Starmer: do not speak the truth about Israel and Palestine – or antisemitism
JVL Introduction
Keir Starmer insisted that Liverpool Riverside MP Kim Johnson apologise for the language she used in relation to Israel – and she did so in the House of Commons. This meant that she effectively apologised for speaking the truth in relation to Israeli apartheid and while Israel is not a fascist state, the new government has fascists in it. Israeli critics are using both the words apartheid and fascism but this is not permissible in the UK Labour Party (or any other Party). For us, a particularly important point made here by Jonathan Cook is that “Israel’s ever-greater extremism has been made possible precisely because it faces no opposition in the West.”
Liberal zionists are worried but, like Starmer and so many others supposedly on the left, they fail to see how, for example, the false and the exaggerated claims of left antisemitism, equating it with criticism of Israel and certainly labelling anti-zionism as “new antisemitism” has been a key part of creating the impunity that has facilitated the dreadful situation.
This article was originally published by Middle East Eye on Thu 2 Feb 2023. Read the original here.
Kim Johnson row: Starmer is ignoring Israel's slide into fascism
In slapping down an MP for decrying Israel’s new government, the Labour leader has left British supporters of Palestinian rights politically homeless
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Reminds me of Galileo!
I never thought I would live through such a period, avoidance, yes, but recantation?
Levers again … weak ones sadly.
The Israeli government may limit its misdeeds if it’s put under pressure by the American government.
The US government is more likely to exert that pressure if it’s pushed by young US Jews (who seem more disenchanted with Israel than their elders) coming from families with clout in US politics, business, academia and their faith community.
So who do we know individually who have contact – directly or indirectly – with American Jewish families who have social clout in their community and agree that the behaviour of the Israeli government should be curbed?
It seems to me that what Starmer is doing is totally contrary to Labour values and to the values of the British people. I, for one, absolutely refuse to vote for any organisation connected with him. I can’t see he is going to get far with his authoritarianism. He’s not exactly spreading love for himself amongst people and creating a community of well-wishers. What’s in it for the voters????
If the British people understood what is going on and that they are being screwed by bogus austerity politics, and understood that what is said about Hamas is nonsense, with the collective punishments imposed on Gaza and the Palestinians being war crimes, we might open up the discussions a bit.
It is not for me to tell Kim Johnson how to react, but were she to have refused to apologise, given up the whip and showed that at least one Labour MP stood for decency, the country might have a chance of getting rid of the ghastly mess we have at the moment.
A proper people’s movement is what is needed, because Britain deserves better than what we’ve got. At least, the trade unions have been getting their act together and I hope they keep their nerve and don’t allow themselves to get divided. Both Starmer and Sunak must be got rid of.
And I would like to add that the oppressed Palestinian people have the right to live in peace just like everybody else. It is the duty of everyone,to stand up for the oppressed. We need to avoid a repetition of any government and country being taken over by fascists.
I am concerned that people like Starmer and others within Right wing LP and Tory party are enabling this to potentionally happen here and abroad. We cannot let that happen.
I find it hard to add anything to Jonathan Cook’s excellent article.
It would have been heartening if Kim Johnson had stood by her guns.
Someone needs to say the things she is saying.
The Labour Party is placed in a ridiculous position when its leader openly supports an Apartheid and oppressive state and uses bogus arguments about anti-Semitism to support his view.
He then imposes his false analysis in an authoritarian manner that has no place in our Party.
We must continue to support and advance the cause of Palestinian rights and openly oppose Starmer’s support for Apartheid Israel.
Anthony, seriously, after seven-plus years of the Establishment”s propaganda machine demonising and vilifying and smearing the left every-which-way they can think of, do you really believe that if Kim Johnson had refused to apologise etc that ‘the country might have [had] a chance of getting rid of the ghastly mess’ etc??
Dream on!
Needless to say, not only would it NOT have made the SLIGHTEST bit of difference, but the right-wing fascists who own and/or control the MSM would have just used it to demonise and vilify the left en masse yet again, as they more-or-less did anyway, despite her apology:
‘Labour MP Kim Johnson sparks outrage by branding Israeli government ‘fascist’ and referring to country as ‘apartheid state’ in ‘disgraceful’ comments at PMQs’
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11701175/Labour-MP-Kim-Johnson-sparks-outrage-branding-Israeli-government-fascist.html
NB And I can’t help but wonder why the Mail closed down the Comments section after just eight comments had been posted, all of which I’ve seen posted in their comments section on numerous occasions, and ALWAYS at the top of the Best Rated comments.
I agree with the general comment but I have a couple of reservations. For one, what people call fascism is the norm in colonial occupation. I do not object to the use of fascism as such: but it should be made clear that this is a colonial norm: one that Britain itself operated all round the world.
