The Antisemitism Wars - How the British Media Failed Their Public (Paperback)

The summer of 2018 saw a crescendo in the campaign against antisemitism in the Labour Party, waged by a number of organisations claiming to represent British Jews. Their claims received extensive coverage in the media, which reported on demands for a particular definition of antisemitism, adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, to be used by the Labour Party and other organisations. In fact, in spite of almost unanimous support for these demands in print and broadcast media, the so-called `definition' was, in the words of one leading QC "ineptly drafted", described by a leading judge as "failing the first test of any definition: it is indefinite", and called "McCarthyite" by the man who drafted it. This book shows how the Antisemitism Wars pose a major threat to free speech, particularly about Israel, but also how they can be used to deny critics of Israel and Zionism a platform for their other activities. It includes: * Commentary on the events of summer, 2018, by Karl Sabbagh * The full text of a critical opinion of the IHRA definition by Geoffrey Robertson Q.C. * A detailed report by the House of Lords into accusations of antisemitism by major Jewish organisations against a leading peer, dismissing all of them as unfounded. * Personal accounts by Tony Greenstein, Karl Sabbagh, Cyril Chilson and Thomas Suarez, of their encounters with Zionists and supporters of Israel who try to smear legitimate criticism as antisemitism. * Transcripts of the Al Jazeera undercover documentaries, The Lobby, revealing how Israel and its supporters infiltrate legitimate organisations in the UK, including parliament, to try to suppress criticism of Israel. * An investigation of the activities of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, showing how the data it produces about antisemitism in the UK, including in the Labour Party, are deeply flawed.