you might have to clarify that last bit....
i agree that the Ken Livingstone, George Galloway type lefties are significantly to the side of Palestine, and you could make a case for an anti-israeli slant - but anti-semitism =! anti-israeli, so i'd want to see evidence of anti-semitism from the british political left.....
I'll try to answer this, but it's such a complex subject that I probably can't come up with a short summary that even I would completely agree with.
First, I certainly don't see 'the left' (whatever that is) in general as anti-Semitic or anti-Israel, but there is an undeniable association, in the UK and elsewhere, of left-wing politics with anti-Israel attitudes and right-wing politics with pro-Israel ones. This hasn't always been the case; there has been a trend over the last few decades for anti-Zionism, denigration of Israel, and even outright anti-Semitism to shift from right to left along the political spectrum (I well remember some virulently anti-Semitic right-wingers in the local Labour Party when I joined, many years ago).
'Left-wing' anti-Semitism has become respectable, especially in some left-liberal circles - though it's usually described as 'solidarity with the Palestinians' etc. by its perpetrators – as shown by
this infamous (prize-winning) example. Both opponents and defenders of Israel have an unfortunate habit of conflating legitimate political criticism and unacceptable racist or xenophobic abuse - but that's another topic.
I'd say the two main reasons for the current 'left wing = anti-Israel' phenomenon are:
1) A rather over-simplified analysis: In general, the left sympathises with the 'underdog' (it seems there always has to be one). For reasons that are partly justified and partly not, Israel was once seen as the underdog but is now seen as the oppressor. Israel is a surrogate for the USA and 'the West' for those who like to see every national issue as a colonial struggle. To some on the left, this extends to Jews in general.
2) The left in the UK has become very much smaller, and the influence of the loony sector is proportionately greater. Many people of goodwill have become tainted with loony left ideas, such as an obsession with the misdeeds of Israel, simply for want of any sensible left to associate with. I would say that it has somewhat affected the Campaign group of MPs (but not McDonnell to any great extent). To a large extent SWP/Respect have become the organised left (at least temporarily), and they have significant influence far beyond their actual membership. Partly for opportunistic reasons, they pander to Arab and Muslim anti-Semitism, and Islamic fundamentalism. (Again, I am not saying that all Arabs or all Muslims are anti-Semitic or fundamentalist).
As for what it means to be 'anti-Israel', and whether this constitutes anti-Semitism, my short answer is that I'm suspicious of anyone who makes a point of being against
Israel rather than opposing Israeli governments, politicians, parties, policies, the occupation of Palestinian territories, the Lebanon invasion etc. What exactly does it mean to be against a
country as such? - I think there often is some (possibly unconscious) anti-Semitism there.
Didn't you hear, we voted to stay a Monarchy. Tony Blair has been front page news for a few day over here. I am interested to see what comes next. If the Tories win, what will they do about Iraq?
a_u_p, on most issues the answer to what the Tories would do is 'exactly the same as Nu-Labour'. Iraq would be an example - get out when it won't be obvious that they're doing a U-turn (which could take a long time). But there might not be a General Election for another 3 years.
And Kinnock still does not get the credit he deserves (for his reforms) - he started the reforms that cleaned out most of the Labour party's out and out kooks (and I proudly claim to be one of those he ousted).
Darat, I'd be interested to know which loony group you belonged to. I was an independent lefty (still am). I've forgotten exactly when I left the party (some time in the 90s) but it was voluntary - nobody tried to expel me (which is actually a bit insulting).
