A view from the inside

I’m not a political analyst. In fact I’m not an expert of any kind. I’m not well read in political theory or science and I’ve not read Marx. At 16 I knew nothing about politics, nor was I interested. I voted for Margaret Thatcher in 1979 at a time when I was steeped in Evangelical Christian theology, oblivious to the political leanings of that teaching. Evangelical Trumpettes have made the connection clear and it’s not difficult for me to retrace the steps.

While the debate around anti-Semitism in the Labour Party is controversial, that it is central to the war raging within the party isn’t. And as a post-evangelical Christian I have a particular and relevant insight. I became a born again Christian in 1978 at a time when the Rapture was pretty much a given in the evangelical community and the role of Israel was central. Messianic Jews were treated as celebrities and loyalty to Israel was non-negotiable. The establishment of Israel in 1948 was considered the fulfilment of prophecy and 1988 (forty years after) became a key date.

Indoctrination

The books I read painted Israel’s establishment and its consolidation of power as miraculous. The Yom Kippur War of 1973 began with Arabs attacking Israel on its holiest day of the year, so to win that war could only be seen as a gift from G-d. The Psalms consistently rail against Israel’s enemies so for the Palestinians to question the right of Israel to exist while claiming the temple mount for themselves obviously pitted them against God. The Evangelical mantra is ‘bless Israel’ so I would proudly buy Jaffa oranges and defend God’s chosen people. However, the truth gradually bubbled to the surface as I was faced with facts I couldn’t deny.

In 2012 Palestine was recognised by the UN as a non-member observer state. By then I was questioning my allegiances but not yet sure if I was ready to acknowledge Palestine. But as a post-evangelical I was opening my mind to new realities and getting into heated discussions with my Christian friends. My credentials as a Christian were being questioned even to the point of being called an anti-Semite. An old and dear friend, with a nasty friend of her own who lived in Jerusalem, was refusing to acknowledge any of my criticisms and when I sent her a video of a Jewish activist defending Palestinians her only response was that the girl was lying. We’ve not spoken or corresponded since.

Wood for the trees

If there was any doubt that Israel’s actions against the Palestinians was genocidal, Operation Protective Edge sealed it in 2014. By then I’d already sussed that much of what I’d read about Israel was propaganda and I could now see that the Christian view of Israel, both contemporary and historical, was largely fantasy. How I see Israel has nothing to do with my political persuasion. Whatever I might have picked up from so called anti-Semitic tropes is purely incidental and has never coloured my opinion. I have simply followed the evidence and come to an unmistakable conclusion.

I have to say my impression of the Labour Party in 2015 was not good. It was clearly appeasing the right wing in its apology for how it had been too soft when it came to immigration. I joined the party shortly before Jeremy’s second election win as leader. I’m not sure I could’ve called myself a socialist then but what attracted me to him most was his internationalism. You can’t support the Palestinians without being aware of the imperialist nature of Israel and how the Middle East situation is dominated by the alliance between the Western nations, Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

So when Zionists and the right wing of the Labour Party began attacking Jeremy Corbyn and his left wing supporters it was perfectly clear that there was much more to this than anti-Semitism. You can make your own mind up about the extent of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party but why was it that Labour had led an attack on a Muslim country in 2003 and had a racist policy in its 2015 manifesto yet it wasn’t until 2017 when Jeremy nearly led Labour into government that racism towards Jews became the big issue? I had experience of Christian Zionists defending the indefensible and promoting Israeli propaganda. But I’d also visited Israel and was not unimpressed. I have never been anti-Semitic.

Boxed in

What I’ve found most disappointing is how anti-Semitism has been so tightly bound with left wing politics to the point where if someone on the left questions the extent of anti-Semitism in the party in any way they are labelled as part of the problem. It automatically puts us on the defensive. Arguing from a defensive position is not a problem per se, except when you are forced into it. A case in point is when I got into a Twitter debate with David Schneider who is, of course, a Jew. Now the added problem with debating the extent, rather than the gravity, of anti-Semitism is that your only options are to capitulate, withdraw or attack because defending yourself simply keeps you in a loop.

He had presented a list of tropes that he considered anti-Semitic and upsetting for Jews. My initial choice in this case was to challenge some statements. I didn’t consider him to be arguing in bad faith and I didn’t want to make crass presumptions, I just wanted to explain my position in the hope that he might appreciate my point of view. After copying the list and making my counter list it struck me how Jews must find this upsetting regardless of the arguments when it wasn’t they who had chosen the fight. In their place I would have found this intrusive and unwelcome so I didn’t send it.

The shame of it

What is now being highlighted, though its nothing new, is that Jews are increasingly being targetted when they defend Jeremy Corbyn or challenge the party line on anti-Semitism. Those in Jewish Voice for Labour appear to be in the sites of what can only be classed as informants — snitches who take delight in getting fellow members suspended or expelled from the party. Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi (a founder member of JVL) is one of the latest victims. In a video for Double Down News she looks back to an event where, along with the rest of the panel, she was called a Kapo Jew (collaborator), about the worst thing a Jew could be called. She believes she’s been singled out as a “wrong type of Jew”.

While she has officially been suspended for breaking a party rule she is almost certainly being made an example of. Its not even an official rule. Rather its an edict passed down by the unelected General Secretary. What we are seeing is not just authoritarian and undemocratic control of the party but an utter lack of respect for members who give their free time and disturbing double standards when it comes to racism. As if to put on display the utter contempt and disrespect those in leadership have, on the UN International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, they attended a pro-Israel event and have not yet acknowledged the Palestinian day at all.

And on that very day Keir Starmer had the nerve to suggest those who actively set up a rival party (Change UK) and eventually joined the Liberal Democrats (which according to party rules means they cannot reapply for membership for 5 years), should perhaps have the rules bent so they can return. This is on the pretext that they were forced to leave because of anti-Semitism, a claim that must be contested. Jeremy Corbyn is taking the party to court over his suspension (as well he should). There is every reason to believe he will win that battle but it doesn’t take away the shame of him being suspended in the first place.

The eyes are open, the mouth moves, but Mr Brain has long since departed

Blackadder Goes Forth

As a knight of the realm and past DPP you might expect some decorum, yet the way Keir Starmer has branded the Labour Party as under ‘New Leadership’ and treated the outgoing leader like Edmund Blackadder might treat Baldrick, is simply outragious. He’s not only boxed himself into a corner with these ridiculous rules and suspensions, he’s already disqualified himself as leader by behaving in a way that’s beneath contempt. He will never be Prime Minister — he’ll be lucky to be a backbencher by 2024.