Constituency Labour party (CLP) secretaries have begun receiving an email sent by the Jewish Labour Movement (JLM) announcing the formation of its ‘antisemitism monitoring centre’.
The email, which begins by describing antisemitism as a ‘severe and ongoing crisis’ in the Labour Party – in spite of antisemitism complaints amounting to less that 0.1% of the membership (and some of those may involve separate complaints about the same person), asks recipients to complete an online survey about:
your experiences of antisemitism within the Labour Party, victim or third party observer.
It also claims that:
For too long, complaints of antisemitism have been dismissed when reported, obfuscated when they entered the national press, and dragged on because that was politically easier.
Given the mainstream media’s voracious appetite for even the most vaporous opportunity to claim Labour has a problem while ignoring undeniable racism, including antisemitism, in the Tory party, this is an interesting viewpoint.
We may need to share it
The survey has a response deadline of 19 October, although it is not explained why there should be a deadline if JLM has founded a ‘centre’ for monitoring an ‘ongoing crisis’.
But the email also contains a problematic line just before it ends:
We will use this information to help ensure that antisemitism is property [sic] addressed, and may need to share it with relevant parties.
No information is provided in the email about who these ‘relevant parties’ might be.
The survey questions include the respondent’s full residential address. The page does say that JLM will ‘seek direct permission’ before sharing information with third parties. However, it does not say that JLM will obtain permission. Like the email, the page does not give any indication who the third parties might be, nor is a guarantee given that data will not outside the UK.
The survey link is personalised to the recipient, but there is an option to respond as someone else, so emails forwarded to other members could generate multiple responses.
Nationbuilder
The footer of the email says that it was created via the Nationbuilder software. Nationbuilder is known to have ‘data-scraping’ capabilities, including social media data.
In at least some CLPs, people say they have been responding to the survey in order to put on record that they don’t believe there is a ‘severe and ongoing crisis’, but given the parameters of the survey and the possible vulnerability to data-scraping, caution should be exercised.
The organisation
JLM is formally affiliated to the Labour Party. Although the email refers to meetings ‘at every level of the party’, JLM representatives recently turned up to a party meeting to which they were not invited, but then tweeted their offence about not being allowed to participate.
In August, JLM issued a letter demanding the withdrawal of the ‘whip’ from Labour MP Chris Williamson because of comments made by a third party at an event where Williamson was speaking. Williamson responded:
I am astonished that at a time when the far-right is on the rise, veteran anti-racists like me are being targeted by the JLM for alleged comments made by another person.
But I will not be bullied by the JLM or anyone else for that matter and will continue standing up to injustice whenever and wherever I see it.
Representatives of JLM have also attacked left-wing group Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL), going to far as to claim to be ‘disgusted’ by the Corbyn-supporting organisation, which is critical of the behaviour of the Israeli government and does not accept JLM’s claim of ‘serious and ongoing’ antisemitism in the Labour Party.
In February, JLM was forced to call in police over ‘certain internal financial matters relating to its resigned chair, Jeremy Newmark, according to the Jewish Chronicle.
Unanswered questions
The SKWAWKBOX emailed JLM with the following questions:
- Is this email going to all CLP secretaries?
- The email states that data from responses may be shared with ‘relevant’ third parties – who are they?
- Where did JLM obtain the data for recipient secretaries?
- If you’ve established a ‘monitoring centre’, why is there a deadline for responses to the survey?
No response had been received by the time of publication.
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I hope a formal complaint has been lodged about this unauthorised email. Where they got the addresses from is a question requiring an urgent investigation.
I have registered a complaint with Labour about JLM, which was dismissed after a few days. I am trying to persuade the NEC to resurrect this complaint. If you want to help, go to https://www.change.org/p/to-chair-of-labour-s-nec-andy-kerr-labour-members-declaring-israel-is-a-racist-endeavour-call-on-nec-to-abandon-full-ihra/u/23381721
I also complained again last night, specifically about this unauthoried email
There can be no doubt whatsoever that Zionist groups such as the JLM and the LFI are a danger to the Labour Party. They are in the Party for one purpose only, to protect the rogue State of Israel. When they receive any opposition to their mission from someone such as Jeremy Corbyn or non-Zionist Jews, they make it their business to destroy them.
