Opinion
Labour's latest hire shows yet again a woeful disregard for the Jewish community
The JLC had described Labour's new hire as 'beyond parody' - they are right, says Rosa Doherty
July 18, 2019 15:30
2 min read
The JLC had described Labour's new hire as 'beyond parody' - they are right, says Rosa Doherty
July 18, 2019 15:30Another day, another ridiculous Labour story that you think can’t possibly be true.
In the latest instalment of Look Who Labour Have Hired But Shouldn’t Have, is someone who is tasked with building bridges with the Jewish community…. for one day a week.
Heather Mendick is the party’s new liaison to the Jewish community and she is off to a very good start as some of the Jewish community’s main institutions have already refused to work with her due to her stance on antisemitism.
Never mind the fact that Labour is realistically going to need years, not days to repair the damage it has caused to people who once saw themselves as closely linked to the party’s values as their own Jewish ones, Ms Mendick is about as suitable for the role as I am for a job in a laboratory.
And even then, I imagine if I turned up to work willing to don a white coat and wear funny goggles, at the very least someone might be willing to open the door to me.
Based on Ms Mendick’s own behaviour, Labour is going to have to hire another person to act as liaison between her and the Jewish community and that is before she has even got started.
On the bright side, they have four other days of the working week to play with – although someone should probably remind them not hire that person to work on the job on Saturday.
What makes Ms Mendick such a diabolical hire? Firstly, she defended suspended MP Chris Williamson, who has baited and goaded the Jewish community at every and any opportunity.
This is a man who has claimed Labour was “too apologetic” over the antisemitism row and signed a petition defending notorious antisemite Gilad Atzmon. He signed a petition defending an antisemite and yet Labour think that someone who has come to his defence is well placed to build bridges with Jews.
Her suitability for the job does not stop there. Presumably in the interview with the Labour leadership, she presented an article for the Morning Star in which she said antisemitism claims had been “weaponised” to attack the left.
Imagine the interviewers pens poised as she explained how she expressed “solidarity” with the controversial Jewish Voice for Labour’s Jenny Manson, who at every available opportunity goes on television and radio to rubbish claims of antisemitism and the people who experience it.
Mendick, a member of Momentum was one of more than 200 Jewish party members to co-sign a letter in the Guardian supporting Jeremy Corbyn, after Luciana Berger was shamefully bullied out of a her own party due to "institutional antisemitism."
For the life of me I cannot understand the thinking behind this hire. It is like asking Rod Liddle to build bridges with Muslim women.
Not only is this appointment “beyond parody” as it has been described, the decision to hire Ms Mendick is devoid of any awareness on the part of the party or the appointee.
This is no longer, and has not been for some time, just about a woeful disregard for tackling antisemitism, it shows quite plainly that there is extraordinary lack of common sense or empathy practiced by those that want to be in government.
This is not a political party asking the general public to take it seriously.
People who build bridges between communities don’t do so with ease. It doesn’t happen one day a week and it doesn’t happen because of people, who at the outset, display antagonism to the people they need to engage.
It is done through kindness, diplomacy, a huge degree of self awareness and understanding.
I appreciate talent like that might be hard to come by for a party that is continuously disgracing itself to the point of no return on this issue.
But talk about showing the Jewish community that you didn’t even try.
