Hello Fellow Labourist, some news:
"Labour Against the Witch hunt (LAW)" revealed that John McDonnell stated in a recent interview with Jewish News “What we’re saying is it’s anti-Semitic to oppose a Jewish state". This is pretty frightening, coming from the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer and Chair of the Labour Representation Committee. As LAW says "Opposing a state that systematically, and constitutionally, marginalises and demonises Palestinians while subjecting them to discrimination is by definition a form of apartheid. It is not anti-Semitism to state this fact." The interview also shows the hand the Jewish Labour Movement (a zionist body affiliated to Labour) is playing in leading the witch-hunt that is developing in the Labour Party. (Guess we'll be next)
In a chilling foretelling of how freedom of speech in Labour about Israel might be stamped on, Jennie Formby, General Secretary of the Labour Party, has written to all Facebook admins for pages with "Labour" or "Corbyn" in their titles asking them to inform her of any posts that might be deemed "anti-Semitic". In response, LAW have invited those same admins to sign an open letter to Ms Formby informing her they will not be informers. The response can be seen here - as of 14/9/18 there have been 318 signatures.
I have managed to get another article published in Mondoweiss- on the fallout in the UK Labour Party after the vote adopting the full IHRA, considering why Labour cannot put this matter to bed: "Why let Netanyahu write the Labour rulebook?"
Please email me at postmaster@roseburn32.plus.com if you want flyers to take to conference; contact me or if you'd like me to post you 100 flyers promoting the petition. To download copies to print off yourself, click here.
On the evening of the 23rd I shall serve the petition on all 39 members of the NEC and copy the email to all 257 Labour MPs. I shall then forward this notice onto the press. With any luck it might get noticed; but then again it might not. I can't see from the Conference timetable if the IHRA is likely to be debated. If our petition is ignored, I think we can then feel safe in proclaiming from every rooftop that "Israel is a racist endeavour"
Best wishes
Pete Gregson (in Edinburgh)