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Scottish Labour attacked for failing to understand antisemitism
Party repeats national party's attack lines against BBC Panorama and is accused of 'dismissing' Jewish concerns
August 12, 2019 07:39
Party repeats national party's attack lines against BBC Panorama and is accused of 'dismissing' Jewish concerns
August 12, 2019 07:39Scottish Labour has been accused of failing to "truly understand" antisemitism, after it reissued a statement from the national party attacking the BBC Panorama investigation into its anti-Jewish racism crisis.
When asked by The Herald for its views on the programme, broadcast in July, the party repeated earlier, controversial attack lines issued by UK Labour that dismissed the programme and questioned the motives of whistleblowers who spoke out.
“An honest investigation into antisemitism in Labour and wider society is in the public interest," Scottish Labour said.
"But the Panorama team made no serious attempt to understand the Party’s procedures for dealing with antisemitism, and the programme was not fair or balanced, it breached basic journalistic standards, invented quotes and edited emails to change their meaning.”
Ephraim Borowski, director of the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities, told the paper he was "disappointed but no longer surprised" to see Jewish concerns "dismissed".
"This recent statement demonstrates that there is still much work to be done before Scottish Labour truly understands the issue of anti Jewish hatred," he said.
"It is appalling that former Labour employees' first-hand accounts of their own experience are still being dismissed in this way by party officials.
"We call on the so called anti-racist party to support the victims and take serious action against the perpetrators of racism."
Scottish Labour has played its own part in the national party's antisemitism crisis in recent months.
in June, it promoted ex-MP Jim Sheridan to be deputy leader of Renfrewshire Labour, despite the fact he said he had lost "respect and empathy" for British Jews over the party's antisemitism crisis.
Last month, Dundee councillor George McIrvine was put on a selection panel to choose Scottish Parliamentary candidates.
He had previously shared a Facebook post alluding to the Rothschilds after Britain decided to bomb Syria.