Are those condeming the Labour Party confusing Anti Zionism with Anti Semetism

POGS I had never even heard of the Conservative Middle East Council ("CMEC"). I wonder how many people have, apart from MPs, their aides and party officials.

The CMEC website has a message "under maintenance". However, other sites quote, as you did, "It [the CMEC] "is an organisation which exists to ensure Conservative MPs and peers understand the Middle East".

It appears that at one time the CMEC did have a significant focus on the Israel/Palestine issue and was seen, to some extent, as a counter-balance to the very powerful Friends of Israel Group.

However, in a 2018 article in Middle East Eye, Peter Oborne and Alastair Sim, both highly respected journalists, wrote an article entitled:

"Why is the Conservative Party ignoring Palestine?"

It is a long article containing a great deal of detailed information as to the make up of the CMEC, its current focus and, very significantly, its donors. For those who are interested but don't wish to read the full article, here are a some salient extracts from that article (the emphases are mine].

START QUOTE
Ask any Conservative MP and they will tell you that the nearest equivalent [to the Conservative Friends of Israel] is a group called the Conservative Middle East Council ..........

Yet despite its origins backing the cause of Palestine, there is compelling evidence that CMEC lobbies primarily on behalf of Gulf states - notably Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain - while also receiving money and attention from those close to these governments...........

Meanwhile the Palestinians have slipped down CMEC’s agenda. One senior and well-connected Tory politician told MEE that CMEC now “ignores the Palestinian issue” and called on it to “up its game”............

We have discovered that CMEC has not taken a single Tory MP to the occupied West Bank or to Gaza for at least five years. By contrast, the Conservative Friends of Israel has taken 119 Tories to Israel since the 2015 election alone.

It’s an extraordinary dereliction by an organisation which is supposed to support Palestinians.........

Perhaps the most generous CMEC donor has been the property developer and financier David Rowland. A regular donor to the Conservative Party, he has given more than £465,000 ($660,000) towards CMEC’s running costs, including £60,000 ($85,000) in October 2017...............
Rowland has also helped to secure multi-billion pound defence deals between British firms and the Saudi Arabian government. In 2011, Rowland offered his private jets to Prince Andrew for free, while the British royal visited Saudi Arabia to help secure deals for BAE Systems............

The only conclusion is that there is now no serious force within the Conservative Party, which has been in government now since 2010, to act as a voice for the Palestinians............. "

END QUOTE

Anja

Anja Thu 07-Mar-19 20:17:27
"Just listened to a Jewish MP on Channel 4 saying there is no more anti-semitism in the Labour Party than anywhere else and this is al whipped up by those who don’t like Corbyn. Easy to believe as we see the same here on every political thread.

Ad nauseum"
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Interesting.

Can you tell us who the Jewish MP was and from which party please.

More denial,

it’s a plot from the evil centre left to rid the party of the present leader.

Eloethan

"The only conclusion is that there is now no serious force within the Conservative Party, which has been in government now since 2010, to act as a voice for the Palestinians............. "
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Actually I came across the CMEC after watching a debate in Parliament years ago and I had never heard of it so I looked it up.

I am not espousing great knowledge of the working behind the CMEC but I am trying to point out that whilst the Conservative Party does not have a Conservative Friends of Palestine ( or indeed Friends of many countries) the voices that are making an issue of that fact and eluding to the Conservatives have ' no interest ' because of not having a Friends of Palestine group are being a tad simplistic.

I am not stupid and understand the complexities of the politics of the Middle East are a mixed bag but I also believe the complexities do not only belong to just one party.

I would like to mention Conservative MP Alan Duncan who at one time was reported as being a ' target ' by Israel over his view on Palestine. As a member of the CMEC he wrote this in 2016:-

www.palestinecampaign.org/sir-alan-duncan-israels-settlements/

Sir Alan Duncan on Israel’s illegal settlements

Alan DuncanCMECinternational lawsettlements

The Conservative Middle East Council have produced a new pamphlet, Middle East Peace: the principles behind the process, by Sir Alan Duncan.

The pamphlet focuses on the inaction by the international community against Israel’s illegal settlement colonies. As Sir Alan points out,

“It is not just the physical constructions themselves that matter. Building them has a much wider detrimental impact on Palestinians. Their construction is often accompanied by the displacement of Palestinians from their historic farmland, the demolition of their homes, the bulldozing of their ancient olive groves, and the destruction of their water wells.

Rightful Palestinian citizens are reduced to having nothing: while illegal Israeli colonisers get everything. Water, electricity, access, protection: illegal settlers get the lot, the Palestinians next to nothing.

Settlement activity is not carried out by some minority group outside the orbit of the Israeli state. Settlement activity is systematically initiated, implemented and supported by the Israeli Government, who authorise, implement and protect the relentless illegal expansion of the borders of Israel. This is reprehensible.

In addition to being illegal, settlement activity is very often violent, nasty, and brutal. Not all, but many settlers are heavily armed and aggressive.

It is no exaggeration to say that many settlers are state-supported militia, defying international law, driving out the rightful inhabitants from their land, and creating an illegal economy at the expense of those who have been cruelly displaced.”
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The CMEC may not as be pro active on the Palestine/Israeli conflict as the Labour Party and as you have noted the site is down at present to find much out but I shall be trying to find more information for my own understanding.

POGs I can tell by your tone that you don’t believe me. But though I can’t remember her name, perhaps another will.

She was a Labour MP. Affiliate to a Jewish group. She had short grey hair, well cut and (at the risk of sounding anti-Semitic) didn’t ‘look’ Jewish.

Sorry that’s all I can say.

She was expressing the same opinions as THESE Jewish Labour Supporters

Anja

Anja Fri 08-Mar-19 15:26:57

"POGs I can tell by your tone that you don’t believe me. But though I can’t remember her name, perhaps another will."
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Oh dear. Why the hell would I be calling you a liar?

I asked for her name because you made a statement about a Labour MP that I, maybe other posters, would like to hear and make an opinion on.

Perhaps you will remember her name or look up the few Jewish Labour MP's and tell us.

Jenny Manson , she is a secular Jew and not an MP

And she is chair for Jewish Voice for Labour , she omitted to say Jewish Voice for Labour held meetings this week to discuss withdrawing their support, they will hold a vote at their AGM,I think May, and have said they want action against anti semetism by that time

Anniebach

I have watched and read Jenny Masons opinions, I think she has been mentioned on GN over time. As you rightly point out she is not a Labour MP.

Anja

Out of fairness to you, was it Jenny Mason you were speaking of being interviewed on Channel 4 ?

Jenny Manson was the only woman who spoke about anti semetism on Channel4 News 7th March , it was on 7pm to
8pm and Anja said she had just listened to her I assumed it was Jenny Manson

Actually isn't she Jenny Manson?

OK.

I got it wrong , sorry AB

Anniebach

If it was Jenny Manson then I don't have to watch the Channel 4 interview as I know her opinion and the Jewish Voice for Labour. No antisemitism issues and it is all a conspiracy to get Corbyn !

The Jewish Voice for Labour was formed because of Corbyn becoming Labour Leader and I think I am correct in saying John McDonnell and Momentum are / were putting her forward as a Labour MP.

Yes POGS, the following may be of interest

Jon Lansman 2018 speaking of Jewish Voice for Labour

‘The most influential antisemetim-deniers, unfortunately, are Jewish anti Zionists and the organisation which is just not tiny but has no real connection with the Jewish community at all. It doesn’t represent the Jewish community in the way that the JEWISH LABOUR MOVEMENT clearly does ‘