Thanks for the reply.

let me put it another way,

IF Gosling had, hypothetically, stated that “Blacks cause crime” or “immigration is the root of all problems”, or that “women should be kept at home and not educated, just there to service man” (along with other racist nonsense)

then you and other Greens would NOT hesitate or say “Likewise I don’t know if his material is racist (sexist) or not” it would have been plain that it was and your Party would have acted quickly

and in the above hypothetical example, Gosling would be kicked out of the Greens before you could say “recycle”

yet when it comes to anti-Jewish racism there is some question, some puzzlement, some lack of understanding by otherwise educated people

had Gosling come out with unambiguous attacks on women, Blacks, the Irish, the Roma, etc there wouldn’t be any delay, no excuses or questions, but as he chooses Jews, well, hmm..

and I just wonder why?

why is there that indifference to anti-Jewish racism?

“I just took a look at his website for the first time and didn’t linger long – it’s pretty inaccessible and difficult to work out quite where he’s coming from. It just looked like a load of conspiracy theory nonsense to me, which I’ve got no time for, and pretty much anti- everything. Likewise I don’t know if his material is anti-semitic or not – I didn’t delve deep enough; it’s certainly gibberish though. I’ll happily leave whoever is dealing with any internal disciplinary procedure the dubious joy of ploughing through that!

I wasn’t ever questioning whether or not Gosling’s writing was anti-semitic, like I said I haven’t read it (and hadn’t previously even heard of the guy), I was just trying to work out what people found offensive and anti-semitic about the policy that was passed at Autumn Conference.”

Ms. Luxton,

Thank you for your answers.

Please can you stand back for a moment and consider this paradox:

1.you can state with ABSOLUTE certainty that there is NO chance of any anti-Jewish racism entering the Green’s attitude towards Israel

2. yet when presented with Gosling’s web site you reply “Likewise I don’t know if his material is anti-semitic or not – I didn’t delve deep enough; it’s certainly gibberish though.”

Gosling’s web site is to anti-Jewish racism what the Daily Star and Page 3 of The Sun are to sexism, it is dripping with anti-Jewish content, which brings up the question:

if educated people can’t spot the content of such sites and the implications of it then you have to wonder WHY? and whether or not their judgments on these topics are objective, informed and sound?

I don’t say that last bit in a nasty way, as I’ll bet your views are fairly representative of many Greens, a raft of Guardian readers and a chunk of the chattering classes.

That is, some forms of anti-Jewish racism could be an inch from your collective noses and it simply would not register.

and I am left wondering WHY that is so?

it is not lack of education or deficiency of history, but here is something that impedes an understanding or sensitivity to certain forms of anti-Jewish racism.

I am NOT, I must stress, accusing you of racism or anything close to that, I am NOT.

but your attitude (and I appreciate it was an honest sentiment on your part) shows a certain indifference, an insensitivity

I am trying to comprehend WHY the educated white English middle classes have seemingly such a problem grasping the nature and motifs associated with modern anti-Jewish racism? particularly when it comes from unexpected sources (not the Far Right)?

Ms. Luxton, why do you think that is so?

I am sure that you and the Greens are familiar with sexism, anti-Black racism, anti-Irish, anti-Roma, etc undercurrents?

if so, why does Gosling’s material seem to slip under the Green radar?

Thanks but maybe I should clarify. I’m not saying that there are no reasons to criticise Israel after all countries have problems or things that can be legitimately criticized but I was immediately suspicious of the language used in that policy. However, the language used in the policy is far too close to that used by left wing antisemites and their allies.

This policy DOES no matter how much the Greens would deny it, target only Israel and says little if nothing about the activities of the other players in the regi on. There are legitimate criticisms to make of Israel as there is of many of many other countries but there is a danger that organisations that do publicise legitimate criticisms of Israel are used by groups of an altogether more sinister nature.

Utter nonsense. Oxfam has a political agenda. It published outright lies about the situation in Gaza, for example, blaming Israel for anything and everything which was nothing to do with Israel. Believing them as the default option is ignorant beyond words.