Fabulous, Spiffing, marvellous! The Labour party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) has, finally, adopted in full the IHRA’s definition of anti-Semitism.

Workers of Zion
Sep 5, 2018 · 3 min read

The Labour party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) has, finally, adopted in full the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism. After months of debate, much of it toxic, common sense has prevailed and the NEC has adopted the IHRA definition in full, including the eleven examples.

Fabulous. Spiffing marvellous!

Yes I am being facetious. Yes it is good, it is a step forward. It is, as Rebecca Long-Bailey said, a “clear indication of our direction of travel”. However and this is rather the point the Jewish community has been making, this whole fiasco has gone on far too long.

It also comes off the back of an anti-Semite being re-elected to the NEC in the form of Peter Willsman. A man who called into question the integrity of 68 rabbis and dismissed sections of the Jewish community as “Trump fanatics”.

Adopting the IHRA definition in full is a positive step, but in light of everything it will be seen by many Jewish and non-Jewish alike as too little too late.

Willsman managed to wriggle free of substantive disciplinary action by making a meek apology. While the MP Chris Williamson defends expelled anti-Semites on social media, shares a platform with members suspended on suspicion of anti-Semitism and also attempted to block a motion by the PLP to adopt the IHRA definition.

There is something to be said when the pro-Corbyn movement of Momentum is currently taking more substantive action to tackle anti-Semitism than the party leadership.

This is not an issue of factional internal party politics, this is a matter of Labour living up to its commitment to fairness, equality and anti-racism. A commitment that was for many, myself included, the primary reason for joining the party in the first instance.

Blairite, Corbynite, Red, Blue, Centre-Left, Hard-Left, yadda yadda yadda…whichever “faction” any of us belong to we should all be able to agree that anti-Semitism is a stain on our party and needs washing out. Any movement that declares itself anti-racist while tolerating anti-Semitism is the opposite of anti-racist. Tolerance of racism is as bad as the racism itself, it enables it, it gives it a platform, it lends it legitimacy.

The party must now address all outstanding anti-Semitism allegations using IN FULL the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism and those found guilty need to be expelled. Zero tolerance for racism is the only logical policy for an anti-racist party. This should also be supported by the party apparatus giving its full backing and support to the Jewish Labour Movement’s anti-Semitism training which was refused by Frank Field’s Birkenhead CLP because apparently JLM is somehow linked to Da’esh and the Israeli government. Odd…its almost as if the conspiracy theory that Mossad created Islamic State is believed by some Labour members in Birkenhead (and elsewhere).

It is examples such as this that highlight the very real and pernicious problem of anti-Semitism within the Labour party and why the leadership must do more to ensure Jewish Labour members and the Jewish community more widely feels safe. This problem did not appear overnight nor is it a Corbyn phenomenon, this problem was brewing under Ed Miliband and was then given a boost by Corbyn’s election as a pro-Palestinian politician. Whether or not we can entirely blame that on Jeremy or whether it is out of his control is frankly of little relevance, what is relevant is how both Miliband and Corbyn as LOTO did not do enough to make Labour anti-Semite free. This is not a new problem, but rather an old one that has been given renewed vigour.

Had substantive action been taken 5 or so years ago, we would certainly have avoided this seemingly endless anti-Semitism crisis and perhaps we might even have ousted May and the Tories in the last election.

Ariel Moshe

Workers of Zion

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