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JLM accuses Labour of 'deliberately inflaming' tensions with Jewish community
JLM said its faith in the party leadership to deal with the antisemitism crisis 'has all but disappeared'
August 14, 2018 17:06
JLM said its faith in the party leadership to deal with the antisemitism crisis 'has all but disappeared'
August 14, 2018 17:06The Jewish Labour Movement has said it would no longer take part in ongoing talks on tackling antisemitism within the party and accused it of deliberately “inflaming tensions” with the Jewish community.
In a letter written to Labour General Secretary Jennie Formby, JLM said its faith in the party leadership to deal with the crisis “has all but disappeared.”
JLM chair Ivor Caplin said the party had taken an approach to the issue that would “only antagonise tensions further. Despite our numerous warnings, we can only conclude that this has been done so with intent.”
Mr Caplin said JLM would reject any invitation to take part in Labour's working group on antisemitism, which was set up by the party's ruling executive to deal with the issue, until it met four demands.
The group made up of senior members of the National Executive Committee (NEC), is due to hold its second meeting on Wednesday.
But for JLM to take part, Mr Caplin said the party must adopt in full the internationally-recognised definition of antisemitism, which is at the centre of a huge standoff between the party and its Jewish supporters.
Mr Caplin said that JLM had tried to offer constructive advice to the party “at all points during this crisis,” but “faith that the party wishes to reciprocate in the same manner has all but disappeared.”
The NEC’s decision not to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of Jew-hate - and adopt a watered-down version instead - was widely condemned by MPs and Jewish community leaders.
Labour's version omits key examples of how criticising Israel can be antisemitic.
In a letter sent on Monday to Ms Formby, Mr Caplin wrote: “No code of conduct on antisemitism, developed in isolation, without the involvement of JLM or the wider Jewish community will maintain any confidence.
"This belligerent position on behalf of the party is also at odds with its own decision in December 2016 to adopt the full IHRA definition alongside the working examples.
“The subsequent decision by the party to revisit the IHRA document, and amend its contextual examples, without consultation represents a backward step in the party’s handling of antisemitism.
“The briefing by the party and the leader’s press office to the media that only one contextualised example remains in discussion is further evidence of the deliberately misleading approach being taken, further inflaming tensions rather than tempering them.”
Mr Caplin said the party must also respond to formal complaints JLM made about NEC member Peter Willsman and Labour MP Chris Williamson.
He said JLM had received no response to formal complaints it had made either of them.
Mr Willsman claimed Jewish “Trump fanatics” were making false claims of antisemitism in the party, in a rant exposed by the JC.
JLM also called for Mr Williamson, one of Jeremy Corbyn's biggest supporters in parliament, to be suspended from the party after he defended Labour activists who use language "perceived as antisemitic."
Speaking at a meeting of Momentum supporters in Liverpool, Mr Williamson, the Derby North MP, did nothing to challenge a left-wing Labour member who used a hard-core antisemitic trope to defend Mr Willsman.
The final condition given by Mr Caplin was that the party must and end a disciplinary investigation into MP Ian Austin, who is being investigated after a confrontation with party chairman Ian Lavery over the antisemitism crisis.
In the letter, he also said JLM was “incredibly disappointed” that NEC members were going to be given antisemitism training by an unknown organisation, instead of JLM.
He said it was further evidenceof Labour attempts "to deliberately undermine its formal Jewish affiliate and add to further tension."
