Former Labour MPs expelled over antisemitism invited to speak in online meeting
A number of former Labour Party members who were involved in the party’s widely covered antisemitism crisis participated with Labour MPs on Wednesday evening in an online meeting hosted by the newly formed “Don’t Leave, Organize” group, reported The Jewish Chronicle.
British Labour Party leader Keir Starmer. Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Former Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott and the former Shadow Immigration Minister Bell Ribeiro-Addy both addressed the meeting on the Zoom online platform, as well as Tony Greenstein, who was expelled over antisemitism allegations, and Jackie Walker, who was kicked out of the party on misconduct charges.
Both Abbott and Ribeiro-Addy gave speeches in which they responded to the recently leaked report on Labour antisemitism, but rather than addressing anti-Jewish discrimination in the party, both MPs attacked the party’s wing who are against former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, blaming them for December’s general election defeat.
“The participation of Diane Abbott and Bell Ribeiro-Addy in an online conference with Jackie Walker and Tony Greenstein is a brazen challenge to Sir Keir Starmer,” said Gideon Falter, chief executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism, in a statement.
“During his leadership campaign, Sir Keir pledged that any MP who provides a platform for Labour members expelled in connection with antisemitism will themselves be suspended from Labour,” continued Falter. “Instead of keeping his promise and immediately suspending both Diane Abbott and Bell Ribeiro-Addy from the party, Labour has merely ‘reminded them of their responsibilities.’ ”
JNS
The British Labour Party has not changed one bit in its acceptance of anti-Semitism despite the departure of is former leader Jeremy Corbyn. To prove my point, its new leader Sir Keir Starmer recently appointed Naz Shah to a junior position in his shadow cabinet. This is the same Naz Shah, who has made some atrocious anti-Semitic statements that can easily be found online. She has since apologized for these sentiments, but I have to ask myself how sincere her contrition is. If she genuinely and sincerely accepts that her words were hurtful, inappropriate, and wrong, then, yes, she does deserve our forgiveness for her previous unfortunate diatribes, but… was she really ashamed for what she said, or for the fact that she was called out on those words? Did she truly have an epiphany moment, a Damascene conversion to the unassailable right of the Jewish people to have a place of their own in their ancestral and spiritual homeland? As far as I am concerned, the jury is out, but while the new Labour leader continues to surround himself with Corbyn acolytes, the party will never truly rid itself of the stain of Jew-hatred. Perhaps Starmer is so devoid of talent that he has no choice but to elevate this woman to a position of importance. Sad times indeed for such a once-proud organization.