Racists Celebrate as the Labour Right and the Zionists Gets Their First
Victim
The day began brightly enough
with a lively picket of the Metropole Hotel in Brighton as Labour’s National
Constitutional Committee met to decide whether to expel me for my support of
the Palestinians and opposition to Zionism. It is of course appropriate that as someone
who is Jewish that I should be one of the major casualties of the false anti-Semitism
witchhunt. The allegations of ‘anti-Semitism’
in the Labour Party have nothing to do with anti-Semitism and everything to do
with opposition to the racist creed of Zionism and support for the Palestinians.
with a lively picket of the Metropole Hotel in Brighton as Labour’s National
Constitutional Committee met to decide whether to expel me for my support of
the Palestinians and opposition to Zionism. It is of course appropriate that as someone
who is Jewish that I should be one of the major casualties of the false anti-Semitism
witchhunt. The allegations of ‘anti-Semitism’
in the Labour Party have nothing to do with anti-Semitism and everything to do
with opposition to the racist creed of Zionism and support for the Palestinians.
My thanks to Debbie Hobson from Grassroots Black Left for being my silent witness. Thanks also to Marc Wadsworth, another of
those victimised and suspended by the Labour Party for opposing racism and to all those in Brighton and Hove Momentum and comrades for turning out. Even Simon Cobbs of Sussex Friends of Israel, in a unique and comradely gesture, turned out to give his support, however fleetingly, to me.
those victimised and suspended by the Labour Party for opposing racism and to all those in Brighton and Hove Momentum and comrades for turning out. Even Simon Cobbs of Sussex Friends of Israel, in a unique and comradely gesture, turned out to give his support, however fleetingly, to me.
I was suspended nearly 2 years
ago for comments I was alleged to make.
The Skeleton argument argument of the NEC’s barrister, one Mr Ogg,
admitted that all the charges related to events that took place after I had been suspended. In other words I was originally suspended without
just cause yet despite this the NCC saw no problem in continuing. Why?
Because as part of its Guidelines, Appendix 6D to the Rules of the Labour
Party (which are actually not part of the rules!) stipulates that the NCC must
ignore everything that happens prior to the issuing of charges. This is the ‘turning a blind eye’
clause. It states that:
ago for comments I was alleged to make.
The Skeleton argument argument of the NEC’s barrister, one Mr Ogg,
admitted that all the charges related to events that took place after I had been suspended. In other words I was originally suspended without
just cause yet despite this the NCC saw no problem in continuing. Why?
Because as part of its Guidelines, Appendix 6D to the Rules of the Labour
Party (which are actually not part of the rules!) stipulates that the NCC must
ignore everything that happens prior to the issuing of charges. This is the ‘turning a blind eye’
clause. It states that:
The
NCC is entitled to (and will) act on the basis that the charges are properly
brought before them and cannot become embroiled in dealing with complaints about
the administration of any investigation leading to the charges. Any such
complaint will therefore not be entertained by the NCC or panel thereof unless
it is material or relevant to the consideration of the evidence to be used by
the presenter in support of the charges.
NCC is entitled to (and will) act on the basis that the charges are properly
brought before them and cannot become embroiled in dealing with complaints about
the administration of any investigation leading to the charges. Any such
complaint will therefore not be entertained by the NCC or panel thereof unless
it is material or relevant to the consideration of the evidence to be used by
the presenter in support of the charges.
This enables the NCC to ignore
any injustice, breach of the rules, leaking to the press etc. that occurs. Of course the NCC is also bound to act fairly
under Chapter 1, Clause IX (4) of the Rules, which are part of the Labour Party
constitution and also to modify the Guidelines as it sees fit but the NCC
chooses to interpret its remit narrowly and against the interests of natural
justice. That was why I was forced to
obtain an injunction against the Labour Party on December 7th
preventing them from holding a rushed hearing.
any injustice, breach of the rules, leaking to the press etc. that occurs. Of course the NCC is also bound to act fairly
under Chapter 1, Clause IX (4) of the Rules, which are part of the Labour Party
constitution and also to modify the Guidelines as it sees fit but the NCC
chooses to interpret its remit narrowly and against the interests of natural
justice. That was why I was forced to
obtain an injunction against the Labour Party on December 7th
preventing them from holding a rushed hearing.
The charges which were brought,
as the barrister for the Labour Party was at pains to point out, were not that I was anti-Semitic although of
course the Zionists will pretend otherwise. My ‘crime’ in essence was the abuse
of racists and Zionists (or Zios) in the Labour Party including that detestable
supporter of Palestinian child abuse, Louise Ellman.
as the barrister for the Labour Party was at pains to point out, were not that I was anti-Semitic although of
course the Zionists will pretend otherwise. My ‘crime’ in essence was the abuse
of racists and Zionists (or Zios) in the Labour Party including that detestable
supporter of Palestinian child abuse, Louise Ellman.
 |
| Ivor Caplin – war criminal and former Junior Defence Minister |
A Mr Ogg, the Labour Party barrister
gave a long 2 hour + speech which was the equivalent of watching paint dry. My own speech was much shorter and to the
point. I made it clear that I regretted
nothing. I was accused of insinuating,
when accusing the execrable MP for Liverpool Riverside, Louise Ellman of
supporting the abuse of Palestinian children, that she therefore supported
sexual abuse of those children. Although
this wasn’t directly true I made it clear in my submission that the abuse of Palestinian
children was often sexual in nature and that Ellman had never spoken out
against this treatment. On the contrary
she supported everything Israel did in the name of ‘security’.
gave a long 2 hour + speech which was the equivalent of watching paint dry. My own speech was much shorter and to the
point. I made it clear that I regretted
nothing. I was accused of insinuating,
when accusing the execrable MP for Liverpool Riverside, Louise Ellman of
supporting the abuse of Palestinian children, that she therefore supported
sexual abuse of those children. Although
this wasn’t directly true I made it clear in my submission that the abuse of Palestinian
children was often sexual in nature and that Ellman had never spoken out
against this treatment. On the contrary
she supported everything Israel did in the name of ‘security’.
