The article in the Sunday Herald today is inaccurate and slanderous. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/17769276.labour-anti-semitism-row-scots-activist-claims-holocaust-exaggerated-formed-anti-zionist-group-hq-suspended/ I have reported them to IPSO and was planning to sue them; I went to a lawyer though, and paid £300 for some excellent advice- namely, that I was unlikely to win in court. It seems newspapers can say “fair comment” and avoid legal challenge by claiming that what they write is an expression of opinion. The Herald were careful not to say “Gregson is an anti-Semite”- if they did, I could sue. What they did was imply it.. and it seems that they can get away with that. They made factual inaccuracies but his advice was to deal with them through IPSO. If I went to court and lost and was made to pay the paper’s expenses, the cost to me would be stupendous. To read the advice I was given, click here.
[BTW Tony Greenstein took the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism to court for a similar slander and he lost- the judge ruled that whilst he accepted that Greenstein was not anti-Semitic, that when CAAS slandered him as such they were expressing “a matter of opinion”. Tony is now hugely out of pocket. See it all here. My legal friend commented “The judge bases his decision on the Simon Singh case – Simon (supported by the Guardian and a zionist (my opinion) appealed original findings of defamation against him in the court of appeal. Most lawyers were left baffled by the appeal decision. ie it is not defamation if a defamatory statement was made as a matter of opinion rather than fact – the case makes libel law as clear as mud so no one dares challenge defamation in the courts anymore! It’s high time the Singh decision was overturned in the supreme court – but who will do it? It seems a clear breach of a person’s human rights not to be able to challenge a libel against them.”]
HERE IS MY RESPONSE TO THE HERALD
From: Pete Gregson <postmaster@roseburn32.plus.com>
Sent: 14 July 2019 11:17
To: ‘Hannah Rodger’ <hannah.rodger@heraldandtimes.co.uk>
Subject: Your article in the Herald today
Dear Ms Rodger
Are you prepared to make corrections? If not, I shall be complaining to the press regulator.
There is so much wrong with this article it is difficult to know where to begin.
I never said “the Holocaust was exaggerated”. I said Israel exaggerated the Holocaust for political ends, something even the former Israeli Minister for Education, admits to. In this video Shulamit Aloni said that “anti-Semitism is a trick. We always use it”. The interviewer said: “Often, when there is dissent expressed in the United States against policies of the Israeli government, people here are called anti-Semitic. What is your response to that as an Israeli Jew?”. Shulamit Aloni replied: “Well, it’s a trick, we always use it. When from Europe somebody is criticizing Israel, then we bring up the Holocaust.” (more on this here)
You claim I have been abusive towards GMB officer Rhea Wolfson. Wolfson is high in Momentum and in the JLM. She is great mates with Jon Lansman and together last summer they convinced the Labour NEC and the 4 big unions to adopt the IHRA Definition of anti-Semitism, which has been condemned by many, including leading Jewish QCs such as Michael Mansfield (my QC, too), Hugh Tomlinson (see his paper here) and ex-Judge Sir Stephen Sedley (his paper here) – as a tool to prevent criticism of Israel. Sadly now the Labour Party has adopted it, they can suspend me- and others like me- for criticising Israel, the world’s most apartheid state. JLM, many of whose members are neither Jewish or in Labour, but who support racism and who remain, shockingly, affiliated to Labour, has been shown to be taking money from Israel to take down Labour politicians critical of Israel. (see www.tinyurl.com/thelobbyp1 )
You fail to mention that Wolfson supports Israel. When I wrote to Wolfson last September (she was then sitting on the NEC) complaining about the fact that the JLM should no longer be affiliated to Labour, she lodged a complaint with the GMB (my union, for whom she worked) demanding I be expelled. Gary Smith has happily done her bidding, even though a senior rabbi attended my hearings in Glasgow and London, declaring I was no anti-Semite (see the film that Ken Loach applauded at www.tinyurl.com/gmbihra ). Gary Smith clearly supports the Zionist cause and sees no contradiction in the fact that his union also claims to support Palestine. So whilst the GMB publicly puts money into pro-Palestine events, privately it expels members who condemn Israel’s apartheid. (see my www.tinyurl.com/gmbstatement )
