1 min read
There are many aspects to Labour’s descent into institutional antisemitism. One that is rarely given any consideration is the impact on the mental health of those caught up in the fight against its racism.
Forget, for a moment, the effect on the wider Jewish community. As we report this week, for the direct victims of Labour antisemitism who experience it in person at meetings and online, the consequences can be severe and worrying.
Racist abuse is not like other forms of verbal abuse. It is existential because it is focused on the very identity of the target. For those admirable souls who research, report and counter antisemitism, it is the mental equivalent of digesting excrement — day in, day out, with the problem getting worse with every passing week.
This is the reality of Labour’s antisemitism.
It is not just a theoretical issue about what might happen under a future Corbyn government. It is an issue in the here and now, with direct consequences on individuals.
The Labour Party is directly responsible for those consequences. When a man such as Chris Williamson, who should have no place in any notionally mainstream party, is welcomed back after suspension, the message is understood loud and clear: Labour is proud to be a home for Jew baiters.
How can that not have an impact on the wellbeing of those individuals he and his ilk target? How can it not have an impact on the wider Jewish community?
We are dealing with a party that is not merely institutionally racist but which actively empowers and promotes Jew haters.
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