Senior Jewish Voice For Labour official calls Jews who support Israel ‘obscene’

A senior figure in the Jewish Voice For Labour (JVL) group has launched a vicious attack on “Jews who place Israel at the core of their being”, describing their Zionist identity as an “obscenity.”

In an incendiary speech Glyn Secker, JVL’s secretary, told a protest outside Downing Street that Israel had destroyed 650 homes “murdering 44 people including 15 children” during the latest conflict with Islamic Jihad in Gaza.

He claimed Israel was “predicated on violence” and “oppression”, and responsible for “ethnic cleansing”, and “genocide” while the “prison camp that is Gaza” was a “human testing ground for its grotesque weapons.”

Secker, a long-time ally of Jeremy Corbyn who faced antisemitism charges before being threatened with expulsion from the Labour Party, then said:”For those Jews who place Israel at the core of their being, this is what they incorporate into their identity.

“But there are many Jews who resile from such obscenity.”

Secker then proceeded to list the names of organisations, including JVL and Jews For Justice For Palestinians who were “proud to state, not in our name!”

He added these groups stand for “human rights everywhere” adding “human rights for only Jews are hollow rights.”

Also speaking at Wednesday’s protest, which organised by the Stop The War, Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Friends of Al Aqsa groups, was Young Labour chair Jess Barnard.

In another inflammatory rant, Barnard claimed Israel forces knew when launching attacks on militants in Gaza “know the likelihood of children and teenagers being harmed and killed.”

She accused Israel of waging “a war against children and young people”. Barnard added the UK government continued to arm this “brutal oppressor .. this brutal regime against children.”

Then in a further rant she attacked the BBC and politicians for trying to “both sides” the conflict.

She said: “If this happened in the UK, and we saw a child murdered, would we see politicians trying to both sides that story.

“Would we see the BBC trying to do the same? Or would we see politicians trying to hold the BBC to account.”

Barnard then said: “And why is it we find billions to support rightful freedom of Ukrainians against Russian imperialism, but not even small change in support of Palestinians?

“This is a corrupt, brutal apartheid sympathising government.”

Jewish News later questioned Barnard on why, in her speech, she failed to acknowledge that,now according to reliable intelligence, one-third of those killed the latest conflict in Gaza were done so as a result of misfired Islamic Jihad rockets.

She also refused to condemn Islamic Jihad, saying she was “here to speak up for Palestine”.

When asked again why she had not condemned the Iranian-funded militia, Barnard added: “We are here outside Downing Street because this government sells arms to Israel.”

Also speaking at the protest were Daniel Kebede, president of the National Education Union, who told around 100 protesters that “from the Mediterranean sea to the River Jordan Palestinian lives are completely impacted by apartheid – so please, please, keep labelling it what B’tselem labelled it, what Amnesty labelled it – apartheid.”

Many of those in attendance at the protest were connected to the Socialist Workers Party, the Revolutionary Communist Group and the Workers Revolutionary Party.

Banners from the Jewish Socialist Group and JVL were raised alongside those reading ‘End Israel Apartheid’.