Two senior Labour figures have asked Labour’s National Executive
and Parliamentary to issue new policy guidance on
antisemitism for adoption by all Party MPs, Peers, candidates,
councillors and members.
Former Labour Cabinet and Middle East Minister Lord and Daniel Levy, President of
the U.S./Middle East Project, and a former Israeli Labor
Government negotiator in peace talks with the Palestinians, have
issued a 2000 word statement [attached] asking that it form the
basis for this policy guidance.
They say:
“Labour must unequivocally expunge antisemitism from its ranks.
To do so while standing up for peace and Palestinian rights is
possible. Denying the painful Jewish history that led to Israel’s
establishment, or the attachment most Jews feel to the largest
Jewish community in the world – Israel – does not advance the
legitimate struggle of the Palestinians to achieve their full
rights and freedoms in the face of Israel’s occupation and
discriminatory policies. Labour must and can lead two struggles
simultaneously – against antisemitism and for Middle East peace
and justice.”
“Labour’s debilitating antisemitism crisis has so far focused
upon process – are those charged with anti-Semitic behaviour
being properly disciplined by the Party’s leadership or not? But
a procedural solution cannot resolve what is primarily a
political problem. Unless the political roots of the problem –
which have become a crisis – are honestly confronted, the Party
will neither be able to regain nor will it be deserving of the
broad support necessary to win general elections.”
They are circulating it to all MPs, Peers and the Party’s General
Secretary as well as the Jewish Labour Movement, Labour Friends
of Palestine and Labour Friends of Israel.
Note for Editors:
Daniel Levy is a member of the UK . He is currently President of
the U.S./Middle East Project, and a former advisor in the Israeli
Prime Minister’s office and Israeli negotiator in peace talks
with the Palestinians under Israeli Labor Prime Ministers Ehud
Barak and Yitzhak Rabin.
Labour Peer is a former Labour MP, British
Minister for the Middle East, Cabinet Minister and is a
longstanding campaigner for Palestinian rights and against
Apartheid
