BDS: See a list of companies we need to boycott – and why – here

The courts are not the place to test the IHRA definition- it is not legally- binding. But those who seek redress against bogus antisemitism using the law are to be applauded. Court proceedings are reported in the press, so this is valuable exposure for our campaigning. And it puts the Zionists on the back foot. [Except in Israeli courts, where they ALWAYS WIN]

Contents- please click on link to jump to paragraph header:

Lost: Tony Greenstein vs The Campaign Against Antisemitism

Veteran Palestine campaigner Tony Greenstein, a law graduate, found the judge unsympathetic when he took the Campaign Against Antisemitism to court, for calling him a “notorious anti-Semite”. He lost and was told to pay over £20,000 costs. Read about the legal case here. The Jewish Chronicle noted that because Tony couldn’t pay this, having declared himself bankrupt, the former Labour Cllr behind the Campaign Against Antisemitism, Josh Jones had to. The judge’s view? “Antisemitism is a matter of opinion”.

Won: Stan Keable vs Hammersmith and Fulham Council

Stan Keable, secretary of Labour Against the Witchhunt, was sacked by his Council employer after he was filmed at a protest speaking to a Zionist, having pointed out the Nazi’s support for Zionism through the Havara agreement [in the agreement, Hitler agreed with German Zionists to help relocate Jews to Palestine]. An Employment Tribunal found that Stan had been unfairly dismissed. The Council appealed the ruling- and lost again. In October 2021 the Employment Appeal Tribunal upheld the Employment Tribunal’s findings that Stan was unfairly dismissed and should now be reinstated. Read the Guardian article here. Stan is still waiting to get his job back, though. If the Council refuses, they’ll have to compensate him.

Won: Dr Philip Proudfoot vs Tracy-Ann Oberman

On the 26th April 2022, Dr Philip Proudfoot won his libel claim against Tracy-Ann Oberman – one of the individuals who has played a central role in the State of Israel’s efforts to silence pro-Palestine activists in Britain. (see more on Oberman in Performers and Israel – Campaign Against BOGUS Antisemitism)

Oberman had accused Dr Proudfoot of operating a ‘Jew blocklist’ on his Twitter account, which was found to be libellous. Oberman was forced to pay ‘substantial damages’.

For on 4th April 2021, Tracy-Ann Oberman had posted a tweet stating that: “So a man called @PhilipProudfoot of @FreeNorthNow has a Jew blocklist. I’ve been out of the twitter politics loop for a few months but is this Party continuation Corbyn? Seems like it. And will it end up the same way? Seems like it. Good luck all”. Many responded to the tweet with comments such as: “Whoever’s behind it it’s hateful”.

The allegation was untrue. The true position was that Dr Proudfoot used a standard, commonly utilised, and entirely legitimate online tool, ‘Twitter Block Chain’, in response to being targeted by anonymous troll accounts attacking him for his pro-Palestinian views. As the name implies, and as others commented in response to Ms Oberman’s tweet alleging a ‘Jew blocklist’, the tool blocks all Twitter users following the blocked account, regardless of whether or not they are Jewish.

The LLFF congratulated Dr Proudfoot and his lawyers at Rahman Lowe Solicitors. Their victory shows that the counter-lawfare strategy against the Israel lobby in Britain is working.

Tracy-Ann was forced to issue an ‘unreserved’ apology and paid damages and legal costs to left-winger Philip Proudfoot for this antisemitism smear she had made against him on social media.

Won: Jane Heybroek vs Rachel Riley and Tracy-Ann Oberman

And on the 29th July 2020, Labour-supporting immigration barrister Jane Heybroek won a stunning victory against Rachel Riley and Tracy-Ann Oberman. The pair had to withdraw their attempt to sue Ms Heybroek for retweeting an article by Jewish commentator Shaun Lawson and agreed to pay part of her legal costs in defending the case against them. The article in question was titled “Beneath Contempt: How Tracy Ann Oberman and Rachel Riley harassed, dogpiled and slandered a 16-year-old child and her father”.

