A British Jew, not afraid of Corbyn but of the weaponisation of antisemitism
JVL Introduction
Robert A.H. Cohen sees the concept of antisemitism as having been drained of meaning for the sake of narrow political advantage.
He traces the parties involved in this development – the Jewish Chronicle and the Jewish News, Jo Swinson, Boris Johnson and many more.
He examines the case against Corbyn’s Labour and Corbyn himself, believing that the latter, pursuing a strategy of not giving more oxygen to the allegations through direct engagement, merely encouraged more vilification.
And he explains why he fears that the actions of the formal leadership of the Jewish community and its allies in the Jewish press and the CA have only succeeded “in making the task of fighting anti-Jewish behaviour harder and more complicated”.
This article was originally published by Patheos on Wed 13 Nov 2019. Read the original here.
As a British Jew I’m not fearful of a Corbyn government but I’m horrified at how antisemitism is being used against him
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How right this man is. The hysterical charges against Corbyn and the Labour Party will bring about increased antisemitism . Jews will face more danger.
Even as someone who isn’t a Jew, I find that I could have written this myself. Robert Cohen has nailed the essence of the revulsion that many of us feel towards the crudely manufactured ‘antisemitism’ ‘crisis’ in Labour – not only on behalf of such as ourselves, but in terms of the insult to the Jewish community and to the memory of the victims of the Holocaust.
I don’t need any lectures from such as the posturing Pollard and Freedland, nor do I need any empty ‘Thought for the Day’ moralising from hypocrites such as Jonathan Sacks to understand the nature of anti-semitism and the horrors it has produced. That horror stems from the same basis as revulsion at the treatment of Palestinians. The two are one in terms of our condemnation.
Above all, trying to gull the Jewish community by politically warped propaganda for narrow sectarian ends is inexcusable in its effect on that community and also on wider community relationships. ‘Disgust’ is too weak a word.
And, yes, Cohen is absolutely right that the Labour Party has been critically mistaken in attempting to just ignore the immensity of the lie.
Excellent article. And isn’t he saying what Williamson tried to express(I’d somewhat clumsily) that Corbyns problem has been in not defending against these allegations robustly enough?
This is a very carefully measured comment. One more thought is that the issue has raised the Temperature between Jews rather than outside and is very unpleasant
Very well and comprehensively written. Thanks Robert.
Hopefully not. I do not envisage a turn against the Jewish Community. There has never been any such turn nor likely to be. There could be a turn, and justifiably, to the conveyors and purveyors of this politically charged hysteria. Cohen rightfully points to the historical deep insecurity of Jewish people. He rightfully states that there is nothing to fear from a Jeremy Corbyn Labour Party in power. And hopefully, if we succeed in combating the Media and the Right Wing of the LP Jewish people will see that there never has been anything to fear. At that point there will be a deep questioning of their Leadership and possibly a holding them to account. The real danger that Jewish people will experience, if we fail to win. will be from the Far Right as has always been the case.
Clearly and accurately argued, regarding the moral panic stirred up for bogus reasons by very bogus people, climaxing (at least so far ) in that appallingly irresponsible statement on the front of the latest “JC”.
there is no doubt but that Freedland, the Jewish Labour Movement and others are utter liars.
Please forward article to John le Carre, Joanna Lumley and all the left wing luminaries who say they cannot vote Labour because of anti Semitism. Also copy to Jewish News, Board of Deputies and JC
In the past I have enjoyed the contributions by Rabbis on the ‘God spot’ of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. They were so often level-headed, humane and occasionally even entertaining. Now I uneasily await the insertion of more distortions of the treatment of Jews by Corbyn and the Labour Party. It hurts me as an LP member to be slandered in this way, even by MPs in my own party who must know better. I expect no other from the current leaders of the Conservative or Liberal Democrats but where is fact checking by the BBC or the media in general? A sorry state of affairs for political life in our country.
