Jewish groups condemn ‘inexcusable racism’ directed at leader of Enfield Labour Group
Board, JLC and London Jewish Forum issue statement of 'support' to Cllr Nesil Caliskan and her husband after they were both told to 'go back to Turkey' at Cockfosters shul event
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Communal groups have lined up to condemn the “inexcusable racism” directed at the leader of the Enfield Labour Group during a local election hustings at Cockfosters and Southgate Synagogue.
In an incident witnessed by several communal figures, Councillor Nesil Caliskan and her husband were both told to “go back to Turkey” by a member of the audience, and who was later identified as Caroline Green, an anti-low-traffic neighbourhood activist.
Caliskan, 33, appeared alongside Conservative opponent Joanne Laban to face questions by her local voters ahead of the May 5 election on council finances, low-traffic neighbourhoods, crime, large-scale development and other topics during the Jewish community hustings event on Monday.
But the unsavoury incident over-shadowed the event, one of several Jewish community hustings supported by Jewish News. and taking place in the run-up to the election on 5 May.
In a joint statement, the London Jewish Forum, the Board of Deputies and Jewish Leadership Council all condemned the incident, and expressed “ongoing support” to the Labour council leader.
The statement said: “We utterly condemn the inexcusable racism that Cllr Nes Caliskan and her husband experienced by an individual at our Enfield Council election hustings.
“We have expressed the strength of feeling to Cllr Caliskan and she has our ongoing support. These events are put on in order for our community to engage in the democratic process respectfully.
“The behaviour witnessed was unacceptable and will not be tolerated. The individual will no longer be welcome at any of our events.”
It is understood that Caliskan has been left “overwhelmed” by the support she has been given from members of the Jewish community following the incident.
The council leader, who was born in Enfield, is actually from a Cypriot background. Her Turkish Cypriot grandparents came to the UK in 1972.
In a statement on Wednesday she told Jewish News:“When elected Leader of Enfield Council in 2018 I was met with support and encouragement across the borough. I was also met with racism and abuse about my ethnicity, often goaded by whistle-dog-politics. Although in the minority, these attitudes are still relentless and hurtful.
“However, it was heartwarming that after the incident on Tuesday evening the Jewish community called out that racism and was unequivocal in their outrage. I thank the Board of Deputies who have shown leadership in standing up to racist views that have no place in Enfield.”
Asked by Jewish News to explain her “go back to Turkey” slur, Green, a hairdresser, who also works as a life-style coach, told Jewish News: “She is from Turkey. She has accused us of being hooligans and God knows what.
“And all she does is use the race card. That is her thing.”
Green added:”Look, I’m Jewish, my mum survived the Holocaust. We’ve had nothing but abuse and lies from this council leader.”
But publicly available records also show that Green has herself been a prolific activist who has repeated lodged Freedom of Information requests on road traffic issues.
Explaining her actions at Monday’s event further she added:”I was goaded by a guy sitting behind me.
“I’ve no idea who he was, he kept telling me to be quiet. I turned around a said ‘don’t tell me to be quiet, I live in a democracy’.
“Somebody sitting in the same row told me that was Nesil Caliskan’s husband. I said ‘How do you get a word in edge ways in your house? She never stops talking’.”
Jewish News has approached the Enfield Labour leader for comment.
During the hustings Cllr Laban outlined pledges she claimed would make the borough “cleaner, greener and safer”, including protecting the Green Belt from development, bringing back weekly waste collections and introducing more ‘school streets’ which protect children on their way to and from school.
Cllr Caliskan meanwhile began by saying she was sorry for the antisemitism that had “stained the Labour Party” in recent years, adding that she was proud to have stood in solidarity with the Jewish community and proposed the IHRA (International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance) guidelines on antisemitism, which were adopted by the council in 2019.
Cllr Caliskan also said Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer was committed to rebuilding trust, and she could now proudly ask the Jewish community to support the party during the local elections.
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