Members of the London Assembly yesterday unanimously condemned illegal posters which call Israel racist.
Posters with the words ‘Israel is a racist endeavour’ have been illegally stuck up on a number of bus stops across London amid a debate over anti-Semitism in the Labour Party.
Labour adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of anti-Semitism, but refused to accept all of the examples of anti-Jewish racism included in the definition.
They argued some of the examples, in particular the seventh (‘claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor’), would curtail pro-Palestinian activism.
The Labour Party has now accepted all of the examples.
Gareth Bacon, the Assembly member who proposed the motion condemning the posters, said they had been put up by ‘racist, anti-Semitic and politically motivated people to intimidate London’s Jewish communities.’
Andrew Dismore AM, who seconded the motion, commented: ‘It isn’t so long ago that the Assembly passed unanimously the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism, only the second public body to do so in the country. Acting on this issue is entirely consistent with that decision.’
He also questioned why it was so easy to access the advertising cabinets on bus stops.
In related news, a debate over the adoption of the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism by Newcastle City Council was disrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters.
'This was dealt with swiftly and professionally by our security staff and the police,' said a council spokesperson.
'The meeting resumed later, once the incident had been resolved, and all items on the agenda were heard and dealt with by councillors.'
