Our Royall Appointment - email correspondence 8 July

I am still really confused and would appreciate your guidance as the Chakrabarti Report throws up some new questions. When I say ‘throws up’ , it is more than a simple figure of speech but an actual reflection of quality of the content of the report.

Firstly, I read the report thoroughly. Multiple times in fact. None of the promised further detail from your report seems to be there. This is more than a little odd because you said at the NEC that it would be and I was really hoping that I could tell my daughter (Mira, in case you’ve forgotten) that the OULC students who had behaved in such a threatening manner wouldn’t be a problem anymore. What you, Dave and Shami seem to have come up with is….Don’t use naughty words or we’ll give you a light tap on the wrist. I’m sure the OULC anti-semites are quaking in their boots now!

So, my first new question is; Since it’s not ok to use Holocaust imagery and comparison to denigrate Jews is comparison to a murderous terrorist organisation ok? As Jeremy Corbyn is still the leader of your party, and he clearly made the comparison between a multi-faith, multi-ethnic democratic country and a bunch of people who take hostages and behead them, sell women into slavery, murder thousands of innocents and are on their way to turning most of a geographical region into a medieval hell, is that comparison on the approved list of epithets? Is there an approved list and where can I get hold of it? I wouldn’t want my daughter to cause offence at Oxford by crying anti-semitism inappropriately. Furthermore, if she is accused of being in collusion with the right-wing press by accidentally looking at a copy of The Telegraph or merely peeling a copy on the newsagent’s shelf back in search of The Guardian, is is a fair cop? Would she have to have read the print to be guilty or would proximity be enough proof of guilt? Jeremy Corbyn has Mr. Wadsworth’s mobile number but I’m afraid I don’t. Would you be so good as to ask him?

Next question; On a social level, it clearly seems to be the done thing to invite a mob to Labour gatherings. My understanding from the Chakrabarti launch is that no Labour gathering is complete without a mob. The whole Oxford sub fusc thing is new to me and I want to get on with shopping and packing for her. Is it de rigeur to have a Momentum t-shirt and a Socialist Workers Party sign for all Labour gatherings? I’m just going by what I’ve seen on TV. Forgive my naivety, but my impression is that parliamentary democracy has been suspended in your party and one really should dress for the occasion. Will a torch and pitchfork be advisable, do you think- just to blend in? When encountering such a mob, should she cover any religious symbols and hope for the best or run quickly in the opposite direction?

Lastly, if such a mob begins saying anti-semitic things, who should my daughter call on to deliver the promised tap on the wrist? Should she write directly to the president of the NUS? Would that be effective, do you think? Maybe she should contact someone on the current Labour front bench? Perhaps the one who compared Anglo-Jews who serve in the IDF to ISIS or the one who accused our last British ambassador to Israel of being a Zionist plant? A direct appeal to Corbyn? I need an answer to this quite urgently so please don’t wait for Shami to pass you a note.

Once again, I commend you, Dave and Shami for producing exactly the sort of report we expected. I’m sure the long list of anti-Israel ‘Jewish’ organisations loved it. And how simple it was made for you to consult with them as the same 80-odd asajews belong to every one of them. As for the other 250,000 of us (my daughter, Mira, included), we are not entirely reassured that ‘unhappy incidents’ won’t continue to happen. A few weeks ago, my younger daughter was called a ‘Fucking Jew’ by a random member of the public in a park. Since the verbal assault didn’t mention Hitler, that was probably ok going by your conclusions. Last week’s march in Central London was a huge improvement on previous years as the demonstators chose cheery yellow Hamas and Hezbollah banners instead of the usual Israeli flags with swastikas on them. At least I don’t think there were any of the usual ‘Hitler was right’ placards- I looked in the Guardian but there weren’t any photos. You can rest easy that your message is certainly getting across.

I’m sure we’d all be interested in reading your report at some point and if only out of interest. I mean, if you can be bothered. I completely understand that you are very busy standing by and watching Parliamentary Democracy being subverted. Standing in the corridors of near-power is terribly time consuming and pretending not to hear anti-semitism really takes it out of you- quite, quite exhausting, I’m sure. I suppose you knew that having spoken to students at Oxford. I’ll pack earplugs for Mira.

I’m sure you’ll also get around to answering my questions when all this blows over. I know that there aren’t many of us Jews and we are rather an irritation with our endless pleas to be treated with the same respect as everyone else. So, you know, when you have time.

I suppose there’s nothing left to say but to thank you for living down to our expectations. We had all considered paying our three quid but decided that the money would be better spent on something else, like petrol station flowers or a Starbucks coffee.

Regards,
Rebecca Trenner

PS- Islamophobia is still bad too