Why Livingstone Lost Much of the London Jewish Vote

I have been neglecting my self-appointed task of providing links to items readers of this blog might find interesting. I know I've been away (and Costa Rica was wonderful), but that's no excuse now I'm back. So here's what I can only hope and pray is the last word we might need to worry about on Ken (I wanna be Mayor again) Livingstone.

To take one example from the start of this long article, 'The litany of public run-ins between Livingstone and Jews eventually broke the camel’s back. It was, to use an older Jewish phrase, “enough already.”' Dave Rich, of the CST, writing in Forward, is relating how come Labour canvassers in the just past London Mayoral elections kept getting this reaction on the doorstep when they canvasses Jewish voters. Although I wasn't canvassed, I'd have said the same.

Among the other elements is Livingstone's continued support for Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a confirmed anti-semite, misogynist, homophobic Islamist as some sort of liberal; Ken's inability to see the complexities in the London Jewish community; and his tendency to fall into the same trap as the likes of Mearsheimer and Walt. At the same time, Rich insists that, despite all this, Livingstone is, on an individual level, antisemitic, just one-eyed.

From my perspective, I think he's being very generous. But, perhaps, Rich is far more in the public world of London politics that I will ever be.

By Brian Goldfarb.