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May 19, 2022, 4:11 PM

Ray Hill’s anti-racism legacy will last for generations

For many of us who had the privilege of working with Ray Hill and calling him a friend, his passing will bring back memories of anti-fascist campaigns of the past. Taking on the British National Party (BNP) and Combat 18 on the streets of east...

Feb 23, 2022, 3:29 PM

Oliver Dowden, don’t use Hertsmere’s Jews as Tory political props

Hertsmere MP Oliver Dowden at the Heritage Foundation

It was one of the odder political tweets of the month. Tory Party Chair and Hertsmere MP Oliver Dodwen posted a picture of himself in a Washington DC hotel practicing for his speech to the Heritage Foundation, using an ironing board as a makeshift lectern. (I was...

Dec 15, 2017, 12:07 PM

The fight against antisemitism must not define the Jewish Labour Movement

You know, the literal meaning of the word Chanukah is ‘dedication’. And that is what we are all here to celebrate tonight: dedication to a set of values and principles that have come under attack over the last couple of years. And dedication to our...

Jun 14, 2017, 8:01 PM

The election changes nothing: Labour must still take urgent steps to tackle anti-Semitism

Unsurprisingly, the candidacies of Jewish Labour Movement (JLM) members including myself, Mike Katz and Alex Sobel in seats such as Finchley, Hendon & Leeds NW provoked communal debate. For JLM this was welcome. Debate around the relationship between the community and the Labour Party helps...

Apr 5, 2017, 8:39 PM

After Livingstone verdict, we must stay and fight

The Labour Party was built to fight racism, fascism and discrimination wherever it exists in society. Yesterday, my Party, the party of Manny Shinwell, of Ian Mikardo, and of Alf Dubs failed in their founding principle. The Labour Party fell short of John McDonnell’s call...

Jul 6, 2016, 3:50 PM

Many left disappointed and underwhelmed by Chakrabarti recommendations

Reaction to the Chakrabarti report has been mixed. No eight-week process could ever satisfy a community encompassing such a range of opinions as ours. Some responded by providing Talmudic style analysis of the report. Others expressed disappointment that the report did not address issues around...

May 11, 2016, 11:23 AM

Inquiry must be model of best practice

WHILE COMMENTATORS debated whether it was right to refer to the Labour anti-Semitism saga as a crisis, Ken Livingstone’s intervention marked a serious escalation. Until now, most of the incidents involved local activists, councillors and other hitherto anonymous figures. By distorting the history of the Holocaust...

Jul 23, 2013, 2:28 AM

Welcome EU Unity on Terror – But Still Some Way to Go

After a long campaign, European Union foreign ministers added the military wing of Hizballah, the Lebanese Shia militant group and political party, to a list of terrorist organisations. The EU now follows the example of the United Kingdom but does not go quite as far...

May 22, 2013, 8:10 PM

Cameron Takes The Lead on Hizballah

As of this week, we may finally be seeing progress towards a scenario in which Hizballah’s free reign in Europe will be curtailed, with the welcome news that the UK has formally filed a request to the European Union for Hizballah’s ‘military wing’ to be proscribed...

Nov 22, 2012, 10:59 PM

Post-Ceasefire: UK Reflections on a Positive Model of Activism and Communication

Israel demonstrated patience and restraint in the face of regular rocket fire for months, but the enormous increase was too much to bear. For the past week, Israel conducted operation Pillar of Defence, a biblical reference to the pillar of cloud that guided the Children...

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About Me

Cllr Jeremy Newmark is Leader of the Labour Group and Principal Opposition Leader at Hertsmere Borough Council. He is also an elected member of the European Jewish Parliament and the General Council of the World Zionist Organisation