One of my Tutors in Coleg Harlech once said he did not so much believe in Conspiracy Theory of History as a Cock Up theory.
It could well be that the Anti-Sematism row within the Labour Party could lead to the greatest Cock Up in its history.
If Ms Hodge beleives there is a a thin line between "a fine line between being pro-Palestinian, and being anti-Semitic", then it seems to be that it is a line she has drawn herself.
There has been much speculation that a number of previously Blarite and some Remain Tories are seeking to form a new center party and citing anti-antisemitism from Corbyn supporters as one if not the whole reason, from the Labour side
We would probably see counter-conspiracy theories
This could see a growth in antisemitism as those who cling to such prejudices claim it proves their racist theory.
Rather than "a fine line between being pro-Palestinian, and being anti-Semitic" we need to accept there is a huge difference between criticising Israel and those of the Jewish faith.
We must distinguish this and call out not only out those who cry out "antisemitism" but also the minority who are using the conflict in that part of the Middle-East to reflect vile views.
It could well be that the Anti-Sematism row within the Labour Party could lead to the greatest Cock Up in its history.
The latest has Dame Margaret Hodge has compared Labour's disciplinary process to Nazi Germany and publicly accused Jeremy Corbyn of being antisemitic.
The veteran Labour MP, who is Jewish and lost relatives in the Holocaust, said being investigated by the party after a row with Mr Corbyn had made her feel like "a Jew in Germany in the 30s".
She accused her party leader of being on "the wrong side" of the line between being pro-Palestinian and antisemitic and suggested "the cult of Corbynism" had allowed this to happen.
Ms Hodge had been accused of screaming vitriolic and defamatory abuse in Jeremy Corbyn's face Margaret Hodge was subjected to a brief disciplinary procedure which AAV claims "involved the sending of a few letters, an meeting, and her getting let off scot free for an offence that would have seen any ordinary Labour Party member hoofed out of the party for good"
.Speaking to Sky News, Dame Margaret compared her treatment by Labour to the actions of the Nazis, suggesting she felt she had been punished for being Jewish.
She said:
"On the day that I heard they were going to discipline me and possibly suspend me, I kept thinking: what did it feel like to be a Jew in Germany in the 30s? It felt almost as if they were coming for me."
The MP said her father, who fled Nazi Germany, had told her as a child that
"you've got to keep a packed suitcase at the door, Margaret, in case you ever have to leave in a hurry".
Speaking of finding out that Labour had opened a probe into her conduct, she said:
"When I heard about the disciplinary [action] my emotional response resonated with that feeling of fear that clearly was at the heart of what my father felt when he came to Britain."
She compared her treatment to "McCarthyism" and suggested it was part of a "purge" of opponents of Mr Corbyn.
Asked about her party leader, Dame Margaret said:
"It's a very fine line between being pro-Palestinian and the Palestinian cause, which he's always believed in, and being antisemitic, and I think he's gone the wrong side of that line.
"I think it's a bit scary we've got this growth of populism - whether its Trump, whether its Boris Johnson and now whether it's the cult of Corbynism - which allows these sort of attitudes to emerge, and that's what scares me."
If Ms Hodge beleives there is a a thin line between "a fine line between being pro-Palestinian, and being anti-Semitic", then it seems to be that it is a line she has drawn herself.
In response, a Labour spokesperson said:
"Jeremy is determined to tackle antisemitism in the Labour Party, so Jewish people feel it is a warm and welcoming home."The comparison of the Labour Party's disciplinary process with Nazi Germany is so extreme and disconnected from reality, it diminishes the seriousness of the issue of antisemitism."We all need to work together to build support and confidence in the Labour Party among Jewish communities in Britain."
There has been much speculation that a number of previously Blarite and some Remain Tories are seeking to form a new center party and citing anti-antisemitism from Corbyn supporters as one if not the whole reason, from the Labour side
We would probably see counter-conspiracy theories
- One claiming that antisemitism is rife among Labour members, especially among Corbyn supporters.
- Another that is that it is a ploy by Blarites to remove Corbyn from the leadership and if it fails then form a new Centre party based on the neo-liberalism of the past.
- It could even lead to a growth in Antisemitism in a claim by some that it is a Pro-Israel lobby that is attempting to stop any criticism of that country in its role in the occupied parts of Palestine.
This could see a growth in antisemitism as those who cling to such prejudices claim it proves their racist theory.
Rather than "a fine line between being pro-Palestinian, and being anti-Semitic" we need to accept there is a huge difference between criticising Israel and those of the Jewish faith.
We must distinguish this and call out not only out those who cry out "antisemitism" but also the minority who are using the conflict in that part of the Middle-East to reflect vile views.
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