You fail to mention that it is Rhea Wolfson whom I term a crazy Zionist. And there is no doubt that the big four unions- the GMB, Unison, Unite and USDAW are now doing the Zionist’s dirty work for them, in supporting Labour purges through their enthusiasm for the IHRA definition. Gary Smith utterly supports Rhea Wolfson who orchestrated the pointless Glasgow Council Worker’s strike (really an attack on the SNP Council there- who were going to settle a dispute that Labour had refused to when it was in power) and who is presently the favoured candidate in Livingston for the next General Election. (more on her at www.tinyurl.com/rheagmb )
Sadly Gary listens to no rabbis- he does what Lansman and Wolfson tell him to do. He was never elected to be the GMB Secretary and he obstructs grass-roots activism, such as this motion in support of Scottish NHS whistleblowers, which was passed by the Edinburgh & Lothian GMB Branch last December but which he prevented, along with the GMB Scotland Committee, from progressing to GMB Congress. He is out of touch with the membership and thoroughly anti-democratic.
You give mileage to those who condemn Labour activists setting up groups within Labour, but you failed to publish my correspondence with you where I point out that bodies such as Jewish Voice for Labour and Labour Against the Witch-hunt also have the word “Labour” in their title. As do the Labour Representative Committee. As do lots of other Labour groups. None are affiliated to the Party. I don’t know what is “shameful” about trying to oppose Israeli apartheid from within Labour.
It is difficult to understand the Herald’s editorial policy in allowing this piece from you to be published. I used to think the Herald was a good paper. No longer. In bygone days it campaigned for justice and has published articles supporting my campaign for an NHS Whistleblowers hotline.
And please note- I love Jews. I just don’t like racism
Yours sincerely
Pete Gregson
NOTE
I believe this attack is politically motivated and is design to undermine my petition to Edinburgh Council to twin with Gaza Municipality. Here is my speech from the (very wet) free Gig for Gaza in Edinburgh’s Princes St Gardens on Friday night. 8 mins WHY TWIN WITH GAZA? https://youtu.be/z6C6K0Twakw
AND A FURTHER EMAIL:
Dear Ms Rodger,
Having taken legal advice, I have further complaints.
You claim I attended Labour HQ to set up LAZIR. This is inaccurate. I set it up outside the building and that too, outside working hours on a Sunday.
Secondly, you are wrong to assume that I am operating under the Labour party banner. LAZIR is a fully independent organisation.
I would like to know who you spoke to in the Labour party. Was it an official response and if so, you should publish it in the article along with my comments. If it is not an official statement, then you should not publish it.
Regarding my comments on Zionists in the media and the BBC, there is plenty of evidence. I refer you to https://electronicintifada.net/content/apologists-israel-take-top-posts-bbc/12395
Yours sincerely, Pete Gregson
SUNDAY HERALD MISCHIEF
Here is the email I sent to the Sunday Herald yesterday, most which was ignored.
From: Hannah Rodger <hannah.rodger@heraldandtimes.co.uk>
Sent: 13 July 2019 14:01
To: Pete Gregson <postmaster@roseburn32.plus.com>
Subject: RE: LAZIR questions
Thanks Pete. I just tried to call but it said your phone was switched off. I have received your comments below though, which cover my points. Thank you.
Hannah
From: Pete Gregson <postmaster@roseburn32.plus.com>
Sent: 13 July 2019 13:59
To: Hannah Rodger <hannah.rodger@heraldandtimes.co.uk>
Subject: RE: LAZIR questions
Hannah, for your information:
- There are many groups that are made up of activists from both within and without the Labour Party. LAZIR have a constitution that gives full membership to Labourists- and associate membership to those who are not in Labour. If you go to www.tinyurl.com/laziwork you will understand our rules. Other groups, such as Labour Against the Witch-hunt, also have Labour members in it, as do Jewish Voice for Labour. None are as stringent as we, in saying those outside of Labour must take associate membership.
