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July 11, 2019 The main headlines 11.03.08-DAILY MAIL COLUMNIST, MELANIE PHILLIPS. Featured Column Melanie PhillipsJNS What to do about the ‘fangs’ of anti-Semitism in Britain’s Labour? Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the Labour Party UK with MP Andrew Gwynne. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. The British oil tanker "British Heritage." Source: screenshot, vesselfinder.com. brief UK confirms Iranian attempt to divert British tanker in Strait of Hormuz JNS According to the British government, three IRGC vessels “attempted to impede” the tanker “British Heritage,” backing down only after verbal warnings from a Royal Navy warship. briefBritain’s Boris Johnson to Iran: ‘Cease this madness’ or sanctions will be reimposed The man expected to become Britain’s next prime minister responds to the Iranian threat, BDS and anti-Semitism with the Labour Party. briefBritish oil tanker sheltering in Persian Gulf over fear of potential Iranian attack Tower The tanker “British Heritage,” belonging to British Petroleum, was sailing towards Basra, Iraq, when it suddenly retreated to the safety of the Saudi Arabian coastline. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a conference of Israel Hayom newspaper at Davidson Center in Jerusalem Old City on June 27, 2019. Credit: Aharon Krohn/Flash90 news As election race heats up, Netanyahu may return to familiar campaign strategy Dov LipmanJNS He will be “throwing a series of ‘Hail Mary’ passes at every opportunity on every issue, including diplomacy, security, social welfare, religion and economy,” said adviser Mitchel Barak, CEO of Keevoon Research, Strategy and Communications Ltd. Palestinian protesters clash with Israeli security forces on the Israel-Gaza border on July 5, 2019. Photo by Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90. brief Palestinian media: Hamas commander killed by IDF on Gaza border JNS IDF confirms soldiers opened fire on two armed men approaching the security fence • Hamas: death will not go “unpunished.” briefHamas conducts surprise drill in Gaza Strip During the exercise, Hamas fighters deployed along the borders, closed streets and shut down fishing off the coast. briefIDF discovers attack tunnel under the Gaza-Israel border According to the army, the tunnel was uncovered during construction work on Israel's anti-tunnel barrier and detection system. briefPA doubles salary of terrorist responsible for murder of 3 Israeli teens PMW According to Israeli NGO Palestinian Media Watch, the P.A.’s monthly payments to the terrorist who planned the 2014 murders of Eyal Yifrach, Gilad Shaer and Naftali Fraenkel have been increased from NIS 2,000 to NIS 4,000. Featured Column Jonathan S. TobinJNS Do you distrust Christian friends? Call it Evangelicalphobia Pastor John Hagee, founder of Christians United for Israel, speaks at the 2019 CUFI conference in Washington, D.C. Credit: CUFI via Facebook. Rafael’s SPICE guidance system on-board an F-16 now produced by Lockheed Martin. Credit: Rafael. news Israeli defense firms team up with Lockheed Martin to enter US market Yaakov LappinJNS IAI-Elta is offering its radar to the U.S. Army’s Patriot system; Rafael is marketing its advanced SPICE guidance kits to the U.S. military. Professor Rabab Abdulhadi. Credit: YouTube. news Eighty groups urge California State University reprimand anti-Israel professor for ‘hateful’ Facebook posts JNS San Francisco State University professor Rabab Abdulhadi has an extensive anti-Israel history that includes calling the presence of pro-Israel students on campus a “declaration of war” against Arabs and Muslims. U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.). Credit: YouTube. news Tlaib condemns bipartisan anti-BDS resolution as ‘unconstitutional’ JNS The resolution, which currently has 336 cosponsors, would allow state and local governments the right to punish state or local contractors from engaging in boycotting Israel. briefRep. Ocasio-Cortez’s chief of staff dons T-shirt of Hitler ally Saikat Chakrabarti wore it in a video produced by the left-wing outlet NowThis News, titled “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Chief of Staff on Acting Fast in Congress,” in December 2018. View of the Blue Lagoon in Paphos, Cyprus, on May 30, 2018. Photo by Mendy Hechtman/Flash90. brief Israel expresses solidarity with Cyprus in dispute over offshore oil rights JNS “Israel follows with serious concern recent steps taken by Turkey in the waters off Cyprus’ northeast coast,” says Foreign Ministry spokesman, joining Egypt and the E.U. in condemning Turkish drilling operations. newsEastMed pipeline project gains American support, though debate remains over feasibility Yaakov Lappin The envisioned pipeline would take natural-gas reserves from Israeli and Cypriot waters, and carry them into Greece and beyond. newsEconomic interests supersede identity politics in Israel-Lebanon maritime border negotiations Eliana Rudee Each party has an incentive to settle the territorial dispute so that international companies exploring waters will invest. Montana Gov. Steve Bullock. Credit: Screenshot. brief Steve Bullock promises to keep US embassy in Jerusalem Jackson RichmanJNS The Montana governor joined a handful of other Democratic presidential candidates, including South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, spiritual guru and author Marianne Williamson, former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), who would not reserve President Donald Trump's decision. U.S. President Donald Trump, June 20, 2019. Credit: White House Photo. brief Trump vows that US sanctions on Iran will be ‘increased substantially’ JNS A special meeting about Iran’s nuclear program, reported by the International Atomic Energy Agency, was convened in Vienna as requested by the United States. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a press conference at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv on June 27, 2018. Photo by Tomer Neuberg/Flash90. brief Netanyahu: There will be no more settlement evictions Ariel KahanaIsrael Hayom “We don’t uproot people—we’re done with that nonsense,” says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel is missing out on an opportunity to settle "tens of thousands" of French Jews in Israel, says Ariel Kendall of the Qualita organization, which provides outreach for French immigrants. Credit: Courtesy. news French immigrants’ organization says Israel is ‘unprepared’ to take in French Jews Dan LavieIsrael Hayom Following a sharp drop in immigration numbers last year, the Qualita organization highlights the serious problems faced by French immigrants and calls on the government to create an absorption plan tailored to the needs of the French Jewish community. Two Israeli F-35I Adir jets fly in formation. Credit: U.S. Air Force/1st Lt. Erik D. Anthony. brief Netanyahu to Iran: Israeli jets can reach ‘every place in the Middle East’ JNS The warning came as the Israeli prime minister visited the Nevatim Air Force Base in the northern Negev Desert. newsPentagon seeks international coalition to guard waterways from Iranian threat “We’re engaging now with a number of countries to see if we can put together a coalition that would ensure freedom of navigation both in the Straits of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab,” said chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford briefIranian ayatollah to America: ‘Attack us if you want the Persian Gulf to turn red’ Senior Iranian Ayatollah Movahedi-Kermani: “We will enrich uranium as we see fit for energy and scientific research. We don’t want nukes; we can just strike those at Israel’s Dimona reactor.” A political cartoon by Ben Garrison, who was invited to the White House social-media summit scheduled for July 11, 2019. Credit: Jake Tapper/Twitter. brief Anti-Semitic cartoonist not attending White House social-media summit Jackson RichmanJNS Facebook and Twitter have reportedly also not been invited to the summit, which is being held as conservatives have criticized social networking cites of censoring right-wing content. newsPro-Israel groups rebuke White House invitation to cartoonist with record of anti-Semitic work Jackson Richman Political cartoonist Ben Garrison has been accused by the Anti-Defamation League of drawing a “blatantly anti-Semitic” illustration. U.K. