THE Labour Party’s NEC on Tuesday gave way to the Tory-Zionist witch-hunt and agreed to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism which equates anti-Zionism with racism, and glorifies the Israeli terrorist state.
An attempt by Labour leader Corbyn to add to the IHRA definition a clause that would allow criticism of Israel as a ‘racist endeavour’ was rejected by the NEC, while a separate accompanying statement proposed by Corbyn on ‘freedom of expression’ on Israel and defence of the rights of Palestinians was agreed.
This situation was described by pro-Zionist Labour MP Margaret Hodge as ‘Two steps forward, one step back’, i.e. the struggle is continuing. Meanwhile, an idea of one of the things that is coming next was given by the statement by Police Chief Cressida Dick (who gave the order to Met Police gunmen to kill the totally innocent Jean Charles de Menezes) that her officers would investigate a leaked dossier detailing alleged cases of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party. Is it to be jail for the Corbynites?
Clearly, the witch-hunt against Corbyn to try and prevent a Corbyn-led Labour government is underway. However, Corbyn’s defeat over adopting the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism was unknowingly assisted from within the Labour Party by the statement made by the Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell. He told the New Statesman, when asked whether he believed Labour would be better off without those MPs considering leaving, he said: ‘I don’t think any split is good. My view is that this concept of the party as a broad church is a good thing … The issue for me is I’d want to avoid at all costs a split if we can.’
However, the split threat, and the prospect of another SDP on a much bigger scale, in alliance with the Tory party led by May, is the main weapon of the Labour right wing.
Once this right wing knows that its opponents want to avoid a split at all costs, they also know that they only have to holler split, and they will get major concessions.
Once McDonnell had made his statement, then the way was cleared to force the adoption of the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism to maintain party unity – and to hell with the masses of Palestinians who are being gassed, shot, made homeless and jailed without trial.
Meanwhile, the same Tory MPs that support Israeli atrocities against Palestinians are terrified that a Labour government, led by Corbyn, will be driven by mass anger to carry out socialist policies that will threaten the existence of capitalism. A large group of right-wing Labour MPs share their fears about this future and are desperate to cancel the 2016 referendum result.
This fear of the working class has brought the UK ruling class, Tory MPs, the Labour right wing and Israeli war criminals, like Netanyahu, together to try to prevent a Corbyn government, which after all is pledged to recognise the state of Palestine and carry out socialist policies in the UK.
Instead of dreading a split in the Labour Party, constituencies must be encouraged to deselect right-wing MPs in favour of socialists, that will drive forward for a Corbyn government. Now is the time for the working class to hit back. Now is the time to join the WRP and build the revolutionary leadership of the working class capable of organising the taking of power by the working class in the days ahead.
There is no better way to join this fight than to take part in the WRP-YS lobby of the TUC Congress on September 9th, that meets just weeks before the Labour Party conference. We urge workers and youth to demand that the TUC call a general strike to bring down the May government, and declares its support for a Corbyn-led government that will carry out its 2017 general election programme to quit the EU, its single market and its customs union, recognise the state of Palestine, end student debt, and renationalise the railways.
As well, we urge the TUC to demand that Labour return the Chagos Islanders to their homes – they were ejected by the Wilson Labour government! There is no better time to fight – so join the WRP and the YS today!
