Jews and racism

I've never liked the expression "anti-semitic" - do you know who Semites are? They include Jews AND Arabs.
I would rather use 'racist' to cover the whole lot, including the hatred of other races for us gentile whiteys.
And I know that many will deny it, but don't most adults like some nationalities more than others?
I exclude young children because I think it's some learned - fear and mistrust of the different/alien.

I'm reviving this thread after reading about the Labour Party fringe meeting held yesterday.

From The Times

Jeremy Corbyn has been accused by one of his own MPs of having an “ostrich strategy” to anti-Semitism as Israel was compared to Nazi Germany at a party conference fringe meeting.

Wes Streeting, the Labour MP for Ilford North made the comments after Labour activists discussed expelling Jewish groups from the party in what was described as a “thinly veiled call to purge Jews from the Labour Party”.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party admitted he had seen anti-Semitic tweets from party members “that would make your hair stand on end” that he said were “redolent of the Thirties”.

At a fringe event titled Free Speech on Israel, speakers called for the Jewish Labour Movement (JLM) and Labour Friends of Israel (LFI) to be “kicked out” of the party and said Israel had committed “genocide” in Gaza.

One speaker told the audience that Israel and Israelis should not be treated any differently to the Nazis or white South Africans during apartheid.

Baroness Shami there?

I sometimes think that people, mostly young people have simply no idea what the Nazis were like. They use the word so flippantly to describe regime's they deplore, strangely North Korea, China, Russia, Cuba etc, equally if not worse regimes on the human rights front, get away scot free!!
I suggest that some of these zealots including the Baroness, have a quick look at some old black and white footage of the Nazis in action so to speak, Poland for example is a good starting point, the contraction camps make for interesting viewing!!!! Death trains are a bit nasty!!! Perhaps a bit more understanding of exactly what the Nazis were like, might make people less ready to accuse other countries of being the same when they clearly are not!

Well said niggly

Was Baroness Sharmi there? I've found no evidence that she was? It's a smear which nn picks up on as the truth and calls her a zealot, Evidence for that? FWIW the reports of the meeting sound dreadful but I think it's possible to say that without deciding to smear BS who wasn't even there.

That's shocking stuff Primrose was that at the Momentum own conference?

It wasn't Niggly who mentioned Baroness Sharmi, maryeliza.

Not a Momentum event to my knowledge lemongrove - they were busy talking about 'Governing from the radical left' and 'Acid Corbynism'.

I know that ana but she picked up on the I suggest deliberately mischievous 'question' from annie and drew false conclusions and made a potentially libellous inference about BS being there and called her a zealot - which name calling is exactly what people are complaint about

It was a fringe event, held outside the main venue but apparently listed in the official conference handbook. Couldn't find information on who organised it

Yes a question , recognised by a ? No name calling, just think if she wasn't there she should have been there , less eager to absolved part of the party as anti semantic

OK then, 'if she were there'! Will that do? The old newsreels are very shocking, and perhaps be to much for most peoples sensitivities. To suggest that Israel for all its faults, along with every country in the world, is like Nazi Germany is just plain ridiculous. Look at the old film if you don't believe me, its all there in minute detail, no holes barred!!

It was chaired by Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi, who spoke at the main conference too about Palestine, the Gaza blockade.

Why would BS have been there in the first place? That is an uncalled for smear. I rather think I've seen as many of these old films and read widely about and studied that whole era thank you very much as you have - I'm taking issue with your smearing BS not the issue of the false comparisons between Israel and Nazi Germany.

Tony Greenstein spoke and was cheered and applauded - his Twitter feed has plenty of "Jewish neo-Nazis all of them" rants.

Apparently, they banned twitter use during the event and any recording of what was said. Which seems remarkable for an event called 'Free speech'.

This needs to be tackled head on and is I believe being given serious consideration.

This sort of puerile attempt at proving an argument over the way Israel is treating the Palestinians will cut no ice with the Labour Party.

Undoubtedly there is an issue many feel with the Palestine issue but this childish behaviour needs stopping in its tracks

It is worth mentioning that it was held in a very small venue, was on the outer fringes and not condoned by the Labour Party. It is unfortunate that it slipped in to the programme of events.

What's so sad about this alleged type of behaviour is that it detracts attention from the very real issue of Israel's treatment of Palestine. There is a real discussion to be had about this but the extremist views expressed, although context is relevant, allegedly at this meeting prevent a real debate from taking place. What I do think people should be able to say is that the expansion of illegal settlements is wrong without being labelled anti-Semitic.

What I do think people should be able to say is that the expansion of illegal settlements is wrong without being labelled anti-Semitic.
I absolutely agree with that. That's not what is happening though. It's people denying the Holocaust and other very, very extreme views being cheered.

I read what the Telegraph reported about the supposedly Holocaust denial and it really didn't read like that - it was part of a speech by an Israeli American author who was making a plea for free speech and for being able to debate a range of issues, including the Holocaust. He wasn't denying the Holocaust at all - if he had ( or others had) I'm sure the DT would have reported it - quite rightly. I'd like Baggs to contribute on this - she's a real champion of free speech. My instinctive feeling is that we shouldn't debate whether or not the Holocaust is true but what I've read so far doesn't say that the Holocaust was denied. I'll try and get the link - I wish they had recorded the meeting

www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/israeli-born-anti-zionist-calls-israel-a-racist-settler-regime-at-labour-conference-1.444944

Having read the Jewish Chronicle article, I stand by what I posted - the speaker wasn't denying the Holocaust but said under the banner of free speech that it should be able to be debated. I don't agree with that but saying you should be able to discuss it isn't the same as denying it.

I would very much like to know where I can read a transcript of what was said so that I can speak with a bit of knowledge on the issue.

Can someone direct me please

I do think if we knew who actually spoke at the meeting we would have some idea of the likely script.

I have been trying to find any other source for the reports, such as those in The Times and The Telegraph, other than Guido Fawkes. Do we see them write in order to support or even just discuss Corbyn's concerns about the behavior of the Israeli Government towards the Palestinians - a perfectly reasonable question to raise. It often seems the the purpose of these raising the question of ant-Semitism is to suppress this discussion as others have suggested.

It is no good thinking anti-Semitism doesn't exist; it does along with all other racism, but like so many areas were the right-wing press attempts to set one group against another the people involved in it are very small in number and spread throughout our society. Are these papers saying there are no anti-Semites in the Conservative Party, the Liberals or, in particular, UKIP. A senior Alternative for Germany member is to address Ukip conference apparently.

It exists and it's very existence fuels attempts to close down discussion about states - not a race a state. The LP have condemned it and will look into these rumours - because that is what I believe they are until I get a better source of information that just one person.