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. Credit: Gary Knight/Flickr. brief Three UK Labour members quit over party anti-Semitism JNS David Triesman, who also resigned as the whip in the House of Lords, remarked, “It [is] time to recognize the reality. I always said it was worth hanging on to fight so long as there was a prospect of winning. I now don’t believe with this leadership there is.” briefBDS resolution in Belfast City Council withdrawn due to questions of legality “We are glad to see a recognition by Belfast City Council that it would be illegal to boycott Israelis or Israeli businesses,” said U.K. Lawyers for Israel chief executive Jonathan Turner. “We will remain vigilant to resist other attempts to discriminate against Israelis.” Ross Perot, a 1992 independent presidential candidate, delivers his concession speech on election night. Credit: Screenshot. news Recalling Ross Perot’s relationship with Israel and the Jewish community Jackson RichmanJNS The two-time U.S. presidential candidate was a friend and a donor to various social causes. U.S. President Donald Trump and Qatar's leader Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani at the White House on July 9, 2019. Credit: Screenshot. news Qatar’s ‘big win’ in White House visit unlikely to bridge vast policy differences Sean SavageJNS Experts say that despite the lobbying blitz, big purchases and warm exchanges, it’s unlikely that Qatar’s relationship will significantly deepen with the United States. Nevertheless, Qatar’s emir could wind up with an important seat at the table. False Cape State Park, Virginia Beach, Va. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. brief US Coast Guard suspends search for Virginia rabbi in waters in effort to aid student JNS “We never make the decision to suspend lightly, and in this case, it’s especially difficult,” said Capt. Kevin Carroll, commander of Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads. “We share our deepest sympathies with the family of a man who risked his own life to save another.” U.S. Department of Justice headquarters. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. brief Department of Justice to host summit on combating anti-Semitism JNS Sessions during the July 15 summit include “combating anti-Semitism while respecting the First Amendment,” “anti-Semitism on campus” and “prosecuting hate crimes.” Kids at summer camps in the United States will participate in ORT's Start-Up Challenge, which includes interactive educational activities focused on science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) that embrace the entrepreneurial spirit of Israel’s startup nation, July 2019. Credit: Courtesy. brief Full STEAM ahead: Bringing Israeli innovation and high-tech to overnight camp JNS ORT’s Start-up Challenge will provide an opportunity to delve into science, experience cutting-edge technology, and discover Israeli culture in an entertaining and interactive setting. U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida speaking at the 2015 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Md. Credit: Gage Skidmore/Flickr. news ‘Never Again Education Act’ to be introduced in US Senate Jackson RichmanJNS “We are at a dangerous moment in time. Anti-Semitism is on the rise around the world and here at home, and the memory of the Holocaust is fading for far too many Americans,” said Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.). “We can combat this by making sure we teach our students, tomorrow’s leaders, about the horrors of the Holocaust.” U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). Credit: Flickr. news Warren supports anti-Israel group call to pressure Israel ‘to end the occupation’ JNS Two IfNotNow activists approached Warren, who was campaigning in New Hampshire, with one of them telling her, “We really love the way you’re fighting corruption. We’d really love it if you also pushed the Israeli government to end occupation.” newsWarren presidential campaign staffer comes under fire for past anti-Israel activism Jackson Richman Berger’s anti-Israel history includes supporting violent demonstrations, as demonstrated by now-deleted Twitter posts. ColumnSen. Warren, fire Hamas-loving, Israel-hating, IfNotNow co-founder Max Berger Morton Klein and Mark Levenson By placing him in a major position in her 2020 presidential campaign, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren is making a clear statement of her own Israelophobic hatred towards America’s greatest ally: Israel. A man casts his vote at the central elections committee warehouse in Shoham on March 25, 2019. Credit: Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90. news The real cost of Israel’s ‘do-over’ elections in September Dov LipmanJNS While many in Israel bemoan the financial burden of the new elections this fall, the major cost to the country will likely lie in other realms. newsDespite the Likud’s best efforts, Israel still headed to the polls in September Dov Lipman Benjamin Netanyahu’s embattled party has only 70 days to win back the supporters responsible for its April 9 victory. briefEhud Barak names his new political vehicle the ‘Israel Democratic Party’ Israel Hayom Former Labor MK Eitan Cabel: “It’s a party where the decisions are made by one man” • Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein: “Ehud, democracy begins with democratic procedure within the party.” newsPoll: ‘Mega-right’ bloc would win 19 seats; Lieberman will decide Mati Tuchfeld Israel Hayom A new Israel Hayom poll conducted this week shows the Likud and Blue and White almost neck and neck, with 31 and 30 seats, respectively. Secretary-General António Guterres addresses during the opening of the 40th session of the Human Rights Council, Palais des Nations. Credit: U.N. Photo by Violaine Martin news Is there hope to end anti-Israel bias at the UN Human Rights Council? Eliana RudeeJNS “There needs to be a groundswell of activism and advocacy demanding an elimination of this gross form of discrimination against Jewish state, and by extension, the Jewish people,” said Hillel Neuer, executive director of independent human-rights group U.N. Watch. Scroll to view more Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the Labour Party UK with MP Andrew Gwynne. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the Labour Party UK with MP Andrew Gwynne