Really, really excellent article by Mr Cohen, although I do disagree with him about Jeremy, and his criticism of him regards not defending himself and the party. As Justin Schlosberg points out in Chapter 4 of Bad News for Labour:
“In contrast to other contexts, the antisemitism issue by its very nature inhibits the development of a counter-narrative. This is because much of the discursive framing serves to pre-emptively delegitimise any defensive response as ‘part of the problem’”.
In other words, it’s a no-win situation, and if you deny that there’s any problem (beyond the normal) and that it’s an orchestrated smear campaign, or defend those who have been falsely accused, such as Ken Livingstone and Jackie Walker and Chris Williamson, to name three of the more high profile victims, then you too are condemned and vilified as being in denial and, as such, being part of the problem, etc.
As many on the left are aware, Ken was alluding to the Haavara Agreement when he said what he said about Hitler supporting Zionism – ie he was alluding, in passing – and in response to something Vanessa Feltz put to him in relation to Hitler (yes, it was Vanessa Feltz who ‘introduced’ Adolf Hitler into the discussion/interview) – to an historical fact, and all the condemnation and vilification directed at him was false and phony and contrived, but each and every time Ken has attempted to get the truth out there since then, he has just been condemned and vilified AGAIN for repeating his “hate-fuelled nonsense”, or words to that effect. And on one of the rare occasions when ‘Labour’ DID fight back, as they did in response to the Panorama hatchet job, they were widely condemned by all the usual suspects for attacking the “brave and courageous” whistle-blowers, etc. What more evidence does anyone need that it is not only futile to try and fight your corner, but that it just invites more fake fury and outrage.
It is abhorrent beyond words that the different parties involved in this smear campaign have absolutely no problem whatsoever with causing concern and consternation amongst a large proportion of the Jewish community in their quest to destroy Jeremy Corbyn and his chances of winning a GE and forming a government, and it tells you just exactly how much THEY care about actual anti-semitism or the welfare of the Jewish community. And no doubt if Labour loses the forth-coming election and Jeremy has to stand down AND the party reverts to the Blairites, all the ‘anti-semitism’ will magically disappear, apart from the occasional token – and no doubt bogus and fake – case on the left, just to keep it in the public consciousness that all these extremist hard-left Marxist anti-semites are still out there, lurking in the shadows…….
At last, an intelligent, sensible voice. I wish everyone who intends to vote could read this article.
As one who has been bemused and at times anxious about accusations I could find little real evidence for despite considerable effort, I find this illuminating and helpful – the more so as it coincides with a worrying letter in the Guardian signed by numerous prominent figures in literature and culture.
Last night I sent this letter to the Guardian. I’m fairly certain it won’t be published:
Today The Guardian publishes a joint letter from twenty-four members of our cultural elite, stating in no uncertain terms their refusal to vote Labour under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, because he is “steeped in association with antisemitism”. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/nov/14/concerns-about-antisemitism-mean-we-cannot-vote-labour. They are, of course, entitled to their view, but they might like to consider the possible consequences of their actions, if their example leads to Boris Johnson winning the forthcoming General Election. I doubt whether any of them has been affected by the ‘’bedroom tax” (which, by the way, was supported by Jo Swinson when in the Coalition), or found themselves sleeping rough, or denied incapacity benefits, or forced to take a ‘zero-hours’ contract for some menial and underpaid job, or deported because of the colour of their skin, or forced to wait for nine hours in A&E because of the shortage of medical staff and facilities.
It is easy for these highminded individuals to sign letters in solidarity with the Jewish population of this country, but they do not speak for me, a Jewish supporter of the Labour Party. I have no qualms at all about voting for Corbyn and I profoundly hope that this apparently endless campaign to denounce him as an antisemite fails in its malevolent purpose.
A truly superb article.
Also, I recently finished reading the ‘Bad News for Labour’ book to which he refers. I strongly recommend it. The Labour Party should have responded vigorously to false allegations from the very start.
