Tag Archive for: Black Lives Matter

Today’s anti-Israel protest outside Downing Street in London, believed to have been attended by thousands, featured a number of comparisons between Israel and Nazi Germany.

Volunteers from Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit were present at the protest to gather evidence.

One sign read “Free Palestine from German guilt,” while a large banner placed near the BBC’s headquarters made a comparison between Israel and Nazi Germany. A sign affixed to a bicycle presented a swastika next to the Israeli flag.

According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” is an example of antisemitism.

Signs calling to “End” and “Smash” Zionism were present, as were placards calling Israel a “racist” state. Examples can be seen here and here.

The chant of “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” was heard throughout the rally. Signs and clothing bearing the words of the chant were also on display.

“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” only makes sense as a call for the destruction of the world’s only Jewish state — and its replacement with a State of Palestine — and is thus an attempt to deny Jews, uniquely, the right to self-determination, which is a breach of the Definition. 

According to the Definition, “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination (e.g. by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour)” is an example of antisemitism.

Calls for another “intifada” were also heard. The “intifada” is widely understood as the campaign of Arab terrorist violence against Jewish Israeli targets in the early 2000s that claimed hundreds of civilian lives and brought an end to the peace process.

One prominent sign at the event, aimed at Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, read: “Racist Starmer supports Zionism without question”. 

Additionally, support for Leila Khaled, a convicted terrorist, plane hijacker and member of the violent Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine who took part in two terrorist hijackings in 1969 and 1970, was on display.

The antisemitic former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn was one of the event’s featured speakers and issued “a huge thank you to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, not just for today, but for all the days that they’re campaigning.”

A month-long investigation by Campaign Against Antisemitism in 2017 exposed extensive antisemitic bigotry amongst Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) supporters on social media. Earlier this year, a PSC branch published an Instagram post calling Zionists “brainwashed racists” who should be fired from their places of work.

Delia Mattis, a self-described “social justice activist” who claims to be the Founder of Black Lives Matter Enfield, also took to the stage to address the crowd. During her speech, she said that Zionism was “a psychotic ideology” and that Israel “stood for white supremacy.”

Attendees at the event included the disgraced Reverand Dr Stephen Sizer, who in January was handed a twelve-year ban by the Church of England after having been found to have “engaged in antisemitic activity” by a tribunal of the Church of England, and the controversial activist Jim Curran who was spotted holding a sign that read “The Nakba was a Holocaust”. Mr Curran has been seen with similar signs in the past and is a regular attendee at a group called Keep Talking, a group of far-right and far-left conspiracy theorists who come together to promote antisemitism.

The protest was also attended by the controversial environmental group, Just Stop Oil, whose founder, Roger Hallam, previously described the Holocaust as “just another f***ery in human history.”

Similar signs and chants were on display at last month’s “Al Quds Day” rally in central London.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over five hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews more than five times likelier to be targets of hate crimes than any other faith group.

Concerns have been raised that a mural in Westchester, New York, promoting Black Lives Matter (BLM), features the image of the antisemitic hate preacher, Louis Farrakhan.

The mural, located on Manhattan Avenue under the I-287 highway, includes a depiction of Mr Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam, speaking with an accusatory raised finger.

Mr Farrakhan has referred to Judaism as a “gutter religion”, seemed to imply that Jews are “evil” and “satanic” and encourage paedophilia and “sexual perversion”, blamed Jews for slavery and racist Jim Crow laws in the United States, described Adolf Hitler as a “great man” and said that Jews financed their own destruction in the Holocaust, claimed that Jews have a “stranglehold” on the US Congress using their “tentacles”, and accused Israelis and Zionists of being behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York City. 

“I am not an antisemite,” Mr Farrakhan wrote in October 2018 in a tweet that he later deleted, “I’m anti-Termite”.

The Westchester Jewish Council released a statement saying that Mr Farrakhan is “one of the country’s most prominent antisemites. His long public history of anti-Jewish and other bigoted comments makes his inclusion in this project completely improper.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has previously called out the British chapter of Black Lives Matter after it claimed that “Zionism” had “gagged” Britain.

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on news and incidents relating to antisemitism throughout the United States.

Black Lives Matter (BLM) has been condemned after one of its activists labelled Fox News as “Zionists” that are “full of lies”.

A video appears to show a gathering of BLM activists congregating outside Fox News headquarters in New York City, where a man shouting through a megaphone can be heard saying: “You’re full of lies. You’re all racist. You’re Nazis, you’re Zionists, you’re KKK.”

Stopantisemitism.org posted the video to Twitter, writing: “Obscene antisemitism – BLM in NYC tonight equates Zionists with Nazis.”

Last year, Campaign Against Antisemitism called out the British chapter of Black Lives Matter (BLM) after it claimed that “Zionism” had “gagged” Britain.

