Jewish Labour candidate ‘shocked’ by neo-Nazi anti-Semitic abuse on Twitter
Rhea Wolfson was targeted by neo-Nazi users on Twitter, and urged people to report the racism
Jack Mendel is the former Online Editor at the Jewish News.
A former Oxford Jsoc president who is in contention to replace Ken Livingstone on Labour’s governing body has been subject to anti-Semitic abuse on Twitter.
Rhea Wolfson, 25, tweeted on Thursday that she was “shocked at the anti-Semitic abuse being tweeted at not only me but my family today- using literal Nazi propaganda.”
Urging people to report the abuse from two accounts, Rhea and her sister Emily condemned the “racism and personal attacks” they were facing.
One fake account – ‘Rabbi Larry Weinstein’ – whose cover pictures is the Western Wall covered in Swastikas sent tweets to Rhea comparing Jews to rats, images of showers and the Nazi flag with the caption “free public showers for Juden”, and other anti-Semitic and neo-Nazi tropes.
Labour MP Wes Streeting immediately offered support on social media, tweeting to her: “So sorry to see this, Rhea. Keep strong. Will report anything I see. Take care.”
Shocked at the anti-Semitic abuse being tweeted at not only me but my family today- using literal Nazi propaganda. Please help report
— Rhea Wolfson (@rheawolfson) May 11, 2016
Wolfson, will be among six candidates for the centre-left slate backed by the pro-Corbyn grassroots organisation Momentum.
A further six candidates, including We Believe in Israel director Luke Akehurt, will make up a centre-right slate. Labour’s membership of nearly 400,000 will elect six members in total to the national executive committee in July’s election.
Rhea is in contention for the position after Ken Livingstone became ineligible to stand following his suspension for suggesting Hitler supporting Zionism, though there was widespread opposition to him featuring on the slate even if he had been.
Wolfson, who featured on Jewish News’ 25 Under 25 list last year, said she was “very pleased Livingstone wasn’t on the slate. He did some good things for London but I’m not a supporter”.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
