LFI chair calls to publish full Oxford Labour club anti-Semitism report
Joan Ryan said it was 'imperative' it was made fully public, adding that 'justice has not been seen to be done'
The chairwoman of Labour Friends of Israel has told the General Secretary of the Labour Party it is “imperative” that Baroness Royall’s full report on anti-Semitism in the Oxford University Labour Club be published.
In a letter to Iain McNicol, Joan Ryan MP says the decision of Labour’s National Executive Committee not to publish the full account was “a mistake” and that “justice has not been seen to be done”.
Ryan’s intervention follows the culmination of an inquiry into anti-Semitism in the Labour party by former Liberty director Shami Chakrabarti. Royall’s earlier report, of which only the summary was published, looked only at Oxford.
“I remain most concerned that the truth of what occurred at Oxford University Labour Club remains unclear and that for the victims of any anti-Semitism which did occur, justice has not been seen to be done,” wrote Ryan. “I believe it is imperative that the party now publishes Jan Royall’s report in its entirety.”
The LFoI chair also asked McNicol whether allegations of anti-Semitism at by Labour members at Oxford had been investigated and whether any suspensions or disciplinary action had been taken.
The allegations stem from the Club’s decision to support Israeli Apartheid Week in February. It prompted co-chairman Alex Chalmers to resign, claiming a large proportion of members “have some kind of problem with Jews”.
He alleged that OULC members “throw around the term ‘Zio’ with casual abandon” and “express their solidarity with Hamas and explicitly defend their tactics of indiscriminately murdering civilians”. He added that one former co-chair said “most accusations of anti-Semitism are just Zionists crying wolf”.
Several Labour MPs later called for the party to sever ties with society.
Following the publication of the Chakrabarti Inquiry into anti-Semitism in the Labour Party, the Union of Jewish Students issued a statement on alleged racism at Oxford University Labour Club.
They claim that it’s “evident that the Labour Party have swept the issue of alleged anti-Semitism within OULC under the carpet”
“Many Jewish students at Oxford not only feel frustrated, but also let down by a process that, almost five months later, has failed to properly address the issues that they have raised. They were told that evidence from Jan Royall’s inquiry would be included in Shami Chakrabarti’s, but last week’s publication showed nothing of the sort.”
The statement adds, that it is “imperative that Jan Royall’s report be published in full immediately” to reassure students its a safe place for Jewish students.
UJS Campaigns Director, Josh Nagli, said: “UJS will continue to support Jewish students at Oxford in ensuring that the alleged anti-Semitsm within Oxford University Labour Club is properly addressed.”
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.