The NCC under Maggie Cosins who
chaired the hearing has repeatedly ignored the question of fairness, in my case
trying to rush a hearing after a 20 month suspension. The other 2 wing members of the NCC included
a Gordon (?) Fairbrother of the Community Union. As I pointed out this right-wing union was
the only one to affiliate to Trades Union Friends of Israel. So the verdict was no surprise. Unfortunately Emina Ibrahim, who was elected
as part of the Left, also supported the Right on the NCC and seems incapable of
standing up to the Right by herself.
chaired the hearing has repeatedly ignored the question of fairness, in my case
trying to rush a hearing after a 20 month suspension. The other 2 wing members of the NCC included
a Gordon (?) Fairbrother of the Community Union. As I pointed out this right-wing union was
the only one to affiliate to Trades Union Friends of Israel. So the verdict was no surprise. Unfortunately Emina Ibrahim, who was elected
as part of the Left, also supported the Right on the NCC and seems incapable of
standing up to the Right by herself.
As I told the Committee when
beginning my response, an old time friend, Graham Bash rang me this morning and
said that he reckoned I had a 1% of chance of not being expelled to which I
responded that the odds probably weren’t that high! Ogg argued that I was not being expelled for
my views but for abusing racists and right-wingers online. However the bundle of papers prepared for the
hearing demonstrated that this was a lie.
Statements such as ‘Israel is a settler colonial state’ were highlighted
in an article dealing with the eviction of a Bedouin village Umm al-Hiran in Israel’s
Negev. Although dressed up in procedural
terms, my expulsion was for my anti-Zionist politics.
beginning my response, an old time friend, Graham Bash rang me this morning and
said that he reckoned I had a 1% of chance of not being expelled to which I
responded that the odds probably weren’t that high! Ogg argued that I was not being expelled for
my views but for abusing racists and right-wingers online. However the bundle of papers prepared for the
hearing demonstrated that this was a lie.
Statements such as ‘Israel is a settler colonial state’ were highlighted
in an article dealing with the eviction of a Bedouin village Umm al-Hiran in Israel’s
Negev. Although dressed up in procedural
terms, my expulsion was for my anti-Zionist politics.
That is why the Southern
organiser for the Jewish Labour Movement, junior war criminal and former Defence
Minister Ivor Caplin welcomed my expulsion.
My expulsion and the proposed expulsion of Marc Wadsworth and Jackie
Walker are nothing less than an attempt by the Right and the Zionists in the
Party to purge the party of socialists and anti-imperialists. The fight will go on for my reinstatement and
the acquittal of both Mark and Jackie.
It is not we but the Jewish Labour Movement, the apologists for the deportation
of African refugees from Israel for the ‘crime of being Black and not Jewish,
who deserve to be expelled.
organiser for the Jewish Labour Movement, junior war criminal and former Defence
Minister Ivor Caplin welcomed my expulsion.
My expulsion and the proposed expulsion of Marc Wadsworth and Jackie
Walker are nothing less than an attempt by the Right and the Zionists in the
Party to purge the party of socialists and anti-imperialists. The fight will go on for my reinstatement and
the acquittal of both Mark and Jackie.
It is not we but the Jewish Labour Movement, the apologists for the deportation
of African refugees from Israel for the ‘crime of being Black and not Jewish,
who deserve to be expelled.
It is ironic that at the same
time as I am expelled for anti-Zionism and anti-racism, Labour’s Crooked General
Secretary McNicol has declared that the charges against the JLM’s former Chair
Jeremy Newmark of having defrauded a Jewish charity of thousands of pounds are
a ‘private’ matter.
time as I am expelled for anti-Zionism and anti-racism, Labour’s Crooked General
Secretary McNicol has declared that the charges against the JLM’s former Chair
Jeremy Newmark of having defrauded a Jewish charity of thousands of pounds are
a ‘private’ matter.
The right-wing Huff
Post, the Jewish
Chronicle, Jewish
News and no doubt others will be celebrating as Labour’s witch-hunt
continues even whilst they keep quiet about the Jeremy Newmark scandal. The Daily
Mirror has managed to outdo even Marcus Dysch of the Jewish Chronicle in
the number of mistakes it has made.
Post, the Jewish
Chronicle, Jewish
News and no doubt others will be celebrating as Labour’s witch-hunt
continues even whilst they keep quiet about the Jeremy Newmark scandal. The Daily
Mirror has managed to outdo even Marcus Dysch of the Jewish Chronicle in
the number of mistakes it has made.
Tony Greenstein
Posted in Blog
