What starts with the Jews never ends with the Jews

'Over the last couple of years, after intense provocation, I have taken to these pages a couple of times to express my disgust at the standard of behaviour in the Hampstead and Kilburn Constituency Labour Party.

Almost two years ago to the day, I could not believe that my local party had blocked Jews even debating a motion about anti-Semitism. As we were not allowed to discuss it there, I was glad that the Jewish News allowed me to discuss it here.

Three months ago, I wrote that I had finally had enough. I had stayed silent not once, not twice, but six times. When Hampstead and Kilburn Constituency Labour Party was faced with an anti-Jewish motion for the seventh time in nine meetings, and passed it, I could stay silent no longer.

Some despairing Jewish members are even suggesting that 'we should wear yellow stars to meetings because it would make things simpler' – and they are by no means alone in their horror. I vowed that I would not return to these local meetings until the Party could guarantee me and other Jews a 'safe space'.

My last article got a fair amount of pick up, particularly on social media. I was invited in by Labour Party Headquarters, and then by Jeremy Corbyn's office. I got a lot of sympathy. But when I asked for anything approaching concrete action, none came.

Now, it seems that a lack of discernible action from the Labour Party is allowing a group of seriously nasty people to plumb new depths.

Reports from the last meeting, included a minute's silence for the recently deceased Labour stalwart Tessa Jowell, being heckled by a number of members.

After a vote on Gaza was proposed, and passed, there was an attempt to force those who would not support the motion to identify themselves – expressed in menacing terms. And we know who that was aimed at, don't we?'

More from Phil Rosenberg, Director of Public Affairs at the Board of Deputies of British Jews and is a former local councillor for West Hampstead ward in the London Borough of Camden and the Hampstead and Kilburn constituency, He writes here in a personal capacity, here in The Times of Israel 

http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/what-starts-with-jews-never-ends-with-the-jews/

Obviously nothing about this on the institutionally anti Israel BBC who have decided to try to push the antisemitism in the Labour Party story as far away as possible.