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Following the widely unreported news that Boris Johnson is facing growing condemnation for an âappallingâ Tory alliance with neo-Nazi & anti-Muslim parties across Europe, it reminded me how little traction Tory #antisemtism has got in the news since 2015. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-tory-neo-nazi-anti-islam-hitler-conservative-party-b1254794.html
I think most people are aware of Boris Johnson's book '72 Virgins', with its references to Jews controlling the media, Arabs with âhook nosesâ & âslanty eyesâ & the mentions of âpikeysâ & "coffee-coloured âhalf-castesâ, so I won't dwell on it. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-book-jews-control-media-general-election-a9239346.html
In October 2016, many pointed out the similarities between May's "If you believe you are a citizen of the world, you're a citizen of nowhere", & the language used by Hitler in Mein Kampf, & in Stalin's anti-"rootless cosmopolitan" campaign against Jews. https://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/vince-cable-compares-theresa-mays-evil-language-to-mein-kampf/
In January 2017, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson met with Jared Kushner & 'proud racist' & dodgy alt-right crank Steve Bannon, who was at the time Donald Trump's chief strategist, & who "enabled right wing antisemitism to seep into the mainstream". https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38549807
Sajid Javid was accused of exploiting antisemitism after he attempted to link denying the Holocaust to Corbyn, by stating (we) should not be misled by Corbyn. Pathetically, Javid clarified: âCorbyn is not a Holocaust denier. I am happy to make that clear.â https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/sajid-javid-jeremy-corbyn-holocaust-denier-twitter-backlash-a8457706.html
Javid was also accused of using a similar antisemitism to that seen in Vichy France, where Jews had been separated into French or foreign born. Javid was criticised for separated Jews based on "decent Jews" & "Corbyn supporting Jews". https://voxpoliticalonline.com/2018/09/08/the-genuine-anti-semitism-of-sajid-javid/
In July 2018, Channel 4 #FactCheck revealed that the @Conservatives Party rulebook did not even mention antisemitism, despite Theresa May stating that her party had adopted the #IHRA definition. https://www.channel4.com/news/factcheck/factcheck-conservative-party-rulebook-doesnt-mention-antisemitism
In April 2018, Boris Johnson was criticised for congratulating Viktor OrbĂĄn on his re-election as PM of Hungary, in part because of concern about the crystal clear "anti-Semitic undertones" to Orban's campaign. https://news.sky.com/story/boris-johnson-criticised-for-congratulating-hungarys-viktor-orban-11324691
Also in April 2018, Jewish organisations unsuccessfully called on the @Conservatives to confront European political parties that had fueled antisemitism, particularly those the Conservatives were affiliated in the European Conservatives & Reformists group. https://ijv.org.uk/2018/04/18/joint-statement-on-tory-links-to-antisemitism-in-european-politics/
In September 2018, British Jewish leaders again condemned the @Conservatives because, in a vote to remove Hungary's voting rights at the European Council, the party defended Hungary's far-right OrbĂĄn government despite its 'vivid antisemitism'. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/conservative-orban-hungary-jewish-deputies-board-antisemitism-tory-british-meps-eu-vote-latest-a8535846.html
The @Conservatives were accused of 'cosy[ing] up to an antisemitic & racist strong-man regime', 'pandering to Jew-hate'. They were seen, including by one of their own politicians, as defending OrbĂĄn 'in a bid for backing in #Brexit talks'. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/conservatives-victor-orban-hungary-eu-parliament-vote-mep-group-europe-a8535511.html
According to The Jewish Chronicle, the vote 'was truly shameful & a dark day for the party led by Theresa May'.