Won: Mike Sivier vs Rachel Riley

On the 14th May 2021, leftie blogger Mike Sivier won a ‘public interest defence’ appeal in the Riley libel case. Mike Sivier has won this appeal against an initial judgment disallowing a ‘public interest’ defence against the libel action brought against him by TV performer Rachel Riley. [Riley is angry about Mike Sivier pointing out she had harassed, dogpiled and slandered a 16-year-old child and her father”.]. The case will now go to trial unless a settlement is reached between the parties. The judge’s ruling meant that Sivier can present a ‘public interest defence’ in the case and that he will be entitled to bring in articles that were the subject of a case brought by Riley and actress Tracy-Ann Oberman against Jane Heybroek.

On the 26th April 2022, Mike Sivier said this in his blog: “Readers with long memories may recall that Tracy-Ann Oberman threatened to sue me, at the same time as Rachel Riley, after I wrote in defence of a then-teenage girl who had fallen foul of the two TV workers*

Oberman subsequently chose not to initiate proceedings against me, although she has never withdrawn her claims. In the light of her current libel loss against Dr Philip Proudfoot, leader of the Northern Independence Party, that might prove to be the wisest choice she ever made.”

(see more on Rikey in Performers and Israel – Campaign Against BOGUS Antisemitism)

Ongoing: Mike Sivier vs Rachel Riley

Help Mike Sivier’s High Court libel defence against Rachel Riley.

Mike is a news reporter with more than 25 years’ experience who currently runs the influential Vox Political website. He is also a full-time carer for his disabled partner.  He is facing a libel suit from Rachel Riley, after he wrote in defence of a then-teenage girl who had fallen foul of Rachel Riley (and Tracy-Ann Oberman). Please donate to his fundraiser at www.crowdjustice.com/case/mike-sivier-libel-fight/

Both Lost and Won: Chris Williamson vs the Labour Party

In July 2019, a majority of Labour MPs voted against lifting the suspension on Chris for his comments that the problem of antisemitism in the Party had been exaggerated by the media and that Labour had given too much ground (see who they were here). He took the Party to court – and won!

Chris Williamson MP was first suspended on February 27. On June 26, a three-person antisemitism panel of Labour’s National Executive Committee voted to reinstate Chris. This was made up of Keith Vaz MP, Huda Elmi and Gerald Howarth MP. On June 27, following a public campaign against the decision led by Tom Watson, Keith Vaz claimed that he was undergoing medical procedures and felt that he had “not been fit” to consider any of the cases dealt with that day. On June 28, general secretary Jennie Formby informed all NEC members that the decision of the panel would be revisited by the full NEC Disputes Panel. This decided on July 9 that Chris was suspended again and on July 19 it referred his case to the party’s National Constitutional Committee. In his judgement of October 10 2019, judge Edward Pepperall ruled that “the party acted unfairly” in re-suspending Chris on July 9 and that “there was no proper reason for reopening the case against Mr Williamson and referring the original allegations to the NCC”. Judge Pepperall declared the re-suspension “unlawful” and that “the Labour Party is no longer able lawfully to pursue the original [February 27] disciplinary case against Mr Williamson”. Judge Pepperall explained that it was “not difficult to infer that the true reason for the decision [to re-suspend Chris] in this case was that [NEC] members were influenced by the ferocity of the outcry following the June decision.”

He referenced Tom Watson organising a public letter of 90 MPs and peers and another letter by 70 Labour staffers, demanding that Jeremy Corbyn strip Chris of the whip. He also mentioned Margaret Hodge’s claim that the decision meant the “party is turning a blind eye to Jew-hate”. On September 3, a week before the hearing started, the Labour Party issued Chris with a second suspension on top of his first one. These new allegations, listed in the judgement, clearly do not warrant a suspension: “sending an email to a member of the public who had complained to you about your criticism of Margaret Hodge MP that referred her to a video critical of Margaret Hodge; publicly legitimising or endorsing the misconduct of members or former members who have been found grossly detrimental or prejudicial to the Labour Party; publicly characterising the disciplinary process of the party as politically motivated and/or not genuine. However, as the party had followed its own constitutional procedures correctly, the judge could find “nothing inherently unfair in investigating these fresh allegations”. This is why Chris Williamson remained suspended from the party.

