Well you have to consider that there are good Nazis and then the not so good ones! A continuation on this... In 2018 after much effort the ADL managed to get the US congress to pass a law that would make it illegal to fund or provide weapons to the Azov Battalion "Neo-Nazis" as they were known Nazi extremists. In 2022 the Mass Murdering Sociopath Joe Biden violated that law.
Thank you, Jonathan Cook, for another beautifully-argued and excellently-written analysis. Couldn't agree more with you about Starmer and his Labor acolytes. Despicable people, the lot of them.
Anti-Semitism has been an indelible stain on the Christian world for millennia but the corruption and perversion of efforts to minimize that blight have become a moral blight as well, one all too similar to the original sin. The anti-Islamic movement spearheaded by Zionists worldwide and their enablers is all too similar to anti-Semitism. Its victims: students, teachers, and even politicians such as Jeremy Corbin, are as deserving of our support and protection as are real victims of anti-Semitism. Those who pervert efforts to curb anti-Semitism for their own political and geopolitical ends and who in fact, engage in tactics reminiscent of those used by the Nazis against the Jews deserve to be treated no differently than they were and are.
Israel is a criminal entity with many influential corrupt sponsors. The dirty little project steals everything Palestinian and at the same time incites deep seated hatred and fuels antisemitism by attempting to smear critics.
Palestinians pay with blood and tears while decent Jews block their ears and for fear of being branded self hating Jews.
The Holocaust industry have been alive and kicking for decades and will continue long as decent Jews don’t step up to say “ not in my name”
Spot on,Paul Edwards.Totally agree.Israel has no shame and is tarnishing the good name of Jews everywhere.A lawless state commiting atrocities against Palestinians and the international community looks on so afraid of being called antisemitic.Shame on everyone who is allowing Israel to get away with their totally criminal activities.
"I listened carefully to the voices of pro-Palestine advocates and others who sought a recommendation that the use of the IHRA definition by NUS cease. I was provided with a wealth of academic articles and opinions on the topic which I read. The central criticism of the IHRA definition is that it improperly conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism.
"I have not found any examples within the NUS of the IHRA definition being misused in this manner, and in fact the majority of instances of antisemitism within NUS that I have reviewed would be categorized as such whether the IHRA or JDA definitions were used as the relevant yardstick."
"The IHRA definition is further said to have a “chilling effect” in preventing advocacy for Palestine because activists fear being accused of antisemitism. This of course is very difficult to measure as it is all but impossible to prove a negative. I did not find that these concerns were such that they should outweigh the fact that NUS conference voted on accepting the IHRA definition and that this is the NUS
supreme decision making body. Also of key importance is that the culture of NUS over many decades has been to permit ‘oppressed groups’ to define the terms of their oppression and that Jewish groups are overwhelmingly in favour of utilisation of the IHRA definition."
Unlike the Jewish Voice for Labour, Ms. Tuck is an impartial investigator and not an advocacy organization. Now let's hear it from a Palestinian:
"Antisemitism plagues every part of the NUS.... As a Palestinian, I find it deeply offensive that support for Palestinian human rights is being used to mask blatant antisemitism. The conflation between the conflict in Israel-Palestine and British Jews must stop. Our Jewish students cannot be made to feel responsible for a conflict that is being waged thousands of miles away. They cannot be made to feel unsafe, as they are hounded and targeted at our university. Instead, we must listen to them and act on their concerns. The advocation of Palestinian rights and valid criticism of the Israeli government should never lead to or justify racism against Jewish students in Britain. As an NUS delegate and a Palestinian, I feel very strongly about this."
Israel is a criminal, apartheid state and always has been. The shameless hysteria that conflates criticism of that dirty ward of The Exceptionalist Empire with anti-semitism is purest rot of the poisonous variety that was marshalled by the pathetic, cringing lapdog Britain's establishment has become to crucify Jeremy Corbyn.
I think the point 'Mr.Cook' is making (with reference to Labour's own statistics) is that Jews are 6 times more likely to be investigated for antisemitism and 10 times more likely to be expelled from the Labour Party...by non-Jews....for being the 'wrong kind of Jew'.
Which is actually a manifestation of treating a 'marginalized minority' as you put it or a 'protected characteristic' (as the 2010 Equality Act puts it) less favourably. While at the same time masquerading this policy as anti-antisemitism.
So, non-Jews harassing, victimising and discriminating against a group of Jewish people; whom they deem to be the 'wrong Jews' because they hold views opposed to the ill-treatment of another group of Semites (the Palestinians) by an Apartheid state.
