Historian of British Jews and race relations. Composer and Musical Director. Socialist and דאָיִקער. Writing on Jewish issues at www.toratalbion.org.ukhttps://bsky.app/profile/josephfinlay.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/josephfinlay.bsky.social/post/3mx4f7ndjqk26The most problematic word in Zionism is Racism is the ‘is’. Most people can see that since 1948 Zionism has necessarily involved racism towards Palestinians and still does. But that isn’t the sum total of what Zionism has meant. For Jews it was a nationalist movement, especially pre-48.05 Oct 2026 07:26 +0000at://did:plc:tlgjf53jsa5lqimchf46ntbt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mx4f7ndjqk26https://bsky.app/profile/josephfinlay.bsky.social/post/3mx33kuxgc22xThere will be many wild statements calling the Green Party antisemitic; these are a predictable consequence of a motion that focused on language and ideology rather than the material practices of occupation and apartheid. A motion committing the Green Party to BDS would have been far better.04 Oct 2026 19:00 +0000at://did:plc:tlgjf53jsa5lqimchf46ntbt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mx33kuxgc22xhttps://bsky.app/profile/josephfinlay.bsky.social/post/3mx2sxvxnds2iAgain, I think the ZiR motion is pretty silly, doesn't help Palestinians, and won't amount to much. But this statement from the Movement for Progressive Judaism (I belong to a synagogue affiliated to it) is completely ridiculous https://progressivejudaism.org.uk/statement-condemning-green-party-zionism-is-racism-motion/?fbclid=IwY2xjawUvXNpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBwZG9mBXNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR4sbnEgCQnik6O9RCtKJRqOQz0ZiSlKPsoRz9GU4YuQASqSqZIL_5OZ1kdi5Q_aem_c8QvC_PuxvPHnlRLTexhZQ04 Oct 2026 16:26 +0000at://did:plc:tlgjf53jsa5lqimchf46ntbt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mx2sxvxnds2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/josephfinlay.bsky.social/post/3mx2s2d4xq22iGiven that most of the Jews on the official Cable Street 90th anniversary march today were associated with the Jewish Bloc for Palestine and broadly support the ideas of the motion, whether or not they think it was smart politics / tactical, no it isn't actually [contains quote post or other embedded content]04 Oct 2026 16:10 +0000at://did:plc:tlgjf53jsa5lqimchf46ntbt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mx2s2d4xq22ihttps://bsky.app/profile/josephfinlay.bsky.social/post/3mx2pjn2tls2i [contains quote post or other embedded content]04 Oct 2026 15:25 +0000at://did:plc:tlgjf53jsa5lqimchf46ntbt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mx2pjn2tls2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/josephfinlay.bsky.social/post/3mx2lcw55x22eSo it passed. As I said, not a disaster. It’s a piece of untactical performative politics but let’s not make it out to be the new Nuremberg laws. The proposers of the motion were very clear that it couldn’t lead to sanctions against members. No Zionists will be expelled from the party. [contains quote post or other embedded content]04 Oct 2026 14:09 +0000at://did:plc:tlgjf53jsa5lqimchf46ntbt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mx2lcw55x22ehttps://bsky.app/profile/josephfinlay.bsky.social/post/3mwzv4tgxuc2wIt will not be a disaster if the Zionism is Racism motion passes or if it falls. It’s just a conference motion. Everyone needs to calm down. It was UNGA policy between 1975 and 1991 and didn’t lead to the liberation of Palestine or the sky falling in.04 Oct 2026 07:32 +0000at://did:plc:tlgjf53jsa5lqimchf46ntbt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwzv4tgxuc2whttps://bsky.app/profile/josephfinlay.bsky.social/post/3mwympirufs25Very good thread [contains quote post or other embedded content]03 Oct 2026 19:29 +0000at://did:plc:tlgjf53jsa5lqimchf46ntbt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwympirufs25https://bsky.app/profile/josephfinlay.bsky.social/post/3mwuyo5fhc22qSimon Schama has lost the right to lecture anyone on anything, or to be considered a good historian [contains quote post or other embedded content]02 Oct 2026 08:52 +0000at://did:plc:tlgjf53jsa5lqimchf46ntbt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwuyo5fhc22qhttps://bsky.app/profile/josephfinlay.bsky.social/post/3mwtfj52roc2jIn relation to the attempted plane hijacking half my timeline is salivating over Israeli heroism and the other half is calling it a false flag.01 Oct 2026 17:37 +0000at://did:plc:tlgjf53jsa5lqimchf46ntbt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwtfj52roc2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/josephfinlay.bsky.social/post/3mwsv6x7ouc2fSanction all countries that practice capital punishment, including the US.01 Oct 2026 12:45 +0000at://did:plc:tlgjf53jsa5lqimchf46ntbt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwsv6x7ouc2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/josephfinlay.bsky.social/post/3mwsnhrmec22xIt’s fine to try to get people to join the party to suppprt a particular policy. It’s not fine to work with the AZM, which is closely tied to David Miller and Rahmeh Aladwan, both of whom are racist. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/oct/01/group-encouraging-people-join-green-party-back-zionism-is-racism01 Oct 2026 10:27 +0000at://did:plc:tlgjf53jsa5lqimchf46ntbt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwsnhrmec22xhttps://bsky.app/profile/josephfinlay.bsky.social/post/3mwshvzvlik2pNow people are claiming that the attempted air-hijacking was a false flag. Don't get sucked into these conspiracies. And don't share anything from the Canary.01 Oct 2026 08:47 +0000at://did:plc:tlgjf53jsa5lqimchf46ntbt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwshvzvlik2phttps://bsky.app/profile/josephfinlay.bsky.social/post/3mwr4jdgyy22qPeople realise that just because the police are no longer categorising the Golders Green stabbing as terrorism it’s still a real thing that happened right? It’s now being classified as a hate crime, presumably because they think the attacker acted alone. Don’t give me any of this false flag shit30 Sep 2026 19:51 +0000at://did:plc:tlgjf53jsa5lqimchf46ntbt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwr4jdgyy22qhttps://bsky.app/profile/josephfinlay.bsky.social/post/3mwqlwdqnxc2cReally good discussion on the Green Party Zionism is Racism motion (supporting the principle but critiquing the behaviour of its proponents) on the Life of the Party podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/life-of-the-party/id1837129227?i=100079195332830 Sep 2026 14:54 +0000at://did:plc:tlgjf53jsa5lqimchf46ntbt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwqlwdqnxc2chttps://bsky.app/profile/josephfinlay.bsky.social/post/3mwo2pcycgk2pAndy Burnham is definitely wrong on some key issues: refugees, far-right groups, the continued proscription of Palestine Action. But it does make a nice change to have a PM who is not wrong on absolutely every issue, and is actually decent on quite a few.29 Sep 2026 14:40 +0000at://did:plc:tlgjf53jsa5lqimchf46ntbt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwo2pcycgk2phttps://bsky.app/profile/josephfinlay.bsky.social/post/3mwkqt3pnps2kIt’s not credible for the government to claim to have reset policy on Israel / Palestine unless they overturn the proscription of Palestine Action and cancel all the prosecutions https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/sep/28/ed-miliband-labour-former-stance-palestine-fell-short28 Sep 2026 07:05 +0000at://did:plc:tlgjf53jsa5lqimchf46ntbt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwkqt3pnps2khttps://bsky.app/profile/josephfinlay.bsky.social/post/3mwdd3aqmqs2kThe only way you can identify yourself as anti-Zionist and say that Israel has committed genocide in a shul and not be thrown out, is if you are standing for election and get invited to a hustings there. So shekoyech to @zackpolanski.bsky.social for speaking for all of us excluded from these spaces.25 Sep 2026 08:11 +0000at://did:plc:tlgjf53jsa5lqimchf46ntbt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwdd3aqmqs2khttps://bsky.app/profile/josephfinlay.bsky.social/post/3mwasldpnm222I increasingly think that the Zionism is Racism motion is strategically wrong and will be counterproductive but this Yachad statement spectacularly misses the point and just goes on about self-determination as if every people has the right to its own ethnostate. https://yachad.org.uk/statement-on-the-green-party-motion-zionism-is-racism/24 Sep 2026 08:10 +0000at://did:plc:tlgjf53jsa5lqimchf46ntbt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwasldpnm222https://bsky.app/profile/josephfinlay.bsky.social/post/3mw6m65ag2k2nRe the line ‘Zionism is just Jewish people exercising their right to self-determination in their ancestral homeland’ - why is self-determination presented as everyday vocabulary? Do people go to their shed for some self-determination? Kids meet up with friends so they can self-determine together?23 Sep 2026 11:10 +0000at://did:plc:tlgjf53jsa5lqimchf46ntbt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mw6m65ag2k2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/josephfinlay.bsky.social/post/3mvws2uhxqc2rThe amendments Zack Polanski suggested to the Zionism is Racism motion - ensuring members aren’t sanctioned just for belonging to nominally Zionist institutions like synagogues, and not specifying exact future constitutional arrangements in I/P - are sensible and don’t constitute opposition to it.20 Sep 2026 08:34 +0000at://did:plc:tlgjf53jsa5lqimchf46ntbt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvws2uhxqc2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/josephfinlay.bsky.social/post/3mvsf2acrgk2eI've been an Ed Milband fan for many years, but I take it to new levels here, celebrating the way he seems to me to far more in tune with the ethics of Judaism than his pro-Israel critics. https://www.toratalbion.org.uk/ed-miliband-the-red-rebbe-and-master-of-teshuva/18 Sep 2026 14:31 +0000at://did:plc:tlgjf53jsa5lqimchf46ntbt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvsf2acrgk2e