By using AS as a weapon against the left, the they are aiding the forces of reaction, the very forces that pose the greatest danger to the Jewish people. It is after all the right wing government of Victor Orban that accuses George Soros of being part of a Jewish conspiracy. It was a right wing extremist that brought death and destruction to the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburg and it was right wing extremist that chanted that ‘the Jews will not replace us’ at Charlottesville.
By aiding the right the accusers of JC are endangering Jewish people. It’s is they who are the antisemites!
I have never remotely thought of Jonathon Freedland as ‘centre left’.
I would like to point out to Richard Hayward that Rabbi Sacks is a Lord a Rabbi and a man of great morality and courage.
In what way is he hypocritical??
Hyman. Have you actually thought to read the various factual analysis within this site that led to the comment by Richard?
Sacks letter today contains no facts at all but very generalised claims using heightened words for maximum effect. He fails to deal with any evidence at all about the number of cases dealt with, those complaints that were about people who were not Labour Party members, ( what does Sacks expect the party to do about them?) the mistaken interpretation of Macphersons definition of discrimination being used by the Board of Deputies that enables them to regard an allegation as proof. It is not the way due process is organised.
In that respect Sacks is being dishonest and therefore hypocritical
In trying to find facts on the antisemitism issue I could not find anything on the national press that is not damning about Labour and Corbyn. This article is excellent and explain clearly how the discussion is more about no one being allowed to criticise the policies of the Israeli state, which incidentally is not supported by all citizens of Israel, than about antisemitism. Why this article, as well as other serious and well documented ones in this site, are not published in the national press?
Excellent article. Thanks. I’ve been trying to argue these points for years. People need to stand up and say this for all to hear
Superb article with numerous excellent comments already posted. I sometimes feel I’m in a parallel universe where proven racists can accuse a lifelong antiracist of racism, and while the only evidence they present is a load of similar accusations that have already been made (also with no concrete evidence), with each reiteration the case grows apparently stronger. Speaking of evidence, as stated in the article, actual complaints analysed by Jennie Formby show 0.06% of members found guilty. Many of the complaints analysed had come from Dame Hodge, many of which related to the same person, and beyond that a large proportion turned out to be non-members. But who needs facts?
I have been on the Left for decades (when I was young, it was easy to choose the party that opposed Apartheid over the party of Smethwick and Enoch Powell).
I am Jewish enough that my dad told me he would have been put in a camp if the Germans had invaded. I grew up in North London with loads of Jewish friends (I know the cliche is that racists always have a black friend – but actually so do non-racists). Some of their parents were refugees from Europe, so I had an education in what the Holocaust had done, from its victims. I would never take this lightly not align with a party or leadership that did. I can only imagine how hurtful these accusations are to a lifelong campaigner like Mr Corbyn. How he puts up with it all so graciously I do not know, because it hurts me enough.
Thanks for your wise words, and solidarity.
What a great article simply the best I have read on this subject. The only question I would ask can you not get this message on the BBC. Try to counter the false assumption given that there is only one Jewish voice. I am not Jewish I do not consider myself to be antisemitic. I am a Labour party member you have outlined my concerns and I thank you for it
Is JV4L putting out press releases? Is there a way to include these voices in the debate and show that Jewish people (like any other grouping of people) have different views about politics, society and what constitutes anti-semitism?
Excellent analysis and superbly well written. This should be on the front page of all newspapers rather than the lies being told about Corbyn being anti-semitic.
Nails it on the head. Anti-antisemitism is an ugly aspect of human society that needs to be gotten rid of. But the politicisation of it, in favour of a rich, poor hating Tory party who openly colludes with corrupt powers that suck the life from the economy, give tax breaks to the rich, promotes inequality and hatred (anti-Semitic) and destroys the environment – is a BAD MOVE.
The press and powers using this narrative will only make antisemitism worse as it unfortunately gives credence to “they control the press”, “they dont care about the poor”, and “the country is run in favour of foreign powers”. This is totally going to back fire on us – all for political gain.