British BLM’s official Twitter account tweeted at the time: “As Israel moves forward with the annexation of the West Bank, and mainstream British politics is gagged of the right to critique Zionism, and Israel’s settler colonial pursuits, we loudly and clearly stand beside our Palestinian comrades. Free Palestine.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism responded: “The Black Lives Matter movement should embrace solidarity from Jews. There have been calls for violence against us from prominent BLM supporters with no official condemnation. Now from the official UK BLM account, we hear the lie that fighting antisemitism has ‘gagged’ legitimate debate.”

One week later, Campaign Against Antisemitism produced a video showing how antisemitism in the BLM movement is a betrayal of the legacy of real Civil Rights heroes.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has produced a video showing how antisemitism in the Black Lives Matter movement is a betrayal of the legacy of real Civil Rights heroes.

The short video can be watched below. Please share it widely.

The BBC has reportedly ordered its television presenters not to wear Black Lives Matter (BLM) badges on air after Campaign Against Antisemitism exposed worrying antisemitism in the movement and its other extreme views emerged.

Executives at the public broadcaster declared that “visual symbols of support” for BLM should not be worn on screen after leaders within BLM hijacked the killing of George Floyd to spread antisemitism and to promote an extreme agenda. “The BBC cannot be seen to support any kind of cause over another, and Black Lives Matter is certainly a campaign,” the BBC ruled.

The decision was part of a wider backlash against the BLM movement after Campaign Against Antisemitism called out antisemitic tweets over the weekend. Police forces and several celebrities have distanced themselves from the movement, as has the Premier League.

Among the first football clubs to break with BLM were Tottenham Hotspur, which said that “it is unacceptable that a value-based action is being hijacked by those with their own political agenda,” and Crystal Palace, which announced: “We would like to make clear that we do not endorse any pressure group or body that carries the same term in its name, and we strongly believe that organisations should not use this important force for change and positivity to push their own political agendas. We want to be part of a world that is fair, inclusive and open to all.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “We are not surprised that the antisemitic outbursts and revelations of other extremist views from within the BLM movement are causing those who had lent their support to distance themselves. All decent people oppose racism, which is why seeing anti-Jewish racism emerging from within the movement against anti-black racism has been an ugly sight. Prejudice cannot be beaten with more prejudice.”

The Premier League and various footballers and commentators have begun withdrawing support from Black Lives Matter (BLM) after Campaign Against Antisemitism exposed antisemitism within the movement.

The Premier League reportedly said in a statement it was “aware of the risk posed by groups that seek to hijack popular causes to promote their own political views” and that “these actions are entirely unwelcome and are rejected,” it added. The statement came after the ‘official’ Black Lives Matter movement Twitter account published an antisemitic tweet accusing Zionism of having “gagged” Britain, among other extreme views espoused by organs of the movement.

On Sky Sports, pundits and commentators Patrice Evra, Jamie Redknapp, Gary Neville and Kelly Cates all opted to stop wearing BLM badges in coverage this week. Matt Le Tissier had already revealed that he had worn the badge because studio executives had required him to do so and that he is reviewing the matter.

The developments came after Gary Lineker distanced himself from the Black Lives Matter movement. The footballer-turned-celebrity was asked by actor Laurence Fox on Twitter as to his views on the Black Lives Matter movement following the controversy this weekend, and he responded: “Why do you ask? I didn’t retweet it and wouldn’t dream of doing so, therefore I can’t really understand what your issue is.”

Other sportsmen are also understood to be reconsidering their support for the movement following numerous controversies, distinguishing between their strongly-felt opposition to racism against the black community and their disenchantment with the Black Lives Matter movement itself.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “We are not surprised that the antisemitic outbursts and revelations of other extremist views from within the BLM movement are causing those who had lent their support to distance themselves. All decent people oppose racism, which is why seeing anti-Jewish racism emerging from within the movement against anti-black racism has been an ugly sight. Prejudice cannot be beaten with more prejudice.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism called out the verified ‘@UKBLM’ Twitter account for its antisemitic tweets over the weekend.

The Black Lives Matter Movement has condemned “antisemitism slurs” directed at BLM UK, a separate entity which claimed that Zionism “gagged” Britain.

Campaign Against Antisemitism criticised BLM UK, an entity of unknown provenance that exists only on Twitter and GoFundMe, after it claimed that “British politics is gagged of the right to critique Zionism” following the dismissal of Rebecca Long-Bailey from the Shadow Cabinet for sharing an article that contained the antisemitic trope that Israel is somehow to blame for the racist killing of George Floyd.

