UK’s Labour Party expels antisemitic activist
The United Kingdom’s Labour Party has expelled antisemitic and anti-Israel activist after a disciplinary hearing found that he had violated several party rules on behavior and rhetoric.
Labour Party activist Tony Greenstein credit: Twitter
“The NCC of the Labour Party has today found that all three charges of a breach of the Labour Party’s rule 2.1.8 by Tony Greenstein have been found proved,” a Labour party spokesman said in a statement. “The NCC consequently determined that the sanction for the breach of Labour Party rules will be expelled from membership.”
Greenstein, who had first been suspended from the party in 2016, was found to have been in breach of three of the party’s rules: “offensive comments online; offensive posts and comments on his blog; and an email in which he mocked the phrase ‘final solution.’ ”
In particular, Greenstein had repeatedly written blog posts and social-media posts attacking senior Labour figures, including Jewish leaders in the party, and referring to Jewish activists as “Zios,” an antisemitic term used to describe supporters of Israel.
“We welcome the decision by the Labour Party to expel Tony Greenstein,” said a spokesman for the Jewish Labour Movement. “His continued membership is at complete odds with our collective values of solidarity, tolerance and respect. Deliberately harassing, intimidatory and hateful language of the kind Tony Greenstein has continually used has no place inside the Labour movement.”
Over the past few years, the Labour Party, under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, has come under fire for allegations of antisemitism and anti-Israel rhetoric among party leaders and members.
Corbyn has also previously referred to the terror groups Hamas and Hezbollah as “friends,” and has voiced support for the Palestinian Authority while repeatedly criticising the Israeli government.
JNS