I am taking no sides. This is an age-old argument within and outside of the Jewish community between Zionists and anti-Zionists. Just as we should seek to understand why Zionism came about we should also seek to understand those that repudiate it and why.
Anti-Zionist Jews argue (rightly or wrongly) that Zionism is Anti-Semitic because it confirms gentile prejudice and a ‘Jewish’ homeland excuses or facilitates racism against Jews…and encourages Jewish nationalism which, like nationalism anywhere leads to intolerance of others not of your nation. That is why MI5 keeps a close eye on British nationalists. They are dangerous…to the nation. Which is another argument against Israel’s extreme Zionist and openly fascist elements and power within the Knesset. It is seen as a danger to the nation by many including Jews within Israel and without.
Do we really believe those Labour members, generally on the left of that party with a long record of fighting racism (like Tony Greenstein) are self-hating Jews? Tony Greenstein has openly criticised Atzmon and Eisen for their antisemitism in numerous articles and given reasons why, something he was not afforded when expelled from the Labour party.
Expelling, banning, cancelling without giving reasons or recourse to debate is authoritarian at the least and indicative of a disturbing trend in our society. Holocaust deniers should be debated and refuted…that surely is the power of the truth. Criticism of Israel and its racist policy is not necessarily anti-Jewish or if you are Jewish evidence of self-hate. It is valid criticism of institutional racism.
As for students being racist and saying extreme things…horrible, yes, but a fact of youthful life...
These inflammatory statements are similar to the name calling that goes on in the Knesset (‘You’re a Nazi’ ‘You’re worse than Hitler’ etc etc)…name calling, which I suspect many of them will, like John Bercow hopefully come to deeply regret. Incidentally Bercow (of Jewish heritage) said of his experience of Corbyn that he did not have an anti-Semitic bone in his body. Something, he could not say of his fellow Tories who quite often made openly anti-Semitic remarks to him. No investigations into the openly ant-Semitic Tories? No?…But Corbyn! Weaponising then?
How many examples of injustice do you need? Is it reasonable to expel any person from a party for having views that we don't like?
Allegations of bullying? Ruth Smeeth 'bullied' by another Labour member (Mark Wadsworth) because he publicly criticised her for working for a Tory newspaper? Heckling a politician speaker at a political meeting, is that bullying now? Absurd.
Jackie Walker saying Holocaust memorial day should also encompass other holocaust victims (Not just others that suffered at the hands of the Nazis like Roma, Gays, Jehovah's Witnesses but the slave trade or even more recent genocidal horrors; Cambodia, Burma) Is that antisemitism? The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum does just that, look on their website...are they antisemitic now then?
Jackie Walker, Mark Wadsworth, Chris Williamson, Tony Greenstein, Jeremy Corbyn et al have never been guilty of hate speech or racism. But only of a new and questioned definition of antisemitism by the IHRA. Which even some Jewish academics disagree with. Because criticism of Israel should not be conflated with hating Jews.
Islamophobia is rife in the Tories, according to a Tory Muslim baroness Warsi but it was pretty much given a free pass by our media and took over four years for the Tories to investigate. Why?
All of sudden antisemitism has become an issue not in the party with a proven track record of such but in a party, which has a new and quite popular leader that is challenging the establishment on key foreign and domestic policies.
Is there a political agenda here? Was Corbyn such a problem for the establishment that they needed rid of him by fair means or foul (We even had a commander in the British armed forces saying this openly on a publicly broadcast interview).
The hiring of a think tank, The Institute of Statecraft (at tax payers' expense) to target Corbyn, a member of the Queen's Privy council, so that he would not be elected. Even claiming he was a Soviet agent at one point...not debate, just smears. Was that even legal? The media unquestioningly joined in. Which is disturbing. But his support for Palestinians was his Achilles heel...because that is antisemitism...but is it?
No, it isn't but actual Nazis in Ukraine are dismissed by The Jewish Chronicle, who whitewashes the Nazi problem as Putin propaganda...The ADL (Anti-Defamation League) are not concerned as these Ukrainian Nazis don't target Jews (yet) only ethnic Russians! Newsnight's February 24th, 2014 report painted a very different picture.
Recently, Zelensky and his political allies, the whole of Canada's Parliament were filmed applauding (Zelensky's fist pumping the air) a former Waffen SS Galicien Nazi soldier, as a 'hero' of Ukraine... Never again? Well, here we are but where are the dissenters? Where are the anti-Corbyn camp of champions against antisemitism? Nowhere to be seen.
It's not JVL members you have to worry about really is it?