Now the Black Lives Matter Movement, which describes itself as having been “formed in London in 2016 and is not affiliated to BLMUK,” published an article on its website titled “BLMUK, Palestine and media antisemitism slurs”, which insisted that the Black Lives Matter Movement “support[s] the struggle against racism in all its forms” including antisemitism, called for action against racism against black women MPs in the Labour Party (with reference to a controversial internal leaked report), and called the criticism of BLM UK a “witch hunt” which “weakens the fight against all forms of racism” and that this is “the aim of much of the media and the right in this country”.

It was not clear why standing up to antisemitism by BLM UK could “weaken the fight against all forms of racism”.

Following the exposure of antisemitism in the Black Lives Matter movement by Campaign Against Antisemitism, there has been a considerable withdrawal of support from the movement by mainstream society and celebrities who nonetheless rightly maintain an abhorrence of racism toward the black community.

Gary Lineker has distanced himself from the Black Lives Matter movement after it published an antisemitic tweet accusing Zionism of having “gagged” Britain.

The footballer-turned-celebrity was asked by actor Laurence Fox on Twitter as to his views on the Black Lives Matter movement following the controversy this weekend, and he responded: “Why do you ask? I didn’t retweet it and wouldn’t dream of doing so, therefore I can’t really understand what your issue is.”

Meanwhile on Sky Sports, pundit Matt Le Tissier revealed that studio executives had required him to wear a badge supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and that he is reviewing doing so, while other sportsmen are also reconsidering their support for the movement following numerous controversies, distinguishing between their strongly-felt opposition to racism against the black community and their disenchantment with the Black Lives Matter movement itself.

Campaign Against Antisemitism called out the verified ‘@UKBLM’ Twitter account for its antisemitic tweets over the weekend.

The Oxford branch of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has apologised for using the antisemitic ‘Freedom of Humanity’ mural as a cover photo for a Facebook event.

The mural originally appeared in East London in October 2012 after an outcry. In 2018 then-Leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, was discovered to have defended the mural, which featured apparently-Jewish bankers beneath a pyramid often used by conspiracy theorists playing Monopoly on a board carried by straining, oppressed workers, several of whom had dark or black skin.

After a local councillor criticised the advertisement, Oxford BLM issued an apology, saying that the matter was “deeply concerning and the person who used the image is deeply sorry. We absolutely do not condone the image used and have since removed it. We will use this time to learn from their mistakes and ensure every person who attends our events feels safe. We stand resolutely against antisemitism, and see our struggles for liberation as interconnected.”

The mural has recently been promoted without apology by the American rapper Ice Cube, also in connection with the Black Lives Matter movement. It is inexcusable to sully the noble cause of fighting anti-black racism by using expressions of anti-Jewish racism. Racism cannot be combated by recourse to other forms of racism.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “The use of a blatantly antisemitic mural – which has even been in the news in recent years due to Jeremy Corbyn’s defence of it – to promote an event is unacceptable, and we are pleased that the Oxford chapter of the BLM movement removed it within a few hours and issued an apology promising to learn from the mistake. It is regrettable that the national BLM movement did not show similar contrition when it tweeted that Zionism ‘gagged’ Britain yesterday. BLM should aspire to be a movement against racism that unifies people and achieves lasting change, not a movement that spreads hatred and achieves lasting division. You cannot fight prejudice with prejudice.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has called out the UK chapter of Black Lives Matter (BLM) today after it claimed that “Zionism” has “gagged” Britain.

BLM’s official UK account tweeted this morning: “As Israel moves forward with the annexation of the West Bank, and mainstream British politics is gagged of the right to critique Zionism, and Israel’s settler colonial pursuits, we loudly and clearly stand beside our Palestinian comrades. Free Palestine.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism responded: “The Black Lives Matter movement should embrace solidarity from Jews. There have been calls for violence against us from prominent BLM supporters with no official condemnation. Now from the official UK BLM account, we hear the lie that fighting antisemitism has ‘gagged’ legitimate debate.

“Zionism is the movement for the self-determination of Jews. The right to the ‘self-determination of peoples’ is universal and enshrined in Article 1 of the UN charter. So-called ‘anti-Zionism’ exclusively denies Jews that universal right and is therefore antisemitic.

“BLM should aspire to be a movement against racism that unifies people and achieves lasting change, not a movement that spreads hatred and achieves lasting division.

“Educate yourselves. You cannot fight prejudice with prejudice.”

As social media swiftly divided amongst those who firmly backed BLM and those who were appalled by their bigotry, BLM chose to entrench its position, issuing further tweets that ‘gaslight’ Jews and seek to redefine what antisemitism is.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has continued throughout the day to expose and explain their bigotry.

The far-right attacks the Jews for not being white enough and the far-left attacks the Jews for being too white.

BLM is treading a well-worn path walked by many extremists and abhorred by real civil rights leaders like Dr Martin Luther King Jr, who once told a student in Boston who had made a comment attacking ‘Zionists’: “When people criticise ‘Zionists’, they mean ‘Jews’. You’re talking antisemitism!”

