Jeremy Corbyn’s new anti-Semitism rules slammed as a ‘racists’ charter’ by Jewish groups
JEREMY Corbyn’s new anti-Semitism rules have been slammed as a “racists' charter” by Jewish groups.
They reacted with fury at new guidelines revealed today, and have already written to the party's general secretary to demand they don't give those peddling anti-Jew hate a “get out of jail free card”.
Documents leaked to LBC, which include fresh definitions of what constitutes as anti-Jewish hate, were passed by members of Labour's ruling body on Tuesday, but still have yet to be signed off by the National Executive Committee.
The new rules could have serious implications for the dozens of cases of alleged hate incidents that the party have yet to rule on.
Labour Against Anti-Semitism blasted it as “a toothless document that will only encourage Jew-hate in the Labour Party to flourish further, unchallenged and unpunished”.
Created as part of the party's drive to root out hate, it also said "contentious views" might not be classed as anti-Semitism unless there is "evidence of anti-Semitic intent" too.
One part of the document reads: "The expression of even contentious views in this area will not be treated as anti-Semitism unless accompanied by specific anti-Semitic content or by other evidence of anti-Semitic intent.
"In short, the party will encourage considered and respectful debate on these difficult topics, but will not tolerate name-calling and abuse."
The documents go on to list a number of examples which are only "likely to be regarded as anti-Semitic" - including calling for the killing of Jews.
Figures from the Jewish Labour Movement (JLM) met with the party's general secretary Jennie Formby to discuss the new rules earlier this week, and Labour sources said they were "positively received".
But today Labour MP Luciana Berger and National Chair Ivor Caplain have written to her to say they had no sight of the documents before they were signed off, and demanded the party abandon their new definition, because it doesn't go far enough.
One source told the Jewish Chronicle: "It just looks like [they] have been played."
Labour adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of anti-Semitism in 2016, but activists now say that it's been changed and bits have been taken out.
They said that "the best working definition of anti-Semitism is the full IHRA definition" and note that the Government, CPS, College of Policing, Scottish Parliament and many other bodies and countries around the world use it.
"We cannot give anti-Semites a get out of jail free card... our evidence was ignored," the JLM said in a letter.
Labour MP Wes Streeting added: "We're shooting ourselves in the foot, squandering a real opportunity to start rebuilding trust and confidence in our ability to tackle anti-Semitism."
Labour Against Anti-Semitism went on to say the document was "an insult to the Jewish community, to Jewish Labour members and to the traditions of the Labour Party" and urged the Labour leadership to think again about adopting the "toothless" proposals formally.
Labour's new head of disputes 'defended expelled activist'
LABOUR's new head of disputes defended an activist who was expelled from the party, it has emerged.
Claudia Webbe, who was this week appointed to one of Labour's top executive jobs, previously backed left-winger Marc Wadsworth, an activist who was booted from the party for bringing it into disrepue.
He was suspended two years previously after launching a verbal attack on Jewish MP Ruth Smeet at the launch of a party report into anti-Semitism.
But Ms Webbe, who replaced Christine Shawcroft on Labour NEC this week, backed him in an interview on Russia today earlier this year.
She credited Mr Wadsworth with the "tremendous work" for the anti-racist movement, and said he was "demonised".
She told the programme: "When you’ve the powers of the mainstream media, working together with big business working together with the political elite, they can in a sense demonise individuals in this way."
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They went on:" Under the terms of the Labour Party’s code Jews are not allowed to define racism against them, and instead this is left to the perpetrator to say if s/he has antisemitic intent. It appears that this is the only ethnic group denied this right by Labour."
The Jewish Board of Deputies added: "It is for Jews to determine for themselves what antisemitism is."
Labour sources stressed that the new code goes beyond the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism, and the rules were passed without issue at the recent meeting of the ruling body.
A Labour spokesman said: “These are the most detailed and comprehensive guidelines on antisemitism adopted by any political party in this country.
"They draw on the IHRA examples and other sources to provide practical examples of antisemitism which can be applied to complaints cases and used in political education programmes to foster deeper understanding of antisemitism among members.”
Party sources hit back against the complaints from Labour Against Anti-Semitism.
One said: “That is a ludicrous and entirely false claim which deliberately misrepresents the guidelines.
"They cover all the same ground as the IHRA examples, but they go further, providing more examples and details so they can actually be applied.
"That is why they were so positively received by all wings of the party and unanimously agreed in the meeting.”
A Labour source said the Jewish Labour Movement had met with the party's general secretary and did not object to the proposed guidelines.
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