Harlow MP Robert Halfon joins anti-semitism protest (and slams Harlow Labour).
News / Tue 27th Mar 2018 pm31 12:44pm
HARLOW MP Robert Halfon joined a protest against anti-semitism held outside the Houses of Parliament on Monday night.
He joined MPs and many other protesters following claims from Jewish leaders that Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn had become a figurehead for antisemitism.
Mr Corbyn has conceded that his party had failed to address the problem and issued his strongest apology yet over his 2012 backing of a graffiti artist behind an antisemitic mural.
Mr Halfon said: “The levels of anti semitism under Corbyn’s Labour is shocking. I salute brave Labour MPs like Wes Streeting (Ilford) and John Mann (Bassetlaw) who are standing up against this anti-semitism.
In Harlow, as a Jewish MP, I have been subject to anti semitism from parts of the left, including being screamed at “Go back to Israel” in front of a number of witnesses in Broadwalk.
“It saddens me that unlike a few brave Labour MPs, Harlow Labour do little to stand up against anti semitism from Labour’s ranks.
By their silence they almost condone it.
“I was proud to be at the demonstration yesterday, it is comforting that many good British people will stand up and be counted as they stand up against the evils of anti-semitism in all its forms”.
YH has contacted Harlow Labour for a comment.
MickyB77
2018-03-27 14:48:25
Every word is true. How can people support a political party, whose leader is proud to be associated with virtually every terrorist group on the planet? These same people scream blue murder about the British arms industry, when every terror group is supported by Russian made weapons, the country they admire so much. Touch of, as usual, double standards or what? TRUST LABOUR at YOUR PERIL.
JerryFromQueens
2018-03-27 17:39:17
Tories have got room to talk when it comes to offending minorities, there was once a Conservative Party leaflet that said "if you want a... for a neighbour, vote Liberal or Labour". And their attacks on the disabled and the poor are vile too. Fact is, certain media and press barons will do anything to stop Labour coming to power because they'll owe the likes of Murdoch and Dacre nothing. Hope scares them. Young people getting involved in the direction of the country cares them. Jeremy Corbyn scares them and they'll use any smear to stop him becoming PM. Take notice of Micky AT YOUR PERIL!
JerryFromQueens
2018-03-27 17:53:20
Last week Corbyn was a "Communist spy", this week he's an "antisemite", stand by for next week: Corbyn spotted on the grassy knoll when JFK drove past. As these smears mutate further from the truth each week, it's the press that make themselves look ridiculous and out of touch. Their hero May was neutered at the election last year and they'll never forgive Corbyn for galvanising young people to vote and for giving us hope to combat the grey, crushing austerity of the Tories. The Tory Party are a busted flush and most of the media will say anything to keep your mind off that fact.
regroove
2018-03-27 20:12:39
Harlow Labour do stand up against all forms of racism, including anti-semantic rhetoric, a coach load went to London only 2 weeks ago on a anti racist demo. AS has no place anywhere in society, yet Halfon accuses HLP with no evidence whatsoever, just hoping some mud will stick, lowest form of politics. Maybe it is to hide the fact that him and Harlow Tories support a islamophobe standing again as a local candidate, or the councillor that retweets The far right Britain First and islamophobe material or the senior Tory councillor that was part of a closed Facebook group that racially abused a female councillor,or the fact that he cannot defend the woeful record of his government without blaming someone else.
JerryFromQueens
2018-03-27 20:32:17
I marvel at the bare faced cheek of Bob Only Half-on Harlow's Side, taking Harlow Labour and the national party to task over a flimsy, cheap piece of biased propaganda when this week, I'm actual factual news, one of Theresa May's closest advisors used someone's sexuality as a weapon against a whistle-blower. Any comment on that, Bob? After your voting record against pro LGBT+ legislation, I'm not surprised you're keeping quiet.
MickyB77
2018-03-28 06:37:19
There was never a leaflet JFQ, as you describe. Urban myth. More of labour "truths". Any amount of old rubbish, to divert from the truth, which has been the policy of the shower that call themselves classless. Lacking momentum,I think. I'm surprised that so many think they have found an option with the terrorist supporting JC. Maybe they think that the initials stand for something else, they believe everything that JC states as the truth.
MickyB77
2018-03-28 10:31:10
My comment, above, should have been in the previous article.
