'If you’re backing the leadership and the way they have handled antisemitism — then you are absolutely not going to get our support'
April 11, 2019 07:54
The newly elected chair of the Jewish Labour Movement has revealed his organisation would not campaign for Labour candidates in a future general election who have “backed the leadership and the way they have handled antisemitism”.
Mike Katz - who easily defeated former chair Ivor Caplin in a vote at Sunday’s JLM annual meeting - told the JC that, unlike in the 2017 election, when activists had worked flat out to get Labour MPs elected locally, the group would now “work to rule” and were no longer prepared to back candidates who had failed to challenge antisemitism in Mr Corbyn’s party.
“In 2017 we did more than many member-led organisations, joining more than 50 campaigns across different electoral regions,” he said. “But we’ve got to be clear now — we are working to rule and that means we are not prepared to just drop everything.
“I don’t think anyone can have any doubt that we have no confidence in Jeremy Corbyn.
“We are really clear, you can’t compromise on your core values: anti-racism and tackling antisemitism. You can’t put that to one side just because its election time.
“If you’re backing the leadership and the way they have handled antisemitism — then you are absolutely not going to get our support.”
One idea still being discussed by JLM is for the introduction of MPs’ scorecards, Mr Katz revealed, which would be updated to show who has actively intervened to tackle anti-Jewish activity locally “rather than just sending the occasional tweet” as a sign of their commitment.
The decision of JLM’s members to overwhelmingly vote in favour of a motion of no confidence in the Labour leader at their AGM made national headlines at the weekend. But perhaps just as significant was the massive vote of support for Mr Katz, who had previously been narrowly defeated as Labour’s candidate for Hendon in 2017.
The JC understands that the closely guarded voting figures showed Mr Katz had received around 120 votes, while previous chair Mr Caplin attracted just 20 supporters.
Colin Appleby, who argued that JLM should disaffiliate from Labour, received the backing of just 15 members.
But the new chair is keen to dispel suggestions from some quarters that he has seized upon the role within the 2,500 member organisation as a bid further his political career.
“Anyone who suggests I am taking up this role at this particular time in order to further my own political aspirations — well, they really do need to think again,” he said. “I think one of the reasons I didn’t get selected to fight the Hendon seat again was because of how vocal I had been in calling out antisemitism.
“So the idea that I am doing this to help my political career is absurd.”
Mr Katz was keen not to dismiss the effort JLM’s previous chair had put in to try to take the group forward — in the most difficult of circumstances.
But where Mr Caplin, a former junior minister under Tony Blair, had seemed keen to ingratiate himself with the Labour leadership, Mr Katz said he would not be turning up for, as he put it, “tea and sympathy” from Mr Corbyn or anyone else in his leadership circle.
“They know what they need to do,” he said sternly. Nothing is going to change until that changes.”
But what will change under Mr Katz’s leadership, he revealed, is an attempt to promote the “really strong young talent” within the JLM movement “who have cut their teeth in the face of left-wing antisemitism in the Labour Party and also on the campuses”.
It was significant at Sunday’s AGM how popular young activists proved themselves to be with members, such as Izzy Lenga, elected International Officer; Ella Rose, voted in as Networks Officer; Liron Velleman, elected Policy Officer; and Luisa Attfield and Jack Lubner, voted in as joint youth and students’ officers,
Also noticeable was the diverse nature of the motions passed on the day — including the support for a People’s Vote over Brexit, a condemnation of antisemitism in Hungary and Poland and also, controversially, a narrowly passed motion praising the efforts of Momentum to attempt to combat antisemitism within its ranks.
“Nobody has given Momentum a free pass,” said Mr Katz. “Again, the ball is in their court.
“We stood shoulder to shoulder with them in protests against David Icke. You hear good things about Jon Lansman, and you also hear some bad things.”
The JLM chair said the group had also made “great strides” with their regional forum aimed at broadening the group’s reach outside the main Jewish hubs. “We are a national movement, which can pick up members in Yorkshire, in Newcastle, in Leeds, in Liverpool or in the shires — anywhere,” said Mr Katz.
Many observers also recognised how hard JLM’s parliamentary chair Luciana Berger had worked in openly confronting antisemitism in Labour — a confrontation that was ultimately at the centre of her decision to quit the party in February.
That decision has meant the Liverpool Wavertree MP was left with no option but to stand down from her role.
She has been replaced as parliamentary chair by MP Ruth Smeeth.
