Momentum activist suspended for posting 'anti-Semitic' video featuring councillors doing 'Jewish dance'

'Anti-Semitic': The video featured figures doing a 'Hannukah dance'
Twitter/arrisdan
Eleanor Rose11 December 2017
WEST END FINAL

Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories, opinion and expert analysis

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

An activist linked to Momentum has been suspended after posting an allegedly anti-Semitic video.

Daniel Harris, who campaigns for the leftist grassroots group in Brighton and Hove on housing issues, was censured after sharing the clip on Facebook and Twitter with the caption: "A bit of fun!"

The video, titled "The Dancing Brighton and Hove Councillors", shows the faces of city council leader Warren Morgan and colleagues Caroline Penn and Anne Meadows superimposed on figures in Jewish traditional dress.

The characters are performing a Hannukah dance against a backdrop of Stars of David.

The clip, which appeared to have been made with online software that makes customisable festive videos for £1.99, was taken down after a furious Twitter backlash.

According to the Brighton Argus, Councillor Meadows said she was "deeply shocked and offended", while Ivor Caplin, spokesman for the Jewish Labour Movement, said: “The posting of that video on social media is without question anti-Semitic. The JLM has submitted a formal complaint this morning on the matter."

Mr Caplin called for an investigation.

Mr Harris confirmed the suspension on his blog, writing: "I can see now that the post can be seen as offensive and anti Semitic and I wholeheartedly apologise for the offensive I have caused.

"As a gay man who has been victim to two incidents of homophobic hate crime this year, I know full well the challenges people from minority groups face."

He said he had written to synagogues and the JLM for "guidance" and "to attend any courses they have particularly on issues relating to anti semittism in the hope that I will never make the same senseless mistake again."

Anti-Semitism is a hot-button topic in the Labour-supporting movement, with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn accused of not doing enough to root it out.

Mr Harris and Momentum were contacted by the Standard for comment.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in

MORE ABOUT