{Originally posted to the JNS website}

In recent days, plotting within the British Labour Party to get rid of its far-left leader Jeremy Corbyn has moved up a gear as deep concern over the party’s precipitous plunge in the opinion polls has burst into the open.

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Corbyn is being blamed for the two causes of this meltdown. The first is the party’s ambiguous stance over Brexit, in which it is trying simultaneously to please its working-class Brexit supporters and its metropolitan, educated liberals who want the United Kingdom to remain in the European Union—and satisfying neither as a result.

The second is its never-ending row over the epidemic Jew-baiting in its ranks.

This week, three Labour members of the House of Lords resigned from the party in disgust over this. One of them, the party’s former general secretary David Triesman (who is Jewish), said: “The experience of life in the party has become sickening.”

Even those for whom this issue engenders not instinctive recoil but bafflement or indifference—and there are many in Britain who fall into that category—blame Corbyn for failing to shut the issue down.

The reason for this was rammed home this week in a BBC documentary by the veteran investigative TV journalist, John Ware.

After interviewing more than 20 party officials, Ware documented how the party leadership had actively undermined attempts to discipline members for Jew-baiting (which the party vehemently denied, while allowing no leadership figure to be interviewed by Ware).

Eight former officials appeared on the program to express their deep distress at what was happening and to say the party was no longer a safe space for British Jews. Two said they had suffered depression, anxiety and a nervous breakdown as a result of their experiences, and one said he had even contemplated suicide.

