Gransnet forums

News & politics

Kier Starmer hires former Israeli spy

(95 Posts)
GagaJo Tue 19-Jan-21 19:56:44

The UK Labour Party has hired a former Israeli spy to help manage its social media, The Electronic Intifada can reveal.

Assaf Kaplan will work in the office of Labour leader Keir Starmer, a source with knowledge of the hire said.

Kaplan was in Israeli military intelligence for nearly five years, an officer in Unit 8200, its cyberwarfare branch.

Unit 8200 specializes in spying, hacking and encryption. It carries out blackmail, mass surveillance and systematic discrimination against Palestinians.

In 2014, a group of whistleblowers detailed how the unit spies on Palestinian civilians living under Israeli military occupation.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Kaplan was in the Israeli army’s military intelligence division from May 2009 to November 2013.

electronicintifada.net/blogs/asa-winstanley/uk-labour-party-hires-former-israeli-spy?fbclid=IwAR1Sibgmst7O9HMRjppLhjhTEn7U9t4FJj8ZXJOltXkbCvVJaTV6PqEF2zo

Ramblingrose22 Thu 21-Jan-21 11:09:25

So anyone can criticised, even Corbyn.

Glad we got that clear.

Personally I find Johnson and his so- called Government who don't know how to govern far more farcical and at the same time far more worrying.

trisher Thu 21-Jan-21 10:56:46

No I'm saying it is a great joke that the continual and constant slagging off of the last leader of the LP was accepted and even applauded on GN whereas the occasional questioning of this LP leader's actions is criticised and even blamed on the last leader. It's not just hilarious it's farcical.
Anyone can be criticised even Starmer.

Ramblingrose22 Thu 21-Jan-21 10:39:00

Trisher - are you suggesting that Corbyn is above criticism?

Anniebach Thu 21-Jan-21 10:28:31

Agree Ramblingrose

trisher Thu 21-Jan-21 10:24:55

Ramblingrose22 are you suggesting that Starmer should be above criticism?
If the story is untrue he has only to give out a press statement saying so.
This perpetual slagging off of and sniping against the Labour leader is probably down to Corbyn hero-worship. IMO it's an obsession
This made me burst out laughing! If only someone had been prepared to say something similar when the press and media were destroying Corbyn.
It's not worshipping anyone to expect a LP leader to behave in an ethical, democratic, principled way, something Starmer seems incapable of doing.

Ramblingrose22 Thu 21-Jan-21 09:58:14

This thread is just another pretext for criticising the Labour leader on the basis of an unproven story from the usual left-wing electronic media.

If these news media claimed that the Labour leader has robbed a bank some people on here would believe it.

This perpetual slagging off of and sniping against the Labour leader is probably down to Corbyn hero-worship. IMO it's an obsession.

Grany Thu 21-Jan-21 09:25:14

More Questions

Five questions for new Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer about his UK and US national security establishment links

thegrayzone.com/2020/06/05/five-questions-for-new-labour-leader-sir-keir-starmer-about-his-uk-and-us-national-security-establishment-links/

Iam64 Thu 21-Jan-21 09:19:16

Are we to believe that the ‘spies’ who work at GCHQ are all politically identical? Starmer is under attack by the momentum supporters no matter what he does. Presumably, this man was appointed after going through the usual employment procedures. Best person for the job is usually the result

Grany Thu 21-Jan-21 08:52:47

The journalist who broke the story about the Labour Party hiring Israeli former-spy Assaf Kaplan has spoken exclusively to The Canary

www.thecanary.co/exclusive/2021/01/20/if-jeremy-corbyn-hired-an-ex-spy-it-would-be-all-over-the-front-pages/

Stormystar Wed 20-Jan-21 22:56:47

We have in Britain more surveillance cameras per person than any country in the world outside of China. Perhaps the intention is to put us in the no 1 position

GagaJo Wed 20-Jan-21 20:57:20

I know of a few practising. But my UK house is near a very big Jewish area in the north of England.

petra Wed 20-Jan-21 17:21:23

I think every Jew I know is non practising.

GagaJo Wed 20-Jan-21 17:15:53

Exactly trisher. I had an Israeli student last year. Non practising.

trisher Wed 20-Jan-21 16:46:26

Well some may not find it interesting but I think there will be people who will regard this as the last straw and leave the LP. One thing anyone working in such a role should have is completely impartial stance on matters. It's obvious that he won't have this. Quite what Starmer is up to I don't know, but I note many on this thread have confused the fact that he is an Israeli citizen with the fact that he may or may not be a practising Jew. The one should never be assumed of the other.

petra Wed 20-Jan-21 16:32:38

I found it interesting as I've just been reading about Obamas track record in office. Interestingly he gave $38 billion to the Israeli military as a parting gift when he left office ?

David0205 Wed 20-Jan-21 16:30:26

Starmer wants to be elected so of course he is distancing from Corbyn.
The newly recruited Israeli “Spy” would have been monitoring Palestinian communications, just like our own GCHQ do to us, if the have cause, and what the US does to who ever they choose.

GagaJo Wed 20-Jan-21 16:17:51

I think he is just positioning himself as far away from Corbyn as possible. Unfortunately, he is SO far away that he has gone in the opposite direction. Fortunately, there is plenty of time left to make decisions about who to support in the next election. I would hate to think I couldn't support Labour. Time will tell.

Grany Wed 20-Jan-21 16:13:50

I think this is interesting too. Why choose an Israeli with a past as a spy blackmailer of Palestinian people. Starmer is controversial decisions he's made as leader have people wondering, what does he stands for requires answers.

Ramblingrose22 Wed 20-Jan-21 15:17:10

Looks like Gagajo is one of the few people who has found this interesting then (yawn).
People normally appoint whoever they think has the best credentials and skills for the job. Get over it.

GagaJo Wed 20-Jan-21 14:43:11

No, I think I would feel the same way LG.

lemongrove Wed 20-Jan-21 14:38:19

Am thinking that his expertise is the reason he has been hired, if your source is correct about him really being hired in the first place.

lemongrove Wed 20-Jan-21 14:36:02

So your objection is that he is an Israeli citizen really?
Would you feel differently if he happened to be Palestinian, with a past working in spying, hacking and encryption?

GagaJo Wed 20-Jan-21 12:13:15

Was there no way he could set a % requirement for employees within Labour that were Jewish? A bit like US has affirmative action?

WHY appoint someone with such a suspect past, but also, why an Israeli ex spy? So many Jews do not support the violence perpetrated towards Palestine.

Anniebach Wed 20-Jan-21 10:49:21

But Jewish MP’s didn’t get peace and justice with Corbyn as leader.

Grany Wed 20-Jan-21 10:32:04

I agree with you GagaJo Starmer is taking Labour right doesn't look good at all.

He is all about BOD who support Israel they represent only 40% of Jews He won't listen to the left wing Jews and have purged them from Labour Party.

I think an initiative like The Peace and Justice Campaign is more than needed now people can get behind this and give people hope.