JEWISH Labour members have launched action against the party leadership, accusing it of unfairly targeting them over their anti-zionist beliefs. 

Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL), a left-wing, anti-racist network for Jewish members, renewed calls for the party to rethink its “unfair” disciplinary procedures.

In a submission to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), JVL accused Labour of waging a factional campaign against left-wing Jews. 

The submission includes letters sent by solicitors to Labour, which allege that the party is discriminating against members based on anti-zionist beliefs covered by the Equality Act. 

Complaints from legal representatives of repeated harassment of Jewish Labour members by the party are also shared in the submission. 

JVL said the experiences of many of its members are contrary to the party’s action plan for driving out anti-semitism, as well as Labour following disciplinary procedures which act against Jewish members’ interests.

“We find this continuing campaign of stigmatising innocent left-wing Jews, no doubt for factional or political reasons, totally unacceptable,” the report states.

The latest document follows previous submissions which JVL says show evidence of the disproportionate targeting of Jewish socialist members by party probes into anti-semitism.

Of the current 11 executive office holders within JVL, 10 have been investigated or automatically excluded in relation to charges of anti-semitism. 

The group said such potential discrimination was indicative of Labour’s increased hostility towards certain Jewish party members. 

JVL’s Richard Kuper said: “The EHRC has confirmed to us that it is  actively monitoring the steps Labour takes in implementing its action plan. 

“In this context we have raised with them again the exclusion of our and other critical voices in the development of the action plan and have provided striking evidence of an increasingly harsh treatment of certain Jewish members in the party. 

“We provide evidence describing the party’s inquisitorial methods of investigation and its swingeing rules of confidentiality to the detriment of those under investigation. 

“We hope that the EHRC’s response will be an important step in breaking the mainstream media’s radio silence on the harassment of Jews in the party which is taking place under the aegis of the current leadership.”

The Labour Party was approached for comment.