I wrote to my MP on 14 April 2018. Another instance of political abuse had allowed UK air-strikes on a country which was no threat to the UK and no threat to NATO. In my opinion our prime minister at the time, Theresa May, had sanctioned these attacks on Syria without consulting parliament and therefore I believed she should have resigned. Our country was off the rails then, and more so now.
The reason given for these attacks was that Bashir al-Assad had used chemical weapons against his own people. Why he would do that is beyond rational. It now transpires that not only was there no evidence that chemical weapons were used but that some OPCW inspectors’ reports were ignored. OPCW findings have allegedly been doctored to try to make it look like there was proof that Syria had used such weapons. The OPCW is not fit for purpose – even if some of its personnel are fit for purpose.
Today in the west, Fox News presenter Tucker Carlson, has questioned the OPCW report. For his trouble he has been called a traitor and other nasty names by thoughtless people who soak up the government narrative without inquiring if it is true. Instead of being proud of Carlson for asking the right questions a barrage of accusatory tweets have been launched at him. That is a big problem. We see it in the imprisonment of Julian Assange. Any person with the integrity to question officialdom and report the truth becomes the target of pillory.
Those, who try to row their oars against the mainstream, gain no kudos in being proved right. By the time that happens the damage has already been done. The purpose is to try to persuade others to row along with us. We need to unite honest journalists like Peter Oborne, honest journalists like Robert Fisk who went to Douma personally and reported that no chemical weapons had been used, honest reporters like John Pilger and Julian Assange. There are a quite a few more together with honest blog-writers like Craig Murray and blog-sites like The Canary. But for all these to become mainstream we need a government with honesty and integrity.
Jeremy Corbyn has real integrity. Even his opponents realise it. That is why some thinktank got together to invent the nonsense story of his “anti-Semitism”. This story enabled the BBC’s Andrew Neil to waste a quarter of an interview trying to get Corbyn to apologise for non-existent “anti-Semitism” in the Labour Party. That was instead of concentrating on the wonderful Labour policies that can bring back honesty to government and thus a fairer and more equitable society.
You want proof that Jeremy Corbyn is a fair and honest man? You want proof that he is in no way anti-Semitic? It comes from the Jewish community itself. This is Jeremy Corbyn’s own record in support of Jewish concerns. Unfortunately I am not sure of the original source so cannot credit.
1. In October 1936, Jeremy Corbyn’s mother participated in the battle of Cable Street in defence of British Jews after British fascists had staged an assault on the area. Corbyn was raised in a household passionately opposed to antisemitism in all its forms.
2. In 23rd April 1977, Corbyn organised a counter-demonstration to protect Wood Green from a neo-nazi march through the district. The area had a significant Jewish population.
3. On 7 November 1990, Corbyn signed a motion condemning the rise of antisemitism in the UK.
4. In 2002 Jeremy Corbyn led a clean-up and vigil at Finsbury Park Synagogue which had been vandalised in an anti-Semitic attack.
5. On 30 April 2002, Corbyn tabled a motion in the House of Commons condemning an anti-Semitic attack on a London Synagogue.
6. On 26 November 2003, Jeremy Corbyn signed a Parliamentary motion condemning terrorist attacks on two synagogues.
7. In February 2009, Jeremy Corbyn signed a parliamentary motion condemning a fascist for establishing a website to host antisemitic materials.
8. On 24th March 2009, Corbyn signed a Parliamentary motion praising British Jews who resisted the Holocaust by risking their lives to save potential victims.
9. Nine years ago, Corbyn signed a Parliamentary motion praising “Jewish News” for its pioneering investigation into the spread of Antisemitism on Facebook.
10. On 9 February 2010, Corbyn signed a Parliamentary motion calling for an investigation into Facebook and its failure to prevent the spread of antisemitic materials on its site.
11. On 27 October 2010, Corbyn signed a Parliamentary motion praising the late Israeli Prime Minister for pursuing a two state solution to the Israel/Palestine question.
12. On 13 June 2012, Corbyn sponsored and signed a motion condemning the BBC for cutting a Jewish Community television programme from its schedule.
13. 1 October 2013, Corbyn appeared on the BBC to defend Ralph Miliband against vile antisemitic attacks by the UK press.
14. Five years ago Corbyn signed a Parliamentary motion condemning antisemitism in sport.
15. On 1 March 2013, Corbyn signed a Parliamentary motion condemning and expressing concern at growing levels of antisemitism in European football.
16. On 9 January 2014, Jeremy Corbyn signed a Parliamentary motion praising Holocaust education programmes that had taken 20,000 British students to Auschwitz.
17. On 22 June 2015, Corbyn signed a Parliamentary motion expressing concern at the neo-nazi march being planned for an area of London with a significant Jewish population.
18. On 9 October 2016, Corbyn, close to tears, commemorated the 1936 Battle of Cable Street and recalled the role his mother played in defending London’s Jewish community.
19. On 3 December 2016, Corbyn made a visit to Terezin Concentration Camp where Jewish people were murdered by the Nazis. It was Jeremy’s third visit to such a camp, all of which were largely unreported in the most read UK papers.
20. Last year, a widely-endorsed 2018 academic report found ninety-five serious reporting failures in the reporting of the Labour Antisemitism story with the worst offenders The Sun, the Mail & the BBC.
On top of that, thanks to the slanderous accusations of chief rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, a number of Jews have spoken out in Jeremy Corbyn’s support. Paul Goldman, a former businessman, wrote to Rabbi Mirvis telling him in no uncertain terms that the Chief Rabbi did not speak for him and many other Jews in this country. This testimony is from a distinguished old gentleman, Frank Land OBE.
Outside of this country there was sterner criticism of Chief Rabbi Mirvis in a letter to Jeremy Corbyn on behalf of United European Jews and signed by one of its executive, Rabbi Mayer Weinberger. The content is worth giving in full so there can be no “out of context” claims.
“Dear Jeremy Corbyn – Leader of the Labour Party
I write to you on behalf of the Executive Board of the United European Jews Organisation regarding an unusually disturbing declaration that was totally reported in the media that the overwhelming majority of British Jews are “gripped by anxiety” at the prospect of a Labour victory in the forthcoming General Election.
Please note that we totally reject and condemn in no uncertain terms these remarks, which does not represent the views of the mainstream chareidi Jews that live in the UK.
We believe that such assertions are due to propaganda with a political and ideological agenda. An agenda, which, I might add, is diametrically opposed to fundamental Jewish values as well as the opinions of tens of thousands of Jews in our community.
At this time we also relay our gratefulness numerous acts of solidarity with the Jewish community over many years and also welcome your assurances that Labour will do everything necessary to defend the Jewish way of life and protect our rights to practise our religion.
For all this; we take the opportunity to say: Thank you! Mr Corbyn.
Yours sincerely,
Rabbi Mayer Weinberger
Director”
We need a man with the respect of all good people, from all communities and backgrounds whatever their religious beliefs, to restabilise and redirect a country that has come off the rails. That man is Jeremy Corbyn.
All the Goss 