UK Labour suspends member for call to march on synagogue
Activist disciplined for post in wake of suspension of volunteer, who claimed the Rothschilds were ‘responsible for almost every war’
Cnaan Liphshiz was a Jewish World reporter at The Times of Israel
JTA — Britain’s Labour Party suspended a party member who, to protest disciplinary action against another member accused of spreading anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, called for a march to a synagogue.
Amanda Bishop, an activist in Labour’s Brighton and Hove branch south of London, was suspended Monday for her support of Alex Braithwaite, a local volunteer who was suspended after she claimed that the Rothschilds were “responsible for almost every war on Earth.”
The Rothschild family is historically Jewish and for centuries has been one of Europe’s wealthiest families. The family has been at the center of dozens of conspiracy theories over many decades.
On Facebook, Bishop wrote about Braithwaite’s suspension last week: “It’s enough now. We can’t allow this to go on. We need to march about this to the synagogue in Hove, all of us members in Brighton.” She also wrote: “I’m utterly appalled by this news. Why are we continuing to accept this b*****t? Why aren’t we defending ourselves? Everyone please, we can’t let this happen to Alex”.
This is shocking: Labour activist Amanda Bishop calls on Brighton members to march on their local synagogue to protest an antisemitism suspension. pic.twitter.com/zSsEofis8Y
— The Red Roar (@TheRedRoar) April 29, 2019
Bishop’s suspension came two days after one person was killed and several others wounded in a shooting attack by a far-right extremist at a synagogue in Poway, California.
Labor has been described as institutionally anti-Semitic by leaders of British Jewry following the election in 2015 of Jeremy Corbyn as party leader.
He has honored Palestinian killers of civilians, called for boycotting Israel, and defended an anti-Semitic mural. He also said in 2015 that “Zionists” born in the United Kingdom do not understand British irony.
Corbyn has vowed to punish any party member caught making racist statements. Dozens of members have been penalized but many have been readmitted or have not faced disciplinary action at all.
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