Al Jazeera’s documentary on Israel’s alleged influence in British politics is intended to “deny and belittle the serious problems with antisemitism experienced by the Labour Party,” according to Labour Friends of Israel chair Joan Ryan.
The third instalment of the four-part programme, broadcast on Friday, focused on Ms Ryan, who was manning the LFI stall at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool last year.
The MP is secretly filmed by an undercover reporter in conversation with Jean Fitzpatrick, a pro-Palestinian campaigner, about the potential for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
Ms Fitzpatrick suggests to Ms Ryan that LFI had lots of “money” and “prestige”.
She says: “You have got a lot of money, you have got a lot of prestige in the world. What I hear is that it [LFI] is a stepping stone to good jobs.
“A friend of mine’s son has got a really good job at Oxford University having worked for Labour Friends of Israel.”
Ms Ryan responds by suggesting to the woman that what she is saying resembles an antisemitic trope used against Jews.
She says: “It is antisemitic. It is an antisemitic trope. It is about conspiracy theorists.”
Ms Fitzpatrick insists she is not being antisemitic and is just relaying “facts”.
Later in the film Ms Ryan can be seen describing the incident to a Labour colleague and claims Ms Fitzpatrick suggested joining LFI could result in a job at a bank, although the film does not show Ms Fitzpatrick making that suggestion.
Ms Ryan later reported the incident to party officials.
Ms Fitzpatrick tells the documentary-makers: “I was interested in whatever funds they had and whatever influence they had and how could this bring about a two-state solution? That was my very basic question.”
In a statement issued today, Ms Ryan said her complaint to the party was “entirely appropriate”.
She added: “It is the duty of Labour Party members - whether in Parliament or at the grassroots - to report language that they believe to be racist or antisemitic.
“References to groups having ‘lots of money … lots of prestige in the world’ and suggestions that they advance people’s careers appeared to me to evoke classic antisemitic tropes.
“My complaint to the Labour Party about this incident made no references to the City and/or banking and I have never publicly named the person who was the object of it.
“The intention of this programme is sadly clear: to deny and belittle the serious problems with antisemitism experienced by the Labour Party over the past year.
“It would be most regrettable if it succeeded in deterring people from taking a stand against language that they believe to be hateful.”