Later in April 2018, OrbĂĄn wrote to the @Conservatives Party thanking them for their support in the vote. https://www.thejc.com/news/uk/michael-gove-criticised-for-shameful-unwillingness-to-condemn-antisemitic-hungarian-pm-1.469867
Later in April 2018, OrbĂĄn wrote to the @Conservatives Party thanking them for their support in the vote. https://www.thejc.com/news/uk/michael-gove-criticised-for-shameful-unwillingness-to-condemn-antisemitic-hungarian-pm-1.469867
In February 2018, May's former aide Nick Timothy co-wrote a story for The Telegraph which described Jewish philanthropist George Soros's funding of the anti-Brexit campaign as a "secret plot". @UKLabour would have been crucified, but not the Tories. https://www.thejc.com/news/uk/brexit-nick-timothy-aide-theresa-may-accused-antisemitic-slur-1.458334
In November 2018, the @Conservatives were condemned again, this time for appointing Roger Scruton as chair of a new Housing and Architecture Committee because he "pedall[ed] antisemitic conspiracy theories" regarding Soros, & had strong links with Orban. https://www.thejc.com/news/uk/tories-condemned-for-appointment-of-sir-roger-scruton-to-housing-commission-post-1.472108
In 2019 Suella Braverman stupidly said her party was "engaged in a fight against Cultural Marxism" - the far-right antisemtic conspiracy theory which inspired Anders Breivik, but which Tories STILL KEEP amplifying to this day. https://www.businessinsider.in/conservative-brexiteer-pushes-far-right-anti-semitic-conspiracy-theory-of-cultural-marxism-used-by-anders-breivik/articleshow/68584988.cms
In March 2019, Jacob Rees-Mogg RTd a speech by the leader of the far-right German political party AfD, who marched with neo-Nazis & were condemned as "racist & antisemitic", "no party for Jews", & a "danger to Jewish life in Germany". JRM didn't care. https://www.thejc.com/news/uk/jacob-rees-mogg-faces-fury-over-disgraceful-promotion-of-antisemitic-german-party-1.482354
In 2018, three @Conservatives council candidates were revealed to have made antisemitic comments: one said he was "Sweating like a Jew in an attic", & another referred to the Jewish symbol of the Star of David as the "Mark of the Beast". https://www.indy100.com/news/tory-election-candidate-suspended-homophobia-antisemitism-conservative-council-george-stoakley-8325071
In 2019, when on a London parliamentary candidate short list, Councillor Ben Seifert was told by a party member not to run because he is Jewish & "you can have too many Jews". Seifert left the @Conservatives party in September 2019. https://www.thejc.com/news/uk/ex-tory-greater-london-authority-candidate-was-told-not-to-stand-as-an-mp-because-he-was-jewish-1.490168
In November 2017 @hopenothate reported that @Conservatives Party activists were members of a Facebook group called 'Young Right Society', which was 'awash with antisemitic, #Holocaust denying & racist material'. https://theboar.org/2017/11/warwick-student-facebook-hate/
In October 2018, 'Moralitis: A Cultural Virus', by Robert Oulds, director of the Bruges Group, were available at a Bruges Group meeting. It is full of rabid right-wing antisemitic conspiracy theories, including "Cultural Marxism" & the Great Replacement. https://www.vice.com/en/article/7x3eaq/the-deeply-worrying-far-right-booklets-distributed-at-tory-conference
At Plymouth University @Conservatives party in October 2018, some society members were pictured wearing clothing with homemade slogans on them, such as "Jude" (German for Jew) with a Star of David, & wearing a Hitler-moustache. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/outrage-tory-uni-society-picture-13350145
In December 2018 disgusting right-wing advocacy group Turning Point USA, launched its British branch, TPUK. Candace Owens said some offensive crap about Hitler. Support for the organisation was given by Jacob Rees-Mogg, Priti Patel, & Steve Baker. https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/.premium-america-s-pro-trump-hitler-appeasing-right-is-targeting-britain-they-re-not-welcome-1.6920923
On 3rd September 2019, Jacob Rees-Mogg called two Jewish @Conservatives MPs 'members of the Illuminati', one of the "most poisonous antisemitic canards in all of history... frequently used as justification for violence". https://ucleuropeblog.com/2019/09/05/jacob-rees-moogs-alarming-cry-of-illuminati/
JRM using "Illuminati" was "dog-whistle antisemitism & at the same time a chase for votes to shamelessly exploit Jewish fears". He also said Soros was 'the remoaner funder in chief' - seen by some as a perpetuation of an antisemitic conspiracy theory. https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/we-need-to-talk-about-the-tories-antisemitism-problem/
Jacob Rees-Mogg was condemned by Lord Alf Dubs (who called for Rees-Mogg to be sacked), describing his comment as being 'straight from the far right's antisemitic playbook'. Britain First hero Rees-Mogg didn't apologise - he never does. https://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/lord-alf-dubs-calls-for-jacob-rees-mogg-to-be-sacked-over-george-soros-comment/
At the 2019 @Conservatives conference, Priti Patel disparaged the 'North London metropolitan liberal elite', seen as an antisemitic reference, & described as 'the language of the far-right... a worrying descent into dog-whistle antisemitic discourse'. https://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/jlm-lambasts-priti-patel-for-north-london-metropolitan-liberal-elite-comment/
