Jeremy Corbyn
Photo: AFP
Livingstone's resignation does not exonerate Jeremy Corbyn
Op-ed: The former London mayor's exit from the Labour Party saved its leader from having to confront a major concern over anti-Semitism, and Jeremy Corbyn's statements after the decision only reflect his reluctance to tackle the problem.
Ken Livingstone’s resignation from the British Labour party is the best thing that could have happened to its leader, Jeremy Corbyn.
However, such a notion is merely a charade. The far-Left has adopted the “New anti-Semitism.” This seeks to undermine the Jewish state, its policies and legitimacy and indeed its very existence. Therefore, actually proving that Livingstone harbours hostile views towards Jews themselves will be an impossible task.
The former London mayor was suspended in 2016 for implying during an interview with Vanessa Feltz that Hitler and the German Zionist movement, whom everybody understands to have been a Jewish organisation, were in cahoots with one another. As he put it: Hitler’s “policy then was that Jews should be moved to Israel. He was supporting Zionism before he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews.”
The Labour party under Corbyn’s direction has hidden for two years behind the all-too transparent veil that Livingstone, like everyone else, deserves a fair investigation to determine whether or not he is anti-Semitic.
Jeremy Corbyn (Photo: Reuters)
However, such a notion is merely a charade. The far-Left has adopted the “New anti-Semitism.” This seeks to undermine the Jewish state, its policies and legitimacy and indeed its very existence. Therefore, actually proving that Livingstone harbours hostile views towards Jews themselves will be an impossible task.
The New anti-Semitism is far more insidious and discreet than its far-Right progenitor.
The most protracted and rigorous investigation would never succeed in exposing Livingstone or Corbyn’s latent but potent belief that the Jewish presence in “Palestine”, as a sovereign nation, is an egregious injustice born out of an enduring cycle of crimes against humanity.
Corbyn said he felt Livingstone’s remarks were “unacceptable, offensive and offensive to the (Jewish) community. I’m asking him to apologise for offences he has caused … and recognize that we need to oppose anti-Semitism as we do any form of racism in our society.”
Ken Livingstone (Photo: AFP)
Of course, all the right political notes were struck when he said that. However, what was conspicuously absent was any indication that the fundamental premise of Livingstone’s statements was devoid of any truth whatsoever: namely, that Hitler was once upon a time a champion of the Zionist cause.
That same Zionism, in the Corbyn-Livingstone worldview, is the origin of evil perpetrated against Palestinians—an evil so wicked that it even managed to rally the most satanic leader history has ever known.
Neither of them will ever admit that Zionism represents an intrinsic Jewish value, and they will split hairs, with the support of their carefully selected anti-Zionist “Jewish friends”, over the difference between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism. But they both know that Zionism is undoubtedly an intrinsically Jewish value and they despise its success. Hence they will draw the most distorted comparisons with the worst that humanity has to offer to bring about its demise.
Given that Livingstone’s comments ultimately reflect Corbyn’s views, no investigation would ever have sufficed to convince the Labour leader that the former mayor is guilty of anti-Semitism, that he has to go and that he, Corbyn, has to be the one to officially see him to the door. For in doing so, Corbyn would have been silently acknowledging that he himself should be given the boot for his own track record of inappropriately conflating the Jewish state with the world’s ills.
Expelling Livingstone for anti-Semitism presented a golden opportunity to alleviate some of the concerns prevailing in the UK Jewish community over the sincerity of the Labour party’s commitment to stamping out anti-semitism.
But Corbyn’s very own core beliefs concerning Israel and its allegedly evil Zionist architects (who apparently sank so low as to collaborate with Hitler as he paved the road to hell for Jews), prevent him from doing so because he simply cannot bring himself to explicitly eschew Livingstone’s fusion of Nazism and Zionism.
The claim made in Livingstone’s resignation statement that “The ongoing issues around my suspension from the Labour Party have become a distraction from the key political issue of our time” is simply false.
(Photo: GettyImages)
Put simply, he resigned because he had become a permanent thorn in Corbyn’s side, which was detrimental to Corbyn’s own political momentum—a thorn which he knew the Labour leader would never remove. Accordingly, the intransigent and unapologetic Livingstone fell on his sword to save Corbyn the trouble of having to acknowledge what many interpreted as anti-Semitism in the party.
Even after Livingstone’s resignation, Corbyn was unable to muster the courage to articulate exactly exactly why he, Livingstone, had actually chosen to step down. The decision was “sad” but the “right thing to do,” said Corbyn. But note: No reason is given, only Livingstone’s praises are sung.
“Ken Livingstone‘s resignation is sad after such a long and vital contribution to London and progressive politics, but was the right thing to do,” he said.
Why was Livingstone's resignation the right thing to do? Don’t ask Corbyn. He has no idea apparently.
Credit should be given to the UK Jewish Board of Deputies for their recognition of this reality. “Livingstone has jumped when he should have been expelled for his toxic and odious distortion of history. @jeremycorbyn calling it a 'sad day' demonstrates that he has still failed to grasp @UKLabour 's problem with antisemitism,” wrote the board’s leader Jonathan Arkush.
Hopefully, the UK Jewish community will now reapply with greater vigor the sorely needed pressure on Corbyn, demand that he takes action and confronts anti-Semitism and the lies about the Jewish state. By doing so, hopefully the Jewish leaders will keep Corbyn on the ropes until he is either tackles the issue or is forced to finally leave the ring of British politics once and for all.