And I think that the Israeli governments that instituted the state and mass expulsion of Palestinians were just as right-wing and equally reactionary as the current one.
The fact is that virtually nobody now disputes the apartheid nature of the Israeli state and few deny that its present government is, to say the least, strongly fascistic. What has become what one might call the official line is to say that any criticism of Israel is an attack on all Jews and is therefore by definition antisemitic. The substance of the criticism and the facts on which it is based are simply irrelevant.
It is notable that Starmer’s attack on Johnson’s comments included words like ‘completely unacceptable’ but not ‘false’ or even ‘exaggerated’. Similarly her rather bizarre apology did not include any acceptance that she had said anything untrue. What she accepted was that in today’s Labour Party people no longer have the right to tell the truth.
Very informative and helpful article. Thank you.
The fruits of THE IHRA Definition………..even self evident truths must be denied.
Starmer `s hypocrisy is staggering. He has no interest in Jews or Judaism but only in Israel. Starmer uses his alleged support for Jews as a screen for his obsession with Israeli as a political construct and this obsession is purely based on Israel`s importance as a strategic power source of Western imperialism. Why else would the US pour such mega dollars into the country each year. To help the “poor persecuted Jews”? I think not!!
Regards the NB in my above comment, I have little doubt that all of the eight comments were written by one of the Mail’s shills – and probably written BEFORE the article was posted – and then, one by one, quickly posted in the Comments section, and then closed immediately after the last one was added. I mean apart from one of them – which was designed to discredit Starmer – they were all saying, or implying, that what Kim said was anti-semitic AND, in effect, that that’s the left for you. And the Mail didn’t want their ‘message’ – and one that had a consensus of opinion you see (that the left are ALL anti-semites) – SPOILT by posters agreeing with and supporting what Kim said AND detailing what the Palestians have been subjected to for decades etc, etc, and educating and enlightening the Mail’s readers, as such.
And a dead giveaway – and a ruse/subterfuge/blind – that shills often use, is to spell something wrong, as in the first comment (in the Newest listing, which it’s set to initially) where they spell anti-semitism >anti-sematism<, so as to have readers believe that even people who are not so well educated think the left are all antisemites.
It's all about influencing their readers AND keeping the anti-semitism/antisemite tag/characterisation of the left alive.
Oh dear, I’m raging inside at Starmer and his support for Israel. I shall be increasing my posts on Facebook and Tweets on Twitter, emphasising his dictatorial position as LP leader (small L). He’s broken many LP rules since becoming leader and is getting away with it, mostly because he has expelled or suspended thousands of Socialists (the Left) in the Party, including MPs, those that still remain, still believe he’s better than the Tories, which in turn means he isn’t being criticised, although Momentum are starting to react to his dictatorial ways.
Before Starmer all LP policies were voted for by the Members, that has now changed, Starmer is ignoring resolutions that were voted on at Conference. How I haven’t been expelled is a mystery, I’ve called him a Liar, a Fraud and a Traitor to Socialism and the People, with evidence to back it up. Time to increase the pressure on his support for Israel and reminding people that he took £50.000 from Trevor Chinn, a well known Israeli Lobbyist, for his Leadership Campaign.
My next phase of attack is going to be his condemnation of Kim Johnson’s speech in Parliament, calling Israel’s Government Fascist, (which the evidence for calling it Fascist is overwhelming).
Starmer’s Party have made it abundantly clear that they do not want the votes of socialists.
They have also made it abundantly clear that as far as Israel is concerned, fascism, racism and misogyny in government is acceptable.
Moreover, Trade Unionists don’t count, Remainers don’t count and the belief in self-determination for all peoples does not, however, include the desires of Palestinians or Scots.
Apparently, they don’t want my vote whilst simultaneously asserting that for me to vote for anyone other than ersatz Labour is a vote for the Tories.
Of course, they dismiss the possibility that some of us, after long contemplation, have concluded that the difference between ersatz Labour and the Tories is negligible anyway.
Help! I’ve tried so hard to obliterate any sense of empathy towards those pesky Palestinians but my conclusions about the Israeli State just won’t go away. I’m not particularly keen on other states or the kind of people that clamour to run them, but that doesn’t affect my virtue my reputation or my employability. Can you recommend some reading material so I can learn to dismiss any sense of Palestinians being human? I need to immerse myself in their loathesomeness! I need to put an end to all this uncontrollable anger I have about being so very thoroughly lied to for so long and my inability to dismiss the humanity of Arabs whose existence is so inconvenient. It must be deep seated. What must i do? Can I ever be forgiven? The cure for racism – is racism! But it’s not working….. Help!