Follow-up on Hornsey & Wood Green Labour CLP factionalism

This is a sad state of affairs.Like Levi-Hughes I have close relatives who died in the holocaust and reserve the right to criticise the actions of the Israeli government and it’s political adherents within and beyond Israel.It is quite extraordinary that a supposedly left wing party prohibits the right of its own members to be critical of a right wing and nationalist government perpetrating crimes against an ethnic group within its society, rather than endorsing and supporting groups within Israeli civic society which oppose abuses of human rights.

Thank you to Andrew Murray for a balanced and fair account of this depressing episode. I would like to hear from Rabbi Mason how he considers the conflict could be resolved.
Geoffrey Bindman

Absolutely despicable behaviour towards someone whose family have suffered unmeasurable torment. Catherine west should be ashamed of herself. This confirms I was right to leave the Labour Party. I would have still voted for Catherine West before reading this but I will now be voting Green.

‘….a respected member of JLM?’

The Zionist-friendly grouping currently in control of the Labour Party are not going to change their spots. In order to hold the line against critics of Israel it is necessary to swear that apartheid is no such thing, since they know that if that word is allowed to enter the debate they would lose the argument. A constituency meeting should be a space where open-minded debate can take place in a spirit of comradely solidarity. A small but voluble group with ties to the leadership is now making meetings a hostile zone for members who prioritize human rights over the defense of an apartheid state. That is intolerable, but it is the situation which which we find ourselves. Principles are being sacrificed in the interests of careerism and supine conformity. Catherine West’s position is patently insincere: the word has gone out from Labour HQ that the a-word must not be spoken, and she knows better than to challenge it.

As I have written elsewhere, I am not sure that we should be arguing that these actions, when directed against Jewish members, are antisemitic. To turn the weapons of bad-faith actors against them may be a kind of justice, but it will never be taken seriously by those who originally weaponized this accusation. Moreover the argument itself is not a sound one. The attack on Jewish members has nothing to do with antisemitism and everything to do with control. Starmer & Co are not in the least bit concerned with antisemitism: for them it is a route to political power and nothing else.

Let me mention a small piece from this jigsaw.
David Mason is hoping to become a Haringey Labour councillor in the London borough elections 5th May 2022.

Selections of ward candidates are currently underway. I’ve no part since I resigned from Labour in 2020. (After some fifty years in the party.)

The two Haringey Parliamentary constituencies (Hornsey Wood Green, in the west and Tottenham in the east) differ markedly. Deeply divided in wealth, health, housing, employment, child poverty and other crucial factors. Tottenham MP David Lammy used to say it was the most diverse Constituency in the UK. I doubt that has changed much.

Voting patterns till now are that for many years Tottenham was solid Labour. But with Hornsey Wood Green having a sizeable LibDem vote. So Tottenham wards are viewed as safe Labour. And attractive to candidates from the west.

As a Tottenham resident I used to half-joke about the Muswell Hill Colonial Administration. I was half serious as many of us campaigned against estate demolition, social cleansing, forced academies and the like.

I was a plain dull Labour Party member and never tasted any other flavours. Not Benn & Jeremy’s. Not Momentum. Though out of curiosity I went to the initial meeting of Haringey Momentum to see what the fuss was about. It seemed a pointless muddle.

My limited local experience with members of the Jewish Labour Movement (JLM) has been less than positive. It’s to his credit that David Mason is open about his affiliation. I’ve also heard nice things about him; that he is intelligent and nuanced.

However, from what I read on JVL website it seems that David Mason was out of nuance that day and painted himself into a corner he could and should have avoided.
Anyway, he tripped badly and fell. And, I assume, picked himself up and will try again. But I hope he doesn’t follow the example of our worst elected councillors who fail to learn and go on repeating pratfalls.

I hope too that David Mason will be making a sincere public apology for his actions. And I mean the real thing. Not the now frequent fauxpology. E.g. ‘I’m sorry that you were upset.’

