With accusations still being made about the Labour Party’s stance on anti-Semitism, and the way in which it deals with complaints of anti-Semitic behaviour, there is always the risk for the more enthusiastic Labour bashers to get a little carried away, to make claims about the party and indeed its leader Jeremy Corbyn that cannot be backed up.
This brings us to the perpetually thirsty Paul Staines and his rabble at the Guido Fawkes blog, where a new apprentice sandwich monitor, oops sorry, reporter has recently been hired. Claiming to be a journalist - so just like all the others, then - Tom Harwood is already churning out posts. He’s particularly keen on nailing anyone indulging in anti-Semitism. And today, he has perhaps been a little too keen.
I haven't screwed up again, have I?
The Jewish Labour Movement had revealed a particularly vicious email they had received last weekend. Their Twitter feed has told “Imagine opening your inbox on a Monday morning to find an email telling you Hitler was right. We don’t have to imagine, this email was sent to us on Shabbat”. The email talks of a “Jewish Mafia”, equates “Jews” to “Goldman Saks” [sic], and ends by asserting “Hitler was right”.
The email was signed “Dave Neve”. But thus far, a search for him has shown only that there is no trace of a Labour member called Dave Neve. That did not stop Harwood, who has told Fawkes followers “This is the sort of abuse being emailed to the Jewish Labour Movement at the moment, claiming ‘the Jews (Goldman Sacks) [sic]’ created the subprime mortgage crisis, and that standing up to anti-Semitism ‘does nothing but to convince millions of people that Hitler was right.’ This is all being done in Corbyn’s name”.
Except that Harwood does not know in whose name it is being done, and after he proudly Tweeted out his post with the comment “Beyond sickening”, City Pride chair Craig Spencer replied “How was this done in Corbyns name? I couldn't see the direct link”.
This matters, and for reasons which should be all too obvious. One Labour member has reminded us “For clarity, the person calling themselves Peter Arif on Facebook who was posting vile AS statuses on his page is a ‘no trace’ as a member of the Party. Complaints have just emailed me to confirm that he can't be found on the database anywhere”. And Harwood almost certainly did not check with Labour before making his accusation.
The Fawkes new boy has made a claim that looks, right now, as if he is going to be unable to stand up. If “Dave Neve” turns out to be somehow untraceable, or, worse, merely an agent provocateur with no connection to the Labour Party, Tom Harwood could be in deep shit. And that’s quite an achievement for someone so new to the job.
Staines and his rabble have put out so much Fake News of late that defaming someone was perhaps inevitable. Another fine mess, once again.
6 comments:
I don't normally go for conspiracy stuff, but isn't itoddible that "Dave Neve" is Tom Harwood.
What easier was to start your new job with a scoop than to invent a story? And it would explain why he didn't check if "Dave" exists.
By now it is surely obvious - even to the most moronic - that the anti-semitism stuff is a load of bollocks manufactured by various right wing factions.
The fact is anti-semitism has existed around the world for centuries. Almost all of it in the West is centred in extreme religious sects or nationalist parties. Christianity is particularly guilty. It's no coincidence that Hitler's first major diplomatic agreement was with the Vatican. Hitler was raised in Catholicism.
That's the same Vatican which supported (and still supports) European fascism and which operated the Nazi escape rat lines to South and North America, all with the connivance of the Dulles brothers. And history shows medieval Britain was among the first to pogrom Judaism and require its practitioners to wear an identifying clothing tag.
Judaism is just as vulnerable to far right hysteria as any other religious or political group, never better demonstrated than Israeli government oppression and physical violence and killing of innocent Palestinians. Part of that hysteria has now infected British politics in the shape of these disgusting, lying attacks on Jeremy Corbyn - those parts of the Jewish community who have tried to smear him as "an existential threat" to their religion are a an utter disgrace to their religion and to democracy. They should be ashamed of themselves for perpetrating the most disgusting lies..
I have yet to see any evidence of widespread anti-semitism in the Labour Party, let alone so much as a breath of it in anything Jeremy Corbyn has ever said or done. Yes, there will be guilty individuals but I'm willing to bet they pale into insignificance against equivalent loonies among the tories.
Anti-semitism is a psychological sickness which has yet to be eradicated. So is the kind of right wing propaganda which disfigures this country's public life. Jeremy Corbyn is the latest victim of it. But you can guarantee there will be others. Nothing is more certain, especially with the approach of a general election.
"Sickening" is probably too weak a word for this muck.
The latest suggestion by a moron writing for the Telegraph "Jewish Labour MPs should wear Yellow Stars in protest at Corbyn". This is a gross disrespect to all who died or suffered through the Holocaust and those suffering still. What extreme level can this abuse go to? Millions of souls of victims must be crying in the name of GOD STOP THIS MADNESS. You are encouraging the Fascists to act, look what happened to Jo Cox MP RIP
Should I should be surprised? Fawkes and his acolytes are all figures if fun these days,just trying to grab some attention. Too late; we've gone eleswelse.
To many in the BBC, especially Amol Rajan, Guido Fawkes is a reliable news source..
Tim
If you want really actionable stuff go to BBC iplayer radio, and select the Vanessa Feltz morning show (on BBC London) last Thursday 26th. Interview with Stephen Pollard starts about the 1hr 45 minute mark. Check the answer he gives when she asks what is it the community is really scared of towards the end of his 15 mins - the reference to John McDonnell is surely implying something outrageous unless I completely misheard. And that would be joint responsibility of Pollard and the BBC.
No need to publish this comment.
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