This character gets around. When not posting semi-literate war mongering gibberish on msm comments he/she/it emerges from a rock to troll on sites like this. Best ignored. Sad creature
Do you deny the central point here, i.e. that defenders of Israeli human rights violations against Palestinians 'weaponize' the word antisemitism in order to silence any and criticism of Israel's policies? Yet here you go, attempting to imply that even the discussion of this form of censorship is itself antisemitic. Such dishonesty!
I can't speak for Mr. Cook nor 'his readership'; only myself. Your question is itself based upon a straw-man fallacy; implying as it does that those who are "weaponizing accusations of racism" are a marginalized minority group. This is ironic given that the people he speaks of here are in fact using such accusations to shut down any discussion of actual, racist, suppression of human rights by an apartheid state. So the question presents a false choice. So, ok., then. Do you deny Cook's point, and if so, why?
I don't have a tally of how many of those using the "antisemitic" smear to attack political opponents are Jewish or non-Jewish. Nor do I care. The point which you keep dodging is that the smear is being used for political purposes- both to silence criticism of Israel's unjust, undemocratic brutality, AND also, in other cases, to damage political opponents- such as happened in the smears on Corbyn.
These are logical conclusions from what has taken place and been reported; not established 'fact'.
Now please answer my question, which I'll phrase differently. Do you deny the central point that criticisms of Israeli policies and treatment of Palestinians are being falsely claimed as antisemitic, and that such accusations of antisemitism are being used as political weapons to silence both critics and political opponents?
Anonymous is also smearing the many Jews trying to clear their names, accused of antisemitism by those who believe protecting a Jewish supremacist state is more important than protecting marginalised Palestinians from oppression. It's a deeply ugly *political* project masquerading as a moral project
Where is the ADL or Israel gov when Canada honors Nazi SS?
Well you have to consider that there are good Nazis and then the not so good ones! A continuation on this... In 2018 after much effort the ADL managed to get the US congress to pass a law that would make it illegal to fund or provide weapons to the Azov Battalion "Neo-Nazis" as they were known Nazi extremists. In 2022 the Mass Murdering Sociopath Joe Biden violated that law.
Thank you, Jonathan Cook, for another beautifully-argued and excellently-written analysis. Couldn't agree more with you about Starmer and his Labor acolytes. Despicable people, the lot of them.
Anti-Semitism has been an indelible stain on the Christian world for millennia but the corruption and perversion of efforts to minimize that blight have become a moral blight as well, one all too similar to the original sin. The anti-Islamic movement spearheaded by Zionists worldwide and their enablers is all too similar to anti-Semitism. Its victims: students, teachers, and even politicians such as Jeremy Corbin, are as deserving of our support and protection as are real victims of anti-Semitism. Those who pervert efforts to curb anti-Semitism for their own political and geopolitical ends and who in fact, engage in tactics reminiscent of those used by the Nazis against the Jews deserve to be treated no differently than they were and are.
Israel is a criminal entity with many influential corrupt sponsors. The dirty little project steals everything Palestinian and at the same time incites deep seated hatred and fuels antisemitism by attempting to smear critics.
Palestinians pay with blood and tears while decent Jews block their ears and for fear of being branded self hating Jews.
The Holocaust industry have been alive and kicking for decades and will continue long as decent Jews don’t step up to say “ not in my name”
Spot on,Paul Edwards.Totally agree.Israel has no shame and is tarnishing the good name of Jews everywhere.A lawless state commiting atrocities against Palestinians and the international community looks on so afraid of being called antisemitic.Shame on everyone who is allowing Israel to get away with their totally criminal activities.
A great appraisal, thank you, more of this.
Campuses, you say?
"I listened carefully to the voices of pro-Palestine advocates and others who sought a recommendation that the use of the IHRA definition by NUS cease. I was provided with a wealth of academic articles and opinions on the topic which I read. The central criticism of the IHRA definition is that it improperly conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism.
"I have not found any examples within the NUS of the IHRA definition being misused in this manner, and in fact the majority of instances of antisemitism within NUS that I have reviewed would be categorized as such whether the IHRA or JDA definitions were used as the relevant yardstick."
