A self-described “non-Zionist” member of controversial group Jewdas is to give antisemitism training to a local Labour branch that was accused of intimidating a Jewish member.
Annie Cohen, who stood to be president of the Union Jewish Students on a socialist platform and came last, has been invited to deliver an "interactive workshop" to "raise awareness of antisemitism" to the Dulwich and West Norwood Labour branch on Thursday night.
Cathy Ashley, a Jewish member of Dulwich and West Norwood CLP who chaired the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, filed a complaint against her local party, saying it has become a “hostile environment” for Jews who challenge Shoah denial.
In her complaint, the former Labour councillor claims she was jeered and then censured for confronting a member who spoke in support of Ken Livingstone, the former London mayor who was suspended from the party over allegations of antisemtism.
But the decision to invite Ms Cohen to speak on antisemitism will spark further concern about CLP’s direction on anti-Jewish conduct.
The Jewdas group is anti-Zionist and has issued a series of inflammatory statements on Israel, including repeatedly suggesting it is a “racist endeavour.”
The group, founded by Joseph Finlay, made headlines this year when it invited Jeremy Corbyn to its Passover Seder earlier this year.
But recently, the group published an article that appeared to suggest that Jews were being “used” to “manage exploitation” by the capitalist class.
It also appeared to blame Jews themselves for rising antisemitism with the article stating: "Jewish institutions haven’t got a hope of ending antisemitism so long as they ally themselves with the rich and their political parties.
"In fact, by playing along with this new philosemitism, they are preparing the ground for a renewal of the old violent antisemitism.”
The Jewish Labour Movement has traditionally carried out antisemitism training at Labour branches across the country.
But there is concern they are being increasingly sidelined by the Labour leadership in favour of groups such as Jewish Voice For Labour who have described antisemitism claims against Jeremy Corbyn as smears.
In last year's UJS election, Ms Cohen won only 80 of the 936 votes cast in the presidential election and finished last behind victor Hannah Rose.
Ms Cohen defended the decision to invite her to deliver the training by saying she has “been extremely vocal about the issue of antisemitism in the Labour Party and on the left in general.”
On Twitter she wrote: “I’m sure there’s a lot that @CathyAshley and I disagree on, but Ken Livingstone doesn’t appear to be one of them. I’ll be discussing his comments about Hitler and Zionism as one of my examples of the kind of antisemitism that is too often strayed into on the left.
“The fact I am not a Zionist doesn’t mean I don’t recognise when antizionism and antisemitism overlap. Non-Zionist activists who campaign against and experience both antisemitism and how it is politicised have experienced this broygus from all its nasty angles.”
