Lib Dems stance on Labour anti-Semitism row is authoritarian and illiberal
JVL Introduction
Hats off to this group of courageous Liberal Democrat members who are standing up to their Party’s headlong slide into buying the antisemitism rhetoric of the mainstream media and political worlds.
Committed to free speech, particularly concerning Israel and Palestine, Jonathan Coulter and his colleagues criticise their party’s uncritical acceptance of the IHRA definition of antisemitism, support for Chief Rabbi Mirvis’ statement, Luciana Berger’s narrative and more.
They conclude with a demand on the party leaders to stay true to liberal and democratic principles which would mean:
- Ending internal censorship and opening up discussion forums to proper debate;
- Leaders making sure their arguments are evidence-based, and insisting party members do likewise, and;
- A consistent approach to the media: a party that supports Justice Leveson’s recommendation for independent press regulation to protect the public and uphold press freedom must oppose the press’ acting as a conduit for a tsunami of unsubstantiated allegations about antisemitism.
This article was originally published by Middle East Monitor on Thu 5 Dec 2019. Read the original here.
Lib Dems stance on Labour anti-Semitism row is authoritarian and illiberal
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Thank you.
I feel sorry for Jonathan Coulter and his colleagues.
They have failed to grasp the fact that they are members of a party which is no longer either liberal or democratic.
Their other party members have gradually dropped the Democrat part of their name and are reverting back to a previous sordid era of Liberalism.
This links them all the way back to unscrupulous individuals like David Lloyd George and Winston Churchill, both of whom manipulated the situation in Palestine in the 1920s to the advantage of Zionists there and who bear a very heavy responsibility for the current oppressive situation there today.
The recent expose of their use of dodgy bar charts must surely come as no surprise to any of us who have been associated with Labour for any time?
The Liberals will do anything, say anything and smear anyone to get power.
Their record in the 2010-2015 Tory-Liberal government speaks for itself.
Jonathan Coulter et. al. should join the Labour Party instead.
Bravo! And thankyou.
This takes courage. The Lib Dems know the power of the pro-Israel lobby and have buckled. It will be a curse that they will find hard to live down. I wish the Labour Party had been as forthright in denouncing the smears as they have. If we cannot stand for justice we are nothing.