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A Jewish Ken supporter writes…

March 23, 2012 2:31 pm

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Mark Ferguson

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There’s post from Dan Rickman – a Jewish Ken supporter – over at Huffington post today that’s worth drawing attention to. The crucial part of the post is this:

“I want to give Ken the benefit of the doubt and be able to vote for him on 3 May. However I am increasingly uncomfortable. It isn’t just the Jewish community. Ken’s recent comments about the Tory party being “riddled by gays” led to his being accused of homophobia by his rivals. Importantly though, it also demonstrate that he can re-build bridges, as shown by Peter Tatchell’s recent defence of Ken.

So I would appeal to the man himself. Ken please help me out and genuinely reach out to Jewish Londoners who want to support you. I would rather vote for you and a progressive future for London than become popular in my synagogue by no longer being able to defend you…”

He goes on to say:

“You have persuaded many of [the the Jewish community in London] you are part of the problem not part of the solution. This is a travesty and needs to be resolved by some clear leadership from you.

And as someone who wants to see you win, I’d appeal to you – make it easier for all your many supporters in London by being more measured with your words.”

The full post is well worth a read.

UKAzeri

Taking into account what Ken did for the gay community, long before it was popular and in fashion, he can be as blaze as he wants to when pointing out hypocrisy within Tory ranks.

Now on the issue of anti-Semitism, i am yet to see any recordings of the original event/dinner. We have the right to hear what happened for ourselves than believe a publication outright.

In any case here what another Jewish member of the party had to say… forgive me for trusting him more

Ed Miliband:

“I know Ken Livingstone well,” said Miliband. “He doesn’t have a prejudiced bone in his body. He is attracting people from all faiths, all backgrounds, all religions to his campaign. He’s somebody who’s fought prejudice all his life and I know that is what he’s going to continue to do.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/mar/22/ken-livingstone-jewish-community-row
- KonradBaxter
  
  Mussolini was a committed Socialist before he became a Fascist. What people do in the past does not dictate their future behaviour nor does it give them blanket immunity from criticism.
  
  Why would there be a recording of the event? Despite all the CCTV we do not yet record all and every interaction and meeting that takes place so having an expection / demand you can see footage which may not exist won’t lead anywhere.
  
  So you trust the leader of the Labour Party – a man who was not there – more? Remarkable. After all, Ed truly is a man with no stake in this at all and will be 100% impartial.
  
  Why would these ‘Labour supporting Jewish Londoners’ invent this and still say “We firmly believe that Ken can turn this situation around, and can count on Jewish voters to help him be elected Mayor of London”. What could they possibly gain?
  
  His ‘rebuttal’ was that he hadn’t said these things but stood by everything he said at the meeting.
  - UKAzeri
    
    I was a t a metting yesterday along with a number of people where Konrad Baxter said he is a martian …
    
    now prove me wrong !!!
    - treborc
      
      I cant he left in his ship this morning.
    - woolfiesmiff
      
      You must be a least 12 years old with the standard of your logic
    - Ellis000
      
      I was there also and he said he was a Venetian. There must be something wrong with your hearing as well as your brain.
- Geoff Tozer
  
  Fine retartED, if you want to support all the spongers who want something for nothing from your everlasting ‘Money Tree’, postponing the day of reckoning when debts have to be paid. Your type have ruined this country!
G.Day

I had a group of friends who worked in a radical gay touring theatre company in the early seventies, and they, semi seriously, allowed themselves one day a week when they could say ‘political incorrectnesses’, because of the pressure they were under, the abuse they got, if they let drop the smallest remark someone considered wrong, politically incorrect in a post production workshop

Ken dropped a clanger in the heat of the moment. He’s not prejudiced in that way. These things happen. I for one forgive him.
- woolfiesmiff
  
  How gullible are you, wanna buy Big Ben?
george

Ken is looking for votes and he doesnt care where he gets them. He has identified the muslim vote (including the hardline extremist) as his best chance so he adopts a camouflage that he thinks will let him havest those votes. In the past it was the gay vote he pursued. In some future period he will find another minority he wishes to curry favour with and jump to their tune.
Exactly why any of us should support a politician who acts in this way is simply beyond my simple intellect. Ken is so untrustworthy he should not be allowed to run a whelk stall let alone london and labour need their collective head examined for putting this disreputable shirt changer forward as mayor.
woolfiesmiff

This piece just shows how detached from reality the political tribes are. You are all more obsessed with your political tribe winning than any moral, principled or indeed effective leadership.

Ken Livingston is a rascist, homophobic antisemetic ignoramous but because he is the Labour party candidate then he has to be reintegrated into the Labour family. If this was Boris the buffoon spouting this kind of disgusting vitriolic crap you would be burning effigies outside city hall by now.

Grow a pair, refuse to vote for ANYONE who is rascist, homophobic, antisemetic or just plain stupid. If the Labour party want to be represented by someone like Ken then I’m not voting for them again. Lets get an Independent candidate of the left
- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=697126564 Paul Halsall
  
  As a Gay Man with at least 35 years of political memory (and who was working in the GLC Press office in the last days), the accusation that Ken Livingstone is homophobic, antisemitic, or racist is a massive lie.
Liberanos

Let’s be fair.

Ken isn’t anti-semitic.

He’s pro Yusuf Qaradawi.

And he’s anti-semitic.

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