Harlow_TUC
2018-03-28 10:49:17
It is sad that any people in our society resort to scapegoating others for the lack of resources to meet everyone’s basic needs. It is sadder still that some resort to racist abuse or churn out propaganda designed to undermine the standing of any ethnic or religious minority in our society. However, some politicians have soft-pedalled on racism directed at Travellers, whilst others have ramped up a negative discourse against Muslims in some misguided attempt at countering Islamic extremism. Far-right politicians sought to exploit the “war on terror” to target Muslims to drag in supporters for their underlying racist agenda, which has resulted in Britain First’s leaders sent to prison and their social media outlets taken down. So when some forms of racism go under the radar, then it comes as no surprise that others follow in their wake. I’m saddened that Robert Halfon has suffered from antisemitic abuse in Harlow. However, I noticed that Robert used the term "the left" to help identify the perpetrator, but this idescribes many political groups. Specific criticism of Labour lacking opposition to antisemitism or any other form of racism is unfounded. Labour Party members, including councillors, have joined Harlow TUC in opposing the racist and Islamophobic groups EDL, National Front and National Action at demonstrations in London, Luton, Chelmsford and Colchester. On 30 January 2017 in Dover, Harlow Labour members and other left groups were attacked with a barrage of bricks from National Front and National Action. Labour members were opposing National Action long before the Tory government banned them as a terrorist racist group. Labour members joined Harlow TUC in 2015/16 opposing the divisive scapegoating agenda of Ukip in mass leafleting with Hope Not Hate and Stand Up to Ukip in order to build community cohesion. In all the examples cited above of opposing racism, not once did I spot a member of Harlow Conservatives. Some Labour members, like Cllr Waida Forman, stood up to hatred against Travellers and as a result she was subjected to online racist N-word abuse and incitement to damage her home from an Anti-Traveller Facebook group. This group, led by Malcolm Mitchell, had a membership that included leading Harlow Tory and Ukip councillors. The issue was covered by YourHarlow on 9 August 2015 and the subject of a Harlow council motion on 24 September: http://moderngov.harlow.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=123&MId=606&Ver=4
MomentumHarlow
2018-03-28 14:09:37
This is political opportunism of the lowest form. Halfon claims to have suffered 'personal abuse' from 'parts of the left', without being clear that it is NOT suggested the abuse came from actual members of the party he seeks to denigrate. Frankly, Halfon is running scared of Harlow Labour Party. He is running scared of the Labour Party as a national political force, and will do and say anything to undermine it. Support for Streeting or Mann is to be expected. The Tories will offer any possible assistance to the remnants of 'New Labour', because the politics and policies of governments from 1979 to the present day, including the Blair/Brown 'New Labour' administration, have comprehensively failed the British People. This issue is not about Anti-Semitism, it is about undermining Corbyn, and no-one is being fooled. Halfon is not close enough to the ordinary folk of Harlow to understand that they are not taken in by his rhetoric. Anti-Semitism and racism IS a problem in British politics; and a far greater one on the right of the spectrum. And, MickyB77, Conservative MP for Smethwick, Peter Griffiths, was elected on the slogan “If you want a n***er for a neighbour, vote Labour.” Griffiths refused to disown it: “I would not condemn any man who said that,” he told the Times during his election campaign. “I regard it as a manifestation of popular feeling.” Not an urban myth, but a fact. As for specific anti-semitism, the Institute for Jewish Policy Research, in an extremely comprehensive study, concluded that '... When it comes to antisemitism, the very right-wing lead: 52% (46-58%) in this group hold at least one antisemitic attitude, in contrast to 30% in the general population; and 13% (10-17%) of the very right-wing hold 5-8 antisemitic attitudes, in contrast to 3.6% in the general population'. They further conclude, in the same document; ' ...the very left-wing are, on the whole, no more antisemitic than the general population ... the very right-wing combine a relatively high level of antisemitic attitudes with a relatively high level of anti-Israel attitudes. In having this unusual combination of attitudes the far-right is truly unique on the British political map. https://cst.org.uk/public/data/file/7/4/JPR.2017.Antisemitism%20in%20contemporary%20Great%20Britain.pdf Will Halfon be raising the issue of Anti-Semitism on the right? Or is it only an 'issue' if it involves the Labour Party?
MickyB77
2018-03-28 14:09:43
Not a word about the leader who has supported every terror group on the planet. Especially those who appear to have a hatred of Israel. Momentum! All for the good of Britain? You cannot be serious.
JerryFromQueens
2018-03-28 16:08:57
Momentum is used as a term of abuse by many but actually understood by few. You know the type that's scared. Those Tories fearful of younger people not buying the outdated slurs and denigration spewed out by their acolytes in the Stone Age printed press, circumventing their lies and vile slander by creating their own community online. "Momentum!!" they cry as they rage at the dying of the light, hoping one last lie will redeem them. Not this time. The world is slipping from their grasp and into the hands of people with conscience and consciousness.
MickyB77
2018-03-29 11:10:17
Same old lies and half truths. LABOUR and the REDS at your PERIL. More economical with the truth than a miser. Sad, mis -guided and addicted to outdated ideology. Halfon has been brilliant for Harlow, that can't be denied, even by the spurious comments of the local REDS.
MickyB77
2018-03-30 06:32:43
High ranking Labour politician sacked for supporting an holocaust denial activist, a MOMENTUM man. VOTE LABOUR at your PERIL.
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