Let’s name and shame some anti-Corbyn liars
The faked-up controversy about Jeremy Corbyn’s criticism of Zionists who “deliberately misinterpreted” (read: perverted) a Palestinian representatives words in order to distort their meaning has really brought the nasties out from under their respective rocks.
It seems the malicious and misanthropic are queuing up to malign Mr Corbyn, who was perfectly correct to criticise Zionists for their apparent failure to “understand English irony”.
Some of his critics, it seems, also need to try to grasp this point – as they have distorted his words for their own purpose. This is exactly the same misdemeanour that Mr Corbyn pointed out in the 2013 clip that has sparked the current wave of pointless outrage.
It’s a common tactic – many of us have fallen foul of it.
Visit our JustGiving page to help Vox Political’s Mike Sivier fight anti-Semitism libels in court
Here’s an example – coupled with the put-down it deserves:
Total misquote. To deliberately twist words, and argue that "Zionists" = "the Jews" like this is anti-Semitic, full stop. https://t.co/4WYRo0sBDF
— Asa Winstanley (@AsaWinstanley) August 24, 2018
Gregg Carlstrom is the Middle East editor of The Economist. If that is an example of his journalistic accuracy, he should be facing the sack (or at least receive a verbal warning).
According to the Daily Mail, Stephen Pollard, Gentile editor of the Jewish Chronicle, said: ‘This shows the reality of what Jeremy Corbyn thinks of Jews, somehow a breed apart from “normal” English people.’
Pollard added that he believed the Labour leader ‘used the word “Zionist” obviously to mean “Jews”.’
Neither the Mail nor Mr Pollard provided any evidence to support this claim. Mr Corbyn is on record as saying he used the term Zionist in an “accurate political sense and not as a euphemism for Jewish people”.
It is well worth noting that the complaint by these alleged Zionists has not been published by the Mail, lending credibility to Mr Corbyn’s statement. What has the newspaper got to hide?
Also quoted in the Mail was Jonathan Sacerdoti, a founder of the pro-Israeli-government pressure group that masquerades as a charity, the Campaign Against Antisemitism. He said: “The idea that British Jews somehow haven’t absorbed British values is outrageous.” It is indeed. And he really should not be putting it about and claiming Jeremy Corbyn suggested it.
Gideon Falter, current chair of the vile CAA, stated: “It is precisely this euphemistic use of the word ‘Zionist’ to refer to Jews and direct smears at us which used to be the preserve of anti-Semites amongst the aristocracy.” “This” being the use of the word “Zionist” by Jeremy Corbyn? Where’s this liar’s proof that he did so?
Here’s Joan Ryan of Labour Friends of Israel, determinedly mixing “Zionist” with “Jew” to present a false impression – and a takedown from John Clarke:
You do NOT represent Jewish people & you do NOT have a mandate for saying what is & is not offensive to Jewish people.
Jeremy Corbyn's comments may well be offensive to Israeli supporters & Zionists; so what? Israeli murderous actions are bloody offensive! https://t.co/GWSy9FBy9Y— John Clarke (@JohnClarke1960) August 24, 2018
How about Emily Benn? Tony Benn is probably spinning in his grave at this disgrace:
https://twitter.com/TheFabledAesop/status/1032926233154252805
Eddie Marsan – an actor:
Just to bring some REALISM into the debate:
1. Zionists are not an “immigrant community”.
2. Criticism of Zionism isn’t “Antisemitism”.
3. Criticism of Israel isn’t “Antisemitism”.
4. Tories have REAL problems with their dealings with immigrant communities. https://t.co/ICH8t7zrmZ— John Clarke (@JohnClarke1960) August 24, 2018
Now, how about some voices of reason?
Remember when leaders of Jews in the UK used to attack those who failed to distinguish between Israelis & Zionists and Jews? They were right to do so.
Now it is these same leaders who are deliberately conflating criticism of Israelis & Zionists with criticism of Jews.
Shameful
— Tom London (@TomLondon6) August 24, 2018
It is textbook anti-Semitism to ascribe to all Jews a particular unified ideological or political viewpoint — particularly when that viewpoint is support for a violent settler-colonial movement like Zionism.
— Asa Winstanley (@AsaWinstanley) August 24, 2018
I KNOW many Jews in UK are fearful of Corbyn
They have absolutely NO reason to be
They have been subjected to lies, distortions & crucial omissions by@BoardofDeputies @JewishChron @DailyMailUK @guardian @BBCNews
Shame on them all for whipping up toxic baseless hysteria
— Tom London (@TomLondon6) August 24, 2018
Is it just me or does the latest anti-Corbyn tactic of conflating 'a specific group of radical Zionists who berated the Palestinian ambassador 'with 'all Jews' actually look a lot like outright anti-Semitism?
Zionism is a political movement.
Not all Jews are Zionists.
— Another Angry Voice (@Angry_Voice) August 24, 2018
Visit our JustGiving page to help Vox Political’s Mike Sivier fight anti-Semitism libels in court
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Here are four ways to be sure you’re among the first to know what’s going on.
1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (in the left margin). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.
2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical
3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com
And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
The Livingstone Presumption is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
Not all Jews are Zionists and not all Zionists are Jews but more to the point, why the hysteria, because Jeremy Corbyn made a statement in which he suggested that a particular group of persons, who happened to be present at an event, did not wish to learn history (a major point of his speech) and failed to understand irony? Even if that group was of Jewish Zionists, as opposed to Jews who are not Zionists (important distinction), I fail to see anti-Semitism. If I am blind, in this regard, would somebody please enlighten me? There are MANY people, who were born in this country who neither understand irony, nor know what it is. I have had to look it up, on more than one occasion.
the use of zionist and jew are like equating KKK member and christian or even terrorist and muslim. none of these conflated duos are at all connected. for a start not all jews are zionists and not all zionists are jews. in fact there are more none jewish zionists that there are jewish zionists. the KKK are purely white so no comparison can be even contemplated with christianity, seeing as a majority of none white’s in the USA are christian. then we look at the terrorist. there are more terririst groups in the USA than there are in the rest of the world counted together. so the idea a terrorist is a muslim is also blatant miss truth.
i do wish these so called newspapers would actually learn what the truth is and actually report it as it is instead of twisting it. all they do is make their ability to survive as a paper or worth, laughable. the sun has been known by me as the daily comic for a long time. it was not even worth using as toiler paper. most of the rest seem to trying to follow suit.
the sooner we see the nazis ousted the better.
It’s better to use the word “fact”, rather than “truth”. Truth is for philosophers.