Mainstream Left & Anti-Semitism

With the Lib Dem leader in the news, its interesting to see that only two weeks after an all parliamentary enquiry concluded anti Semitism was on the rise again the Lib Dems own Baroness Tonge has publicly embraced the best known anti semitic myth out there. Speaking on Tuesday at a meeting of the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, Tonge says: “The pro-Israeli lobby has got its grips on the western world, its financial grips. I think they have probably got a certain grip on our party". This part of her speech was recorded and broadcast by Radio 4’s Today Programme. Click here and forward 21 minutes into the broadcast.

Personally I don’t imagine anyone gripping the Lib Dems all that tightly but her remarks are truly pathetic -especially as a ‘Liberal’ member of the House of Lords. And she is hardly naïve. Waxing lyrical about suicide bombers saw her sacked last year from the front bench (whilst being elevated to the House of Lords, you understand)

You may also recall that Chris Davies, resigned as the leader of the Lib Dems in the European Parliament shortly after sending an abusive email to one of his Jewish constituents.

This sort of rubbish now comes from within the mainstream left and should concern us all. It is a nod to peddling of rebranded anti-Semitism masquerading as Israel criticism by members of Respect and also by the likes of 'MPAC' - seen here wriggling out of complaints about Israel images on their website.

This week saw the Khartoum government allege any UN intervention in Sudanese genocide was merely a design on ‘redrawing the region to protect Israel’.

For some elements of the left that means cue those placards: we are all Janjaweed now