• Shopping Cart Shopping Cart
    0Shopping Cart
Campaign Against Antisemitism
  • Link to X
  • Link to Tiktok
  • Link to Instagram
  • Link to Facebook
  • Link to Youtube
  • Link to LinkedIn
  • Link to Mail
  • ANTISEMITISM
    • Definition of Antisemitism
    • Recognising Antisemitism
    • The Law of Antisemitism
    • Resources for Teachers
  • RESEARCH
    • Prevalence of Antisemitism
    • Antisemitic Crime Levels
    • Prosecutions for Antisemitism
    • Effects on British Jews
    • Antisemitism in Political Parties
    • EHRC
    • Antisemitism in Universities
    • Antisemitism in Local Authorities
  • NEWS
    • Latest News
    • Media Centre
  • PODCAST
  • ABOUT US
    • Our Work
    • Spokespeople
  • HELP US
    • Subscribe
    • Volunteer with us
    • Intern with us
    • Work with us
    • Become a Student Ambassador
    • Donate
  • CONTACT
    • General Enquiries
    • Media Enquiries
    • Licensing
  • Click to open the search input field Click to open the search input field Search
  • Menu Menu
Politics, United Kingdom UK-only e-mail list (not for international stories), Website

Jackie Walker rejects the International Definition of Antisemitism

Disgraced Labour activist, Jackie Walker, has made more explosive comments while answering an audience question during a session at Noam Chomsky’s “The responsibility of intellectuals 50 years on” conference held at University College London on 25th February. In particular, she refused to accept the International Definition of Antisemitism.

Campaign Against Antisemitism transcribed a video of the question and answer which was posted on YouTube and Facebook by various groups, including on one Facebook page, where it has gained 226,000 views.

Walker, who is currently suspended from the Labour Party, had her case referred to the Party’s National Constitutional Committee (NCC) earlier this month. She was suspended by Labour in September 2016 following comments she made about Holocaust Memorial Day at the Labour Party Conference. Walker said that Holocaust Memorial Day is not inclusive enough and that Jewish schools do not need special security in the face of threats. She also reportedly claimed that antisemitism was being “exaggerated” and that the “aim of such allegations is to undermine Jeremy [Corbyn].”

Walker, a leading ally of Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, was previously suspended from the Labour Party and then readmitted — without explanation — after claiming that “many Jews”  were the “chief financiers” of the African slave trade, a proposition described by the Legacies of British Slave Ownership project at University College, London as based on “no evidence whatsoever.” The accusation is clearly antisemitic under the International Definition of Antisemitism by “charg(ing) Jews with conspiring to harm humanity” and by “Accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing.”

Being so clearly antisemitic under the terms of the definition, it is therefore unsurprising that she would seek to reject it. So in this latest episode to be added to her long list of antisemitic remarks, she responds with a bizarre antisemitic litany to a question from the audience on why she does not accept the International Definition of Antisemitism. Disturbingly, her comments were met with applause from the audience.

Walker said: “Of course there are definitions I can work with. I like to stick to really simple definitions. I think antisemitism is hatred of Jews because they are Jewish. It has nothing to do with the Israeli State. Now I am going to go on from that and I’m going to say something really clear  and I’m sure people will be listening to this one. I do not accept your premise that Israel is not a racist state [applause]. As a non-Jew you cannot buy land anywhere you like. You cannot use any roads. If I’m in a hospital and I’m a Jew, I can choose whether I share that area with non-Jews or not. If you look at any definition of racism or apartheid, you might be very well informed on that. I have definitions, I have very good definitions that I can work with. And just because you can give me a big long list of all the people who agree with it. I think this is something that Chomsky is absolutely telling us and saying it clearly. It doesn’t matter how much harassment, how much vilification, how many, how much abuse you send to me, I will never accept that Israel is a necessary part of my identity as a Jew [applause]. And you see the way, I want you to know, I want you to know. Did you hear that? This is a typical way of responding. I, he says, I am not a Jew because because, because of course, because of course, these people believe just like the Nazis that they had the ability to define who is a Jew or not. I want to remind people that our hard fought for, our, our hard fought for vocabulary of liberation, names the person as being the one who claims what their identity is, not a state and not you [applause].”