"The IHRA definition is further said to have a “chilling effect” in preventing advocacy for Palestine because activists fear being accused of antisemitism. This of course is very difficult to measure as it is all but impossible to prove a negative. I did not find that these concerns were such that they should outweigh the fact that NUS conference voted on accepting the IHRA definition and that this is the NUS
supreme decision making body. Also of key importance is that the culture of NUS over many decades has been to permit ‘oppressed groups’ to define the terms of their oppression and that Jewish groups are overwhelmingly in favour of utilisation of the IHRA definition."
https://assets.nationbuilder.com/nus/pages/108/attachments/original/1673471780/Independent_Investigation_into_Antisemitism_Report_NUS_12_January_2023.pdf
Unlike the Jewish Voice for Labour, Ms. Tuck is an impartial investigator and not an advocacy organization. Now let's hear it from a Palestinian:
"Antisemitism plagues every part of the NUS.... As a Palestinian, I find it deeply offensive that support for Palestinian human rights is being used to mask blatant antisemitism. The conflation between the conflict in Israel-Palestine and British Jews must stop. Our Jewish students cannot be made to feel responsible for a conflict that is being waged thousands of miles away. They cannot be made to feel unsafe, as they are hounded and targeted at our university. Instead, we must listen to them and act on their concerns. The advocation of Palestinian rights and valid criticism of the Israeli government should never lead to or justify racism against Jewish students in Britain. As an NUS delegate and a Palestinian, I feel very strongly about this."
https://cherwell.org/2022/04/28/as-a-palestinian-nus-delegate-i-say-that-tolerance-of-antisemitism-within-our-student-spaces-must-end/
Well if you are, a Palestinian then you are, a quisling. It's more likely that I'm a Martian.
Israel is a criminal, apartheid state and always has been. The shameless hysteria that conflates criticism of that dirty ward of The Exceptionalist Empire with anti-semitism is purest rot of the poisonous variety that was marshalled by the pathetic, cringing lapdog Britain's establishment has become to crucify Jeremy Corbyn.
I think the point 'Mr.Cook' is making (with reference to Labour's own statistics) is that Jews are 6 times more likely to be investigated for antisemitism and 10 times more likely to be expelled from the Labour Party...by non-Jews....for being the 'wrong kind of Jew'.
Which is actually a manifestation of treating a 'marginalized minority' as you put it or a 'protected characteristic' (as the 2010 Equality Act puts it) less favourably. While at the same time masquerading this policy as anti-antisemitism.
So, non-Jews harassing, victimising and discriminating against a group of Jewish people; whom they deem to be the 'wrong Jews' because they hold views opposed to the ill-treatment of another group of Semites (the Palestinians) by an Apartheid state.
Human Rights Watch report:
https://www.hrw.org/report/2021/04/27/threshold-crossed/israeli-authorities-and-crimes-apartheid-and-persecution
I am taking no sides. This is an age-old argument within and outside of the Jewish community between Zionists and anti-Zionists. Just as we should seek to understand why Zionism came about we should also seek to understand those that repudiate it and why.
Anti-Zionist Jews argue (rightly or wrongly) that Zionism is Anti-Semitic because it confirms gentile prejudice and a ‘Jewish’ homeland excuses or facilitates racism against Jews…and encourages Jewish nationalism which, like nationalism anywhere leads to intolerance of others not of your nation. That is why MI5 keeps a close eye on British nationalists. They are dangerous…to the nation. Which is another argument against Israel’s extreme Zionist and openly fascist elements and power within the Knesset. It is seen as a danger to the nation by many including Jews within Israel and without.
Do we really believe those Labour members, generally on the left of that party with a long record of fighting racism (like Tony Greenstein) are self-hating Jews? Tony Greenstein has openly criticised Atzmon and Eisen for their antisemitism in numerous articles and given reasons why, something he was not afforded when expelled from the Labour party.
Expelling, banning, cancelling without giving reasons or recourse to debate is authoritarian at the least and indicative of a disturbing trend in our society. Holocaust deniers should be debated and refuted…that surely is the power of the truth. Criticism of Israel and its racist policy is not necessarily anti-Jewish or if you are Jewish evidence of self-hate. It is valid criticism of institutional racism.
As for students being racist and saying extreme things…horrible, yes, but a fact of youthful life...
‘During Thatcher's time in office, members of the Federation of Conservative Students (FCS) went as far as wearing stickers declaring: "Hang Nelson Mandela" until the group was banned in 1986 by an embarrassed Tory leadership’. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/dec/06/conservative-party-uncomfortable-nelson-mandela
These inflammatory statements are similar to the name calling that goes on in the Knesset (‘You’re a Nazi’ ‘You’re worse than Hitler’ etc etc)…name calling, which I suspect many of them will, like John Bercow hopefully come to deeply regret. Incidentally Bercow (of Jewish heritage) said of his experience of Corbyn that he did not have an anti-Semitic bone in his body. Something, he could not say of his fellow Tories who quite often made openly anti-Semitic remarks to him. No investigations into the openly ant-Semitic Tories? No?…But Corbyn! Weaponising then?
