Labour campaigns chief: Boycotts of Israel are ‘incredibly unhelpful’
Andrew Gwynne says the "number one priority" for general secretary Jennie Formby is tackling anti-Semitism, while distancing the party from BDS
Labour’s election campaign coordinator has sought to distance the party from suggestions it may support boycotts of Israel.
Ahead of Local elections on May 6, Andrew Gwynne reacted to recent remarks made by frontbencher Kate Osamor, who suggested Labour might in future back the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement of Israel.
Gwynne said he believed boycotts were “incredibly unhelpful” and the party should focus on re-engaging international efforts to promote dialogue.
His remarks about BDS come after Labour has been hit by allegations of anti-Semitism among its supporters in recent weeks.
Gwynne said that rooting out prejudice against Jewish people should be the “number one priority” of new general secretary Jennie Formby.
“The challenge for the party going forward is to rebuild trust with the Jewish community,” he said.
“Many of those people share progressive values and share the aims and objectives of the Labour Party and if they don’t feel that they have a home in the party, I think it is something we need to address pretty rapidly.
“It’s not going to be easy but the way we do it is by showing there is zero tolerance for anti-Semitism.”
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.