How stupid was it of those who should have known better, to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism when we already had a perfectly adequate dictionary definition? The Zionist groups said ‘here you are suckers, here’s a rope now go and hang yourselves with it’ and fools, maybe well meaning, within the Party panicked and fell for it. The result is the NEC have dug themselves into a hole and are trying to get out by digging even deeper. In the process we alienated those Jewish friends and comrades who know better than anyone that Zionism is an evil and has nothing to do with Judaism, especially when used to suppress free speech and justify the murderous activities of the IDF in Palestine.
There is only one answer, go back to the beginning and ditch IHRA completely otherwise the situation will get worse. The Zionist groups are ruthless and because they have weaponised antisemitism they now believe themselves to be armour plated, proven by Margaret Hodge being able to go up to Jeremy Corbyn and virtually spit in his face with absolutely no comeback.
The JLM and the LFI need to be booted out of the Party not pacified or appeased.
Can we simply confront the issue of Zionism in the Labour Party?! The JLM is strongly Zionist and is highly likely, as with other Zionists, to Weaponise AntiSemitism and use the IHRA definitions to that end. As the Orthodox Jewish community in the UK have highlighted only 20% of the British Jewish Community are represented by the BoD or JLC, heavily Zionist and dominated by Secular Zionists at that.
You nailed it in your opening question Tom – bravo!
Perhaps it’s just me but I find this rather sinister. Will a recipient of the letter who responds in good faith stating they have no knowledge of any AS activities be denounced as an AS denier as several members of the party have been?
Secular Zionists are potentially very destructive and seem to bear little relation to a believer in Judaism, sadly.
Presumably the JLM thinks the CST (Community Security Trust) isn’t doing a good enough job of it despite having offices in London and Manchester (apparently the two residential locations most popular with Jewish people), an 0800 emergency number and a mission statement:
CST’S MISSION
• To work at all times for the physical
protection and defence of British Jews.
• To represent British Jews on issues of
racism, antisemitism, extremism, policing
and security.
• To promote good relations between British
Jews and the rest of British society by
working towards the elimination of racism,
and antisemitism in particular.
• To facilitate Jewish life by protecting Jews
from the dangers of antisemitism, and
antisemitic terrorism in particular.
• To help those who are victims of antisemitic
hatred, harassment or bias.
• To promote research into racism,
antisemitism and extremism; and to use this
research for the benefit of both the Jewish
community and society in general.
• To speak responsibly at all times, without
exaggeration or political favour, on
antisemitism and associated issues.
Maybe it’s that last bullet point that JLM thinks makes the CST unfit for purpose?
This is the entirely predictable result of accepting the ridiculous IHRA definition of antisemitism,then compounding it by accepting the even more disgraceful 11 examples.
If that’s the way you feel, John, sign here https://www.change.org/p/to-chair-of-labour-s-nec-andy-kerr-labour-members-declaring-israel-is-a-racist-endeavour-call-on-nec-to-abandon-full-ihra
Already done I think Peter,but I will check and make sure.
Yes I checked – you did, John you were 125th. There are now over 400!!
tom.murray2@blueyonder.co.uk
JLM need to conform to the GDPR for surveys and ‘Personal Data’ in particular, which has a wide interpretation. Given the lack of transparency about the data, who has access to it, how it will or could be used and establishing the ‘lawful basis’ for processing this data etc etc seem to suggest they need reporting to the ICO.
These sort of witchhunt activities do nothing more than cast a poor light (to say the least) on some members of our jewish communities.
The JLM needs to stop spouting about antisemitism in the Labour Party (I’ve yet to see any), and concentrate on antisemitism in the tory party – lack of caps is intentional -, where they will undoubtedly find rich pickings.
Imagine a store security guard turning up unsolicited at your door, wanting information on local shoplifters that they will use for their own records, and to MAYBE tell the old bill – regardless of whether anything you tell them is true or a blatant fabrication
You’d be well within your rights to tell them to get bent, get the fook off your doorstep and if they ever come back…
The ‘kin liberties these people think they can take ffs.
PS.
I don’t know any shoplifters – I should make that clear!!
Something has to be done about JLM, the emanation of the State of Israel in the LP. They are running amock
the higher echelons of the party are reluctant to take the Israel lobby head on I agree 100% with Jacks statement above
The JLM and the LFI need to be booted out of the Party not pacified or appeased.
Antisemitism must always be confronted but this is clearly an attempt to keep the issue ‘on the boil’ in order to distract from Israel’s continuing vicious land-theft & apartheid.
