It’s an image that you may well have seen shared on Facebook: a map of the United States with Israel placed on it – and the caption “Solution for the Israel-Palestine Conflict… Relocate Israel to the United states.”
But in the UK the post has sent shockwaves through the Labour Party, leaving the country’s political opposition reeling from accusations of anti-semitism toward its highest ranks.
Naz Shah, a Member of Parliament, and former London Mayor Ken Livingstone have both been suspended from the Labour Party, and the party’s leadership has been forced onto the perpetual defensive and faced with a barrage of accusations of anti-semitism.
The fiasco began over the above 2014 Facebook post from Labour MP Naz Shah, which was revealed last month by right wing British blogger Guido Fawkes. The post was roundly condemned, with many people claiming that it advocated deporting all Israelis to the USA.
Although she apologised for the post – which was made before she was elected – Shah was suspended.
I am truly sorry and I will be putting out a more detailed explanation later. pic.twitter.com/x74FDKNCJE
— Naz Shah MP (@NazShahBfd) 26 April 2016
But that didn’t contain the crisis. Last Thursday, Ken Livingstone was interviewed about Shah’s suspension, and it did not go well. The Labour Party veteran ended up telling reporters that Hitler was actually a Zionist – a suggestion that did not go down particularly well among British political circles.
Livingstone was confronted by a member of his own party on his supposed anti-semitism, and ended up hiding in a toilet as journalists asked him if he agreed with Hitler. The situation was far from ideal. Livingstone, too, was suspended.
Ken Livingstone is in a toilet and the British news media are camped outside the door asking if he agrees with Hitler.
— Jim Waterson (@jimwaterson) 28 April 2016
So what’s going on?
As many commentators have pointed out, many of the accusations of anti-semitism against Labour are rooted in a debate over where criticism of Israel becomes anti-semitic. It’s a conversation that’s long haunted pro-Palestinian activists, and accusations of anti-semitism are frequently used to silence critics of Israel.
In the UK, most would agree that Shah’s post and Livingstone’s Hitler remarks went beyond what was acceptable for public figures, though whether they deserved to be suspended is another question. Thornier accusations of anti-semitism, however, have touched the highest levels of the party – especially Jeremy Corbyn, the new leader of Labour, and a figure well known for his strong pro-Palestine advocacy.
In the past, Corbyn has made eyebrow-raising comments including referring to Hamas and Hezbollah as “friends” and has been criticised for doing too little to combat anti-semitism in the Labour Party, including denying that it exists.
The situation isn’t straightforward though. The criticism of Labour anti-semitism has been spearheaded by right-wing publications such as the Telegraph newspaper and firebrand blogger Guido Fawkes, who make no secret of their distaste for Corbyn and his party in general. Some labour politicians have called the fiasco a “smear campaign”.
As the scandal continues, could it take down even the higher ranks of the party?