In 2019, Crispin Blunt accused the chief rabbi of Manchester of demanding "special status" for Britain's Jews. The Jewish Leadership Council stated he should "clarify if he supports the concept of freedom of religion, a cornerstone of liberal democracy". https://www.thejc.com/news/uk/conservative-mp-accuses-chief-rabbi-of-demanding-special-status-for-britain-s-jews-1.489573
Michael Gove was urged to apologise for sharing an antisemitic tweet from a Twitter account falsely claiming it was run by a @UKLabour member - he was accused of "dog-whistle antisemitism" & "shamelessly exploit[ing] Jewish fears". https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/michael-gove-twitter-antisemitic-jewish-labour-member-corbyn-momentum-a9184601.html
James Cleverly was accused of "dog-whistle antisemitism". In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, he claimed Jewish "individuals & groups, including entrepreneurs & other business figures" would leave the country if @UKLabour won the 2019 election. https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/can-europe-make-it/tories-exploiting-jewish-fears-antisemitism/
The newly elected member for Hastings, Sally-Ann Hart, is under investigation by the @Conservatives party for antisemitism (and Islamophobia) after she "liked" a Nazi phrase on Facebook & "shared" an antisemitic slur. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/dec/11/tories-open-second-investigation-sally-ann-hart-hastings-candidate
The newly elected MP for Ashfield, Lee Anderson, was reported to be under investigation by the @Conservatives party for antisemitism in December 2019. Anderson was an active member of a Facebook group in which George Soros conspiracies are promoted. https://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/two-tories-win-seats-despite-investigations-over-antisemitism/
In February 2020, the @Conservatives' Jewish former Speaker John Bercow, claimed that he had experienced 'subtle' antisemitism from members of his own Conservative Party, and had never experienced any antisemitism from @UKLabour MPs. https://www.timesofisrael.com/uks-ex-parliament-speaker-says-he-suffered-subtle-anti-semitisim-in-house/
During the #GE2019, several @Conservatives MPs - including Boris Johnson - attended the unveiling of a statue of Nancy Astor, a "notorious anti-Semite" & "Nazi sympathiser who speculated that Hitler could be the solution to the 'world problem' of Jews". https://metro.co.uk/2019/11/29/theresa-may-fire-unveiling-statue-nazi-sympathising-mp-11242921/
In 2019 Ryan Houghton, standing for the #GE2019, was suspended for comments made 7 years ago on social media related to the #Holocaust, including saying there was "no credible evidence to suggest the Holocaust did not happen". His suspension was lifted. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-52963074
Amjad Bashir, who was standing in the Leeds North East constituency for the #GE2019, was suspended from the @Conservatives party after claiming that British Jews who visited Israel were returning as "brainwashed extremists". His suspension was lifted. https://www.thejc.com/news/uk/tories-suspended-election-candidate-after-jc-exposed-his-claim-british-jews-were-brainwashed-extrem-1.493384
Richard Short, candidate for St Helens South & Whiston, questioned on Twitter whether journalist Melanie Phillips, who appeared on #bbcqt was being more loyal to Israel or Britain. He still stood for parliament, but lost. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/dec/07/tories-investigate-three-candidates-over-alleged-antisemitism
In November 2020, 26 Tory MPs from the âCommon Sense Groupâ wrote to the Telegraph accusing the National Trust of being âcoloured by cultural Marxist dogma". They know the Board of Deputies have said it's wrong to use this phrase, but they just don't care. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/nov/12/national-trust-history-slavery
Ben Bradley MP often uses the phrases "cultural Marxism", & the "white working class" (popularised by the far-right BNP & NF in the 1980s). He's also called for the poor to be sterilised.
Tories generally get away with it because the UK print & broadcast news media leans Right.
Tories generally get away with it because the UK print & broadcast news media leans Right.
Britain sacrificed so many lives to help defeat #Hitler.
So why aren't voters HORRIFIED to hear @Conservatives & much of the UK press attack minorities, amplify far-right antisemitic tropes, & articulate THE EXACT SAME DANGEROUS POPULIST NATIONALIST RHETORIC used by the #Nazis?
So why aren't voters HORRIFIED to hear @Conservatives & much of the UK press attack minorities, amplify far-right antisemitic tropes, & articulate THE EXACT SAME DANGEROUS POPULIST NATIONALIST RHETORIC used by the #Nazis?
The contrast between news reaction to the ' @UKLabour antisemitism crisis', & the almost total absence of reaction to the @Conservatives' relentless mobilisation of far-right antisemitic conspiracy theories & populist nationalist discourse reminiscent of the Nazi era, is shocking.
@threadreaderapp please unroll.
