Thread by @hurryupharry

On Monday an event was held entitled Corbyn, antisemitism and justice for Palestine. Speakers lined up to say that yes there is a problem with antisemitism, but no there isn't really & anyway it's all a smear against @jeremycorbyn & that probably Israel is behind it all

The event was filled to capacity with 400 people inside & more who weren't allowed in waiting outside. The Communist Party of Great Britain and the @socialistworker had stalls outside. Here's what they were selling

Inside the event one speaker railed that Israel was worse than apartheid South Africa while accepting that the comparison doesn't actually make sense #gofigure

Here's some of those Arabs that he argues Israel doesn't want, including an IDF officer, former Miss Israel, former High Court judge, doctors, nurses, builders. Israeli Arabs are integral to Israeli life.

Furthermore a poll conducted by the Israeli Democracy Institute in 2014 found that 1 in 4 Israeli Arabs celebrate Israeli Independence Day.

But let's get back to the event and #LindseyGerman's speech. She follows an familiar pattern in @UKLabour; start off your speech admitting there is an antisemitism problem, then say there are worse antisemitism problems everywhere else, then say it's all a conspiracy anway

The problems with antisemitism in the @uklabour Party cannot be explained away with the use of the word "fringe". @OwenJones84 does this often. Candidates for council seats are not fringe, members of the NEC are not fringe, the head of the compliance unit is not fringe.

But German wasn't finished there...apparently Israel has something to do with all this antisemitism stuff and anyway it's all about stopping people from showing solidarity with Palestine. This despite Jeremy admitting it's a problem & German beginning her speech by agreeing

There were Jews who weren't allowed into the event, the fear of robust debate, or the employment of free speech is too much for them to bear. Better to have a room full of your own supporters to lap up all this nonsense.

@habibi_uk @TheGolem_ @DAaronovitch @JewishChron @JVoiceLabour @JVL_Watch @JewishNewsUK @mishtal @DavidHirsh