Politics
Councillor who joked about ‘Jew process’ gave Green Party antisemitism training
Row erupted between Green Party and Jewish Labour Movement
November 27, 2024 15:47
Row erupted between Green Party and Jewish Labour Movement
November 27, 2024 15:47A Merseyside councillor who joked that complaints of antisemitism in Labour should be labelled “Jew process” rather than “due process” gave antisemitism training to the Green Party.
Jo Bird, who is Jewish, was expelled from Labour in 2021 for supporting the Labour Against the Witchhunt (LAW), which had been proscribed by the party.
She had previously been investigated by Labour for reacting to the publication of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) report into antisemitism in the party by claiming racism against Jewish communities was deemed more “worthy of resources” than other ethnic minorities.
The JC has previously reported that Bird has stated that she believes there is “privileging of racism against Jews as more worthy of resources than other forms of racism” and joking that the way Labour dealt with complaints of antisemitism should be labelled “Jew process”, rather than “due process”.
A JLM spokesperson told Jewish News: “The idea that the Greens would use someone who was expelled from the Labour Party for antisemitism training shows what deep, deep denial they are in about the left antisemitism crisis in their Party.”
The JLM statement prompted a furious response from the Green Party’s deputy leader Zack Polanski, who is also Jewish.
In a post on social media he wrote: “Why would the Jewish Labour movement – a group standing alongside a government enabling genocide – comment on training within the Green Party? Who do they think they are?”
The absolutely incoherency of it aside - there's a much darker edge to this.
— Zack Polanski (@ZackPolanski) November 26, 2024
It's about hounding a Jewish woman for being a socialist and not matching their politics.
It's vile behaviour & it should be treated with nothing but absolute contempt.
Solidarity with @JoBirdJoBird.
He also defended Bird and added: “The absolutely incoherency of it aside – there's a much darker edge to this. It's about hounding a Jewish woman for being a socialist and not matching their politics. It's vile behaviour & it should be treated with nothing but absolute contempt.”
JLM sources responded: “Rather than snipe and make excuses for cranks who were kicked out of Labour, the Green Party should stop doubling down and try and learn from us.”
The source said that JLM had been “at the forefront of getting the Labour Party to take antisemitism seriously and get it in a state fit to govern.”
A Green Party spokesperson defended the decision to allow Bird to carry out antisemitism training, saying: “The training was developed in collaboration with our Jewish Greens group and shows that the Green Party takes antisemitism incredibly seriously.”
They added: “As a prominent and experienced Jewish councillor, Jo Bird is considered by the Association of Green Councillors as ideal to deliver such training. We have complete confidence in Jewish Greens and those Jewish councillors who developed and delivered this training programme at our conference.”
The spokesperson also said the party stood “fully behind” deputy leader Polanski.
“By interfering with internal Green Party matters the Jewish Labour Movement is playing politics which does not serve the Jewish community well. The Green Party agrees that the Labour government is complicit in genocide in Gaza and has called for the suspension of all arms exports to Israel", they said.