One Jew's view of antisemitism in the Labour Party. And related matters

It takes only one parent, if it’s the mother – as in my case – to make you a Jew. The Nazis were even more indulgent: a single Jewish grandparent was enough to send you to the gas chambers. That means not only I but even my sons would be candidates for extermination if they made a comeback.

All this suggests that I’m far more likely to be a victim of antisemitism than a perpetrator of it.

But it doesn’t put me completely out of reach of antisemitic thoughts, even less of the accusation of harbouring them. Not that I can actually be antisemitic myself: the reproach reserved for Jews who express a view seen by other Jews as antisemitic is that they are ‘self-hating Jews’.

It’s an offensive suggestion and I resent it. But I have to admit, if I’m entirely honest, principally with myself, that the reproach wasn’t entirely misplaced.

Like many to the left of centre politically, I view all racism as abhorrent. That certainly includes antisemitism but it also includes discrimination against Blacks as it includes Islamophobia. There are aspects of the behaviour of the state of Israel towards Palestinians which, it seems to me, are expressive of deeply and violently Islamophobic attitudes and therefore deeply racist ones.

It’s when I make that kind of point that I’m most likely to find myself taxed with being a ‘self-hating Jew’.

Now, in one debate on the subject with a Zionist friend, I found myself suddenly interrupted by her.

‘You said “the Jews”,’ she told me, clearly pained.

I was about to defend myself saying that I meant ‘the Jews of Israel’. But of course I didn’t: there are many Israeli Jews, though not a majority, who deeply dislike the behaviour of their government. What I really meant to criticise was the Israeli state.

But that wasn’t what I said. When I said ‘the Jews’ I was labelling all Jews as somehow culpable for the behaviour of the Israeli state towards Palestinians. Which is ironic: Israel often inflicts collective punishment on innocent people, taking action against the family of a terrorist for the behaviour of that terrorist. Here was I using the same kind of perverse thinking, accusing all Jews of sharing in the guilt of the minority that forms the Israeli government.

It’s easy to see how this happens. Israel is the only Jewish state. It’s relatively easy to slip from referring to Israel into referring to Jews. That explains my error but it doesn’t excuse it. Loose words can lead to loose thoughts. I had to find a way to maintain my criticism of the behaviour of the Israeli government without letting it drift into a criticism of all Jews.

There is evidence that elements within my own party, Labour, have not been that circumspect. Some have let their anger over the excesses of Zionism spill over into something much more toxic. There may also be others who actually harbour anti-Jewish sentiments, but have been granted too much tolerance because they are sound in their opposition to Islamophobia and violent Zionism.

There have been honourable examples of reactions to antisemitism. The Labour MP Naz Shah, attacked over certain remarks, had the decency to admit that 'the language I used was anti-Semitic, it was offensive'. She accused herself of ignorance and described herself as being on a learning journey, and thanked the Jewish community for the ‘amazing compassion’ it had shown her.

It’s hard to demand more of anybody than that they sincerely recognise their errors and work to eliminate them.

Unfortunately, not everyone is prepared to go that far. Some may indeed be prepared to protect and cover up antisemitic elements. Far more widespread is a simple failure to do anything at all. The evil is left to fester in the hope that it goes away or, at least, won’t attract adverse publicity.

Festering sores turn septic, and adverse publicity has burst out anyway, drowning the party in a scandal that drags on from day to day.

Corbyn: not providing what Labour most needs - leadership

The failure to act has its source at the top of the Party, with the man who holds the leadership, Jeremy Corbyn. A report on antisemitism in the party was prepared in June 2016; nearly two years on, it hasn’t yet been implemented. The intention is to have an in-house lawyer working on the problem; it seems that the paperwork to appoint one is on Corbyn’s desk and hasn’t been signed.

This is Corbyn’s way. He’s marked by a terrible indolence, a dangerous inattention to detail. The most recent scandal broke out when it emerged that he had offered support on FaceBook for the artist of a mural that was to be overpainted. Corbyn spoke out in favour of free speech, apparently unaware that at the heart of the mural was a deeply antisemitic caricature of Jews gorging themselves while others suffered the terribly poverty to which they’d condemned them.

Corbyn has apologised, but he has had to admit that he wrote his post before he’d looked at the mural. See what I mean? Indolence. Inattention to detail.

In the latest scandal, he’s had to apologise several times because he couldn’t get an apology out that was adequate first time. Or second time. Again, a failure of political instinct, a failure of effort to get things right from the start.

His supporters claim that the scandal is just a weapon to use against Corbyn. I think the best response to that came from a Shadow Minister quoted in the Guardian: ‘… because it’s true it’s being used against Jeremy doesn’t mean there isn’t a problem.’

There is a serious problem of antisemitism in the Labour Party. It needs to be rooted out. And that needs to happen soon.

Making things happen. That sounds like an essential ingredient of leadership. And what’s needed right now in the Labour Party is leadership.

That’s something we ought to be able to count on from the Leader. Sadly, there’s precious little sign of that , as he flounders from apology to apology, taking too little action too late, and handing weapons – genuine, usable weapons – to his adversaries. To our adversaries.

Antisemitism is a morally crucial question. That makes it something vital for Labour to address. But in purely political terms, it’s not the biggest question facing Labour or Corbyn.

That’s the question of Brexit. And it’s another issue on which it’s proving impossible to pull a coherent stance out of him. Another issue on which the Leader’s showing himself incapable of leadership.

Reinforcing my sense that whatever the solution may be to the Labour Party’s present woes, it’s going to have to start with a change at the top.