An open letter to UK Labour leader Keir Starmer
Published
by
Richard Kuper
JVL Introduction
In response to Keir Starmer saying he supports Zionism “without qualification”, Labour Party member Ian Wellens explains quite how troubling he finds this.
He asks for reassurance that in Starmer’s Labour “will energetically defend the right to freedom of thought and freedom of speech on Palestine/Israel”.
This article was originally published by Mondoweiss on Fri 10 Apr 2020. Read the original here.
An open letter to UK Labour leader Keir Starmer
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Anyone who supports the state of Israel as it presents itself today must have supported the South African apartheid state in principal and therefore must also be an antidemocratic right wing racist.
Another excellent letter. Thank you Ian. And a thank you to our colleagues and true friends of the Labour Party at JVL.
Great letter thanks Ian. To comply with the requirements of LP, we are expected to dump our moral and ethical principles and side with the oppressor.
In response to Geoff Rouse I’m afraid I don’t agree with you. If what you say is true, then we would have had a much easier time combating the pernicious ideology that is Zionism. Everyone can see that Apartheid is racist, but there is not such a consensus about Israel, especially in the media and the intelligentsia. I therefore don’t think that many supporters of Apartheid would have been anything other than conscious racists, but the same is not true of some Zionists at least. I suspect Keir Starmer is one such person. I am pretty sure that he has not decided to be a Zionist because he wants to support racism. I also don’t think he is ignorant about Zionism. I think it most likely that he has made a calculation that he needs to (claim to) be Zionist in order to secure his own political advancement (obviously not with the rank and file members of the labour party, who are overwhelmingly sympathetic to the Palestinians).
For the same reasons, he’s not going to read articles like the excellent one above and suddenly have an epiphany: “Ah, of course, now I understand what the Israeli state is really like”. He already knows that. We need to think of a another way of changing the labour leadership’s positions on this question.
Reasonable question. Most interested to hear if any reply. @conspiracy_empiracist.
Britain has long been a vassal state of the American Empire. Israel is a vassal state of that same empire in a strategically important part of the world. Unconditional support for the state of Israel is a requirement from the Empire for anyone aspiring to be PM of Britain.
Corbyn was an aberration and had to be destroyed. Starmer is a return to business as usual.
Phillip Ward – absolutely right. He knows what he’s doing. Lisa Nandy is his shield on this one. What pro-Israel elements are really concerned about and why Jeremy Corbyn was ‘an existential threat’ to them was the potential for the UK supporting the rights of Palestinians. This is, in reality, something that Israel could not accept – until they have annexed everything they want to. When they have done this they will readily agree to the idea of a Palestinian state – which will be a bit of dirt and a shithouse somewhere remote. Starmer thinks by denouncing ‘antisemitism’ in a way that all pro-Israel elements demand but appointing a Shadow Foreign Secretary who supports the right of Palestinians to ‘a homeland’ is clever. He will learn the hard way. They have already written the next chapter. Gantz and Netanyahu are agreed on what is to be done.
I think Philip Ward’s post is a vital addition to Dr Ian Wellens’ excellent article, which places Starmer’s position correctly in its relation to democratic values and the historical origin of Zionism in the context of the development of European ethical values. We do indeed need to think of a another way of changing the labour leadership’s positions on this question, as Philip says, and there should be a debate on this. One obvious course is to extend CLPs’ affiliation to JVL as far as possible, engaging the energy and gifts of Jewish members as far as possible, and bringing out the views of so many Labour members. In Ludlow constituency we debated affiliation and were lifted by an electrifying speech by a Jewish member of many years’ standing. The vote to affiliate to JVL was, as I remember, 37 to 4. But that won’t change the world. For years, I have been staggered by the lack of an active grassroots movement to challenge the control, methods and messages of the media, one that challenges with alternative messages from the corner shop up. There is such excellent alternative material – but who knows about it? Is this really beyond our wit? The Coalition for Media Reform has done great work, but it needs a far bigger grassroots wing – or if not, there needs to be a new movement for democracy. The damage to our democracy, to people’s heads, to our health, is incalculable, as we see every waking minute – and the values of JVL and its supporters are an essential part of that. The chips are down with Starmer.
