“To all the vile antisemites out there: clear off from the Palestinian quest for freedom and justice” – Layla Moran
Well said, Layla Moran:
Genuine supporters of Palestinians’ rights are fighting for equality, justice and freedom, aims that are in diametric opposition to any form of antisemitism. True champions of these causes both fight for Palestinian rights and also against any form of racism, including antisemitism. It is time to stop posing these as somehow conflicting choices. Many brilliant colleagues in parliament and elsewhere do this powerfully and passionately, week in and week out. No sinister conspiracy stops them from doing this…
To all the vile antisemites out there: clear off from the Palestinian quest for freedom and justice. Take your odious Jew-hatred elsewhere and do not think for one second that your views help champion Palestinian rights.
Or as she put it previously:
My plea to those who feel they need to step up for the Palestinians: Please do that, my God do we need it but also please don’t do it in a way that stokes antisemitism.
You can do both. You don’t have to be pro-Palestinian and antisemitic.
Thank you to David Graham for highlighting the piece to me.
Sensible lady, and a vote winning statement that is succinctly put, something that Corbyn had neither the wit or inclination to say in such an unvarnished way, I wonder why. Labour voters that read this and, are disgusted at the vile faction that continue to postulate anti-semitic tropes, can find a home in the Liberal Democrats, Corbyn has chosen to ignore complaints of anti-semitism or, at best, been led dragging and screaming into minimum action against those in his party who have expressed vile anti-semitic views, again why ?.
Layla’s comments make me feel a real sense of pride that she has chosen the Lib Dems as her political home. She has shown a true way forward that does not denigrate another group of people. Thank you
All well and good, and right. But it does depend on how you define anti-semitism. My wife was born in Jerusalem, and I have myself been around Israel and the West Bank a couple of times, so know a bit about the issues (others know far more, of course), and have some direct personal experience of them. Whenever I have gone public with criticisms of Israel, I have always been particularly careful to avoid any suggestion that I am criticising Jews as such. Nevertheless there have always been responses accusing me of anti-semitism. It is an easy response for those who would rather make an ad hominem attack than discuss issues they find difficult, much as many Brexiteers tend to when asked to spell out what the merits of Brexit are. So let’s always be very sure of the true motivation of those accused of anti-semitism before joining what can become a lynch mob.
Yes, this is often a challenge when you’re moderate and strive to be balanced. I have lived in Israel and have Israeli friends, and in fairness to them whenever I have criticised the decisions of their government the discussions have always been civil and thoughtful, even where we’ve disagreed. But it is so easy to find people who will simply call you antisemitic, and at the same time other folk will call you anti-Palestinian for daring to point out times when Israel is right, or where it’s not quite so black-and-white as things appear.