I'm pretty tired from the last five years, and even more tired from lockdown, working a full time job with my partner and trying to make sure our one year old doesn't pursue professional sofa acrobatics too early... but I'm going to give this a go at responding to a little. https://twitter.com/972mag/status/1254492945534922752

Especially as I'm liberally quoted... but anyway, self reflection isn't a bad thing and these pieces however critical allow me to think again about decisions taken and whether the right call or not was made. Last caveat. I know, like and respect both of writers.

So no pile ons or abuse on the authors. Will block anyone who does.

My take. I think this is a a broadly unfair piece on JLM for a few reasons. Primarily as neither authors were ever in the room whilst serious and constructive attempts to engage took place. That's not neither of their faults but misses a pretty important part of this sorry tale.

Up until the mural JLM was mostly on the harsh receiving end from the community. The piece completely ignores pretty much everything prior to March 2018. And they were a quite important three years full of attempts to engage properly.

These attempts were mostly rebuffed, probably because Corbyn himself was too scared and that's fair enough. The closest we got was Jeremy coming to a Chanukah party at Labour HQ. He refused to give any interview to Jewish media even when offered softball interviews.

Crucially, whilst the 'community' were up in arms at the very concept of Jeremy attending anything from the mainstream community, including JLM, our membership with a few notable exceptions didn't object. People knew that we had to try and make this work. And we did try.

LOTO almost had two personalities. Official view of staff was that they wanted to engage but whenever we tried it never quite happened. When we asked staff to deal with antisemites or give a speech on antisemitism it was always Jeremy who became the block until he had no choice.

The piece states "The JLM’s leadership, in particular, argued that the “moderate” wing of the party was more friendly to Jews".

This was one member of JLMs exec and she didn't say exactly that in the article. It is an unfair distortion of what she wrote.

I believe in radical reimaging of the state and huge redistribution of wealth, doesn't mean when I say this it becomes the view of JLMs leadership which is incredibly diverse. Ranging from ex Momentum members like @JoshuaGarfield to people a little to the right of Blair!

The piece falls into the same critique that it makes against JLM re the EHRC investigation and the Windrush scandal or Grenfell. It shouldn't be either or. JLMs complaint met the statutory threshold for investigation, the others should too. That they havnt cannot be JLMs fault.

Blame the system. Blame the ridiculously high threshold that the commission sets.

Ultimately its highest level investigation has only ever been triggered by two instances of racism ever, both institutional. Labour & the Met Police. A detailed legal argument was made & accepted.

Whilst I would not wish to speak for other members of JLM, its leadership or assume peoples views on things, I think I can safely state that they would say no abuses of any minority should be brushed aside. No ifs no buts.

To even imply this is a view shared by any of us is really offensive and I hope its not meant that way.

The plan for a reformed JLM in 2013 was NEVER meant to be antisemitism focused. That was forced onto it. Its purpose was to be using an established tool for a progressive voice to pursue social justice inside of the Jewish community and for the Labour Party.

It should have been talking about scandals, attacking the government, engaging the community in causes of social change. But it wasn't able to over the last five years as it and its leadership have been constantly having to put out fires. I wish that wasn't the case but it was.

Somehow here, the piece airbrushes put any BAME MP who has supported JLM and who JLM has supported in their own struggles. And there are a number. That JLM do not shout about this, often out of respect to the MP or member. Solidarity shouldn't be factional.

Now I'm at the bit where I am quoted from @OzKaterji's podcast...

It has long been my view and I've shared it with LOTO in the past. The attempt to remove legitimate candidates for Labour membership in 2015 & 2016 due to having tweeted they voted Green or something, radicalised many members. That isn't really reflected in the piece. See both...

The fault for the initial radicalisation lies with the establishment that enabled people being thrown out.. but the fault for fueling that radicialisation to grow, intensify, & morph into antisemitsm I believe lies with the antisemites on the far left. They both played imp parts.

What's interesting both in this piece and in the leaked Labour Report is somehow I am a valuable person to be quoted when stating my view on the moderates.
I also told @OzKaterji that a senior staffer in LOTO told me Corbyn was an antisemite.
Not worthy of inclusion in either.

Rather odd that I'm suitable to be quoted in one critcal context and component but not the other.

Need to touch on one thing... having helped compile the JLM EHRC report & read countless pages of witness statements (signed legal documents) from whistleblowers, some of which are from Corbyn's own team, this report only tells half of the story, told from a particular viewpoint.

I think it is very unfortunate that this report has tied up two separate issues and having read the report it only serves to increase divisive factionalism (which I think was the point of the authors).

Multiple things can be true at the same time. Staff didn't like Corbyn or his team. Staff even sobbed when Labour did badly. Some of those staff said terrible things. Other staffers named who didn't say terrible things also might have actually seen terrible things from others

So on whistleblowers who have come forward. They have signed legal documents. If they tell a lie they could face sanction. That people are willing to sign such papers gives me enough reason to trust what they say, with the evidence they provided.

And that the stories from both 'moderates' and 'corbynites' who have come forward all tell similar stories reinforces that view.

Lastly. I do think we got things wrong over the past 5 years. I hope others have the humility to also think about their own decisions too. Like I said. Self reflection is good.