Labour full adoption of IHRA affects BDS activism in UK

Robert Inlakesh
Press TV

On December the 4th of 2018, the British Labor Party adopted the full International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism, a highly controversial move, which has since restricted the ability of its members to level certain criticisms against Israel.

It is now a year later and despite the concessions of Labor, anti-Semitism is still being used to attack the British Labor Party, consequently impacting pro-Palestine voices supportive of the BDS Movement, that’s the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign used to pressure Israel into abiding by international law and granting Palestinians their human rights.

So what impact has Labor Party’s adoption of the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism had on the BDS movement and pro-Palestine activists in the UK, one year on, and has this restricted their ability to organize and voice their opinions as they once did?

In addition to harming the abilities of pro-Palestine groups to assemble and voice their opinions at Labor Party events, is the targeting of the journalists who write in favor of BDS or publish information that may demonize the Israeli regime.

In 2017, it was revealed that Israel approved a 72 million dollar project to combat the BDS movement, and this is but one of many initiatives taken by the regime against the activists, scholars and journalists involved. Due to Israel’s intense focus on combating BDS and those involved, the seemingly coordinated campaign against Jeremy Corbyn’s alleged anti-Semitism problem, has been tied by some to Israel itself. A charge Israel denies as anti-Semitic.

With the consequences of the Labor Party’s adoption being felt by BDS and pro-Palestinian human rights campaigners, it is clear that many voices critical of Israeli policy are now feeling less confident in the United Kingdom to speak up.

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