The press wrongly reported that Chris Williamson had lost his appeal. That was a wilful misrepresentation. He remained suspended on the new charges, on which no ruling had been made. But the court told Labour they must pay Chris’s court costs. With the proceeds from the court case, Chris set up the Left Legal Fighting Fund.

Left Legal Fighting Fund

The Left Legal Fighting Fund (LLFF) was seed-funded by Chris Williamson’s £70,000 against Labour win (see above). The fund’s website notes “Over the past five years, socialists and anti-imperialists in Britain have faced an intensive campaign of demonisation, aimed at forcing them out of public life and debate… In this ongoing war, many activists have fallen, or have succumbed to the pressures against them, often leading to serious reputational harm, personal financial ruin, and becoming ‘unpersons’ in mainstream political life. In particular, the racist Israel lobby has sought to criminalise pro-Palestine activism and to marginalise black, Muslim, and Jewish anti-racists… The Fighting Fund’s mission is simple: we support activists, protesters, and whistleblowers who are under attack and in need of legal assistance, and we pioneer new methods to create wider legal change in the service of others.”

Members battles: winners and losers vs Labour

In July 2021, several cases that the Left Legal Fighting Fund (LLFF) had been supporting came to a close. There had been wins and reinstatements for some Party members to the Labour Party along the way, but at the end of the course the judge ruled against the final remaining six defendants, telling them they must pay £110,000 in costs to the Labour Party. The actual amounts they paid was reduced by contributions from the LLFF. More on these cases at

Defend Labour Members – Left Legal Fighting Fund

and Opinion A boost to Labour’s McCarthyite disciplinary machine | Morning Star (morningstaronline.co.uk)

Ongoing- Ken Livingston & Pam Bromley vs EHRC

The Left Legal Fighting Fund are supporting London Mayor Ken Livingstone and Rossendale borough councillor Pam Bromley – both of whom were named in the EHRC report into alleged ‘antisemitism’ in the Labour Party – in taking on the so-called equalities watchdog. The EHRC had declared, in October 2020, that Ken and Pam had ‘contributed’ to alleged ‘unlawful harassment related to Jewish race and religion’ by the Labour Party. They are demanding their names be struck from this report. The EHRC’s findings were based on a flawed legal analysis, which is now unravelling. This judicial review could lead to the report’s worst allegations being entirely discredited. STOP PRESS 16th Sept 2023 – EHRC dodges court case: https://skwawkbox.org/2023/09/15/ehrc-discredits-itself-again-even-as-it-settles-with-livingstone-and-bromley/ and an explanation as to why they settled out of court at Labour ‘anti-semitism’ controversy: an important victory for pro-Palestine campaigners | Morning Star (morningstaronline.co.uk)

The Fund’s previous legal action against the EHRC resulted in whole pages being deleted from its draft report.  You can donate to Ken and Pam’s campaign here.

Ongoing- Professor David Miller vs Bristol University

On 1 October 2021, Professor David Miller was unjustly sacked by the University of Bristol from his position as Professor of Political Sociology for expressing his research-based views on Islamophobia and the role that the Zionist movement plays in encouraging it. The campaign against him has been led by the pro-Israel Community Security Trust which has been aided by a variety of Zionist groups including the Union of Jewish Students, the Jewish Leadership Council, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Zionist Federation and many others. The LLFF fund helped him raise £30,000 towards his goal of £50,000 for the legal battle against his employer to get his job back. His Employment Tribunal hearing ran for two weeks in October 2023; on the 5th Feb the Employment Tribunal judged in his favour ‘Landmark’ employment victory for Miller gives anti-Zionist views workplace protection – SKWAWKBOX

Ongoing- John Ware v Paddy French

John Ware is a BBC Panorama reporter and former Sun journalist, a racist and Islamaphobe, who is on the record as saying in the Jewish Chronicle of 26.7.13. (where else!) that whereas anti-Semitism is ‘entirely irrational’… Islamaphobia, if it exists, is ‘reactive’. Ware won the Islamic Human Rights Commission’s Islamaphobe of the Year award in 2005. He made the July 2019 Panorama programme “Is Labour Anti-Semitic?”, widely derided as biased and untrue. He is co-funder of the Jewish Chronicle.