Philip Ward is completely right about the broad strategy, but overlooks the way in which it is very easy to persuade oneself that one’s political opponents are racist, so further, that their politics is founded on racism, so that natural justice, openness to evidence and so on must be disposed of. McCarthyism is an essential component of the operation of the Zionist lobby and its fellow travellers throughout the LP bureaucracy, often operating through fear of the atlanticist establishment and the MSM (“bringing into disrepute”). I suspect that there is a further psychological process going on – that gentiles in particular easily unleash their guilt feelings – eg about the holocaust and its victims and survivors – upon themselves as well as upon the Palestinians and especially their supporters. For Jews, the traditional chauvinism of “is it good for the Jews?” will do as well (which now may include ‘survivor’s guilt’); and simple straightforward hatred and contempt for the Arab masses helps do the job.. And both share their traditional Labour imperialism about the Arab masses; remember Nye Bevan’s denunciation of Nasser’s nationalisation of the Suez Canal as ‘theft in the night’. This is not a full picture of course; others will add to the profile and suggest a strategy. In the meantime, complete transparency as promised by Jenny Formby in the ‘hearing’ (?!) of cases of alleged AS must be a demand equal to that posed by Ian.
Brilliant letter Ian ….thank you so much for putting into words what I would like to say myself ….I hope he takes heed
How can the Labour Party keep ties with the Israeli Labour Party when it has been suspended for membership of the Socialist International?
How can it allow for the JLM to be a socialist society as its proclaim its ties with the Israeli Labour Party?
Should the Labour Party in view of Starmer accepting the 10 pledges of the BoD reported to the Socialist International?
Thank you,
South Africa taught us how to deal with a racist state
BDS
The threat of war crimes also hang over their heads
If they want peace and reconciliation then stop using live ammunition against innocent men, women and children would be a good start
In this country we have to make vexatious claims of anti semitism a hate crime and prosecute those responsible
Interference in the democratic process from another state should also lead to serious sanctions against that country
Theres nowt new in this world just spineless and gutless politicians failing the electorate time and time again
That’s why JC was a breath of fresh air
What a terrific letter. Well said. Could not be more clearly expressed. Thank you.
I couldn’t have written this any better, my thoughts exactly. I have resigned from the party, over the make-up of the Shadow Cabinet.
I wholeheartedly agree with every word said…I too cannot condone a leader who supports Zionism. This cannot continue, the crimes of israel against the Palestinian people must be stopped and their perpetrators brought to justice.
For what it is worth, I fully endorse your letter. I am in turmoil as to whether I remain a member or leave the Labour Party. I cannot and will not be silenced over the atrocities that the Israeli government pursue and act out on the people of Palestine.
I do not give my self a label with the exception of being a Human being. I am a member of the Human Race.
I respect all faiths, cultures and ethnicities, I condemn all acts of violence, murder, apartheid and genocide. Those that offend have the right to be offended. Thus I condemn the Israeli government and their inhumane treatment of the men, women and children of Palestine.
I hope Mr Starmer is aware of the latest Sky news feed:
The 860-page report, seen by Sky News, concluded factional hostility towards Jeremy Corbyn amongst former senior officials contributed to “a litany of mistakes” that hindered the effective handling of the issue.
The investigation, which was completed in the last month of Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, claims to have found “no evidence” of antisemitism complaints being treated differently to other forms of complaint, or of current or former staff being “motivated by antisemitic intent”.
Excellent letter.
I agree with the letter by Dr Ian Wellens.
Well said, thank you.
It remains possible, or even likely, that Keir Starmer really is an enthusiastic Zionist, and that he is not just saying what the BoD wants him to for political expediency, but will, bit by bit, attempt to turn Labour into a 100% pro-Israel party.
First step.. to give the BoD and JLM the apparatus to ‘wrench’ anti-Zionists ‘out by the roots’.
Subsequent steps have already started to be prepared, specifically, placing John Healey as Shadow Minister of ‘Defense’, and Lisa Nandy as Shadow Foreign Secretary.
Expect no resistance to calls from Israel and the US for the UK to join in attacks on Iran and pro-Assad forces in Syria.
Corbyn’s party of peace, is being primed to disclose itself as a party of war.
Excellent letter. We need to here from the new leader . If not we need a petition started for a transparency of labour party’s position . Not the leaders voice .
Keir’s position and appointments are a sad day for the thousands that are in Labour for its moral socialist anti-apartheid principles. What will happen to the disappointed loyal Labour supporters?
Its quite simple, even to primary children, South Africa under apartheid was morally wrong & is no more Palestine under apartheid is therefore far worse, ashamed to be British & ashamed of the new Labour leaders cowardice
Keir Starmer,
Please listen to the Jewish opinions expressed in this letter, and comments.
My grandmother Sophie lost her parents in the holocaust. Please think about what was done to Jewish people then, and why to ‘support Zionism without qualification’ is not acceptable.
Thanks to Ian Wellens for a great letter