This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/sep/26/new-antisemitism-row-for-labour-over-fringe-speakers-holocaust-remarks-miko-peled
The article has changed 10 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Labour fringe speaker's Holocaust remarks spark new antisemitism row | Labour fringe speaker's Holocaust remarks spark new antisemitism row |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Labour’s deputy leader, Tom Watson, said the party would investigate how it gave a platform at a conference fringe event to a speaker who said people should be allowed to question whether the Holocaust happened. | |
| The remarks by the Israeli-American author Miko Peled have renewed alarm about antisemitism in the Labour party. The party is set to pass a significant rule change on Tuesday to toughen its stance on antisemitism and other forms of prejudice, proposed by the Jewish Labour Movement and backed by Jeremy Corbyn and Labour’s national executive committee. | |
| Senior Labour figures will hope that the passing of the rule change on Tuesday morning will send a signal that the party is prepared to get tough on anti-Jewish hate speech within its ranks. | |
| Speaking at an event on free speech and Israel, Peled is reported to have said: “This is about free speech, the freedom to criticise and to discuss every issue, whether it’s the Holocaust: yes or no, Palestine, the liberation, the whole spectrum. There should be no limits on the discussion.” | Speaking at an event on free speech and Israel, Peled is reported to have said: “This is about free speech, the freedom to criticise and to discuss every issue, whether it’s the Holocaust: yes or no, Palestine, the liberation, the whole spectrum. There should be no limits on the discussion.” |
| The Daily Mail quoted him saying: “It’s about the limits of tolerance: we don’t invite the Nazis and give them an hour to explain why they are right; we do not invite apartheid South Africa racists to explain why apartheid was good for the blacks, and in the same way we do not invite Zionists – it’s a very similar kind of thing.” | The Daily Mail quoted him saying: “It’s about the limits of tolerance: we don’t invite the Nazis and give them an hour to explain why they are right; we do not invite apartheid South Africa racists to explain why apartheid was good for the blacks, and in the same way we do not invite Zionists – it’s a very similar kind of thing.” |
| Watson said he was disgusted by the remarks and said Peled should be expelled from the party, if he was a member. | |
| “It is nothing to do with the official Labour party conference. And if there was Holocaust denial there, these people have no right to be in the Labour party, and if they are they should be expelled,” he told ITV’s Good Morning Britain. | “It is nothing to do with the official Labour party conference. And if there was Holocaust denial there, these people have no right to be in the Labour party, and if they are they should be expelled,” he told ITV’s Good Morning Britain. |
| He said Labour’s conference organising committee would investigate how Peled had been given a seat on a panel at the event. | He said Labour’s conference organising committee would investigate how Peled had been given a seat on a panel at the event. |
| Watson said: “I’m sure these allegations from the fringe, which is nothing to do with the Labour party, will be investigated.” He added that he would attempt to reassure colleagues and friends in the Jewish Labour Movement that the party has no tolerance for antisemitism. | Watson said: “I’m sure these allegations from the fringe, which is nothing to do with the Labour party, will be investigated.” He added that he would attempt to reassure colleagues and friends in the Jewish Labour Movement that the party has no tolerance for antisemitism. |
| He said: “It is disgusting to deny the Holocaust. These people are cranks, they have no role in the mainstream of politics and we certainly don’t want them in the Labour party.” | He said: “It is disgusting to deny the Holocaust. These people are cranks, they have no role in the mainstream of politics and we certainly don’t want them in the Labour party.” |
| Asked about a suggestion from the Holocaust Educational Trust that Labour under Corbyn had created a fertile ground for antisemites, Watson said: “I wish we could drive out any antisemite from politics … it has always been there on the fringes. If it ends up invading the Labour party conference space, then that’s obviously a bad thing. | |
| “But it is a very small number of people in our society. If they get involved in the Labour party we want them out. And the Holocaust Educational Trust are right to call this out. If we have got any evidence that Labour party members are denying the Holocaust, are using antisemitism in their politics, then there is no role for them.” | |
| The shadow health secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, also condemned Peled’s remarks. Also speaking to Good Morning Britain, he said: “I hope the conference votes for that motion because we should have absolute zero tolerance when it comes to the quite disgusting and pitiful antisemitism that sadly we’re sometimes seeing on social media these days.” | |
| A party spokesman said: “Labour condemns antisemitism in the strongest possible terms and our national executive committee unanimously passed tough new rule changes last week. All groupings in the party should treat one another with respect. We will not tolerate antisemitism or Holocaust denial.” | |
| Momentum, the grassroots leftwing group that has been Corbyn’s key support base, told delegates in its daily alert on Tuesday they should vote in favour of the Jewish Labour motion. The majority of the delegates at this year’s conference are aligned with Momentum, and the group’s explicit backing for the rule change will mean it is highly likely to pass. |