What Walker says in this rant breaches the International Definition of Antisemitism which states that: “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, … by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour” is antisemitic. The Labour Party has accepted the International Definition of Antisemitism. Walker is clearly thumbing her nose at the Labour Party and contemptuously and defiantly going against Party policy by so emphatically rejecting the definition. In an effort to shield herself from criticism, Walker makes the dubious claim that she is a Jew, as though antisemitism is only antisemitism depending on who expresses it.

Campaign Against Antisemitism urges the NCC to take Walker’s new outburst into account when they review her case. Nothing short of expulsion from the Labour Party will suffice.

Walker is scheduled to speak on “Palestine, Free Speech & Israel’s Black Ops” at a number of events in Scotland from 27th to 30th March organised by the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign. We are monitoring these events closely.

Related

      
28/03/2017
Search Search
  • “Resistance is justified”: Friends of Palestine Society suspended at University of Birmingham11/06/2025 - 17:07
  • We will do everything we can to defend the Jewish community04/06/2025 - 20:44
  • CAA commences private prosecution against David Miller 04/06/2025 - 11:07
  • Warrant issued for comedian Reginald D. Hunter in private prosecution brought by CAA30/05/2025 - 14:38
  • The real destination of ‘Free Palestine’27/05/2025 - 20:22
  • Vigil for murdered Embassy staffers, 22nd May 2025
    Vigil in London for murdered Israeli Embassy staffers draws hundreds22/05/2025 - 22:00
  • Kneecap member charged with terrorism offence22/05/2025 - 09:33
  • Witness appeal: Theft of mezuzah in Golders Green caught on camera20/05/2025 - 17:47
  • “Right to armed resistance”: Scandalous student union motion withdrawn following CAA action20/05/2025 - 12:28
  • Gary Lineker finally gets a red card19/05/2025 - 20:54

We are seeking to recruit a General Counsel a Creative Communications and Events Officer a Communications and Research Manager an Education and Outreach Intern to join our London office

Join the fight

Subscribe
Volunteer
Donate

Campaign Against Antisemitism is a volunteer-led charity dedicated to exposing and countering antisemitism through education and zero-tolerance enforcement of the law. Everything that we do is done by people who volunteer their time, using donations contributed by members of the public. Join the fight against antisemitism by subscribing to our updates, volunteering, or donating.

Related

Justice, justice, you shall pursue - צדק צדק תרדף
© Copyright - Campaign Against Antisemitism, all rights reserved. Our logo is a registered trademark.
Campaign Against Antisemitism is a charitable incorporated organisation registered with the Charity Commission (number 1163790).
Use of our website is subject to our terms. Trees are planted every year to keep our work carbon neutral.
  • Link to X
  • Link to Tiktok
  • Link to Instagram
  • Link to Facebook
  • Link to Youtube
  • Link to LinkedIn
  • Link to Mail
Link to: Daren Thomas convicted with help from CAA over campaign of antisemitic threats to murder Link to: Daren Thomas convicted with help from CAA over campaign of antisemitic threats to murder Daren Thomas convicted with help from CAA over campaign of antisemitic threats... Link to: Police make arrests as neo-Nazi “White Pride” marchers perform Nazi salutes on the streets of Edinburgh Link to: Police make arrests as neo-Nazi “White Pride” marchers perform Nazi salutes on the streets of Edinburgh Police make arrests as neo-Nazi “White Pride” marchers perform Nazi salutes...
Scroll to top Scroll to top Scroll to top

We use cookies to track use of our website and your preferences. Use of our website is subject to our terms of use and privacy policy.

Read more.Accept cookies and our terms of use

Cookie and Privacy Settings



How we use cookies

We may request cookies to be set on your device. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website.

Click on the different category headings to find out more. You can also change some of your preferences. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer.

Essential Website Cookies

These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features.

Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site.

We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain.

We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. You can check these in your browser security settings.

Google Analytics Cookies

These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience.

If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here:

Other external services

We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Changes will take effect once you reload the page.

Google Webfont Settings:

Google Map Settings:

Google reCaptcha Settings:

Vimeo and Youtube video embeds:

Other cookies

The following cookies are also needed - You can choose if you want to allow them:

Privacy Policy

You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page.

Terms of use and privacy policy
Accept settingsHide notification only
SIGN UP FOR UPDATES BY E-MAIL

By default you will receive weekly e-mails, but when you receive the first e-mail you can change to daily or monthly e-mails instead.

If you prefer to subscribe later, you can do so by scrolling right to the bottom of this page.