- I am suspended for criticising Israel. I can’t imagine the Zionists in the Labour Party are pleased about that. But these people are racists, who support apartheid Israel. LAZIR will work to get such racists kicked out of the Party.
- My suspension was reported in the Jewish News a week before I received a letter from the Party informing me. I have complained to both Labour and the Information Commissioners office about this breach and they are investigating- they have called upon Labour to respond. That was in March- no response as yet
- No date for a hearing has been offered.
- I regard the suspension as an attack on my freedom of speech to criticise Israel. Sadly, Labour has adopted the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism, which means that if anyone points out that Israel is apartheid, and has always been so, they are likely to be disciplined or expelled.
- We have lost our freedom of speech on Israel; that is the real scandal. I hope the Herald on Sunday might understand that is the issue here- and report on that massive infringement on our civil rights, one that has been pushed through by Israel and Zionists in order to stop the BDS campaign.
There is just one fully racist state in the world and we are forbidden from describing it as such. It is one that claims to be a liberal democracy and whilst some Arabs may have a vote, all are discriminated against through over 50 illegal laws. We in Britain created this monstrous state of affairs when we gave Palestine to the Zionists yet few politicians will acknowledge that. Is it a colonial project that has wreaked havoc in relations between the UK and Arabs throughout the world. It is an ongoing stain on our character that we must do all in our power to rectify. I hope the Herald on Sunday will support this view.
Yours sincerely,
Pete Gregson, Chair, LAZIR
From: Hannah Rodger <hannah.rodger@heraldandtimes.co.uk>
Sent: 12 July 2019 18:29
To: postmaster@roseburn32.plus.com
Subject: LAZIR questions
Hello Mr Gregson,
I am working on a story this week and wanted to ask you for your comments. If you wish to say anything I will need a response by 2pm tomorrow afternoon at the latest.
I understand you set up LAZIR at Labour party HQ in London in May. I have spoken to some members of the Labour party who are concerned about this, as you were suspended at the time you set this up and the group appears to be operating under the banner of the Labour party. I have also spoken to some people who believe you should be banned completely from the Labour party and are angry that Labour HQ have not yet taken any further action against you. Would you like to say anything about this?
I also wanted to check with you if you have any disciplinary hearings arranged with the Labour party, or if you have heard any more about what is happening with your suspension?
Many thanks,
Hannah Rodger Chief Reporter Herald on Sunday, 200 Renfield Street, Glasgow, G2 3QB
POSTSCRIPT- IPSO DECISION: Added 15/12/10
IPSO have dismissed my complaint against the Herald. The nub of their findings is that the Herald is entitled to say that I claimed “the Holocaust was exaggerated” when I made it clear that what I had said was that “Israel exaggerates the Holocaust for political ends.” They seem to think these statements are equivalent, but I think they are wrong. Mine was a criticism of Israel, not a statement on the Holocaust.
It’s a question of elementary grammar. It seems that subject and object have become one in IPSO and the Herald’s mangling of the English language. Simply put, a SUBJECT does something to an OBJECT. My statement was that Israel (the “subject”) exaggerates (NB present tense) the Holocaust (the “object”) for political ends. But the Herald and IPSO have changed the object to the subject to say that I (the “subject”) claimed the Holocaust (the “object” and also the “subject”) was exaggerated (NB past participle).
The exclusion of context here is crucial. If I say that “Boris Johnson exaggerates Islamophobia”, that is clearly not the same as saying “Islamophobia is exaggerated”.
A depressing conclusion. But it’s important to note that IPSO is not independent at all- it is completely controlled by the press, so they are loath to find fault with one of their number. It is a body which I now consider to be unfit for purpose.
For more on my expulsion from the GMB for criticising Israel, see my post at Pete Gregson- Israel and the Holocaust