Questions for Keir – Jewish Labour members need answers
JVL Introduction
Author and campaigner David Rosenberg of the Jewish Socialists Group, has a long track record in anti-racism work generally, as well as in education and campaigning about antisemitism, both professionally and at a more grassroots level.
So he feels qualified to ask Keir Starmer some pointed questions.
Who, he asks, will speak for the non-Zionist and anti-Zionist Jews who are Labour Party members if he is only meeting the JLM? Who will speak for secular Jews when he meets the Board of Deputies? Will he engage with grassroots Jewish Labour Party members in Jewish Voice for Labour?
We can only hope that Starmer takes this intervention seriously and look forward to a constructive response.
This article was originally published by Davesrebellion on Sun 5 Apr 2020. Read the original here.
Questions for Keir – Jewish Labour members need answers
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This is a truly formidable letter. It puts Starmer truly on the spot and I will admit to being astounded if he gives the assurances asked for. Everyone who has given credence to Starmer’s left wing assertions should observe him carefully and measure him against this script. But be prepared, you may be seriously disappointed
Brilliant letter – we must insist that Starmer responds to this, and if not expose his deliberate bias in favour of the bodies that are hostile to this section of Jewish membership described by David Rosenberg, and not to Jewish grassroots members who do not subscribe to the views of the unelected bodies within and outside the Labour Party.
Thankyou David. I totally agree with your questions, and look forward to Kiers reply. As a non voting member l am awaiting Kiers actions, hopefully they will not be so restricted as his words
Brilliant letter from David Rosenberg
Dave Hill (Professor, anti-racist socialist trade union and Labour Party activist)
Truly an excellent letter. If Sir Keir’s commitment to ‘unifying the party’ has any substance then surely he should respond with alacrity. He should not be hobnobbing only with people who have shown little real interest in attacking antisemitism from the right which has always posed an extreme danger to Jews. He should be reaching out to those Jews who have actively supported the party during the last election and whose support he seems to take for granted
Starmer has just got rid of Burgon. We can guess one reason.
A brilliant letter and I look forward to seeing Keir Starmer’s reply
Thank you David excellent letter and I really hope you get a clear and honest response.
The right wing Jewish lobby seem to have a dis – proportionate voice in relation to the crucial issues facing our country. I abhor discrimination at any level but things need putting in perpective. Top of my list would be the groups in society who don’t really have an appropriate voice…. the poor and homeless to name but two. Storm in a teacup is the phrase that springs to mind.
As a 73 year old socialist member of the Labour Party I have nowhere to go any more. I have fought racism, anti-semitism and any kind of prejudice all my life and I am ashamed to see this man grovelling for forgiveness in front of these Tories. As long as can remember anti-semitism was the norm in the establishment, the right wing, the Christian churches but NEVER the Labour Party. The last Labour PM like this took us into an illegal war and was warned by Corbyn that he would unleash years of potential terror on this island and it was proved right.
The left and right of the party are no longer compatible in any way and we should split. I want no part of Starmer, Hodge or the LFI.
Goodbye
What fantastic points you make David. I applaud you, not just only on your commitment buts also, and more enthusiastically for your awareness and concern regarding the Zionist movement Trojan Horsing the Labour party rank and file. This concerns me and a lot of potential voters dearly and whilst this concern still exists I can only say that until it is sorted I cant ethically support the Labour party.
I wish you luck.
Best wishes
David.
Good letter, but I’m not holding my breath on any sort of answer! Looking at the make up of the Shadow Cabinet, there’s just the merest nod to the left and I genuinely fear a purge of the likes of us. I can see us labelled as boat rockers and the new Militant – and of course, the Wrong Sort of Jews.
I hope I’m wrong but it’s difficult to be optimistic.
A wonderful, pertinent letter. Please keep us posted on any reply. I was offended that Keir Starmer failed to reach out to secular Jews in the Party, to those of us -and we are many- who stayed with Labour because it is our political home, who campaigned vigorously for Labour because it is our political hope. Your letter summarises the issue succinctly.
thank you for excellent letter
Thank you, David! An excellent letter which expresses thoughts which have passed through many people’s minds in one way or another during the past few days, but which you have marshalled beautifully, I hope you receive an honest and thoughtful reply, but……..
