Israel’s defenders turn their fire on the Green Party

JVL introduction

Over the last decade we have become used to establishment media weaponising antisemitism to attack the pro-Palestinian left of the Labour Party. With Labour largely denuded of its critics of Israel (as a result of expulsion or resignation), with a general election campaign underway and following a strong showing by Green candidates in the May 2 local elections, attention is turning to the Green Party. 

The Daily Mail led the campaign with anti-Green articles on May 6th. The Times waded in on May 10 with allegations against four present and former Green Party councillors, two Muslim, two not, including one in Sheffield who had already stepped down. Pro-Israel New Labour grandee Peter Mandelson joined the condemnations. Ben Kentish of LBC insisted on immediate expulsions from the Green Party, bypassing any due process.

In what follows, Tony Booth analyses one strand of these accusations, the attack on Leeds councillor Mothin Ali by Simon Myerson KC in a letter to the joint leaders of the Green Party. Myerson has himself been accused of abusive social media posts and Tony Booth considers the censure that may be due to both men.

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Post amended 26th May – RK

Simon Myerson, accuser of left antisemitism, seeks new Green pastures

By Tony Booth

In this article I discuss comments made by Mothin Ali before and after his election as Green Councillor for Gipton and Harehills in East Leeds, as documented by Leeds Recorder and Kings Counsel Simon Myerson in a lengthy letter sent to the Green Party co-leaders, as Chair of Leeds Jewish Representative Council. Mothin Ali is now under investigation by his party. I explore the extent to which his comments are to be seen as reprehensible while also examining Myerson’s documented abusive behaviour on social media.

Who is Simon Myerson?

Simon Myerson is one of the founders of Labour Against Antisemitism (LAAS). To be part of that group you not only have to be concerned about antisemitism, but you also have to be a particular kind of Zionist, an active supporter of the actions of the Israeli State. He appears to see criticisms of Israel as indicating antisemitism yet claims in the letter that “it is a lie that those who criticise Israel are labelled antisemitic”. He says that any such suggestion is a racist, antisemitic trope. He is an advocate for the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism which encourages a belief in the close connection between anti-Zionism and antisemitism and is used as a justification for labelling critical analyses of Israel, such as calling it a racist or apartheid state, as antisemitic.

He is a prolific tweeter on the hostilities in Gaza and takes a position staunchly supporting the Israeli State and armed forces. In commenting on the mass deaths in Gaza he says that he “regrets all deaths” but “condemn[s] the terrorists”: He thinks that “for decent people, the deaths in Gaza are “a matter of regret, not condemnation” since “the IDF are keeping civilian casualties below average.” He questions the idea that what is happening involves “collective punishment” and puts the argument strongly that Israeli forces have been acting in “self-defence”.

Falling foul of professional standards

Despite his position as a barrister and judge, Myerson has been in trouble for his intemperate social media outbursts, after two complaints were made against him. This included accusing a trans rights campaigner of having a ‘tiny intellect’ and ‘making idiotic statements’ and being ‘a stupid, condescending fool’. In March 2024, following two complaints to the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office, the Lady Chief Justice and Lord Chancellor issued him with a notice of formal advice for misconduct after such ‘inappropriate’ posts. The advice stated that he had ‘engaged in politically controversial issues, sometimes in an offensive manner, and failed to maintain the standards of his judicial office’.

He was also mentioned in a legal case involving fellow campaigners who made claims about antisemitism amongst the political left. They had been accused of making false allegations against James Wilson a University Lecturer who disputed their claims about the extent of antisemitism in the Labour Party. They had falsely called him a ‘freak who takes pictures of kids’ which had repercussions on Wilson and his wife’s safety as well as his reputation.  The judge found Wilson’s accusers guilty and ordered them to pay £30,000 in damages. Myerson had reposted a tweet calling Wilson ‘the scum of the earth’ and accusing him of being a cause of the death by suicide of Peter Newbon, another ardent antisemitism campaigner previously found to be abusive on social media. Wilson had made efforts to resolve the case before trial by seeking mediation and undertakings, but these were rejected.

A point of view or reprehensible statement?

This background to the activities of Myerson provides context for his complaint about Mothin Ali, elected as a councillor for the Green Party on May 2^nd, 2024. Mothin Ali is a passionate advocate for Palestinian rights and a fervent critic of the Israeli state. He had been very active on social media with a substantial following. In his letter to the Green Party Leaders, Myerson made several accusations against Ali in which he claims that Ali fails “to uphold the Nolan principles for public life”. There is irony here given that Myerson has been censured for failing to uphold the integrity of the legal profession because of reprehensible social media posts.

The letter is hectoring in tone and antagonistic and patronising towards the Green Party. Myerson makes a pre-emptive strike against any Jew who might disagree with him: “It is not an answer to a community’s concern that you have been able to find a Jewish person to pronounce a particular view kosher.” Yet the extent to which we, and presumably the Green Party, criticise what Mothin Ali has said, should depend on a careful examination of his words and what he meant by them.

