How many scandals can Keir Starmer hide with his sacking of Rebecca Long-Bailey?
Choke hold: Israeli armed forces using the same ‘knee on neck’ technique that was used to kill George Floyd. But we’re being asked to believe Israel never taught that technique to US police and it is anti-Semitic to suggest that one country’s armed forces could teach such techniques to another’s police.
Quite a few, it seems.
Let’s start with the biggie: Israel is due to launch a major invasion of Palestinian territory next week, targeting in particular areas containing the aquifers that make life possible in these parched places.
It may just be coincidence or the sublime consequence of divine providence but the parts of "Judea and Samaria" (sic) that the Israelis intend to annex control the aquifers in this desperately water stressed region.
— JewishVoiceForLabour (@JVoiceLabour) June 26, 2020
Starmer’s sacking of RLB is a warning to Labour Party members that he will not tolerate the voicing of any dissent against this racist military action.
Note the timing
Days before Israel’s illegal annexation of large parts of the West BankLabour MPs are being warned not to speak out https://t.co/6Wfh9YrCwS
— Tom London (@TomLondon6) June 26, 2020
Any comment that he dares to make will be entirely ineffectual:
Here is a prediction for you.
Next week, when Israel illegally annexes much of the Palestinian West Bank, Keir Starmer will join Boris Johnson and call on "both sides" to "enter dialogue" to "avoid violence", as the iron will of the occupier is brutally enforced upon the victim.
— Craig Murray (@CraigMurrayOrg) June 25, 2020
Labour has a policy that all people have a right to self-determination. Israel’s right to self-determination has been used as a stick to beat party members accused of anti-Semitism. Palestine’s right to self-determination goes unrecognised under racist Starmer.
The global community has to find a spine.
Within days, Israel will illegally invade and annex 30-40% of the West Bank.
Britain used to have an opposition that would condemn illegal acts of terror.
Palestine must have the right to self-determination. https://t.co/FiEVxhRmPq
— Rachael Swindon (@Rachael_Swindon) June 26, 2020
But let’s not stop there. Starmer has also taken the heat off Robert Jenrick, whose corrupt manipulation of the planning system to save Richard Desmond £45 million in return for a small bung for Conservative funds was causing trouble for the Tories.
https://twitter.com/ComradeGeordie/status/1276183167704215552
This morning, Sir Keir Starmer declined to say whether corrupt Tory MP Robert Jenrick should be sacked.
This afternoon, he sacked Rebecca Long-Bailey for sharing an article in which Maxine Peake criticised the brutality of US/Israeli police officers.
Glad I didn't vote for him.
— Frank Owen's Legendary Paintbrush🥀🇵🇸🇾🇪 (@OwenPaintbrush) June 25, 2020
https://twitter.com/BenJolly9/status/1276137212678111232
Dear Sir Keir,
Thank you for taking the spotlight off Robert Jenrick. He was on the ropes, but once again, you stepped up to preserve the reputation of the elite.
And you’re right, we are trying our best. Honest.
Warm wishes, PM Johnson and Chairman Cummings.
— Rachael Swindon (@Rachael_Swindon) June 26, 2020
While Starmer moved quickly to sack RLB, he has done nothing about the right-wingers in his party who subjected Diane Abbott to racist abuse:
https://twitter.com/SkyeCity_/status/1276156592002605056
Those in Labour who sent the most vile racist abuse to Diane Abbott have not only not been sacked but still hold important positions, Rebecca Long-Bailey though was sacked
Make no mistake, Sir Keir Starmer's actions have nothing to do with anti-racism – its a PURGE of the Left
— Pileus Media (@thepileus) June 25, 2020
Finally, let’s bear it in mind that Starmer has no interest in opposing the Tory government’s genocidal policy on handling the Covid-19 pandemic…
65,000 dead and @Keir_Starmer is more concerned about keeping the BOD happy than opposing this murderous mad government. Good innit? #LabourRIP
— Scarlet Wilde (@wilde) June 25, 2020
… and, come to that, the people to whom he is pandering – the Board of Deputies of British Jews and all those other right-wing supporters of the Likud government in Israel – never criticised successive Tory governments for killing huge swathes of the UK population either:
successive Tory governments, despite a religious imperative in Judaism, to do so.
