Jewish Momentum organiser resigns over ‘deep-seated prejudices’ in local branch

A Jewish Momentum activist has resigned from his local branch, after claiming he felt “unsafe” and “untrusted” around other members.

Joshua Garfield stepped down as a Youth Officer of the Jeremy Corbyn campaign group’s Newham steering branch, saying he’s “experienced more anti-Semitism in the past week than I ever have in my eight years of Labour Party membership”.

Posting a statement on social media, he said online discussions between members of the group about Labour’s anti-Semitism problem featured “deep-seated prejudices.. aired confidently and which went unchallenged.”

He said these discussions “leave me unable to serve on that body in good conscience”, adding that he has “felt sometimes unsafe, and most certainly untrusted as a Jewish member of the Steering Group, hence I have decided to step down.”

Garfiled insists his politics “remain unchanged” and he fully supports “a Labour government led by Jeremy Corbyn”, but that he “cannot work alongside individuals who seek to silence the legitimate concerns of Jewish Labour members, or who remain silent in the face of blatant racism.”

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His letter of resignation adds: “Denying that antisemitism exists within the Labour Party, or in its affiliated organisations, factions, and supporters is misguided, ignorant and offensive.

“While some may seek to weaponise the issue, something cannot be weaponised if it doesn’t exist. Our Jewish comrades need solidarity, not faction based infighting.”