In reply to kuhnberg it is clear that Starmer has no interest in Judaism but in Israel only. Unfortunately for him Israelis cannot vote in British elections so Starmer might have a slight problem in persuading Britons to vote for the subservience to a foreign power that Starmer believes in.
Many comments are made about “Labour Friends of Israel” or “Conservative Friends of Israel” but no one seems to ask “WHY Israel? Why not “Friends of Norway” or “Friends of Denmark” for instance?
The reason that Israel would seem to be singled out as a special case has to do with the vital role of Israel as a strategic and reliably pro-western state in the Middle East. America does not pour military and financial aid into Israel for love of Jews or Judaism but to ensure Israeli compliance in Western interests! To acknowledge this is to understand the obsessive attention payed to Israel by Starmer and Co. They claim to be “friends” of Israel but in reality they are friends to Western imperialism, Western militarism and Western financial interests. To some extent the Israeli people could be seen as pawns for America and It`s UK supporters.
The role that Starmer so enthusiastically adopts as champion of these extreme right-wing causes is a contradiction of everything a Labour “Leader” should stand for.
My suggestion may be controversial BUT JVL and members should think about it as I believe that it explains a great deal on British/American attitudes to Israel and their “unconditional” support.

Responding to a point made (above) by Kuhnberg about “bad actors”, could I please ask a favour? Can someone recommend any books, articles, videos, where this concept is helpfully explored.

Because the notion “bad actors” seems sensible and fruitful. And though I think I’ve a general idea of what it means, I’m new to the concept. And on brief reflection it seems to need some breaking down into distinctions or types.
For example, one type of “badness” seems simply mischief making; similar to classic internet trolls.

Others appear to want Labour Party members falling out with one another; having rows; mutual complaints; expulsions; no-platforming and silencing.
Plainly; if these bad actors hate Jews as well as hating Labour and Democratic Socialism, then provoking distrust and dissension among Labour members as well as among Jews is a double whammy.

There are those who want power and position for themselves and their faction. And perhaps don’t understand that power can be *shared* between people and groups. Co-operation not just power *over* and *under*.

There are also those who very much see themselves (and are told by their allies) that they are the “good” actors. Fighting bravely in good faith against antisemitism: and helping to defend the besieged Israeli State.

Come what may? I wonder.

Thanks Kuhnberg, for responding.
I understand the example you give. I’ve been a target for not endorsing a 100% pro-Israeli government line. Been called antisemitic and “incipient antisemitic”. As well as other lies such as being a reader of “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion”.

Thankfully not everyone descends to this abusive level : the gutter below the holes in the bottom of the hate barrel.

In any case, personally I’m more concerned about the situation Andrew Murray described in his article above. Two Jewish Labour members and two groups with: “… not a great deal of difference in essence.” And yet no practical compromise was possible?

As Andrew Murray also says: “There must be better ways of accepting the diversity of opinion among Jewish Labour supporters regarding Israel.”
I’d amend that to finding “better ways of accepting the diversity of opinion on Israel among Jews, AND among UK Labour members of any religion or none.

Because the real pain for me is not trolls who tweet or post bigotry and lies. It’s when friends and colleagues and family members no longer appear willing or able to engage these issues with any generosity, or openness, or calm rationality.

It seems to me that “Good actors” on all sides of these divides need to build or repair bridges and open new paths. Now more than ever when Covid-19 has separated and segregated us for two years.

I have another personal interest. I’ve only briefly met Sue Levi-Hughes and David Mason. But it’s clear that Sue deserves respect and sensitivity which she did not receive. That should be repaired. I trust that David and Sue could do so.

I’m told that David Mason is currently being considered as a possible Council candidate for the ward where I live. I mentioned the deep divisions in Haringey borough. Close to my home was the epicentre of the Tottenham Riot in 2011. Making a contribution to building and repairing bridges and pathways among all the different groups in Tottenham should be – must be – a central concern of any elected councillor.

I assume that David Mason reads or is at least aware of this website. I invite him to reconsider the task of repairing the damage of the day before Holocaust Memorial Day. And compare that with the far greater tasks he would be taking on were he to be elected a councillor for my ward.