This is not the first time that Campaign Against Antisemitism has had to contend with prejudice from supposed anti-racists, and no matter where the hatred comes from, we will always do whatever it takes to defend British Jews. It is why we are here.

A far-left phalanx comprising Chris Williamson, Salma Yaqoob and Kerry-Ann Mendoza has attacked Campaign Against Antisemitism for sending a letter calling on Sir Keir Starmer to reveal a timetable for the introduction of a reformed disciplinary process in the Labour Party, and for seeking action against Labour figures including Jeremy Corbyn, Dianne Abbott and Salma Yaqoob over past and recent incidents.

Some, like Ms Mendoza, the editor of The Canary, a controversial hard-left blog under investigation by the Government’s Independent Advisor on Antisemitism, used violent language. She tweeted: “The antisemitism witch hunt is seriously about to face off with #BlackLivesMatter I’m telling you now, those anti-Black, anti-Palestinian racists are gonna get their asses dragged all over town. And they have no clue. Because…entitlement.”

After that violent language, there were calls from some on Twitter to shoot and behead Campaign Against Antisemitism personnel dead. Police are dealing with the matter.

Ms Yaqoob, the former Respect Party leader and failed Labour Metro Mayor candidatedeclared that Campaign Against Antisemitism’s “priority was never really about tackling racism but silencing those supportive of Palestinian rights.” She also accused us of targeting “Black [and] Asian communities [which] have lost loved ones disproportionately in COVID” and impugned our record on antisemitism as being “somewhat dubious to say the least”. Ms Yaqoob also retweeted a tweet labelling Campaign Against Antisemitism as “bullies”. The tweet was part of a thread accusing us of being “a vicious, right-wing organisation that hounds good people.” She also mocked the Sir Keir and said of Campaign Against Antisemitism’s success at exposing and combating Labour antisemitism: “Shame on every career leftie who capitulated to these idiots.”

Mr Williamson, the disgraced former Labour MP who lost his deposit in his bid to return to Parliament as an independent MP, tweeted that we are “witch-hunters” and “bullies”.

The tweets unleashed an outpouring of hatred towards Campaign Against Antisemitism, which our Online Monitoring and Investigations Unit is capturing.

It is particularly regrettable that at a time of widespread solidarity against racism, these prominent and controversial far-left figures are seeking to undermine efforts to fight antisemitism. Prejudice cannot be beaten with prejudice.

On 28th May 2019, the Equality and Human Rights Commission launched a full statutory investigation into antisemitism in the Labour Party following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant.

In the first release of its Antisemitism in Political Parties research, Campaign Against Antisemitism showed that Labour Party candidates for Parliament in the 2019 general election accounted for 82 percent of all incidents of antisemitic discourse by parliamentary candidates.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2019 showed that antisemitism on the far-left of British politics has surpassed that of the far-right.

Campaign Against Antisemitism advocates for zero tolerance of antisemitism in public life. To that end we monitor all political parties and strive to ensure that any cases of concern are properly addressed.

 

Brighton and Hove Palestine Solidarity Campaign (BHPSC), has claimed that “solidarity with Black Lives Matter” requires opposition to the International Definition of Antisemitism.

BHPSC released a statement trying to connect the racist killing of George Floyd to Israel and criticising its local authority’s adoption of the Definition back in 2018. The statement said (extracted): “When the Council adopted the [Definition] it deliberately ignored the views of 17 local anti-racist, Black and Muslim organisations in the City. It instead preferred to accept the views of white members of Sussex Friends of Israel that the [Definition] was essential to defend the Jewish community. It wasn’t and isn’t. The [Definition]’s only purpose is to defend the Apartheid State of Israel and to silence those campaigning for justice for the Palestinian people.”

As expert counsel for Campaign Against Antisemitism have shown, there is no basis for the claim that the Definition stifles legitimate criticism of Israel. That the BHPSC still wish the Definition away signals more about its extremist views than it does about the Definition.

It is abhorrent that BHPSC would try to undercut efforts to stamp out antisemitism by suggesting that such efforts are themselves racist. This is not the first time in recent weeks that this claim has been promoted by the far-left. Prejudice cannot be beaten by more prejudice.

It is notable that one of the signatories to the letter is apparently a vice chair of a Constituency Labour Party in the area.

On 28th May 2019, the Equality and Human Rights Commission launched a full statutory investigation into antisemitism in the Labour Party following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2019 showed that antisemitism on the far-left of British politics has surpassed that of the far-right.

Campaign Against Antisemitism advocates for zero tolerance of antisemitism in public life. To that end we monitor all political parties and strive to ensure that any cases of concern are properly addressed.