For a United Front campaign to defend and reinstate all those expelled and threatened with expulsion from Labour: Tony Greenstein, Gerry Downing, Jill Mountford and all the rest
721/03/2016 by socialistfight
Socialist Fight condemns without reservation the suspension of Tony Greenstein from the Labour party. Whatever our political differences with him for over thirty years he has been the foremost advocate and fighter for the cause of the oppressed Palestinians and against their Zionist oppressors in the British labour movement.
His principled stance from the early 80s right up until the present days means he is held in wide regard across the entire left. And justly hated by his Zionist and right wing enemies. The appalling letter below must become a wake-up call to the entire left to rally to the defence of the leftist anti-austerity movement that resulted in the election of Jeremy Corbyn back in September 2015 and has come under such virulent attack this month in particular.
The naming of Gerry Downing in the House of Commons by David Cameron on 9 March was followed by a panic response of expulsion without hearing or right of appeal. The Blairites, other right wingers in Labour and the Zionist establishment took their cure from Guido Fawkes and Cameron and launched their attacks immediately. Tony Greenstein was one of those who defended him, despite political differences, and we can only speculate they this was the action that prompted the pro-Zionist Friends of Israel to move against him now, their target for decades. We think they have overstepped the mark in attacking such an iconic character of the left.
If we allow this witch hunt to progress then all leftists are in danger of expulsion, the movement that elected Corbyn will be demoralised and killed off and election on 2020 will be entirely dependent on the Tories tearing themselves apart.
Whilst they are obliging us now they may get their act together by 2020 and Corbyn may be left an isolated leftist forced to compromise on everything, if he is still leader. Already the ‘balanced budget’ pronouncements of shadow Chancellor John McDonnell are ominous portents of what may come.
For a United Front campaign to defend and reinstate all those expelled and threatened with expulsion from Labour: Tony Greenstein, Gerry Downing, Jill Mountford and all the rest.
Tony’s appeal:
Tony Greenstein
Well it had to happen. I’ve just been informed by letter by the Labour Party that I have been suspended from the Party. Why? On the basis of comments I have apparently made. What comments? who knows since they haven’t sought to tell me. Kafkaesque or what? The sooner Corbyn gets a grip on the witch-hunters in the Party the better.
See attached letter I have been sent and my response
It’s probably because I am a Jewish anti-Zionist and the Zionist lobby has complained. But who knows when like Alice in Wonderland, first comes the sentence, then the verdict and then possibly the trial.
The place to write to complain is the John Stolliday, Head of Constitutional Unit at Legal_queries@labour.org.uk
Socialist Fight 
How can he possibly be the foremost fighter for the Palestinians when he prioritizes the status of Jews over the material interests of Palestinians?
Activist worship?
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Or could it be contradictory consciousness, that plays a major role in so many movements and individuals? You have to capture all sides of the contradiction. Maybe this does it, maybe not, but it is an ongoing process. And all of us are subject to contradictions in our consciousness. So it pays not to be too rigid about things.
Actually, I think Tony is one of the most contradictory people in terms of ideas I have ever come across. He is still a working class militant with a real record of struggle and worth fighting hard to defend.
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Please show us instances of where “he prioritizes the status of Jews over the material interests of Palestinians?” His attacks on Zionism are all in defence of the Palestinians.
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By his attacks on Atzmon for holocaust denial. And his attacks on you for defending Atzmon!
“Holocaust denial” is anathema to many Jews because it is received as insult. But as Ian points out, labeling of holocaust denial as anti-Semitic would disenfranchise supporters of Hamas. Thus prioritizing the status of Jews over the welfare of Palestinians. Greenstein is just a slightly more polite version of Kazort.
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But he does defend Hamas against the Zionists, and has refrained from demanding the purging of Hamas supporters in the past when I have challenged him on this. That is his contradiction.
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Jill mountsford supports the AWL and is a member. the AWL is a far right zionist supporter. there is no place for the far right in the labour party
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We know who Jill Montford is and who the AWL are. I have severe and longstanding with them, not least over their Zionist sympathies and their general pro-imperialism. However we do call for a united front against expulsions from Labour, they are part of the movement and not part of the right, despite the rightism of their international outlook.
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