Hampstead and Kilburn CLP member slams the Labour leader as he appears on panel with Chris Williamson and Tony Greenstein
November 9, 2020 16:46
One of the Labour Party’s most outspoken anti-Zionist campaigners has said he has “contempt” for a commitment Sir Keir Starmer made to “penalise” party members who share a platform with activists accused of antisemitism.
Hampstead and Kilburn Labour Party member Moshe Machover told a meeting of the Labour Left Alliance group he was “proud to share a panel” with ex-Labour MP Chris Williamson - as well as Tony Greenstein, who was expelled by Labour over antisemitism allegations.
In open defiance of Sir Keir’s pledge, Mr Machover told around 250 activists: “I am happy to publically break it.”
Mr Machover – who had previously overturned expulsion from Labour in a high-profile case in which Jeremy Corbyn’s office admitted intervening – accused Sir Keir of making his commitment on punishing those who share platforms with antisemites to the “Board of Jewish Deputies”.
Speaking at November 4 online meeting, Mr Machover said: “The Labour Party leader made a commitment regarding what I regard not as witch-hunt – it is really a heresy hunt.
“They don’t burn us, they excommunicate us.
“What is typical of a heresy hunt is those who are excommunicated are accused of heresy themselves. That has happened to two of my colleagues on this panel.”
The Tel Aviv-born activist than added: “Sir Keir has made a commitment I think to the Board of Jewish Deputies that he will penalise people who share a platform with those who are excommunicated, accused by some of antisemitism.”
Describing these allegations as “fake”, Mr Machover then added: “I have contempt for this commitment and I am happy to publically break it.”
He said: “I am proud to share a panel with Chris Williamson – it’s the first time I have had direct communications with him.
“I have long had communications with Tony Greenstein. We have often disagreed.”
Last year, the JC revealed how Mr Corbyn had “raised concerns” about Labour's initial decision to expel Mr Machover from the party in October 2017 after a controversial essay he wrote about the Nazis and Zionists was distributed at party conference.
The former Labour leader complained in October 2017 to then General Secretary Iain McNicol about the expulsion of Mr Machover, who was later readmitted, after receiving “many complaints from members to the party”.
Mr Machover's article, which appeared in a magazine produced by the Labour Party Marxists group, which is closely linked to the CPGB, quoted Reinhard Heydrich, the architect of the Final Solution, to support the notion that the Nazis supported Zionists before the Holocaust.
Labour’s John Mann and Holocaust Educational Trust Chief Executive Karen Pollock were among those to attack the publication of the article and called for those linked to the group to be expelled from the party.
Mr Machover was initially expelled from Labour under the party’s auto-exclusion rules which bar membership of another political party.
But he argued he was not a member of the CPGB despite having articles appear in their Weekly Worker newspaper and his regular appearances at their events.
Labour sources confirmed Mr Corbyn’s office was involved in Mr Machover’s case but insisted staff made the decision to reverse his expulsion, not the leader himself.
Mr Greenstein had been expelled by Labour in February 2018 over allegations of abusive behaviour including referring Jewish activists as 'Zios.'
Mr Williamson was suspended last year from the Labour Party for his comments about the party's response to criticism over its handling of allegations of antisemitism.
He was reinstated in June 2019 with a formal warning but was re-suspended two days later when the party decided to review the disciplinary decision amid claims by the Board of Deputies suggesting he had been involved in “Jew baiting.”
He stood as an independent candidate in the December General Election after resigning from Labour but lost his deposit.
The JC has approached Labour for comment on Mr Machover’s latest claims.