I have registered a complaint with Labour about JLM, which was dismissed after a few days. I am trying to persuade the NEC to resurrect this complaint. If you want to help, go to https://www.change.org/p/to-chair-of-labour-s-nec-andy-kerr-labour-members-declaring-israel-is-a-racist-endeavour-call-on-nec-to-abandon-full-ihra/u/23381721
This needs to be rejected out of hand, if a Union had received a letter from a manger proclaiming something similar, all members would be told not to take part. I would also add question their intentions which has already been mentioned, which is, good or bad reception they keep the anti-Semitism pot boiling.
JLM represent no more than 20% of the Jewish population. They are not representing the whole.
Sorry for the mistake, BOD Board of Deputies represent 20% of all Jews in this country, who JLM represent is quite a different matter.
I think it’s clear to see now, that the serious issue of antisemitism is being used as a weapon to attack Corbyn.
This tactic is becoming more and more widely known about and it can only lead to some weak minded people conflating Jews with dirty tactics, which in turn will fuel antisemitism. That’s the irony.
It makes me angry because antisemitism needs to be fought against and the Holocaust should never be forgotten, so using something as important as the issue of antisemitism to disingenuously trash someone is cheap and disgusting.
Why has this group not complained about the Tories and their recent endorsement of Hungarian antisemites?
I have registered a complaint with Labour about JLM, which was dismissed after a few days. I am trying to persuade the NEC to resurrect this complaint. If you want to help, go to https://www.change.org/p/to-chair-of-labour-s-nec-andy-kerr-labour-members-declaring-israel-is-a-racist-endeavour-call-on-nec-to-abandon-full-ihra/u/23381721
The 3rd question seems most concerning.
3.Where did JLM obtain the data for recipient secretaries?
How did they get details of Party Secretaries? Have they used access to the main Party database? Under what authority?
If in due course it is discovered that they misused Party data then that could be a GDPR breach. The person responsible for the leak of data would most likely have to be dismissed if a staffer or expelled if a member. The Party would then have a potential liability of 4% of turnover as a max fine if ICO decided to pursue the matter (not likely as ICO are a chocolate fireguard in my view).
It is all quite serious. Coyne basically went down on the basis of this sort of thing but no clarification of how he got hold of personal data was ever detailed. Unite fired him but yet the breach of Party data he used was not even investigated properly.
At this stage I am so fed up with the Party admin that I am refusing to donate any more money directly to the Party. My parents have also stopped donating. It is hard to be enthusiastic about donating when all I see is tens of thousands of £ being wasted on admin incompetence and using expensive lawyers to bully any members who dare to try to raise a reasonable complaint or protest unjust expulsions. I will contribute towards getting JC in No 10 but not to misapply £100,000 of funds to Kezia’s lawyers.
Duncan, you echo the frustration of many of us. If the executive cannot discern between friend and foe and even worse, persecute friends to appease enemies, what hope have we got when we are in Government, being battered as we will be by hundreds of vested interests?
There is a simple answer to those who are weaponising antisemitism – tell them to get lost. This crazy path the executive is on has to come to an end and sense prevail, enough is enough.
Duncan, I like the cut of your gib. I am scottish and share your unhappiness over our splurge for Kezia.
Please see this https://www.change.org/p/to-chair-of-labour-s-nec-andy-kerr-labour-members-declaring-israel-is-a-racist-endeavour-call-on-nec-to-abandon-full-ihra/u/23400525
Hi Duncan. JLM is not registered with the ICO, so why would they know or care about Data Protection?
Laugh, or cry, here is their privacy page on their website:
http://www.jlm.org.uk/privacy
Obviously too busy doing Krav Maga workouts…
Is JLM funded by George Soros?
As a Catholic, I’m starting to feel persecuted. Am I being paranoid or is it just the time of year, around ‘bonfire night’? I do realise that I can never be crowned king, that is the law!
Since the Labour Party is an anti racist party and the JLM supports a racist state and a racist ideology, shouldn’t it be expelled?
peterswa62, if we had an executive who weren’t afraid of their own shadow, that’s exactly what they’d do!
Hi Peter, please see this effort of mine to get them banned. If you click on the link within the link, you can help get this back on the boil. Best wishes, Pete
https://www.change.org/p/to-chair-of-labour-s-nec-andy-kerr-labour-members-declaring-israel-is-a-racist-endeavour-call-on-nec-to-abandon-full-ihra/u/23381721
I habe written to all NEC members complaining about these most recent JLM shenanigans. Read it here http://www.kidsnotsuits.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/emailToNEConJLMemail.pdf