The examples they cited of Jew-hatred within the party were appalling. Jews were called “dirty Zionist” and were said to have financed the slave trade, been unwelcoming to black people, and to have enjoyed undue power and influence.

One image posted online by a party member depicted an alien creature with the Star of David on its back clamped onto the Statue of Liberty—an image taken from a far-right website labeled “bloodsucking alien parasites killing America.”

Members also came out with Jewish global and financial conspiracy theories, or claimed that Israel was behind 9/11 or ISIS.

The issue of Israel is largely why the party just cannot deal with all this, and why its Jew-hatred won’t go away even if Corbyn were removed from office tomorrow.

For while there seems to be a general recognition that unhinged conspiracy theories about Jewish money or power are beyond the pale, many members also believe that to be anti-Zionist or venomously anti-Israel is not to be anti-Jew.

This is how their thinking goes. We are the left, they say; the left is anti-racist and anti-colonialist; so it’s wrong to say anti-Zionism is anti-Jew because Zionism is racism and Israel is a colonialist power.

But, of course, they have this exactly the wrong way round. Anti-Israelism and anti-Zionism are deeply anti-Judaism and anti-Jew. One line in the BBC documentary illuminated this in a particularly revealing and chilling way.

As Ware reported, a number of Labour members believe that peacefully replacing the state of Israel is not anti-Jew.

Leave aside the fact that it would not be peaceful because Israel’s Arab and Muslim enemies would slaughter the Israelis to bring this about. Leave aside also the fact that Corbyn has allied himself with Hamas and other Islamists who aim openly to slaughter Jews.

More profoundly, anti-Zionism is intrinsically anti-Jew because it singles out the Jews alone as a people who have no right of self-determination in their own country. It does this on the basis of the big lie that uniquely writes the Jews out of their own history as the only people for whom the land of Israel was ever their national kingdom.

Those who are anti-Zionism profess to be anti-colonialism. But it’s the Arabs who are the would-be colonialists, intending to drive out the Jews from the country to which the Jews alone have any lawful, historic and moral claim. Anti-Zionists are not opposing colonialism. They are promoting it.

This does not mean that all who propagate these wicked falsehoods are themselves anti-Jew. Some are, but many others believe all this out of ignorance.

Nevertheless, this discourse of anti-Zionism and loathing of Israel has exactly the same unique characteristics as Jew-hatred through the ages. It singles out Israel for obsessive falsehoods; it reverses victim and oppressor in this particular conflict; it holds Israel responsible for a global conspiracy of evil; and it seeks to deprive the Jewish people uniquely not just of their right to self-determination, but to remove from them the country in which they alone are the indigenous people of the land.

This contemporary expression of the oldest hatred didn’t start with Corbyn, and it won’t end with him. It has been around for decades and is endemic in progressive circles, not just in Britain but throughout the West.

Support for the Palestinian cause is the signature motif of the left. And that cause is founded upon blood libels, conspiracy theories and other murderous and ancient anti-Jewish tropes.

Mahmoud Abbas, viewed by the western left as a statesman-in-waiting, has a doctorate in Holocaust denial, explicitly venerates the Palestinian Nazi-ally Haj Amin al Husseini who undertook to slaughter every Jew in the Middle East in the event of Hitler’s victory, and uses his media outlets to transmit medieval and Nazi-style demonization of the Jews.

At the end of last year, a preacher said typically on Palestinian Authority TV that the Jews “expose their fangs whenever they get the chance … always fighting, always scheming and always plotting against humanity … ”

So why should Labour Party members who support the Palestinians with their agenda of Holocaust denial, attacks on Judaism and unhinged conspiracy theories about Jewish power now be so shocked that other party members are themselves coming out with Holocaust denial, attacks on Judaism and unhinged conspiracy theories about Jewish power?

This was true of the Labour Party even under leaders such as Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, who were themselves personally sympathetic to Israel and the Jewish people. But because they also believed in the power of reason, compromise and “peace processes” to resolve all conflict, they blinded themselves to the implacably anti-Jewish and anti-Zionist foundations of the Palestine cause which they also championed as “deserving.”

This is why anti-Zionism has weaponized anti-Semitism in progressive circles.

The Labour Party may be destroyed altogether by the twin issues of Brexit and anti-Semitism. The former has the capacity to reshape British politics altogether. The latter threatens to destroy the party because if Labour isn’t a moral project it is nothing.

That applies in turn to the left in general, which is why it is now philosophically bankrupt, repudiating decency, evidence and reason itself  while supporting abuses of intellectual, political or religious power and abandoning their victims throughout the Western world.

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Melanie Phillips is a British journalist, broadcaster, and best-selling author. Her personal and political memoir, “Guardian Angel,” was published last year. An expanded version of this op-ed can be found on JNS.org.