• ACCUSATIONS of institutional racism are not to be made lightly. Cllr Phil Rosenberg has spoken of a “toxic” atmosphere in the Hampstead & Kilburn Labour Party and repeated “toe-curling motions singling-out Jews and Israel”.

And not just that but a full-on “return to the Dark Ages, [where] the ritual ‘humiliation of the Jews’ must come before any competing business”.

What was the motion that seems to have upset Cllr Rosenberg so much that he went to the press with his accusations of ritual humiliation?

It called for the Del Singh award, recently presented to the Jewish Labour Movement, to be cancelled. Not because it is a Jewish organisation but because the award is completely inappropriate.

The JLM is affiliated to the Israeli Labour Party and the World Zionist Organisation. Del Singh was an MEP candidate for the Labour Party and founding member of Labour Friends of Palestine before his untimely death working in Afghanistan as an aid worker.

His family were appalled at the award being given in their name to “those that have tirelessly defended the human rights abuses of the Israeli occupation, which Del spoke so passionately against”.

The motion passed at the Labour Party meeting called for their wishes to be respected. Jewish Voice for Labour completely supports this position, and was shocked that the award was ever made.

Anti-Semitism, like all forms of racism, is monstrous and should be vigorously dealt with. But false accusations of anti-Semitism are monstrous too and have been unjustly damaging for the Labour Party. Cllr Rosenberg’s allegations must be publicly retracted and an apology issued.

NAOMI WIMBORNE-IDRISSI
Media Officer

JENNY MANSON
Co-Chair, Jewish Voice for Labour