Thank you for writing this, your questions are apposite and I look forward to Keir’s answers.
I would be happy to sign this well-expressed letter, or an edited version of it if you launch it as an open letter from lots of us. He needs to realise how many keen, loyal and committed Labour activists are deeply concerned about the BoD’s and JLM’s assumptions that they are the only legitimate representatives of UK Jews. Thank you for writing it.
Excellent letter, David, thanks, Lynne
I also think this is an excellent letter and I would also like to sign it, if you want signatories, David. I wrote to Keir not long ago about some of these same points when I tabled the Cambridge CLP motion on these issues in my branch. I did not receive a reply. I voted for him because I think he will be strong on many other issues. Perhaps asking to see him in person would be a far better way to have this conversation.
Excellent letter, thank you. It needs to be read by Labour voters (some of whom will be Jewish, but many not). At the risk of seeming naive (knowing how many joint letters have failed to get published on this subject over the past few years), I’d suggest a signed version to be sent to the Guardian as an open letter. It may have as much chance of being published as you have of receiving a considered reply from Starmer! Worth a try?
A very interesting letter which I totally agree with.
The election has perturbed me. Keir , in my opinion, is anti Palestinine. He equates being anti zionists as being anti Semites to further his agenda.
Mister Rosenberg, I am looking forward meeting you one day, you actually make sense..
Stay, you and your family, safe and well.
Excellent letter. I suggest JVL ask for a virtual meeting with Starmer to discuss these issues to which all JVL members will be invited to join.
Thank you for this excellent letter, I live in hope that you get an honest response.
An excellent letter, and one I hope will be read carefully and responded to. I am a non Jewish labour member. I have been seriously confused and troubled by the influence on the labour party that some Jewish groups have over other Jewish groups. If the inner turmoil within the labour party is to be tackled, the need for the inclusion of ALL Jews, should be paramount within discussions.
exvellent letter. I think Starmer should note that many of those suspended or expelled were Jewish, Black or Muslim and the LP is at risk of losing these members from the BAME communities if they dont pay attention to all forms of racism and prejudice and not just antisemitism.
Think you are well placed to ask Keir Starmer. If Mr Starmer says he is engaging with jewish labour members he should engage with all jewish labour groups. Is he a true leader unafraid of dealing with these matters or is he just a zionist apologist? I hope he affords you courtesy and respect and doesnt just ignore you.
David, you speak for us all. I think Starmer’s letter to the BOD was in advance of him naming the full Shadow Cabinet (correct me if I’m wrong, but whatever, it was mighty hasty). I am currently under investigation for my pro-Palestinian, anti-Israeli Government Tweets. Interesting to see how Labour under Starmer deals with me and many others in a similar situation. (I’ve been a LP member for almost 50 years).
An excellent letter and so many valid points raised, I truly do hope you get a reply and if and when you do please post so that we can see the answers you get from the new leader of the Labour party
This is an excellent letter. There will be no remotely satisfactory reply from the man who has appointed the Zionist Nandy as shadow foreign secretary. Is there any point in remaining in a party whose leadership supports racism, apartheid, and genocide? We should be campaign against these people. Not trying to make them the government
Awesome. Thank you David!
Hello David,
some interesting questions and facts, I hope you get an answer on all, but some would be great to. This small piece has also educated me on the different groups. Although I was aware and thought I understood them, from your short summary I do not.
I hope you get a reply from Keir, it is important for yourselves and the LAbour party that all groups are understood fully and involved, I can imagine how frustrating it is for yourselves. Please stay safe during current times
Ian Anders
It’s clear Starmer should consult with JVL. Why is he not also consulting with the Haredi (ultra-orthodox) communities as well
Thank you David. This is an excellent letter which truly and profoundly represents my views in this subject.