Myerson notes the deletion of Ali’s twitter account, and find this a failure of openness rather than, for example, a wish to reduce controversy. He refers to Ali’s victory remarks, standing in front of a Palestinian flag, calling out “Allahu Akbar” – God is Great – and saying that his win was “for the people of Gaza”.  He talks of the “disastrous effect of the video of his behaviour at his count”.  In focusing attention on these remarks, he seems to link with those who believe that there is something inherently reprehensible in the vocal support for Palestinian rights as indicated when Suella Braverman calls Gaza peace marches – “Hate Marches” and Rishi Sunak criticises University Gaza Protest Camps as a threat to Jewish students.  Referring to the call ‘Allahu Akbar’ seems to be an Islamophobic dog whistle linking Ali’s thanks to his god to the proclamations of Islamic suicide bombers.

There was a long list of further criticisms arising from a trawl through Ali’s media posts and videos. Some of these reflected profound differences in perspective such as the conviction voiced by Ali on October 7th that this was ‘a fight back’. The right to fight back when under occupation is enshrined in international law under Protocol 1 of the Geneva conventions and repeated in UN General Assembly resolution A/RES/38/17 (22/11/1983), which:

“Reaffirms the legitimacy of the struggle of peoples for their independence, territorial integrity, national unity and liberation from colonial domination, apartheid and foreign occupation by all available means, including armed struggle”.

 Myerson dislikes Ali calling Palestinians the “indigenous” population of the area and takes extreme exception to the assertion that “white supremacist European settler colonialism must end!” and argues against every element of it. Whether the origins of Israel can be legitimately linked to white supremacist European settler colonial movements has been the subject of intense historical debate. Myerson had previously posted on twitter in an exchange with another user that “saying Israel is committing genocide is stupid” and so predictably takes issue with Ali using the term ‘genocide’ to describe the actions of Israel against the Palestinian people. This is despite the overwhelming evidence of incitement to genocide within Israel as documented at great length in the South African submission to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the ruling of the ICJ that there is “a plausible case” to answer on genocide against the Palestinians.

 Legitimate criticisms?

Myerson has a point when he draws attention to Ali’s lack of empathy about the victims of October 7th. Like Myerson, Ali places himself on one side of a violent struggle and he fails at times, to demonstrate empathy towards all victims of the war. He does not mention that, according to the United Nations, a right to fight back does not include the killing of innocent civilians. War crimes happened on October 7th. Judging by his social media posts, Myerson, himself, appears to be lacking in empathy towards the suffering of Palestinians, following the killing and wounding of many tens of thousands in Gaza and the increasing pogroms in the West Bank.  Ali has issued an apology for any bellicosity in his words, claiming that he does not advocate violence and supports the demand for a return of Israeli hostages.

The strongest criticisms of Ali’s actions, in my view, arise from his video rant against Zacharia Deutsch, a Rabbi to the University students of Leeds and West Yorkshire, who is a reservist in the Israeli army.  After October 7th, Rabbi Deutsch was called up into the Israeli army and served three months in the military there. Mothin Ali expressed fury that someone from his city was taking part in what he saw as the indiscriminate ‘killing of women and children’. He called Deutsch ‘a creep…a low-life’…’absolutely disgusting’… ‘shameful’… ‘an animal’ He said that his ‘contract should be terminated with immediate effect’ and he ought to be ‘prosecuted for war crimes’:

‘You should be protecting people. You should be protecting students from this kind of animal, because if he’s willing to kill people over there, how do you know he’s not going to kill your students over here?’

He said that Deutsch was ‘radicalising students’, mirroring accusations sometimes made of Muslims. There is no doubt that such invective on social media by Ali and others has effects. Following the postings, graffiti calling for a free Palestine were written on the walls of Leeds University Jewish Student building and security was increased. This was intimidating and probably antisemitic. The Deutsch family received death threats and the wife was threatened with extreme sexual violence. It was reported that the family had to go into hiding.

Parallel action

The behaviour of Ali towards Deutsch mirrors the twitter abuse given to James Wilson by Myerson’s fellow campaigners which Myerson also circulated. This was deemed so offensive by the His Honour Judge Parkes KC as to merit aggravated damages. In his judgment, he referred to the abuse received by James Wilson as of the same dehumanising kind as was used of Jewish people by the Nazis in the 1930s.

Just as Myerson has asked the Green Party to suspend Mothin Ali, James Wilson has asked Judge Laurence Saffer, the President of Leeds Jewish Representative Council, to from his position as chair of that organisation and investigate his conduct.

Take Home Lessons?

The events following Mothin Ali’s election as a councillor for the Green Party reinforce lessons about the power and dangers of social media and the care needed about what we post and the effects it may have on others. This applies equally to Mothin Ali and Simon Myerson.

We hope that the Green Party will be steadfast in its determination to scrupulously follow due process. We know from the past that repeated allegations of antisemitism, whether justified or not, always have a powerful effect on those who are accused.

After October 7th, antisemitism allegations against anyone or any organisation who voices concern for the plight of the Palestinians, have reached a preposterous level. Even the Guardian has started to ridicule the excesses.

JVL education group remains ready to help all organisations with antisemitism education that places antisemitism in the context of other forms of racism and discrimination.