (or IHRA) prevented criticism of Israel.

Mrs Justice Tipples said that it was possible for an honest person to hold this opinion, based on the facts that he must have known the CAA does challenge neo-Nazi anti-Semites, and that the IHRA explicitly says criticism of the Israeli government is acceptable.

The ruling also quoted tweets of Mr Greenstein’s such as: “I loathe racist scum and Jewish Nazis like you” and “yes the holocaust did happen and you Zios have been milking it ever since even though u collaborated with the Nazis.”

Mrs Justice Tipples said an honest person could reasonably hold the opinion Mr Greenstein was anti-Semitic based on tweets such as these.

Whatever your view of the Israel/Palestine conflict there's one thing for certain you really wouldn't want someone like this on your side.

Expelled Labour members to target Jewish activists

 

In a move you really couldn't make up a small group of malcontents who have been expelled from the Labour Party for antisemitism and other offences have held a formal conference under the auspices of Labour In Exile attended they say by 200 people though only around 100 voted to pass the following motion.

Proposal for an Anti-Zionist Action (AZA) Group

Coordinator: Neil Todd

We know that the witch-hunt is driven locally a network of Zionist trolls, often associated with the so-called “Labour Against Anti-Semitism” (LAAS) and other Zionist lobby groups, who spend much of their time trawling the social media accounts of party members, publicly smearing them as “anti-Semites” and manufacturing the fake anti-Semitism complaints which are used to get members investigated and suspended. We know also that many of these individuals are linked on Facebook and Twitter and regularly communicate.

The main aims of AZA would be:

(1) to gain knowledge of the identity, location, activities and associations, of individual Zionist trolls;

(2) to use the knowledge so-gained for the purpose of (i) taking action against the individuals and (ii) warning other members to take care of those individuals.

One way in which we can build knowledge is by means of a questionnaire, similar to the WAG questionnaire, which would go out to all members of the LIEN network. One such possible action could be to make complaints against them using genuine incidences of anti-Semitism, e.g. the attacks they often make against non-Zionist or anti-Zionist Jews. Another such possible action could be to publish news items about the activities of certain key individuals, such as Jonny Morris in Plymouth.

I am aware that there are already in existence local groups of members who have come together to counter the likes of Jonny Morris. I am sure that there will be others around the country, e.g. in Brighton, where we now know that Morris was also involved in attempting to block Chris Williamson from speaking. The AZAG would serve to bring these already existing groups and strengthen them by pooling knowledge and resources.

_____________________  

In other words they will be targeting Jewish activists.

The ominous "take action" from these individuals should be seen as a serious threat no different to the far-right with whom this organisation has so much in common!

The LIEN group includes the following individuals on it's steering committee:

Tony Greenstein (see brightonandhovenews: "Notorious antisemite" loses libel case, Christine Tongue, Tina Werkman (Ex CPGB -WW), Stan Keable, (Labour Party Marxists a front for the CPGB), Esther Giles and Beck Massey amongst others.

These people need to be monitored by anti-fascist activists both inside and outside the Jewish community.