Brilliant Letter David, at last a voice for us left wing Jews in the party. Surely Mr Starmer has to hear our voices too?
An excellent letter.
But will he even grace it with an answer?
Excellent. Look forward to hearing Keir Starmer‘s response. I was extremely angry to hear him talk about AS in Labour during his speech as if we were all a bunch of antisemites who he was personally going to ‘root out’.
As a non-Jewish Labour party member, these ‘clarifications’ are of primary importance. Starmer is wholly aware of his responsibility in these matters, so in calling for ‘unity’, [his historic record notwithstanding], it would be of galaxy-class hypocrisy were he not to respond, point for point. The very ‘soul’ of The Labour Party is already in question and by refusal to engage with these reasonable questions, another marker will be put down in its slow, lingering death. Thank you and solidarity, David.
Brilliant letter. I couldn’t have put it better.
I agree with all you have said David. My father a Labour man who worked for Jewish Londoners in 3 firms. I got to meet them. I will never forget Ted Kid Lewis, a world champion at welter + middle.He would get abuse from other boxers including Jack Brittain. It was either you Yiddish this or you Irish that. Ted did go to Jack’s funeral in Boston. Weigh in’s are a lot like that now. The Hebrew scriptures at proverbs12:verses 18,19, warn us about thoughtless speech. Much of it learned from cultural society (our homes too sometimes) which is cruel and ungodly whatever your faith. I understood this at an early age, my background is northern Irish.
Not just Jewish members, David.
Many thousands of us non Jewish members have been appalled by the attacks on JVL activists.
During the Channel 4 TV leaders debate, the most memorable scene was when two Labour members said they would consider not voting for any of the three candidates until they stood up for the 99.9% of us who have no truck with antisemitism.
Linda Watson proposes the inclusion of ALL Jews within the party. Perhaps this is a typo – but why should Jews (including Tory and fascist Jews – see Geoffrey Alderman’s research) be privileged over all others? Today’s Guardian contains a truly revolting piece of triumphalism from the so-called Jewish leaders, praising Starmer for prioritising their sectional concerns over working on responses to the coronavirus. This is in effect a repetition of the ‘poisoning wells’ libel – but in a new guise – a glorification of privileging narrow Tory Jewish interests over the health of the people of this country – and of all who may have contact with that population. With ‘friends’ like this, there is no need for conscious and purposeful anti-semites (OS ie – ‘old style’…). This is a blatant and institutionalised instigation of pogroms. We in JVL must make it clear that we renounce and oppose all manifestations of the mentality that first and foremost asks ‘Is it good for the Jews?’.
With the proposal to adopt an ‘independent’ disciplinary body to defend the Israeli apartheid state by threatening any LP member who infringes the infinitely elastic IHRA ‘definition’ of antisemitism, the LP will lose any claim to be a democratic party in which members and other constituent elements decide the rules which govern us. We would rightly be described as an instrument of Zionist and/or Tory domination.
But to leave the party even under such circumstances would be treachery (and, especially to leave the socialist movement altogether), however understandable such an ’emotional spasm’ may be. The LP has always been in Lenin’s words a bourgeois workers’ party – and as long as it has that electoral and emotional link with the working class, however attenuated, we must stay and fight. If it crosses the bridge of complete PASOKification, we must review the situation. We are the Jewish Voice for Labour because labour means the working class and the socialist requirements of that class – not the ‘One Nation’/Fortress UK rhetoric of a previous decade.
Excellent letter – of great interest to non-Jewish Labour Party members, particularly those who belong to organisations campaigning on behalf of Palestine, like Jewish Network for Palestine and HaringeyJustice for Palestine.
Having made rapport with the Board of Deputies a first priority for his leadership of the Labour Party, why would Keir Starmer jeopardise his early ‘success’ by engaging with members of what the Board dismisses as “fringe organisations”? By ignoring points-of-view such as those stated so well by David Rosenberg, he may eventually rid himself of some of the awkward brigade through resignation, while the balance of the party shifts towards his supporters. He would not be Ignoring the ‘left’ of the party, because the likes of Momentum and Open Labour agree that only Jewish Labour Movement speaks for Jewish Labour members.
