What’s Wrong With Michael Crick?

Workers of Zion
Sep 5, 2018 · 3 min read

Out of all the drama of yesterday’s Labour NEC decision to accept the IHRA definition with all examples, Michael Crick’s coverage of the event on Channel 4 News was maybe the most pathetic attempt from a journalist to cover the unfolding political crisis.

I was stunned to watch Crick interviewing various “Jewish” group in front the Labour HQ, jumping around group of people and trying to portray this political fight around the IHRA definition as a divisive issue not just within the Labour Party but also amongst the Jewish Community.

The truth is that there is a consensus within the Jewish community that the IHRA definition with all its examples had to be adopted by the Labour Party. The groups who opposed it are on the fringe of the community. They represent just themselves and can’t speak on behalf of the community. (By the way I don’t either, so no need to remind me this). But here is the trouble, Crick interviewed precisely people who are on the fringe of the community and gave the impression that somehow, they represent the views of the Jewish Community in UK.

Let’s start with the first group he went, Eyes on Anti-Semitism. They are nothing more than a twitter account and are not affiliated or members of the labour party. Of course, they are entitled to have a view on the current labour political mess, but it would have been nice if Crick explained even in a few words who they are.

Then he went to the other side and talked to Jewish Voice for Labour, you know that fringe group with less than 100 members, not all Jews but who claim to speak for all left wing Jewish members of the labour party. Again, they have the right to express their own views and even to demonstrate in front the labour HQ but it would have been useful if Crick mentioned that within their own organisation, they have members such as Tony Greenstein who has been expelled from the Labour Party after a series of abusive tweets against a Jewish woman member of the party. Questioning the legitimacy of that group to speak on behalf of Jewish labour party members when it comes to such an important issue is I think part of Crick’s job as a political journalist .

And then the cherry on the cake, he interviewed two members of the Neutori Karta. You know these strange dudes who dress like orthodox Jews and love saying that Israel should not exist, that the Holocaust didn’t really happen etc.

Yes, you must have seen at least pictures of them holding anti-Zionist placards in pro-Palestinian demonstrations. But do you know who they really are? Their leaders previously attended and supported the Iranian Government’s Holocaust denial conference, they demonstrated in support of the leader of the far-right Hungarian party Jobbik when he visited the UK and they have declared their support for Hamas and various terrorist groups. They are nothing more than a tiny sect rejected and ostracised by even anti-Zionist Haredi Jews. Worldwide, they might have less than 5,000 members and few dozens in UK out of a 265,000-strong community.

So why treating them as if they were a legitimate voice of the British Jewish Community? Is it because some sections of the left love sharing their posts and pictures on social media so then Crick wanted to give them the right to be featured in his cover of the event? Frankly, there was no justification for Crick to interview them, especially if he didn’t want to explain who they were: a bunch of extremists that do not speak for the Jewish community.

Anyway, rant over and it will be my last post on subject for a while. And probably my last one for a few days as Rosh Hashanah is approaching fast! l’shanah tovah (to a good year).

Stephane Savary


Originally published at medium.com on September 5, 2018.

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