'Honour, Schmonour… It is an elementary matter of solidarity' - Prof. Moshe Machover Support
The Garston 3 campaign is delighted to have been given the support of prominent Israeli activist and academic, Professor Moshe Machover. Prof. Machover was recently expelled from the Labour party on similar grounds as the #GH3, ie 'support for another party'. He was reinstated a coule of weeks ago: and our campaign has relied heavily on his. The text of his letter to the #GH3 Campaign is here: ---------- Dear Jennifer, My son Daniel has forwarded to me your email of 31 October. First, please give my regards to your comrades Bob, Tony and Gerry and convey to them my support and solidarity as co-victim of the witch-hunt. Could you please let me know what is the general nature of the “evidence” produced against them. In my case, the “evidence” consisted of the fact that I have written articles in the Weekly Worker, published by a small group calling itself the CPGB, and have spoken at some meetings organised by them; and that a group called Labour Party Marxists reprinted one of said articles. In the case of a comrade called Mike Paling, which came to my attention recently, the “evidence” for expelling him (on the same day as me, 3 October) was merely that he re-transmitted on Facebook some articles from WW (along with lots of other stuff from various other sources!). I would like to know what kind of “evidence” was produced in your friends’ cases. Also, would they mind if I mention their cases in public. AS my case has become widely known, I get lots of demands for interviews etc. I suppose this is the silver lining… In solidarity, Moshé ---------- We are so encoured by Moshe's support. The Prof.'s sound arguments against the witch-hunt of socilaists by the Labour Party's Compliance Unit, plus legal help and the support he had from comrades worldwide enabled his expulsion to be overturned. This gives us hope.
The Compliance Unit has generated a culture of fear, by use of sloppy accusations, suspensions and expulsions and groundless 'guilt by association' decisions. This has succeeded to the extent that the executive officers of the #GH3's own CLP, Garston and Halewood (our chair is Skwawkbox!) are refusing to allow a motion to support the three to be discussed in CLP meetings. We do not blame our comrades in the executive for this... we love and respect them and we understand the caution and fear they feel.
We are all living through an explosive and uncertain era: when a party member who retweets a Green MP, or calls a Labour MP a 'Blairite' can be suspended. Where a councillor can have the whip removed for believing that the term 'woman' only refers to adult biological females.
Where hundreds of thousands of members can be suspended on spurious grounds during a party leadership election. Where LCF elections and councillor selections are rigged at the expense of socialist candidates.
There is a dangerous culture in the Labour Party, at the moment, where COMPLIANCE takes priority over HUMANITY. A Welsh AM committed suicide just last week when he was refused the right, by the Compliance Unit, to know who his accusers were, and see the evidence against him.
So it is so refreshing when people go out on a limb to stand up and say: 'THIS IS WRONG' as, in our case, Prof. Machover and hundreds of our party comrades have done. Thank you. Natural justice and due process are human rights and the Labour party is the last place on earth these should be absent. The party has a duty of care to members subject to its disciplinary process. The Compliance Unit should be mindful of the fragility of the human conditon, when we experience stress, humiliation and social isolation.
I told Professor Machover it was an honour for us to have his support. He replied: 'Honour, Schmonour… It is an elementary matter of solidarity.' Solidarity isn't a buzzword: it's a way of life
Photo: Moshe Machover with Comrade Jabra Nicola (1912-1974) from www.matzpen.org