Thank you, David Rosenberg, for speaking for those of us who are ashamed of what has happening, and what is happening.
An excellent letter but I think the best you can hope for is a simple acknowledgment. Mr. Starmer dare not engage with your letter as he would come to the same rational conclusion as JVL, that the Labour Party is not any more antisemitic than the general population and is actually less so.
Sadly, Jeremy Corbyn put up little fight against the false claims of antisemitism, Chris Williamson appears to have been hounded out of the party for daring to say labour should fight back against the false claims of antisemitism.
Mr. Starmer seems to be planning to win over the JLM and other groups by appeasement, this didn’t work for Mr. Corbyn so it won’t work now. All the groups attacking labour, I think, will do all in their power to keep labour from government. A labour government led by someone like Jeremy Corbyn might go and recognise Palestine at the UN which would be a nightmare for the groups referred to.
The right wing of the Labour Party (I can hardly believe I’ve written that) has two major problems I can see apart fro the false claims of antisemitism. The first is the fact that the Labour Party vote in Scotland collapsed before Jeremy Corbyn was anywhere near power and the second is the huge rise in membership of the Labour Party in support of Jeremy Corbyn.
I wrote this in response to a zoom meeting called by Keir Starmer for his constituents after he won the leadership election. So far no reply…
Dear Keir
Firstly congratulations and thank you for setting up this zoom meeting so soon after the leadership elections.
I am a bit frustrated as I was under the impression that anyone could ask questions and it wasn’t made clear that questions were only for panelists (although I think there was someone who asked a question from Gilbratar?). I do understand about the difficulties of setting up a zoom meeting but I think this could have been prepared before the meeting and many of my friends were disappointed not to have been able to join.
As someone who did not support you as leader, I am indeed heartened to hear that you are saying that you will listen to people like me too, so I would really and genuinely like to know how are you going to do that in practice?
I am a member of a branch where I attend regular meetings and try to get involved but am never able to get beyond going to branch meetings, for example to get on a committee, because the AGMs are always stacked in favour of those already on the committee who are in total agreement with your leadership and are not prepared to have different views represented.
I cannot even get a suggestion for a Palestinian Labour Party member to be invited to the meetings to talk about Palestine, agreed upon, as it is always blocked as being too controversial – despite Labour Party official policy on Palestine.
I heard you reassured a Jewish person who raised a question about anti-semitism, about tackling this in the party and reassuring representative bodies, ie the Jewish Board of Deputies. Have you met with anyone else?
Yet I am also Jewish. My view is not represented by the Board of Deputies and there are many other Jewish people in Camden who feel as I do that the issue is not about anti-semitism but rather about supporting Israel or not. So how do you plan on representing my view point in disagreement to signing up to the 10 point BoD plan? How does this exclusive relationship with one Jewish body represent all Jews or align with LP policy on Palestine? Whenever I write to you with a disagreement I never get an answer. So if you really do want to be accountable to ALL your members I would appreciate your response to these comments and questions.
I am seriously thinking of leaving the Labour Party not because you were elected leader but because it is an extremely frustrating experience to genuinely want to get involved in the party and be blocked by the leadership in my branch. My experience so far is that you are not really listening or representing people like myself and now that you are leader I wonder if that situation will become more entrenched or whether you will seriously address these kinds of polarised issues in your branches.
Please respond to this email.
Thank you and kind regards
Carolyn Gelenter
Carolyn, your letter is very similar to one that I wrote to to Keir the same day. Like you , I a wait his reply with interest but given that I wrote to him during the campaign asking him as a lawyer, how he could support BoD demand 5, whilst supporting the principle of natural justice I am not expecting that a response will be forthcoming.
I resigned from the party when all candidates signed the 10 pledges and also all supported in some way trans rights as more important than women’s rights. Free speech is more important than belonging to a political party. But if Kier Starmer answered these questions it would make me feel that I had a place in the party and would consider supporting it again