How many examples of injustice do you need? Is it reasonable to expel any person from a party for having views that we don't like?
Allegations of bullying? Ruth Smeeth 'bullied' by another Labour member (Mark Wadsworth) because he publicly criticised her for working for a Tory newspaper? Heckling a politician speaker at a political meeting, is that bullying now? Absurd.
Jackie Walker saying Holocaust memorial day should also encompass other holocaust victims (Not just others that suffered at the hands of the Nazis like Roma, Gays, Jehovah's Witnesses but the slave trade or even more recent genocidal horrors; Cambodia, Burma) Is that antisemitism? The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum does just that, look on their website...are they antisemitic now then?
Jackie Walker, Mark Wadsworth, Chris Williamson, Tony Greenstein, Jeremy Corbyn et al have never been guilty of hate speech or racism. But only of a new and questioned definition of antisemitism by the IHRA. Which even some Jewish academics disagree with. Because criticism of Israel should not be conflated with hating Jews.
Islamophobia is rife in the Tories, according to a Tory Muslim baroness Warsi but it was pretty much given a free pass by our media and took over four years for the Tories to investigate. Why?
All of sudden antisemitism has become an issue not in the party with a proven track record of such but in a party, which has a new and quite popular leader that is challenging the establishment on key foreign and domestic policies.
Is there a political agenda here? Was Corbyn such a problem for the establishment that they needed rid of him by fair means or foul (We even had a commander in the British armed forces saying this openly on a publicly broadcast interview).
The hiring of a think tank, The Institute of Statecraft (at tax payers' expense) to target Corbyn, a member of the Queen's Privy council, so that he would not be elected. Even claiming he was a Soviet agent at one point...not debate, just smears. Was that even legal? The media unquestioningly joined in. Which is disturbing. But his support for Palestinians was his Achilles heel...because that is antisemitism...but is it?
No, it isn't but actual Nazis in Ukraine are dismissed by The Jewish Chronicle, who whitewashes the Nazi problem as Putin propaganda...The ADL (Anti-Defamation League) are not concerned as these Ukrainian Nazis don't target Jews (yet) only ethnic Russians! Newsnight's February 24th, 2014 report painted a very different picture.
Recently, Zelensky and his political allies, the whole of Canada's Parliament were filmed applauding (Zelensky's fist pumping the air) a former Waffen SS Galicien Nazi soldier, as a 'hero' of Ukraine... Never again? Well, here we are but where are the dissenters? Where are the anti-Corbyn camp of champions against antisemitism? Nowhere to be seen.
It's not JVL members you have to worry about really is it?
This character gets around. When not posting semi-literate war mongering gibberish on msm comments he/she/it emerges from a rock to troll on sites like this. Best ignored. Sad creature
Do you deny the central point here, i.e. that defenders of Israeli human rights violations against Palestinians 'weaponize' the word antisemitism in order to silence any and criticism of Israel's policies? Yet here you go, attempting to imply that even the discussion of this form of censorship is itself antisemitic. Such dishonesty!
I can't speak for Mr. Cook nor 'his readership'; only myself. Your question is itself based upon a straw-man fallacy; implying as it does that those who are "weaponizing accusations of racism" are a marginalized minority group. This is ironic given that the people he speaks of here are in fact using such accusations to shut down any discussion of actual, racist, suppression of human rights by an apartheid state. So the question presents a false choice. So, ok., then. Do you deny Cook's point, and if so, why?
I don't have a tally of how many of those using the "antisemitic" smear to attack political opponents are Jewish or non-Jewish. Nor do I care. The point which you keep dodging is that the smear is being used for political purposes- both to silence criticism of Israel's unjust, undemocratic brutality, AND also, in other cases, to damage political opponents- such as happened in the smears on Corbyn.
These are logical conclusions from what has taken place and been reported; not established 'fact'.
Now please answer my question, which I'll phrase differently. Do you deny the central point that criticisms of Israeli policies and treatment of Palestinians are being falsely claimed as antisemitic, and that such accusations of antisemitism are being used as political weapons to silence both critics and political opponents?
Mr. Cook AND his readership ?? Your snide question is “weaponising” and “smears” us readers (“fear quotes” YOURS). A poor attempt at hasbara!
Anonymous is also smearing the many Jews trying to clear their names, accused of antisemitism by those who believe protecting a Jewish supremacist state is more important than protecting marginalised Palestinians from oppression. It's a deeply ugly *political* project masquerading as a moral project