closeicon
News

Suspended Labour activist in transgender row has tweeted anti-Zionist messages

Jennifer James was suspended from Labour last week for her opposition to self-defining transgender women being included on women-only shortlists.

articlemain

The Labour activist suspended from the party in a bitter row over the inclusion of transgender members on all-women shortlists had previously made online remarks comparing the actions of the Israeli government to the Nazis and claiming “Zionists have hijacked Judaism, the Jewish race and the Holocaust to shield their greed and racism”.

Jennifer James, a Jeremy Corbyn-supporting activist once nominated for selection as a councillor in Liverpool, was suspended from Labour last week for allegedly opposing self-defining transgender women from taking up positions on the party’s women-only shortlists.

The activist had attempted to crowdfund a legal move to challenge a decision by Labour to open up  all-women shortlists up to “all self- defining women”. Her suspension came after she posted a tweet, saying: “I’m not afraid to say women don’t have dicks”.

But now it has emerged that Ms James – who has said she is “technically Jewish” -  has also faced complaints from Jewish groups about her history of inflammatory posts about Jews, Zionism and Israel.

In a message on Twitter on July 18 2014, Ms James wrote:” “The Holocaust is happening in Gaza now…”.

On August 29 2014, Ms James wrote: “…the Zionists use the Holocaust to play victim over and over”.

She wrote two days later:” “I’m telling ya, Zionists have hijacked Judaism, the Jewish race and the Holocaust to shield their greed and racism”.

In a message sent to notorious antisemite Gilad Atzmon in May 2015, Ms James wrote:  “I’m technically Jewish but it’s way down the list of what defines me. It’s just useful when arguing with zionists [to be honest]”.

The Campaign Against Antisemitism group has revealed that it complained to Labour about Ms James’s tweets last December.

The CAA said it also contacted Ms James and the office of Mr Corbyn for comment as her messages on Israel, Jews and Zionism all appeared to breach the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism adopted by the party.

Ms James’s suspension by Labour over the transgender issue came less than two weeks after the transgender row became public.

Share via

Want more from the JC?

To continue reading, we just need a few details...

Want more from
the JC?

To continue reading, we just
need a few details...

Get the best news and views from across the Jewish world Get subscriber-only offers from our partners Subscribe to get access to our e-paper and archive