— Samuel Miller (@Hephaestus7) June 26, 2020
the entire population of the world.
—Samuel Miller, in an October 5, 2012 letter to UNCRPD Secretary Jorge Araya
— Samuel Miller (@Hephaestus7) June 26, 2020
Underlying all of this, remember: The claim RLB was sacked for – in an interview with her constituent Maxine Peake – is accurate. Israeli forces do indeed train United States police. And Starmer’s claim that it is anti-Semitic to say this loses any force when one realises that Jews know about it and oppose it:
Israeli forces train US forces and vice versa. Specifics aren't important. Which knee they use to kill the victims of the racism they both share isn't an issue. The impunity both enjoy is an issue as is the racism the drives them to kill without remorse. #ZionismIsRacism #BLM
— Jews Sans Frontieres (@jewssf) June 26, 2020
This from 2019 shows a possible link in increased violence by police against PoC and their training by Israel’s security forces. It needs investigating, not silencing. https://t.co/88O5LbahLq
— Peter 🏳️🌈🎬🎼🎭 (@MePeterNicholls) June 26, 2020
This is what now passes as antisemitism https://t.co/BW4yuCrSpP
— Jackie Walker – HRH, MP, MBE, ABC (@Jackiew80333500) June 25, 2020
"Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed rejected a demand from groups affiliated with the movement for Black lives to halt Israel’s training relationship with local police departments"#IStandWithRLB#EducateYourself https://t.co/pPTBnlPwi2
— redsarah99🇵🇸 #BlackLivesMatter🍉🍉 (@redsarah99) June 25, 2020
Here’s the last word – it should be the last word on Starmer’s catastrophic leadership of the Labour Party (but it won’t, because these creeps cling like limpets):
The idea that a shadow secretary can or should be fired for someone else’s misunderstanding is neither a serious approach to tackling antisemitism nor to leadership. But it’s the kind of decision you reach when you’re more worried about The Telegraph than anti-racism.
— Congolesa Rice (@judeinlondon) June 26, 2020
I have just read in Jewish News today that Tracy Ann Oberman says she is going to re join the Labour Party because Keir Starmer is doing the right thing.
I cannot publish my initial response to that, for reasons of decency.
Labour has referred Jenrick to the standards watchdog. This is still very much an active issue.
A full copy of Labours letter to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards can be found here
https://labourlist.org/2020/06/labour-refers-jenrick-to-parliamentary-commissioner-for-standards-over-cash-for-favours-scandal/
That’s nice.
It doesn’t change the fact that Starmer chose not to attack Jenrick, preferring to sack his own shadow minister instead.
“That’s nice”
I very much doubt that Jenrick agrees with you.
I am puzzled why you have chosen to conflate these two separate stories particularly when the Jenrick story is still a major news item and with the watchdog enquiry and now that Sadiq Khan has been dragged into the scandal it is likely to run and run.
It was Sadiq Khan’s idea! Richard Desmond says London mayor promised to ‘fast track’ controversial £1bn property development
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8464245/Richard-Desmond-says-Sadiq-Khan-promised-fast-track-controversial-1bn-Westferry-development.html
Also a YouGov snap poll has revealed the following
YouGov: Public back Keir Starmer’s decision to sack Rebecca Long-Bailey but do not agree Boris Johnson should stand by Robert Jenrick
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/yougov-poll-kier-starmer-sack-rebecca-longbailey-boris-johnson-robert-jenrick-a4481701.html
Desmond can say what he likes – that doesn’t automatically make it true.
And the UK public, in general, is happy to be led by a mass media that is ignorantly trumpeting that RLB retweeted a link to an “anti-Semitic conspiracy theory”. You know, and I know, that the Maxine Peake interview contained no such thing. Right?
I mentioned Starmer’s lack of action on Jenrick because the article was about Starmer’s general direction of travel, which we can see as supportive of Tory corruption, supportive of the apartheid government of Israel and its brutal police/armed forces, supportive of racism and anti-Semitism (yes, at the same time as supporting the Israeli authorities), and hostile to genuine anti-racists.
I’m glad to have the opportunity to explain that to you.
As for Jenrick’s feelings, I really couldn’t care less.