Local branch of Corbyn-backed pro-Palestine group accused of ‘Holocaust denial’
Palestine Solidarity Campaign branch faces backlash over tweet sharing article suggesting a 'tendency to exaggerate the number of Jewish victims'
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn faces angry calls to distance himself from a pro-Palestine group – of which he is a patron – after a local branch was accused of promoting rampant Holocaust denial on social media.
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s Brixton branch (PSC), which backs boycotts against the state of Israel, drew fierce criticism from online users and activists at the weekend amid claims it promoted antisemitism and Holocaust denial in a tweet.
The tweet, seemingly deleted after it was sent from the official account for the branch on 25 January, contained a link to an article appearing to suggest the number of Jews murdered during the Holocaust could have been “exaggerated.”
The opinion piece, entitled The Jewish Holocaust And The Palestinian Nakba and published on the blog “Days of Palestine” last week, appears to draw comparisons between the Holocaust and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
It claims that “accounts vary” on the number of Jewish victims murdered in the Holocaust, saying that while “some historians” estimate the figure to be six million, others “reduce it to hundreds of thousands.”
The piece also suggests a “tendency to exaggerate the number of Jewish victims” could have been used as a “cover for the daily Israeli crimes against the indigenous people of Palestine.”
“This exaggeration has been an attempt to label all those who possess the courage to reject the occupation’s policies and stand in solidarity with the just struggle of our people as ‘antisemitic,'” the article states.
Between 1941 and 1945, six million Jewish people died in the Holocaust – the Nazi regime’s systematic mass murder of Jews. Some 1.1 million people, most of them Jews, were murdered at the Nazi death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, which was liberated 75 years ago today.
The PSC’s Brixton branch tweeted on Sunday: “Top tip: It would be that bit easier if you stop assuming everyone who criticises Israel is antisemitic… Fighting antisemitism will become that bit harder when the last Holocaust survivor leaves us.”
Addressing the criticism on Monday evening, the branch said it made a mistake in sharing the article. “Why are you blaming PSC, I made the mistake – I took down the post as soon as it was brought to my attention – I blindly forwarded it to Twitter assuming it was a trusted news site; in my 820+ posts, I have made 2 mistakes,” it wrote.
But a spokesperson for the PSC said it takes accusations of antisemitism “very seriously” and has procedures to address allegations, including disciplinary sanctions.
“As an organisation we are very clear that antisemitism, including any attempt to minimise or deny the Holocaust, has no place anywhere in the campaign for Palestinian human rights,” the spokesperson said. “We strive to ensure that all of our communications, both local and national, embody our values of anti-racism and anti-discrimination, and this is reflected in our guidance and training for members and branches.”
Days of Palestine and the Labour Party were reached for comment.
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.