Paddy French is an investigative journalist with more than four decades experience. He founded and edited the Welsh magazine Rebecca (known for its uncompromising Corruption Supplement) in the 1970s. He then went on to become an independent TV producer making programme for Channel 4, the BBC and ITV before joining ITV Wales as a staff producer.

Paddy carried out the investigation which proved that News of the World investigations editor Mazher “Fake Sheik” Mahmood lied to the Leveson Inquiry about the number of convictions he’d achieved. He also published a long exposé of Piers Morgan.

Just before the 2019 general election, Paddy — at the time a Labour Party member and a supporter of Jeremy Corbyn — published a Press Gang pamphlet called “Is The BBC Anti-Labour?”

This was a broad critique of Ware’s Panorama programme and how it failed to meet the standards required by the BBC’s own editorial standards. You can read it here:

Ware is suing Paddy for £50,000 over these criticisms he made of the July 2019 Panorama.

The case, already a year old, is now moving to trial. More on Tony Greenstein’s blog

And in the Israeli Courts..

The conviction rate of 99 per cent of Palestinians in the Israeli justice system speaks to the political imperative of convicting Palestinians for security offences against the state of Israel- when they are either completely innocent – or simply acting in accordance with international law, which acknowledges the right of resistance against occupying forces. In 1982, the UN General Assembly “reaffirmed the legitimacy of the struggle of peoples for independence, territorial integrity, national unity and liberation from colonial and foreign domination and foreign occupation by all available means, including armed struggle.” [more here].

In their rocket attacks on Israel, Hamas are exercising this right to resist occupation, much as the Ukrainians have the right to resist Russian forces. More on Hamas at This Siege is Illegal – Twin Edinburgh with Gaza (twingaza.com)

Mohammad El Halabi

15th June 2022- Mohammad El Halabi was convicted of diverting aid to Hamas despite UN concerns over lack of evidence in six-year-long case, in an action which appears to utterly illegal: see Israeli court finds Gaza aid worker guilty of financing terrorism | Gaza | The Guardian and Guilty verdict against World Vision hero is a travesty of justice (smh.com.au) and in 972 Palestinian Magazine’s How an aid worker disrupted Israel’s apartheid routine and in Mondoweiss Israel’s ‘secret evidence’ against Palestinians.

Australia has taken a strong interest in the case and declared El Halabi’s trial a farce Miscarriage of justice as Israel finds humanitarian hero guilty (apan.org.au)

The Guardian’s earlier article from 2021 provides a helpful background to El Halibi: Has a lone Palestinian aid worker been falsely accused of the biggest aid money heist in history? | Gaza | The Guardian

IMEMC News documents how, since June 2016, this man has suffered for a crime he did not commit – at Israel convicts World Vision official despite evidence he’s innocent – – IMEMC News

El Halibi’s employers have suspended their operations in Gaza, which of course is what Israel wanted – see this Statement from Kevin Jenkins, President and Chief Executive Officer of World Vision International | World Vision

If you want to help in the campaign against El Halabi’s imprisonment, please email to info@bogusantisemitism.org .. we have a plan that involves using the tool of Ahmed Manasra’s email-writing campaign at https://bogusantisemitism.org/our-politicians-where-they-stand/#campaign ..

On 30/8/22 he was sentenced to six more years on prison (on top of the six he has already served) see Israel sentences Gaza aid worker to six more years in prison | Israel-Palestine conflict News | Al Jazeera

Israel’s jailing of aid worker slammed | The Canberra Times | Canberra, ACT

Ahmed Manasra

The Palestinian short film, titled “Empty Place”, spotlit the story of 20-year-old Palestinian prisoner Ahmed Manasra, who was arrested by Israel in 2015 at the age of 13, was distributed entirely through social media platforms has attracted anger from various online Israeli activists. The full story and video can be viewed on Palestine Online here and on Middle East Monitor here

See how to help Ahmed with an email-writing campaign at https://bogusantisemitism.org/our-politicians-where-they-stand/#campaign

Please sign the petition: https://www.change.org/p/freeahmadmanasra

and the link to the most recent update is at: https://www.change.org/p/freeahmadmanasra/u/30658991

ALSO SEE how thousands of Palestinians suffer imprisonment without trial at https://bogusantisemitism.org/israel-palestine-explained/#imprisonment